Search

This study deals with new religious and spiritual searches that emerge in the face of uncertainty, speed of change, stress and anxiety experienced by individuals in the dynamics of today’s society and how these searches are associated with the happiness industry. The main claim of this study is that spiritual movements have become commercialized in the performance society and have become a part of fun morality and the happiness industry. The rapid change and transformation experienced with modernization creates various problems that individuals have difficulty in coping within their inner world. Especially with the secularization debates, efforts to purify today’s world from religion push individuals to different searches. For this purpose, in the face of uncertainty and change, individuals try to reach inner peace and satisfaction by turning to new religious and spiritual searches. Personal development, spirituality and the happiness industry are closely related to individuals’ quest to improve the quality of their lives and the goal of inner fulfilment, and they enable the growth and spread of the happiness industry. The happiness industry is marketed with promises such as adding meaning and purpose to individuals’ lives, reducing stress and anxiety, increasing self-awareness and providing spiritual fulfilment, and attracts the attention of individuals living in the uncertainty and competition of modern society. In this context, the article aims to evaluate in detail the efforts of the happiness industry to provide individuals with performance-oriented inner peace and fulfilment. Using basic theories such as performance society, happiness industry and fun morality, these efforts will be analyzed comprehensively within a theoretical framework. The performance society theory argues that individuals today live in a culture that focuses on their social and economic achievements and emphasizes that individuals are under constant pressure to achieve success and perfection. In this context, understanding how the happiness industry strives to provide individuals with inner peace and satisfaction beyond performance will provide an important analysis from the perspective of performance society theory. The happiness industry is also linked to the fun morality that is widely adopted today. Fun morality refers to an approach in which individuals are in a constant search to make their lives more enjoyable. How the happiness industry positions the products and services offered to individuals within the framework of fun morality and how they add meaning to individuals’ lives is an issue that needs to be addressed from a broader theoretical perspective. In this context, the potential risks of the industry and its possible negative effects on individuals will be analyzed through the theories of performance society and fun morality. In the literature, there is a lack of studies that examine the relationship between the happiness industry, fun morality and spiritual movements. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature in terms of addressing the relationship between these fields, to understand whether the happiness industry can help individuals discover their inner potential, and at the same time to understand the factors that lead individuals to ignore their inner values and keep them under performance pressure. The study is based on a comprehensive data collection and analysis process with a qualitative approach to understand how individuals respond to the challenges of modern life and the role of the happiness industry in this process. At the end of the study, in which literature review and critical readings are prominent, it is concluded that the happiness industry turns individuals into consumer objects by using spiritual pursuits, the individual feels obliged to perform daily performances based on fun morality, inability to access spiritual tools deepens social inequality and not being happy is seen as a crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we make the case for the theoretical and practical usage of the concept of the “biographical trajectory” (Riemann & Schütze, 1991, p. 342; Schütze, 1999) in social work practice with people who have left “high-cost” religious groups. We illustrate this through our analysis of the life stories and biographical trajectories of three individuals who have disaffiliated from either the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) or the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We discuss how their biographical trajectory developed during the time they were members of their specific religious group, and how they are addressing it through their disaffiliation. Implications for social work practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the religious situation, contradictions on religious grounds, and the emergence and development of radical religious views during the period of independence of Kazakhstan. The aim is to analysis traditional religions or the traditional approach to Islam in Kazakhstan based on studying the problem of religious identity. The historical theory of relativity, methods of generalization, content analysis, and classification are the basis of the study. As a result of the study, links were found between religious manifestations and secular principles, and the features of the Kazakhstani model in the relationship between the state and religion were formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that interreligious dialogue through study and friendships across the religious divide makes participants less susceptible to religious and cultural misinformation that is often used to maintain social bubbles, in which members draw clear boundaries between "us" and "them". Differences between social groups can culminate in a struggle between "good" and "evil" that can escalate into tension and violence. Preventing tensions and conflicts requires respect for differences, willingness to engage in dialogue, and a sound understanding of what religion is and the historical processes that have determined its development, distinguishing between empirical facts and images to which believers adhere. Because the author is a Dutch sociologist turned journalist from a conservative Christian family involved in interreligious dialogue in the Netherlands, Israel, and Egypt, the literature review presents contemporary religious developments in all three countries. The literature review is flanked by the author's