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That Putin's regime has been able to put the memory of the Great Patriotic War (GPW) to political use is hardly news to any observer of Russia. What is often overlooked, however, is that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has contributed to the instrumentalization of this memory by the Kremlin. In this article, I aim to bridge this gap. Drawing on an analysis of the ROC's commemorative activities, I reconstruct the specific, martyrological, interpretation of the GPW that it is forging. With sin, atonement, and glory as its central concepts, this interpretation invests the suffering and losses of the GPW with patriotic sense. Thus, it turns the politically problematic traumatic memory of the GPW into a politically useful one. Simultaneously, it is consistent with the triumphant cult of the GPW advanced by the Kremlin. It also perfectly suits the statist historical narrative focused on the continuity of Russia's past, which is crucial for the ideology of Putin's regime. Furthermore, this interpretation does not contradict the Soviet memory of the GPW that the regime relies on. Finally, in combining Orthodox Christianity with militarism, the martyrological interpretation of the GPW is highly suitable for the regime's political business of the day, which is waging its war against Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the contributions to this special issue. It organizes the contributions through three conceptual lenses: the person, the state, and the church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequence and escalation of Russian–Ukrainian political and military conflicts since 2014, culminating in Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have reopened interest in and debates on just war theory and practice in general and specifically in historic and modern Eastern Orthodox cultures and Orthodox-majority states. These debates have significant repercussions in areas like church–state and church–military relations in these cultures; ecclesial involvement in these conflicts has varied from war-justification rhetoric (in the case of the Russian Orthodox Church) to reiterations of the inherited traditions of ecclesial pacifism/condemnation of all violence (the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a number of Orthodox Churches, clerical and theological networks, etc.). The Russian ecclesial involvements in the justification of war/military necessity and formulation of just war narratives have triggered divisions and antagonisms in the Eastern Orthodoxy. The development and course of the ecclesial conflicts involving Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches and parishes (and other Orthodox ecclesiastic bodies) will show whether Orthodox religious actors may begin to play a more significant role in the articulation and application of newly emerging trends in areas like the theology of just peace, just peace-making and Christian realism, Orthodox social ethics and the dynamic praxis of just peace-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalation of ecclesial and religio-political conflicts since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has further complicated the convoluted ecclesial situation in Ukraine and has been addressed in a series of sermons, formal statements and documents issued by senior Russian and Ukrainian ecclesiastical figures. Their ideological and theological rhetoric demonstrates the active participation of senior Russian Orthodox clerics in the justification of the Russian military effort which represents some radical ruptures in Eastern Orthodox ecclesial involvement in war-making and mobilisation. The Moscow Patriarchate's war-legitimisation stances and policies have major repercussions for the current debates on and reconceptions of the Christian just-war tradition in the frameworks of just peace, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as the potential key role of Christian religious actors in these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the intertwining of Orthodox Christian churches and political conflicts in Ethiopia and Ukraine. Topics discussed include the role of religious discourse in shaping war politics, the historical and theological implications of the conflicts, and the challenges of bridging lived experiences with academic standards.

Religion is a complex construct that defines not only the historical and social identity of a nation, but also the personal identity of an individual. The attitude towards religion can be conditioned by tradition, political ideology, true faith, education, etc. In our research, we have tried to establish the level of religiousness of the female students of teacher education faculties in Serbia, belonging to the Orthodox Christianity as the dominant confession in Serbia. We examined their attitudes towards some of the moral challenges encountered by believers, including abortion, prostitution, same-sex marriages, the use of cannabis, and euthanasia. Using a snowball non-discriminative online sample of 336 female Orthodox students, we found that the students assessed themselves as above-average religious and that out of three dimensions of religiousness measured in the questionnaire, the lowest scores were recorded for the dimension of the effect of faith on their behavior. The study showed that the level of religiousness is a good predictor of attitudes towards abortion, prostitution, and same-sex marriages, but not towards the use of cannabis. Moreover, religiousness and attitudes towards prostitution are positively correlated, which is directly opposite to religious teachings. This is why a question arises as to whether we can speak about a return to faith or merely a return to the traditional model of manifesting the religious as an antipode to the secular organization in force until 1989. The results of our research point to the latter conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Although we have increasingly assumed that UFO events are extraterrestrial in nature, there are alternative explanations for these extraordinary phenomena. Of these, the theory that UFOs manifest malevolent spiritual realities is often hastily dismissed because it violates modern society’s secular assumptions. As is explained, however, an a priori dismissal is arbitrary since it rests on similar evidential grounds. After the case is made that logical consistency demands that the spiritual theory be given a fair hearing, this article draws on U.S. data on reported UFO sightings to demonstrate that a state’s religious climate significantly determines the frequency of such sightings there. It is argued that these findings constitute circumstantial evidence that modern society is culturally induced – rather than led by the evidence – to embrace the interpretation that UFO phenomena are extraterrestrial in nature.

