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Combining trends in style and form with religious considerations, modest fashion has grown worldwide despite a series of intense controversies in Western countries from the mid-2010s. Building on the sociology of scandal, we identify three rhetorical strategies that structure nontarget majority consumers' responses to modest fashion, i.e. the place of religion in modern society, the defence of freedom, and the search for a harmonious society. Interestingly, the strategies of both the detractors and promoters of modest fashion appear to be built upon common values and norms, though at a collective vs. an individual level, respectively. This discursive dynamic allows the former to moralise their attack while neutralising the defence of the latter, thereby setting the public agenda, and leading to Muslims' marketplace exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Exploring the Religious and Environmental Allusions in Ram Teri Ganga Maili" delves into the cultural and environmental themes depicted in the 1985 Indian film. The movie, set against the backdrop of the Ganges River, intertwines Hindu mythology with contemporary storytelling, exploring themes of love, morality, and societal norms. Through visual, narrative, and thematic elements, the film highlights the sacredness of the Ganges, the clash between tradition and modernity, and the environmental degradation faced by the river, urging reflection on collective responsibility for conservation efforts. [Extracted from the article]

Accommodating new religious communities has become a central issue in Western Europe. However, the role of religious identification in shaping intergroup relations still needs to be better understood. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the factors influencing public support for the accommodation of religious diversity, drawing on two statistically representative surveys conducted in Catalonia, Spain. The results revealed that religious identification moderates the relationship between the perception that religions other than Catholicism threaten society's way of life and the level of support for accommodating religious diversity. Contrary to initial assumptions, practicing Catholics were more supportive of religious accommodation than nonpracticing Catholics and nonbelievers, regardless of the level of threat they perceived. Moreover, cross‐group friendships mitigated the negative impact of perceived threat on support for religious accommodation, particularly among nonbelievers. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of cross‐group friendships in fostering more inclusive societies and provide valuable insights for religious governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freud’s oft-cited hostility toward religion is often taken as a counterpoint to Jungian analytical psychology, with the latter being known not merely to accommodate religious experience but to assert that the religious function is in fact integral to the psyche’s flourishing. An area that has not received much academic attention, however, is the relationship between Freud’s ideas on psychopathology/religion and those of the late post-Jungian writer and founder of archetypal psychology, James Hillman. This paper aims to address that gap in the literature, bringing to the fore concepts that are of central importance to Hillman’s oeuvre as soul and soul-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a new perspective on Ottoman-Safavid-Mughal relations in the early modern period by exploring the broader historical context of Swedish envoy Claes Rålamb’s report of the advice offered by the Ottoman chief mufti (the highest-ranking legal authority) to the court in 1657. Rålamb reported that the chief mufti had advised that the Ottoman court reject a Mughal offer to form a Sunni alliance against Iran and instead urged the court to protect the Shiʿi Safavids. By examining early modern inter-imperial Sunni relations in general and diplomatic exchange among these Muslim states between 1648 and 1656 in particular, this article challenges the prevailing narrative of sectarian differences driving political conflicts. I show that in the period following the Ottoman-Safavid peace treaty of 1639, the Ottomans regarded the Safavid state as a buffer polity that helped to secure their legitimacy against potential Sunni rivals in Central Asia and India. The article explores how a shared religious identity fueled rather than discouraged competition for legitimacy and supremacy among Sunni rulers in an increasingly interconnected early modern world, leading the Ottomans to align with their sectarian rivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMythologies, in most religions, are regarded as knowledge keepers of ancient societies. They preserve knowledge in various forms and have spread worldwide since time immemorial. Hindu mythology is one such mythology that has had a broad reach across the Indian subcontinent for a long time. It has taught many ways of life to the world. Though Hindu mythology has love, peace, humanity, and righteousness as the primary pillars in its appeal, it is criticized in disability discourse as it associates Karmic philosophy with disability. However, on the other side, Hindu mythology has also normalized disability by integrating people with disability/ies into society. Thus, this paper examines the representation of disability in Hindu mythology by referring to some characters from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comments on Richard Bourke's Hegel and World Revolutions, focusing on its analysis of Hegel's relevance for debates on revolution, freedom, and the Enlightenment. While agreeing with Bourke's call for critically engaging with Hegel's ideas rather than dismissing them outright, the paper raises some questions concerning Bourke's reconstruction of Hegel's interpretation of Kant, his account of the French Revolution, and the impact of Hegel's work on contemporary debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH's Ancient Look-Alikes" explores the similarities between the God of the Bible and other ancient deities in the Near East. It questions how the Bible's depiction of God differs from the gods of other cultures and examines the theological implications of these parallels. Various scholars contribute to the discussion, offering different perspectives on the issue. The article delves into the historical context of ancient beliefs and their impact on monotheistic traditions, providing a scholarly and erudite exploration of the topic for readers interested in theological debates. [Extracted from the article]