personal narrative on the events that changed his views on truth and spirituality, making him more aware of the commonalities between peoples of different beliefs and leading him to a lifelong commitment to interreligious and intercultural dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Only one community-based study has assessed religious group involvement and health outcomes among South Asians in the U.S., with mixed results. Here, using a large, South Asian community-based sample, the effects of six religious group involvement predictors - religious tradition, attendance, group prayer, giving/receiving congregational emotional support, congregational neglect, and congregational criticism - were examined in relation to four health outcomes: self-rated health, positive mental health functioning, trait anxiety, and trait anger.Design: The study used a new religion/spirituality questionnaire in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis Among South Asians Living in America (MASALA), the largest study of mental and physical well-being among U.S. South Asians. Associations were assessed cross-sectionally using OLS regression in both the full sample (N = 928) and a subsample of congregation members (N = 312).Results: Jains reported better self-rated health compared to Hindus and Muslims. Group prayer involvement, when measured ordinally, was positively associated with self-rated health and mental health functioning. In reference group comparisons, individuals who participated in group prayer once/day or more had lower levels of anxiety and anger compared to several comparison groups in which individuals prayed less than once a day. Religious service attendance was associated with higher levels of anxiety. Giving/receiving congregational emotional support was positively associated with self-rated health and mental health functioning, and inversely associated with anxiety. Congregational criticism was associated with higher levels of anger and anxiety.Conclusions: This study provided a new assessment of religious group involvement and health in the U.S. South Asian population. Religious group participation was associated with mental and self-rated health in well-controlled models, indicating this is a fruitful area for further research. Group religious involvement may be a health-promoting resource for U.S. South Asians who are religiously active, but it is not an unalloyed boon.

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the problem of disenchantment, perhaps most notably in the extensive work of Charles Taylor. This article examines the disenchantment narrative as formulated by Max Weber and appropriated by Charles Taylor, and augment this with the perspective offered by Jason Josephson-Storm and other interlocutors, to generate a reading suitable for theological use. It suggests ways in which the human person and society might be affected by disenchantment. Finally, it explores means by which prayer might be used as a resource for dealing with the causes and symptoms of disenchantment, following the example of Andrew Prevot's careful exploration of prayer as a source of Christian thought. Prevot's concept of doxological theology ('thinking prayer') is particularly useful for resisting what he identifies as three crises of modernity: secularity, the fate of Western metaphysics, and socioeconomic and identity-based violence. This describes the imperative for studies in this area: insofar as the process of disenchantment contributes to the systematic violence and dehumanisation inherent in modernity, it is vital to explore the mechanics of that process and possible tools to combat it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution deals with phenomenon of choir singing and its mean for the interpret. The paper confirm theese thesis by empiric research, which is repeated after 9 years. It contents motivation factors and factors of singing means in the field of aestethics, sociology and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In relation to its numerical strength amongst Quakerism globally, British Quakerism has received a disproportionate degree of sociological investigation over the past 30 years. This research note looks at a series of surveys carried over this time, in particular previously unpublished work on the 2013 survey. The article anticipates the next ‘British Quaker Survey’ of October 2023 and suggests that this survey format could be usefully employed elsewhere to offer a greater level of comparative analysis between different types of Quaker than has been achieved to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Imperfect Classifications. Sociology of Religious Worlds" by Joaquín Algranti and Damián Setton offers a complex view of the diverse contemporary religious worlds in Argentina and how they face the problem of classification. The authors argue that religious identifications are imperfect and subject to unexpected adjustments and compromises. The book uses data from national surveys to show the changes and continuities in religious beliefs in Argentine society in the 21st century. The article presents a pragmatic and constructivist definition of spirituality from the perspective of unclassification, exploring atypical religious identifications and liminal practices of interaction. It also mentions the importance of a taste for material culture in religious belongings and how numinous mediations and the entertainment industry influence sacred hierarchies. [Extracted from the article]