Happiness as a complex combination of individual, collective, affective, rational, and circumstantial constituents is either integrated or should be integrated in the policy-making of modern states and societies, in line with the global endeavor towards achieving sustainable development goals. Given the social relevance of happiness, the most broadly accepted relevant indicators for its attainment, and the great gap that exists due to insufficient empirical treatment of the matter in North Macedonia, this exploratory paper aims to determine the impact of age, gender, health, unemployment, religion, ethnicity (by spoken language), and language-based discrimination on individual happiness in the Republic of North Macedonia. The research was based on descriptive statistical operations and regression analysis of the ESS 10 data regarding the Republic of North Macedonia, obtained for the first time for this country; as well as on secondary analysis of studies considering wide-range surveys, statistical data and reports. Health, employment, ethnicity, and ethnic and linguistic discrimination represent strong determinants of happiness in this country. Indications are high that age and happiness are linearly correlated. The gender is less important in defining happiness in North Macedonia; however, women are slightly happier than men. The majority population, speaking the Macedonian language and practicing Orthodox Christianity, experience higher levels of happiness than the linguistic and religious native minorities in North Macedonia. Further in-depth research based on consistent and compatible data is needed, to the end of advancing researchbased policies in the social, economic and healthcare systems of this county. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article* focuses on the immediate near-death experience of an elderly woman living in traditional Vepsian culture. We analyse which universal, and which more culturally motivated features are present in her story narrated to us in 2018. We conclude that, despite the strong association with animistic beliefs in the informant's everyday life, the experience is dominated by elements specific to vernacular Orthodox Christianity. The article presents a translation from Vepsian of a fragmentary personal experience narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Torah is central to Judaism. Jesus's relationship with it sparks conflict with Christianity. Some Jews think that Jesus violated the Torah, while some Christians believe that he sinlessly followed it. This clash escalated on 22 June 2023, when Ultra-Orthodox Jews protested a Messianic convention in Jerusalem. Social media videos and comments highlighted Jesus's purported Torah compliance, placing Matthew 5:17 at the center stage. The comments proved indicative of the gaps within the literature as neither determined all the unique Written and Oral Torahic/legal issues raised within the Gospels nor quantified the extent of Jesus's compliance. To address these gaps, this study employs artificial intelligence (LDA), statistics, and legal analysis and exegesis to determine Jesus's compliance with the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, and Mishneh Torah. The findings show the Gospels' consensus: Mark, Luke, and John reflect that Jesus was non-Torah-compliant (14.80, 43.80, and 0.00%, respectively); Matthew states otherwise (70.80%). Overall, the study revealed that Jesus kept 79 of 162 Written and Oral Torah laws (48.80%). This study has significant implications for Christian doctrines, the definition(s) of sin, and the missionizing ethnoreligion members and serves as a case study that illustrates AI's impact on religious authority (i.e., clergy, scholarship, and doctrines). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I argue that Hegel's Absolute must be understood to be transcendent in the sense of being both immanent within the world and exceeding it. This account of transcendence invariably turns on Hegel's inheritance of the Christian tradition and, in particular, the metaphysics espoused through Christian Platonism. To support my argument I will examine the methodological immanentism of Hegel's phenomenology to show that such immanentism, while demanded by any phenomenology, is not necessarily imported into his metaphysics. I will then examine Hegel's Logic to show that the dialectic which his thought relies upon compels the finite subject to recognise that all finite things, including themselves, are grounded within the