AbstractWhile accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) are found around the world and throughout history, descriptions of the phenomenon vary widely. Whether arguing for or against the survival hypothesis, most scholarly and scientific discussions of NDEs are predicated on seeing them as either a universal human phenomenon or as an entirely culturally-constructed one. This article will discuss the implications for the survival hypothesis of historical and cross-cultural NDEs, in all their diversity and similarity. On the scientific level, it will consider how the apparent universality of NDEs can be been enlisted to support both survival and materialist hypotheses. On the metaphysical level, this chapter will explore what kind of afterlife might be philosophically conceivable if we were to accept NDE narratives as reflecting genuine afterlife experiences—particularly given all their diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This email interview with graphic artist Zara Slattery features discussions on the potential of graphic testimonies to document personal afflictions and educate empathetic readers with particular reference to her text Coma (2021). Slattery describes the process of creation and the thoughts, matter and material that went into creating Coma. Slattery reflects on her decision to share her story, artistic influences, the choice of the visual palette, the inclusion of multiple voices to delineate the collectiveness of the illness experience, myth and animal imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, mainly based on the reference to the entries in the diary of Th. Dobzhansky, a geneticist and one of the founders of the "synthetic theory of evolution", examines how Dobzhansky tried to combine science, primarily evolutionary theory, and religion. It is argued that although Dobxzhansky was a believer during whole his life, he became a peculiar believer who revised for himself and for others the former, primarily religious answers to the "ultimate questions" of existence, and posed these questions in a new, evolutionary way. Even more, he tried to substantiate and justify religion and his belief in God through the evolutionary theory, to demonstrate that science and religion are not incompatible, and to offer his believe in the usefulness of science and religion to each other. This Dobzhansky's attempt was perceived and evaluated ambiguously by both scientists and religious figures. In addition, Dobzhansky owing to his search for these answers, made a number of world outlook and general cultural conclusions for himself and presented these conclusions in articles and books written not only for colleagues in the scientific community, but also for other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we focus on the portrayal of Mary Magdalene in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar as a case study to offer insights into the dialectical relationship between theatre and religion. This allows us to better understand the difficulties and limits involved as one attempts to challenge or confront the other. Drawing on the framework of ideological sites, particularly the anthropological distinction between primary and secondary sites, we provide a valuable explanation as to why, despite the endeavours at redressing them, misconceptions about Mary Magdalene continue to exist. We close with a discussion of metatheatre and extract guidelines on how a metatheatrical critique of received understandings about Mary might be conceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilgrimage is a common phenomenon in all the major religions. Earlier studies showed that the pilgrimage sector has high resilience to crises. However, COVID-19 has affected and continues to have adverse impacts on pilgrimage tourism. Recognising the dearth of research addressing this developing crisis and its impact on pilgrimage tourism, this research note aims to explore the challenges and opportunities pilgrims face due to COVID-19. Hundred and fifty media articles from thirty countries are thematically analysed to address the aim of this research. The results indicate nine challenges and five opportunities for pilgrims due to COVID-19, which have varied implications for the pilgrimage sector as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the impact of anti-modern convictions on the doctrinal evolutions of Shi‘ism among Italian converts, employing a synergy between history and sociology. To illustrate this impact, the digital and paper publications of select converts have been analysed. Editorial initiatives serve as primary channels through which converts express their intellectual inclinations and impart a new cultural dimension to Shi‘ism. This new cultural dimension is shaped by the motivations that have driven converts toward religious mobility. In this framework, Shi‘a tenets and its relations with other religions have been redefined based on converts’ socio-psychological needs. As a result, Italian Shi‘ism, with its anti-modern substructure, has acquired certain traits that align it with the pre-political manifestations of the religion. Notably, converts exhibit a preference for metaphysical perspectives over juridical and sociological developments within Shi‘ism, delineating a distinct trajectory in their engagement with the faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to: determine the meaning of symbols and symbolism both linguistically and terminologically, understand the value of symbols among Jews, clarify the meanings of numbers and their significance