Since the 1990s, research studies and theoretical work have made the case for altruistic and compassionate love as a psychosocial determinant of physical and mental health and well-being. Empirical findings and the deliberations of various conferences, working groups, and think-tank initiatives have laid the groundwork for a field that has been referred to as the epidemiology of love. This article provides a narrative history of this field, beginning with early work in psychology and in sociology. These precursors include decades of psychological studies of romantic, sexual, affectional, and interpersonal bonds, preceded by the work of sociologist Pitirim Sorokin in the 1950s detailing his taxonomy of the multiple aspects and dimensions of altruism and love. More recently, research at the intersection of altruism, love, spirituality, and human flourishing has emerged, including studies of physical and mental health. Currently, funded initiatives are developing applications of this research to global population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rudolf Steiner’s proposal for the threefolding of society is introduced and applied to the present. It is argued that a conscious differentiation (not division) of economic, political, and cultural domains brings clarity to the healthy impulses seeking expression in each domain. The hope is that such a clarification facilitates the cultivation of the collective will and moral imagination required for addressing the thicket of social conflicts dividing humanity at both local and planetary scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies contemporary psychoanalytic theory to a rapidly growing category of American religion: the religiously unaffiliated ("nones") and the "spiritual but not religious." Drawing on frameworks within Self Psychology, Intersubjective Systems Theory, and relational psychoanalysis, this article suggests an intersubjective dynamic among the "spiritual but not religious" that helps to shape their experience and expression of sacrality. It also explores ways in which this vein of religiosity may come into the room clinically, and makes an argument for paying close attention therein to meanings and calls for mutual experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative methods training in sociology often warns of the dangers of sex in fieldwork and discounts the power of the erotic for knowledge production. This essay makes a case for a deeper engagement with the erotic in qualitative research. The erotic is an ineffable energy that connects us to one another on a sensual, spiritual, and political plane. Despite its scope, the erotic is typically reduced to sexual intimacy. This limitation maintains the idea that all erotic encounters during ethnographic research are sexual and potentially harmful, discounting the possibilities of pleasure and mutual exchange. Through a meditation on key eroticized moments from ethnographic research for various projects, the author examines how an embrace of erotic ethnography can produce more ethical, mindful, and human-centered approaches to doing qualitative research. A deeper engagement with the erotic creates greater opportunity for mutual exchange and reduces instances of exploitation and extraction during ethnographic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaplains have been embedded in military settings for over a millennium. In recent years however, the decline in spiritual/religious (S/R) affiliation of military personnel across Western cultures has led to some commentators questioning the utilization of religious chaplains by defence personnel. This scoping review maps the literature on S/R and non-S/R factors that influence utilizing military chaplains—with a particular emphasis on the Australian military context. A systematic scoping review of tertiary literature databases using Arksey and O'Malley (2003) and Joanna Briggs Institute methodologies (JBI, 2021), revealed a total of 33 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Results fell into three broad categories: (i) how personal religious views influence utilization of military chaplaincy, (ii) barriers and enablers to personnel utilizing military chaplains, and (iii) the impact of chaplaincy. Despite the current reduction in religiosity in Western society, findings from this scoping review suggest there is little evidence that low religiosity among military personnel forms a significant barrier to utilizing chaplaincy services. To the contrary, the literature revealed that chaplains provide trusted, confidential, and holistic support for military personnel that if diminished or compromised would leave a substantial gap in staff well-being services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, where around 19,500 dialects are spoken, there is a great abundance of fiction quite rich in varied descriptions of old age and aging. While scholars like Pramod K. Nayar and Ira Raja have recently begun studying Indian literary texts written in English from the perspective of literary gerontology, those literary experiences of aging (which are originally in languages like Bengali, Tamil, Hindi, Oriya, etc.) are yet to be analyzed from a gerontological point of view. The present paper aims at studying the experiences of old age in 2 Indian short stories (one from Bengali Literature and another from Tamil Literature)—Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay's "Drabomoyee Goes to Kashi" ("Drabomoyeer Kashibash" in Bengali) and T. Janakiraman's "The Puppet" ("Vilayattu Bommai" in Tamil). Regarding "Drabomoyee Goes to Kashi," the paper interrogates the problems in the emplacement of Hindu older widows to Kashi and explores the possibilities in Drabomoyee from ecofeminist and creatural perspectives. The discussions on "The Puppet" chiefly reflect on the social exclusion of the aging bodies of people living with dementia. Through the story of Venu, the paper shows that what the society or family generally expects from the older persons suffering from dementia may not do any good to them, and may instead lead to their institutionalization and other forms of exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definition: The new sociology of religion differs from the classical and mainstream sociology, which was in force until the end of the last century, in that it no longer considers religion only as an independent variable, but places it together with other dependent variables, so that it becomes possible to investigate new themes, especially those that do not consider religious involvement-- from atheism to the phenomenon of 'nones' (non-believers and non-practicing), from spirituality to forms of para-religions and quasi-religions and the varied set of multiple religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to revisit the Pauline peristasis catalogues in his second letter to the Corinthians. There, a new perspective is found, based on the interdisciplinary dialogue between the Bible, Psychology and Spirituality, useful for understanding resilience from a Christian perspective, as deduced from the ministry of the apostle to the nations. The concept of resilience, used first in physics and later in Psychology, Psychoanalysis and Sociology, is today found in various hermeneutical approaches to individual and group realities in which people are called to face adverse situations such as difficult relationships, diseases, problems, etc. An analysis of the Pauline peristasis catalogues not only demonstrates that the apostle is a model of resilient behavior but reveals, also, the sides of a hermeneutic arch whose origin is the vocation he received from Christ and whose goal to be reached is the consolation and salvation of Corinthians by him. This finding recalls once again the relevance of Paul's teachings for an interior life anchored in a spirituality of resilience in current times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about several topics such as sociology as a vocation. It mentions history of Spain; and feminist methodologies have always focused on the particularity of each experience. It mentions about the articulation between gender, race, coloniality and spirituality; and feminist efforts toward questioning the standards.