Absolute Idea. I will then examine whether we must understand the Absolute Idea as immanent or whether there is room to conceive of it as transcendent. I conclude the essay by showing that the sense of transcendence as found within Nicene Christianity provides an understanding of transcendence that is not only compatible with Hegel's thought but actually allows us to make better sense of his system than the immanentist interpretation of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the war in Ukraine on Orthodox Christian liturgy in the country. It explores whether liturgy should respond to war or provide a respite from violence. The article discusses the different denominations within Ukrainian Orthodoxy and their competing notions of history, identity, and victimhood, and how these differences affect liturgical practices such as language and the veneration of saints. It emphasizes that the divisions within Ukraine are not solely caused by external forces but have existed within Ukrainian Orthodoxy itself. The article also discusses the liturgical practices and commemoration of national traumas in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), highlighting the OCU's focus on Ukrainian distinctiveness and secular memory culture. The war has caused upheaval in both churches' liturgical practices, with the OCU making changes to emphasize Ukrainian identity and distance from Russia, while the UOC has been more resistant to change. The article also mentions the role of monasticism in shaping liturgical practices and the potential impact of political developments on religious freedom in Ukraine. It explores the conflict in Ukraine as a reflection of a fault line in World Orthodoxy and discusses various sources and concepts related to Ukrainian liturgical narratives, victimhood nationalism, and the distinctiveness of Christianity in Ukraine. The text also touches on the division within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the impact of the conflict on religious communities. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores the experiential reality surrounding the Divine Liturgy, a Byzantine rite in Orthodox Christianity that has remained central to Eastern practice globally since Late Antiquity. The article draws on multi-sited ethnography in the glocal context of the Orthodox Church of Finland (OCF), a national church of minority and a site of multicultural interaction. Our analysis shows participants articulate their experiences with the Liturgy in an epistemology of interiority by which (1) they constantly, if unevenly, and agentically engage with the Liturgy in a form of individual, vernacular artistry. This interiority is (2) both sensorial and interpretative, and (3) ambivalently grounded in motifs of being "at home" and, at the same time, "on a journey." That is, participants from different backgrounds make a connection to the Liturgy both as a spiritual and a literal home, relating to different elements—Finnish, Karelian, Byzantine, and Church Slavonic—in its ritualistic aesthetics. At the same time, Liturgy emerges as a perpetual journey of new openings and glimpses, informed by past experiences and life trajectories, and participants relate to these two aspects simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Serbia, monasteries are shared points of reference, permeating everyday life in banal ways. This contribution considers the extensive network of Serbian monasteries as a form of 'religious infrastructure'. Monasteries sit in a recursive, mutually formative relationship with ideas about the Serbian collective self. Just as monasteries shape claims about the historical rootedness of the Serbian people, so discourse about Serbdom positions monasteries in particular ways. Proof of monasteries' encompassing power lies in the fact that monasteries – and ideas about them – allow diverse actors to make different (sometimes contradictory) claims about history, territory, heritage, and sincere faith. In ways that are at once inconspicuous and flagrant, monasteries provide an infrastructure that frames, contains, and compounds ethnic and confessional belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, "The Life-Giving Spring," near the village of Kosmos, emphasizing its significance as a sacred site for Orthodox Christians. Topics include the church's construction and restoration, the healing properties attributed to its spring water, and its role as one of many sacred sites in Central Asia revered by the Orthodox community.