for Jews, highlight the exaggeration of Jews in their reliance on interpretation to explain the ambiguities in the altered texts, open the door for many researchers and scholars to explore topics related to comparative religions, and enrich the library of theology and comparative religion, which focuses on aspects of Jewish studies and their history. Research Methodology: the inductive method and the deductive method. Jews rely on symbolism to understand their sacred texts, and through this, rabbis integrate this religion, opening the door widely to the alterations that have affected this religion. Among the most prominent findings of the research: A symbol linguistically is a gesture or indication using the eyes, eyebrows, lips, and mouth. The definitions of a symbol have varied according to the science or art in which the term is used. A symbol is a sign that refers to a meaning that exists independently, representing it and replacing it. A symbol in the Old Testament is an expression or indication of what will happen in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of this research is due to: the importance of the debate between people of religions, by highlighting the role of scholars in it, “including Al-Baji,” and it aims to answer the following questions: Who is Abu Al-Walid Al-Baji? What is the subject of his message? And the reason for it? What is the etiquette of events included in Al-Baji’s message? What lesson did Al-Baji learn? In his response to the rehab of France?, it includes demands, the most important of which are: The biography of Abu al-Walid al-Baji,: Al-Baji’s message to the rehab of France and its subject, the divinity of Jesus and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, al-Baji’s approach to criticizing the divinity of Jesus and his restriction of the Trinity among the Christians. The research concluded with results, the most important of which are: - There is a nationMuhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - is goodness that does not cease with the lengthening of time and the passing of days. The clear one is the best nation of nine people, and it is the last of the United Nations, and these proposals were dependent on what it does in enjoining good and forbidding evil . Christianity is a religion that God revealed to Jesus - peace be upon him - and it is a monotheistic religion like the rest of the religions that the messengers brought from God, Blessed and Most High . -The message of the jurist Al-Baji is the epitome of Islamic goodness, stemming from the duty of defending the neighborhood of the Islamic religion . Al-Baji’s message was distinguished as evidence of the accuracy and superiority of scholars in defining the science of religions. -Recognition that using scientific lessons and employing them in responses gives them durability and strength of argument- and proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intricate interactions between heritage and religion in modern China, as well as the broader social and political implications of these interactions in relation to national heritage policies and local developmental practices. By conducting a longitudinal analysis of the social history of Baosheng Temple, this research traces its transformations over the past hundred years from a historically religious site to a local built heritage dedicated to preserving and displaying religious relics. This transformation highlights a shift in the role of religious relics from carriers of practice and thought to focal points for heritage preservation, aimed at supporting nation-building and, more recently, promoting local development through the tourism industry. These changes reflect continuous local responses to broader social transformations towards a modern nation-state as well as the influence of Western ideas and practices. The findings of this research illuminate the evolving values associated with religious heritage and the corresponding implications for Chinese modernity within a secular state context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a performance titled "meetinghouse" by Miriam Cantor-Stone and Brece Honeycutt at the Shaker Heritage Society in Albany, New York, blending spoken word with Shaker hymns. It commemorates the 250th anniversary of Arrival Day for the Shakers, founded by Mother Ann Lee. The piece explores themes of labor, nature, and collaboration, linking the Shakers to Thomas Merton and Emily Dickinson. The performance highlights the sacred space of the Shakers and their unique beliefs in pacifism, communal living, and equality. [Extracted from the article]

9½ Mystics: The Kabbala Today by Rabbi Herbert Weiner introduced the idea of mystical search to a generation of American Jews who were turned off by traditional synagogue Judaism and unsure of how to relate to the emerging counterculture. He met with a number of mystics to find out if their life-secrets can have meaning even for those who do not share the full intensity of their experience. Weiner's search relied in large part on Gershom Scholem's idea that there was a dramatic contrast between rabbinic Judaism and Kabbalistic Judaism. Kabbalah was like an underground stream moving through the heart of Judaism, bringing with it transformative mythic ideas, providing inspiration and spiritual excitement. Weiner's book successfully popularised Scholem's theories of what Kabbalah was, as well as the mystical thought of previously unknown mystics such as Rav Kook. 9½ Mystics transformed the American Jewish religious landscape, especially in the Reform movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the Qur'an presents an epistemology that can recenter the categories underlying modern understandings of religion and knowledge. This is done through an examination of the role of orality, textuality, writing, and listening in relation to the Qur'an. The article consists of two parts: first, a synthesis and intervention of the research on the construction of the modern category of religion is brought together with a discussion of modern ways of knowing and sensing. Second, I argue that further attention to