Poverty and poor health disproportionately affect older adults serving as primary caregivers to their grandchildren. In underserved, rural regions, where grandparent caregivers may be especially vulnerable, grandparent caregivers may find support in cultural traditions. As part of a mixed methods study investigating stress among grandparent caregivers, the role religion and spirituality play in coping was explored using a survey complemented by semi-structured interviews with 26 rural grandparent caregivers. Findings suggest religion and spirituality facilitate coping by (a) providing a sense of purpose and perspective; (b) fostering peace and perseverance; and (c) promoting stability and social cohesion. This study describes how cultural assets aid grandparent caregivers' coping and may inform supportive policies and practices for grandfamilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mid-twentieth century, the social movement of death revivalism sought to resist the medicalisation of dying and grief through promotion of the dying person retaining autonomy, and societal openness toward death and bereavement. Despite this advocacy, present-day dying in high income countries is largely institutionalised, with value placed on control over the body and emotions. These phenomena are at odds with the ambitions of death revivalism, and demonstrate the re-medicalisation of dying and grief. Furthermore, contemporary society is continually advancing into the post-digital age, reflected in digital technologies being a tacit part of human existence. Within this framework, this study aims to investigate how people living with life-limiting illness and their loved ones experience, negotiate, and resist medicalisation of dying and grief through online internet forums. We collected posts through web-scraping and utilised Natural Language Processing techniques to select 7048 forum posts from 2003 to 2020, and initially categorise data, before utilising Inductive Thematic Analysis, which generated two major themes. The theme of 'Comfort' describes online forums facilitating psychosocial support which was often used to compensate for systemic deficiencies, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Common sources of comfort included animal companions and spirituality, in stark contrast with the medicalised model. The theme of 'Capability' describes online forums acting as solutions for people facing disempowering care systems, including providing information on legal rights and benefits which may not be otherwise easily available, and facilitating collective advocacy. Our findings indicate that community-led online forums can play an effective and sustainable role in democratising care and retaining agency when facing life-limiting illness and grief. Future palliative and bereavement care research must focus on how online forums can be integrated into existing systems, made transparent and accessible, be adequately funded and structured, and be optimised, including compensating for service disruption encountered during future pandemics. • Medicalisation can disempower and institutionalise dying and bereaved people. • The important value of digital technologies at the end-of-life must be considered. • Online forums can provide support and comfort for people facing dying or grief. • Dying and grieving people do not only value medical aspects of their experience. • Online forums can help people regain autonomy and challenge medicalised structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic outbreak is wreaking much havoc across the globe, with many nations shutting down their economy and social life with the hope of flattening the curve while health practitioners are also gearing efforts in providing a cure for it. Part of the coronavirus challenges is the various spiritual undertones attributed to it in many quarters. Hence, this study seeks to understand the various spiritual undertones attributed to the coronavirus incidence in southwest Nigeria. Methodology: This paper examined the coronavirus pandemic and spirituality sociologically in southwest Nigeria, using secondary and primary data. Secondary data includes a review of literature, social media comments, official records, and newspaper reports. Primary data entails using google form (questionnaire) circulated via social media with 221 responses retrieved and analyzed using the frequency distribution tables and bar charts. Also, a one-sample t-test was used for further statistical analysis. Results: Findings show that rather than attributing coronavirus incidence to spirituality alone, most of the respondents also see it as a public health concern, and precautionary measures should adhere. They see the government ban on social gathering, which affected the religious houses as the right thing to do and not solely targeted as religious houses. However, most believe that religious houses provide 'essential' emotional and spiritual support to the people. Respondents also believe they can get their healing from their place of worship even if infected with the coronavirus. Conclusion: Based on the findings it was recommended that religious organizations should source valid data so that policy-makers can make informed decisions. Also, there is a need to have an accurate record of the number of infected persons and death rates to know the right time to ease lockdown and lift the social gathering measures. There should also be a place for easy and free testing for people. This will help the government ascertain the number of infected persons, reduce the associated fear with the pandemic, and lessen the people's economic, social, and religious effects.