After the collapse of Communism, a major overhaul of the systems of religious governance took place in Bulgaria and Russia. Policies of liberalisation were pursued in both states which created conditions for the revival of religion and growth of religious diversity. This research article analyses the state approaches and policy orientations characterising the governance of religious diversity in Russia and Bulgaria in the post-Communist years as well as challenges to the fulfilment of religious freedom and religious equality. Using the lens of religious nationalism, it demonstrates that religious nationalistic tendencies are significant in both states when it comes to the governance of religious diversity. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that such tendencies are inscribed in a contradiction between constitutionally-established principles and nationalism-tainted practices when it comes to the treatment of some minority religions or/and groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the learning of newcomers in a religious community through a micro-sociological approach, making use of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger's (1991) notion of "legitimate peripheral participation" to conceptualize initial stages of inclusion and involvement in social practice. Our case study concerns Orthodox Christianity and is based on material gathered through fieldwork in a course targeting potential new members organized by a Finnish Orthodox parish. In the analysis, we inquire into how beginners learn skilful participation in Orthodox liturgical life, and specifically embodied ritual conduct. This learning takes place primarily through participation in real-life divine services. The article highlights challenges faced by beginners in acquiring the embodied repertoire of Orthodox ritual, including adapting to the artistic use of ritual gestures, and negotiating the meanings produced through them. Furthermore, it also illustrates how nuanced dynamics between newcomers and oldtimers influence the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the book "Faith, Reason, and Theosis" edited by Aristotle Papanikolaou and George E. Demacopoulos. The book explores the concept of theosis, or participation in the divine life, from the perspectives of various Christian traditions. The contributors examine how the understanding of theosis has evolved and expanded in recent times, and how it can be a point of dialogue and unity among different branches of Christianity. The book features essays that delve into topics such as creation, incarnation, salvation, deification, and the relationship between reason and theosis. The editors emphasize the importance of theosis as a unifying thread in theology and present the book as a mosaic of different perspectives on the topic. [Extracted from the article]

The expression of theology by means of music in the Orthodox Church is something that has been discussed and regulated since the Patristic era, which itself takes as its basis the Psalms and the Gospels. The way in which this expression has been achieved practically, however, has varied considerably over the course of history, as the following survey shows; and questions of the relationship between personal creativity and dogmatic theology are still being asked today by hymnographers, composers, and other musicians whose work is orientated to a greater or lesser extent by the spirituality of the Orthodox Church. This article begins with a brief consideration of the scriptural background (focused on the New Testament) before introducing music in the thought of the church fathers. The entry goes on to elaborate the style and practice of liturgical music in the Orthodox tradition before turning to questions of developing a theology of music, focusing on the Orthodox chant. Attention is then given to a theological consideration of the liturgical texts themselves. Subsequent sections delve into related concepts of hesychasm (quietude) and the icon, asking how they may shed light on a theological understanding of music and chant. The article closes by situating Orthodox liturgical music within the broader discussion of theology and the arts in Eastern Christianity.

The article discusses Samantha Kelly's book, "Translating Faith: Ethiopian Pilgrims in Renaissance Rome," which focuses on the Ethiopian community at Santo Stefano, a church near St. Peter's in Rome, during the sixteenth century. The book challenges prevailing notions of early modern Catholicism by highlighting the autonomy and agency of the Ethiopian community in shaping their own religious practices and discourse. Kelly's study emphasizes the importance of understanding the Ethiopians' perspective and examines their interactions with Europeans, as well as the papacy's support for Ethiopian pilgrims. The book also addresses the role of race in these cross-cultural encounters and highlights the interconnectedness of different cultures in shaping the early modern world. [Extracted from the article]

Bir Güney Doğu Avrupa ülkesi olan Moldova, dini açıdan, Ortodoks Hristiyan bir ülkedir. Devlet laiktir. Ancak Moldova’da inanç özgürlüğü anayasal bir haktır. Eski bir Sovyet ülkesi olan Moldova, diğer Sovyet ülkelerinde olduğu gibi, resmi olarak ateist topluma sahipti. Bu dönemde inanç baskılandı. Dindar bir topluma sahip olan Moldova’da bağımsızlık sonrası oluşan demokratik ortam sebebiyle dini kurumlar açıldı. Toplumda din eğitimi konusunda talep oluştu. Bu sebeple okullarda din eğitimi verilmeye başlandı. Bugün ülkede din eğitimi ilkokulda başlar. Din eğitimi, eğitimin tüm kademelerinde mevcuttur. Din eğitimi zorunlu değildir. Zorunlu olarak okutulan ahlak eğitimi dersinden zaman içerisinde ayrılan din dersleri, seçmeli olarak okutulmaktadır. Okutulun din dersleri Hristiyanlığın belli başlı mezheplerinden ibarettir. Okullarda teolojisi öğretilen mezhepler toplumsal talep ve politik tutuma göre belirlenmiştir. Halkın büyük çoğunluğu Rus Ortodoks Kilisesi’ne (ROK) bağlı olmasına rağmen, Evangelist Hristiyanlar ve Yedinci Gün Adventistler için devlet okullarında eğitim verilmektedir. Diğer yandan Romanya Ortodoks Kilisesi (ROOK) ve ROK arasındaki çatışma sebebiyle Ortodoks din eğitimi, kilise ismi konusuna girmeden, Din Ortodoks Mezhebi adı altında öğretilmektedir. Bu çalışmada Moldovan devletler okullarındaki din eğitimi araştırılmıştır. Sovyet sonrası Moldova’da din eğitiminin süreci incelenmiştir. Ülkedeki din eğitiminin hangi eğitim kademelerinde nasıl uygulandığı araştırılmış, araştırmada derslerin müfredatları ve ders kitapları tetkik edilmiştir. Başka bir ifadeyle doküman analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca devlet okullarında verilen din eğitiminin öğreticileri (öğretmenler) bu çalışmanın konusudur. Gerek kilise papazlarının gerekse resmi öğretmenlerin din eğitimi dersindeki istihdam koşulları incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın sınırlılıkları içinde, özel okullarda din eğitimi, araştırmanın dışında bırakılmıştır. Moldova’daki din eğitimi üzerine Türkçe literatürde bir çalışma yoktur. Bu sebeple çalışma literatüre önemli bir katkı sağlayacaktır.