orality, sound, and listening in relation to the Qur'an further confounds the assumed neutrality of the categories of knowledge and subjectivity associated with the modern category of religion. The argument reveals the implied assumptions of the categories of orality and textuality that undergird the modern category of religion, to which the Qur'an presents an epistemology wherein orality and textuality are intertwined and overlapping categories and ways of knowing and experiencing, not separable categories as is often assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What kind of institution has the North American Association for the Study of Religion (NAASR) been in the past? What might it become in the future? In this 2024 presidential address, Craig Martin reflects on the history of the institution, considers the shared interests and intellectual investments that have drawn people to it over the last two scholarly generations, and suggests a vision for the future which respects the past while simultaneously moving us forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical framework of "religion" is problematic, especially in studying non-Western realities. In the field, I often encountered its Indonesian and Toraja most common equivalents—agama and aluk. There were also categories assigned to the realm of "culture" rather than "religion". Toraja funeral ceremonies, which originated from the indigenous religion and became predominantly Christianized, are defined in religious and/or cultural categories. How do these related categories manifest in the utterances of the ritual actors of Toraja funerals? This article is based primarily on interviews; it refers to statements from 34 purposively chosen research participants. The attitudes towards the Toraja funeral tradition vary based on religious affiliation. The lines between different perspectives and categorization characteristics of Christianities and the minority indigenous religion are blurred but distinguishable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In popular discourse, it is not uncommon to highlight the distinctiveness of systems of "Eastern thought" (e.g., Daoism) in contrast to so-called "Western" systems. However, there is an interesting congruence between Daoism and Meister Eckhart's mystical theology, particularly in regard to the concepts of the Dao and the Godhead. Like the Dao, the Godhead is the "ground" of all being, simultaneously radically transcendent and immanent, considered as distinct from all things and yet the enfolded totality of them. Both these concepts are also dynamic principles, continually manifesting in the flux of the ever-changing universe. In both systems, nature at its fundamental level is characterized by namelessness, emptiness, encompassment, and dynamism. Nature as "ground" is also a religio-ethical concept. Humans are called to align with this ground and enter into a state of wandering joy, called wuwei (non-action) in Daoism and the "wayless way" for Eckhart. Through reverting to their indeterminate source, the person is able to become detached from rigid teleological norms. Thus is laid the foundation for an ethics of non-attachment, wherein individuals dwell in an existential flow and are attuned to all yet anchored unquestionably to none. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on one part of a larger longitudinal empirical study (2021–2023) that responds to the call for Religious Education (RE) to address religious plurality in the context of senior Catholic schooling within an Australian Archdiocese where students represent multiple faith traditions or no traditions. The research focuses on the level of satisfaction by students across Topics, Pedagogies, and Outcomes within a new and innovative senior school curriculum, Religion Meaning and Life (RML) based on national RE guidelines. Participants included 276 students across 17 schools who completed an online survey with 32 of these students participating in focus group interviews. Data analysis of quantitative data was both descriptive and inferential, and qualitative data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Topics of most interest were Ethics and Other World Religions; pedagogies entailing dialogue and use of media and technologies were rated highly; and learning outcomes entailed awareness of school mission, the religious dimension of the school, and pastoral care. Inferential statistical analyses confirm four core topics, pedagogies, and outcomes as significant to levels of satisfaction and in combination accounted for 42% of the variance of satisfaction with RML. Theoretical propositions for what matters most in senior secondary RE were advanced through four integrating principles (educational, formative, social, communitarian) and practice implications that preference Catholic tradition, and reference religious plurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When European writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries wrote about utopia or their vision of the best possible way to live, they usually included reflections on religion. Religion as it was known in their day was not perfect and had been criticized for causing numerous abuses. If a perfect or near-perfect society were to be imagined, it would have to include a perfect or near-perfect understanding of religion. This could range from atheism to a minimal religion which avoided all the institutional factors, to one in which detailed regulations governed all facets of religion and life. This article reviews and interprets the treatment of religion in a wide range of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century utopias. It concludes that some utopian writers set high goals for change, some settled for lesser reforms, and some left religion as it was while changing other parts of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies the rational choice perspective to government religion policy in Turkey. We argue that a rational choice analysis can provide a new perspective on how the pro-Islamist Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – AKP) transformed