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This article discusses the religious dimension of the coastal adaptation of Muslim communities on northern coast of Java, Indonesia. As a volcanic island, geomorphological processes are the main causes of coastal inundation in Java. Nonetheless, debates on coastal adaptation mostly related to climate change adaptation. By focusing on North Coast Java, this study aims to draw parallels between the experiences of Javanese communities and communities facing rising sea levels in other parts of the world. Two Muslim communities were selected as both have experienced coastal flooding and indicate religious dimension in their adaptive strategies. This study has three main findings: 1. The religious dimension contributes significantly to environmental adaptation processes; 2. Religious practices interact in both positive and negative ways to affect the adapting communities; and 3. In the Javanese context, environmental adaptation takes the form of a narrative around local history and the experiential knowledge of the drowning communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison between the cloning of mammals and postmodern art is presented. Author argues that human creativity replaces God with humanity as the origin of truth and meaning in the universe. Article discusses artistic and scientific creation from secular and Christian perspectives.

The parable of the talents in St Matthew's Gospel is read as Dominical warrant for the modern economy, as by Margaret Thatcher in a speech to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May 1988, subsequently dubbed the 'Sermon on the Mound'. The article discusses the meaning of the parable of the talents and the economy of gifts by giving various examples.