This article draws on the anthropology of crisis to analyze ways in which communal‐religious responses to crisis situations can reveal engrained social and cultural structures, and especially their gendered aspects. We focus on two alternative forms of Jewish communal prayer service that emerged in Orthodox communities in Israel during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic: street and balcony minyans. Based on interviews and texts, we explore Orthodox women's experiences of these new religious spaces that entailed the rearrangement of traditional gender and spatial boundaries. We show that while these spaces opened room for new religious experiences for women, they ultimately accentuated their experiences of exclusion. We argue that the destabilization of the physical religious space in these alternative communal prayers reinforced symbolic gender boundaries. Thus, our study not only demonstrates how crises can uncover the deep social grammar of a community, but also how they unearth processes that defy and challenge that grammar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the subject of the resurrection in dialogue with modern approaches of Orthodox theology and iconographic and patristic sources. Its premise is that the resurrection of Christ is the beginning and prototype of the resurrection of human beings. The article portrays the path of humanity towards the resurrection of the dead at the eschaton or end of time as a dynamic of transparency for God, as a history of love and as a pilgrimage. The liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church acts as an inspiration for an 'eschatology of the present', for experiencing the 'now' of the resurrection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first to document the historical significance of the Indianapolis-based Syrian Ark , the official newspaper of the Midwest Federation of Syrian American Clubs from 1936 to 1954. Extant copies of the periodical provide a detailed record of Arab, Syrian, and Lebanese midwestern life in the middle twentieth century. Using elements of Thomas A. Tweed's spatial theory of "crossing and dwelling," author Edward E. Curtis IV analyzes how the newspaper's editor, correspondents, and other contributors moved across and inhabited local, regional, national, and diasporic spaces in their reporting. He argues that the Syrian Ark 's collective mapping of Arab American dwelling or "homemaking" in the shared public culture of the U.S. Midwest and U.S. nation-state was co-constituted through inhabiting the terrestrial space of diasporic Arab nationalist identity and the cosmological aspirations of religious ecumenism. The article illustrates this thesis by showing how the coverage of multiple midwestern locales in the Syrian Ark constructed a sense of Arab belonging to an ideal midwestern "hometown" of economic prosperity and strong civic engagement; how the newspaper's deep U.S. patriotism was joined to grassroots Arab diasporic nationalism, including activism on behalf of Palestinian liberty; and how the periodical created a cosmological home of religious ecumenism that sought to bring Muslims and Christians together across the Arab diaspora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the later stages of life, this study aims to outline a specific personal context shaped during this phase, approached from various perspectives: theological, medical, psychological, and social, each highlighting distinct challenges. Theologically, the focus is on the afterlife and preparation for meeting the Righteous Judge. Medically, the emphasis is on health deterioration, culminating in the cessation of bodily existence. Psychologically, the study mentions the decline in cognitive functions, anxiety, and depression. Social aspects include isolation, marginalization, adaptation to change, and the loss of loved ones. Considering the impact of these factors on human life, this research examines to what extent the Sacrament of Communion, from an Orthodox perspective, offers answers to all these challenges. Based on a qualitative research method (content/thematic analysis) of liturgical texts using MAXQDA software, the study focuses on the prayers preceding and following this Sacrament. It highlights the complex nature of the Sacrament of Communion, its multiple faces, and its extended benefits, as well as the risks of partaking without proper preparation. The results provide arguments for the significance the Orthodox Church grants to the mystical union between man and God in the Sacrament of Communion, also emphasizing the importance of an authentic spiritual life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moldova is a borderland, lying geographically between Slavic Russia and the modern, liberal states of the European Union. Historically, it took shape after the rise of a multicultural Ottoman Empire to its south and the disintegrating remains of the old Holy Roman Empire to its west. These influences remain, but long before modern history it was on the invasion path between Eastern and Western Eurasia, which itself was divided between Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Centuries of wars and occupation left a deep ethnic mark on Moldova, consisting of Dacian, Tartar, Roman, Greek, Ottoman, Russian, Magyar, and Jewish cultures. They all left their mark on Moldovan national identity, which was acquired by accommodating a cultural mix that required negotiation and tolerance which remains part of the Moldovan national identity today. This article looks at the "national question" around the example of Moldova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use longitudinal data on religious affiliation in Finland to examine childbearing behavior. All analyses are based on detailed fertility information from the Finnish national register of each person's religious denomination for men and women born in 1956–1975. We identify higher fertility according