The article stimulates a discourse for theorizing ubuntu as part of a humanistic-existential approach in social work. The article expatiates on the ontologies and axiology of the humanisticexistential approach in light of ubuntu in an effort to theorize the latter through a comparative analysis of the two. Nine features of the humanistic-existential approach are explored: self-awareness, self-determination, human dignity, holism, the pursuit of social justice and human rights, motivation, social cohesion, spirituality, and death. The article calls for theorizing ubuntu philosophy in social work practice and education. It contradicts with other claims that deny ubuntu its place in the humanistic-existential approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience is gaining attention in trauma research, but how it is conceptualized across studies often differs. Further, limited empirical research has been conducted on group-level resilience factors in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study assessed resilience using two models (i.e., social-ecological and "bounce back") by investigating how resilience resource variables across the social ecology cluster together and relate to an individual's ability to bounce back after experiencing IPV. Latent profile analysis was used to generate profiles of individual (spirituality), social (social support, community cohesion), cultural (ethnic identity), and physical (use of public assistance) resources consistent with the social-ecological model of resilience. Differences among the latent profiles on overall resilience scores were investigated. Participants were 160 women (Mage = 34.7, 69% Black-identified, 75% with yearly household income less than $20,000) who experienced IPV in the past 6 months. Four resource profiles emerged: (a) generally high (GH); (b) low individual and cultural (LIC); (c) high physical (HP); and (d) low social (LS). The GH profile reported significantly higher resilience than the LIC profile. Findings suggest nuanced variations in resources among women experiencing adversity. These varied resource profiles relate to unique differences in resilience among women exposed to IPV. Based on these findings, interventions to address IPV may be most impactful if they promote stronger ethnic identity and increased spirituality. Future research should build on this work by utilizing more systems-level conceptualizations of resilience and including factors that capture not only physical resources, but also individual, social, and cultural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Studies - Language & Literature is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Social workers have an ethical duty to recognize and support each person's spiritual identity and ameliorate diverse forms of religious bias. These ethnical mandates are increasingly salient in light of recent Federal Bureau of Investigation data indicating that Jews, Muslims, Christians, and other people of faith are frequent victims of hate crimes. These discriminatory actions do not occur in a vacuum, but are legitimized by widely disseminated, subtly detrimental messages—commonly referred to as microaggressions. To assist social workers in identifying and counteracting these negative messages, this article delineates seven types of spiritual microaggressions that are frequently encountered in societal discourse. It concludes by offering some suggestions to help create a society that upholds and defends each person's spiritual integrity and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the nursing experience in caring for a 45-year-old man with acute compartment syndrome in a free-flap donor site following reconstruction of recurrent tongue cancer. The nursing care period was from 5/9/2016 to 10/12/2016. In the aspects of physiology, psychology, sociology, and spirituality, the author collected and analyzed the patient's data showing the main health-related issues: acute pain, impaired tissue integrity, and the sense of powerlessness. During the care of the patient, offering physiological support and adequate pain control was the priority. By using positive psychology, the nurse encouraged the patient to be active and optimistic in facing negative situations. In addition, the support of the patient's wife and daughter motivated him to think positively about his recovery from the disease. This nursing experience serves as a reference for nurses to develop effective nursing interventions with the use of positive psychology for similar patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spirituality has always been present in the history of nursing and continues to be a topic of nursing interest. Spirituality has ancient roots. The term 'spirituality' is interpreted as spirit and is translated as breath and soul, whereas spirituality (immateriality) is spiritual nature. Historically, the term spirituality is associated with the term religiosity, a definition that persists today, and often the two terms are used interchangeably. In the healthcare context, the construct is still. Objective: To clarify the concept of spirituality in nursing. Research design: In this article spirituality was explored using Rodgers' evolutionary and inductive method of concept analysis. Participants and research context: For this analysis, a sample of 71 articles published in English, from 2008 to 2018 from PubMed/Medline, CINAHL Plus with full text, PsycINFO, SciELO databases were retrieved. It was also accomplished an empirical search of dictionaries and e-books. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted according to good scientific practice. Findings: It emerged that "spirituality" is a dynamic process and has a range of attributes. The cultural dimensions, the religious and spiritual traditions, the ethnic diversity and the influence of the historical and social contexts represent the societal and historical conditions ingrained in the Western thought that influence the emergence of spirituality as a concept. Antecedents, attributes and onsequences appeared to inform and strengthen one another over time. Spirituality is a significant concept for the discipline of nursing with profound consequences for caring patients and for work organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religion has always been a major area of study in modern sociological studies in the west. Defining religion has also been a challenge for the modern western scholarship. What Religion is and what is not? Many definitions are produced in the response to this question. Consequently, we find different definitions of religion that are not only competing but sometimes contradicting each other. In this article, we tried to understand the background of the differences of western approaches on the definition of religion and its consequences on sociological studies of religion. The comparison of these definitions reveals that agreed-upon definition was never the objective of these studies and these were scholarly assumptions not an output of sociological study of religion. Hence, we cannot accept them as a result of discourse but it may provide initial bases to start research in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslims in the U.S. have a long history of being active in their communities, but September 11th marked a turning point for involvement due to backlash against Islam. While we know that Muslim civic engagement increased after the tragedy, we know little about why it increased or why some Muslims avoid civic activities altogether. Using a case study on Detroit area Muslims, I find four factors that drive civic engagement as well as three factors that hinder engagement. Findings suggest that social work practitioners and educators can act to support civic engagement and address the challenges that hinder community involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When learning about the existence of unobservable scientific phenomena such as germs or religious phenomena such as God, children are receptive to the testimony of other people. Research in Western cultures has shown that by 5 to 6 years of age, children--like adults--are confident about the existence of both scientific and religious phenomena. We examined the beliefs of secular and Christian children growing up in China as well as the beliefs of their parents. All participants--secular and Christian children, as well as their parents--were confident about the existence of the scientific phenomena. No such consensus emerged for religious phenomena. Whereas secular children and their parents were skeptical, Christian children and their parents were confident about the existence of the religious phenomena. Moreover, a similar pattern was found for Christian children in preschools and for Christian children with more extensive exposure to the secular state curriculum. Indeed, for religious phenomena, a positive association was found between the beliefs of Christian children and their parents, highlighting the potential influence of parental input in a predominantly secular society. Overall, the results indicate that children's religious beliefs are related to the beliefs of their parents, even when those beliefs go against the majority view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often the debates in philosophy of religion are quite disconnected from the empirical data gathered in the sociology of religion. This is especially the case regarding the recent increase in prominence of those identifying as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) within an American context. In the attempt to bring these two fields into productive conversation, this essay offers a constructive account of the SBNR in terms of what they reject (i.e., their status as “not religious”) and also what they affirm (i.e., their identity as “spiritual”). In brief, the suggestion is that the SBNR do not reject theism or even common “religious” practices, but instead reject a particular mode of “religion” that is grounded in an authoritative and insular social presence. Alternatively, the SBNR at least seem to affirm a notion of “spirituality” that is broadly consistent with the idea found in historical Christian traditions. After surveying the empirical data and offering a new phenomenological analysis of it, the essay concludes with a suggestion that we need a new category—“religious, but not spiritual” (RBNS)—in order best to make sense of how the SBNR signify in relation to specific hermeneutic contexts and sociopolitical frameworks.