to parity among members of the Evangelical Lutheran state church and other Protestant churches, and lower fertility among individuals with no religious affiliation. Most other religious groups—Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, and adherents of Eastern religions—have intermediate levels of fertility. We also find that religious converts, that is, those observed with more than one religious denomination over their life course, typically are similar to the non-converts of the group they convert to, though with more distinct deviations from the Finnish population. Women show larger differences by religious affiliation than men. We find the largest differences across religions when we examine the proportion of childless men and women. Overall, differences between religious groups are rather modest, and childbearing patterns are quite similar. Our results provide, to our knowledge, the first examination of religion and fertility using national-level longitudinal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethiopia's population is growing at about 2.7% annually with a fertility rate of 4.1 births per woman. However, as per the knowledge of the researcher, not enough studies have been done in Ethiopia to identify factors associated with women's fertility levels. Objective: To assess the number of children ever born and its associated factors among currently married reproductive-age Ethiopian women. Method: Data of 5613 currently married women were extracted from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS). Stata version 14 was used for data extraction, processing, and analysis. Descriptive data were summarized using descriptive statistics. A multivariable negative binomial regression was used for the inferential analysis. Incidence rate ratio (IRR) and its 95% CI were respectively used to measure the associations and their statistical significance. Result: The median number of children ever born per currently married Ethiopian woman was 3 with an iterquarter range of 4 (1–5) children. Age of a woman at her first birth (aIRR = 0.958, 95% CI: 0.954, 0.961), being protestant (aIRR = 1.128, 95%CI: 1.068, 1.193), being Muslim (aIRR = 1.096, 95% CI: 1.043, 1.151), and being from other religious groups than Orthodox Christianity (aIRR = 1.353, 95% CI: 1.036, 1.766) are positively associated with bearing more children. On the other hands, completing primary education (aIRR = 0.664, 95% CI: 0.640,0.689), secondary education(aIRR = 0.541, 95%CI: 0.504,0.582), higher education(aIRR = 0.527, 95%CI: 0.479, 0.580), being from a richest household(aIRR = 0.899, 95%CI: 0.840, 0.962), using modern contraceptive (aIRR = 0.877, 95%CI: 0.847, 0.908), living in the Afar (aIRR = 0.785, 95%CI: 0.718,0.859), Amhara (aIRR = 0.890, 95%CI: 0.718,0.859), Gambella (aIRR = 0.894, 95%CI: 0.820,0.974), and Addid Ababa(0.845, 95%CI: 0.760,0.939) are negatively associated with bearing more children. Conclusion: Promoting women's empowerment, encouraging women's academic advancement, and community-based educational intervention are recommended to have optimal and decreased numbers of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I explore two approaches to what lies 'unearthed' in Chile's recent violent histories. In the first instance, I explore the effort towards the obfuscation or intertitialization of knowledge by the Chilean state, regarding the Pinochet dictatorship years. The argument in the first half of the paper underlines the need to understand recent Chilean history in relation to explicit efforts at 'disappearing' history – at the purposeful obfuscation of deathly experiences and the limbo these generate. In the second half, I explore the idea that in the 'negative' space afforded by the circumstantial and historical possibilities of locales of political interest, where traumatic history is only partially understood, or not recognized, paranormal investigators expand, rather than contract, possibilities within this negative. I use negative theology, a medieval counter-orthodox current of writing about the unspeakable, to explore how, in contrast to the Chilean state from 1973 to 1990, which receded into the darkness of negation, paranormal investigators take impetus from this darkness and transform it into a version of history proper, ontologizing the negative as they proceed. Their endeavours thus become quasi-cosmogonic, in theological terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthodox and evangelical Christians have frequently had a shared interest in encouraging traditional views of the gospel and mission within the modern ecumenical movement. In this article, one of Europe's most respected historians of evangelical life traces Orthodox and evangelical engagement with mainline Protestants through articles in the ecumenical movement's leading mission journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mark's Gospel is carefully structured to highlight Jesus' example of sacrificial servanthood. This article draws on sociological analysis of the first-century Jewish community to show how Mark illustrated Jesus' mission to the low and powerless. It then pairs Mark's key messages with real-life, parallel examples of servanthood to contemporary refugee communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the issue of 're-enchantment' through an ethnographic analysis of 'spiritual literature' in post-Yugoslav Serbia. Following the anthropologist Alfred Gell, it argues that Orthodox texts can be understood as 'enchanted technology' which, in turn, allows them to work as a 'technology of enchantment'. Spiritual literature – distributed as physical objects between bags, bookshelves, bookshops, and kiosks, as well as digitally via social media – can propel some people to grow as Orthodox Christians and relate to society in Orthodox terms. After situating the re-emergence of Orthodox publishing in historical perspective, the article shows how people defer to books and how texts circulate. Overall, the article reveals the mechanics of one form of re-enchantment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the Second Vatican Council and its impact on the Catholic Church. It acknowledges that the council aimed to engage with the modern world but notes that its implementation has been met with mixed reactions, with some perceiving it as a departure from traditional practices. The article delves into the intellectual, political, and cultural factors that necessitated the council and presents the original texts of its documents. It also discusses the challenges of interpreting and implementing these documents and acknowledges the confusion and turmoil that followed the council. The article highlights the role of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II, in promoting the council's teachings and addressing the cultural forces of the 1960s. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the council's intent and suggests a book by Weigel as a helpful resource for those unfamiliar with the council's documents. [Extracted from the article]

Using a religious studies methodology, this paper offers a detailed contextual mapping and a structural configuration of how collective violence is justified in Orthodox Christianity. The research design is explanatory, whereby the functional perspectives of doctrine, ethics and worship are all investigated and probed as phenomena of lived religion and orthopraxy. While predominantly initiatory and pedagogical, the paper also proposes a systematic platform for advanced research on this subject, by flagging contexts, themes and areas of inquiry that a researcher might examine in order to untangle the inner workings of the justification of violence in the mind of the Orthodox. Given the ongoing Russian War on Ukraine, relevant samples are drawn from this case. Contribution: This paper outlines the Orthodox Christian justification of violence from the perspectives of doctrine, ethics and ritual and identifies pivotal areas of ambiguity between orthodoxy and orthopraxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how institutional decisions made by religious leaderships affect the experiences and practices of believers in the context of international migration. It presents an empirical study of the Russian Orthodox community in São Paulo and their reaction to the decision of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) to resume canonical relations with the Patriarchate of Moscow after decades of separation. The data reveal that the attitudes of the members of the religious community towards this institutional change prioritize the preservation of collective memory related to the history of the diaspora and the community ties with the local parish. This article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between identity, memory, and religion in the context of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While international schools aim to produce global citizens, national schools seek to create national citizens and integrate immigrants into the national whole. When these aims are combined within a municipal international school, the result is at times contradictory. This article considers the everyday experiences of 9-year-old children in a Finnish municipal international school. It investigates how a school that aims to be both international and national creates distinctions between pupils and how such distinctions affect pupils' everyday practices. Two distinctive processes are analysed: how compulsory religion lessons and Christian events create distinctions between pupils, and how children's Finnish skills affect both their interactions and the practices within the school. The article presents the argument that children also use these distinction mechanisms in their everyday lives and that even though the school is an international one, the Finnish-speaking Christian child is still considered the norm, and the international child - the foreigner - the 'other.' Finnish international schools can be seen as a magnifying glass with which to illuminate processes taking place in 'regular' Finnish schools, since the international school context intensifies these. The article is based on extensive ethnographic research at a municipal international school in a Finnish town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This contribution is a review for the volume of university lecturer PhD. Petronela Polixenia Nistor, entitled "Depresia între știință și credință" [Depression between science and faith], which is published by the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University Publishing House from Iași in 2015 and represents the research work carried out in order to obtain the PhD. degree in Orthodox Theology, within the Faculty " Dumitru Stăniloae" from Iasi [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the learning of newcomers in a religious community through a micro-sociological approach, making use of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger’s (1991) notion of “legitimate peripheral participation” to conceptualize initial stages of inclusion and involvement in social practice. Our case study concerns Orthodox Christianity and is based on material gathered through fieldwork in a course targeting potential new members organized by a Finnish Orthodox parish. In the analysis, we inquire into how beginners learn skilful participation in Orthodox liturgical life, and specifically embodied ritual conduct. This learning takes place primarily through participation in real-life divine services. The article highlights challenges faced by beginners in acquiring the embodied repertoire of Orthodox ritual, including adapting to the artistic use of ritual gestures, and negotiating the meanings produced through them. Furthermore, it also illustrates how nuanced dynamics between newcomers and old-timers influence the learning process.

Andrei P. Tsygankov's book, "Russia's Foreign Policy: Change and Continuity in National Identity," offers a constructivist perspective on Russian foreign policy. Tsygankov challenges the prevailing belief that Russia follows a realist approach while the West operates within a liberal framework. He identifies three distinct traditions of foreign-policy thinking in Russia: Westernisers, who advocate for Russia's integration with the West; statists, who prioritize power and sovereignty over freedom and democracy; and civilisationists, who view Russia as a distinct civilization with its own values to spread abroad. Tsygankov argues that mainstream theoretical approaches, such as realism and liberalism, fail to fully explain Russian foreign policy and that constructivism provides a more comprehensive explanation. The book analyzes different periods of Russian foreign policy between 1985 and 2022, evaluating the success of each tradition in achieving security, welfare, autonomy, and adherence to Russian cultural values. Tsygankov emphasizes the importance of both international influences and local conditions in understanding Russian foreign policy. The book is recommended for those seeking to understand the current stalemate between Russia and the West. [Extracted from the article]

Religion is a complex construct that defines not only the historical and social identity of a nation, but also the personal identity of an individual. The attitude towards religion can be conditioned by tradition, political ideology, true faith, education, etc. In our research, we have tried to establish the level of religiousness of the female students of teacher education faculties in Serbia, belonging to the Orthodox Christianity as the dominant confession in Serbia. We examined their attitudes towards some of the moral challenges encountered by believers, including abortion, prostitution, same-sex marriages, the use of cannabis, and euthanasia. Using a snowball non-discriminative online sample of 336 female Orthodox students, we found that the students assessed themselves as above-average religious and that out of three dimensions of religiousness measured in the questionnaire, the lowest scores were recorded for the dimension of the effect of faith on their behavior. The study showed that the level of religiousness is a good predictor of attitudes towards abortion, prostitution, and same-sex marriages, but not towards the use of cannabis. Moreover, religiousness and attitudes towards prostitution are positively correlated, which is directly opposite to religious teachings. This is why a question arises as to whether we can speak about a return to faith or merely a return to the traditional model of manifesting the religious as an antipode to the secular organization in force until 1989. The results of our research point to the latter conclusion.

Informed by Alfred Schütz's phenomenology of social relations and its recent developments addressing online relationality, this essay reflects on the differences between online and offline death-related experiences in contemporary Romania. In Orthodox death cultures, religious, social, and familial bonds overlap. Orthodox Christianity is sceptical about body–mind separation and values unmediated liturgical communities. It is, thus, pertinent to ask what death online brings and denies in terms of experience to Romanian internet users. Some preliminary findings from our fieldwork are discussed. So far, on Romanian Facebook, three clusters of experience emerged widely: 1. A realm of belief where faith, unchallenged by digital practices, "decodes" deadly events across life-worlds; 2. Experiences of resistance and ambivalence of those who are stuck "in-between", that is, those less competent in their traditions, yet sceptical about digital change; 3. Death experiences seem less synchronised across life-worlds for those who value electronic proximity: digital death and real death obey different rules. Historical specificity, we shall conclude, sets typified combinations of motives for what Romanians do in the proximity of death and how they do it. Digital technologies modulate the "hows" and, less notably, the "whats". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]