Turkey's religion policy from one that was constitutionally secular to one which strongly supports Islam. We also further develop the rational choice approach arguing that radical transitions in religion policy are often incremental and require support from political allies. Also, while the motivation for transitioning from a secular regime to a religious monopoly may be due to a desire for religious legitimacy, the nature and timing of this transition may be influenced by the rise or decline of other bases for legitimacy. Overall, this study demonstrates the utility of applying the rational choice theory of religion to Muslim-majority countries and the mechanisms through which countries change their religion policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores contentious state-religion relations in Azerbaijan. In recent years, the Azerbaijani government has adopted new regulations in religious affairs aiming at two goals: on the one hand, the government tries to keep religious groups/individuals under control, prevent the politicisation of the religious environment, and prevent foreign countries from expanding their influence in the country. On the other hand, the government aims to promote a positive image of the state in the international community through hosting and funding interreligious dialogue platforms and highlighting the multicultural environment in Azerbaijan. The study examines the evolution of state-religion relations in the country and highlights that in recent years its political regime has applied more restrictive policies towards independent religious communities in legal and extra-legal forms and simultaneously established institutions and co-opted regime-friendly groups through instrumentalising religion to keep the religious environment under control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we encounter a disagreeing interlocutor in the weighty domains of religion, philosophy, and politics, what is the rational response to the disagreement? I argue that the rational response is to proportion the degree to which you give weight to the opinion of a disagreeing interlocutor to the degree to which you and your interlocutor share relevant beliefs. I begin with Richard Fumerton's three conditions under which we can rationally give no weight to the opinions of a disagreeing peer. I argue that his conditions are incomplete; I propose a fourth condition that maintains that disagreeing interlocutors (whether they are peers or not) need not give weight to each other's opinions when the interlocutors do not share rationally held relevant beliefs. By contrast, when rationally held relevant beliefs are shared, rationality demands that we re-evaluate and even moderate or change beliefs in the face of disagreement. I then defend my condition against two objections. First, I argue that the condition does not entail a coherence theory of justification. Second, I consider the charge that my condition recommends operating within an epistemic bubble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Carolyne Larrington, legends of the past 'offer particular kinds of answers – beautiful and mysterious answers... – to very large questions through a kind of metaphorical thinking... which, in their stripped-down clarity, show us what's really important in an unfamiliar light'. The claim that 'what is really important [is disclosed] by casting it in an unfamiliar light' I take into a philosophical engagement with the figure of the ghost. Far from being of dubious interest for the philosopher of religion, the continuing fascination with ghosts and hauntings offers promising ground for the discussion of religion, for the study of ghosts holds out the possibility of engaging with the wonder and terror of the human condition. The figure of something that is dead yet alive is a creative representation of the fact that we who are alive are also mortal, destined to die. The resulting confrontation with death arouses anxiety, but also has the potential to enrich life. The wisdom of the ghost thus enables the possibility of returning philosophy of religion to the great themes of human existence – birth, suffering, loss, and death – which provide rich resources for understanding religion and its relation to the experience of being human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How and under what conditions do religious factors explain the militarization of interstate territorial disputes? We argue that inconclusive findings in previous studies stem from inadequate consideration of the interaction between challenger state religiosity and the domestic constituencies actually invested in religiously salient territorial claims. To address this gap, this article differentiates between secular regimes, which provide minimal support to their state's dominant religion and religious regimes, which strongly support their dominant religion. It also considers narrowly salient coreligionist populations, which appeal almost exclusively to religious audiences, versus broadly salient contested sacred sites, which appeal to much broader constituencies. We argue that the interaction between these two factors produces very different patterns of interstate conflict behavior. Secular regimes avoid escalation over narrowly salient religious claims because they do not depend upon religious constituents for support. However, they lack the necessary religious legitimacy to manage outbidding challenges that frequently arise over more broadly salient claims. Religious regimes, by contrast, enjoy high domestic religious legitimacy, enabling more peaceful engagement with broadly salient religious claims. Yet their political dependence upon religious constituencies incentivizes conflict when disputes involve narrowly salient religious claims. We test these propositions utilizing original data on the religious salience of interstate territorial disputes in the post-Cold War era, from 1990 to 2010. Analyses, using both dichotomous and continuous measures of regime religiosity, confirm these inferences and contribute to highly nuanced understandings of how state-religion policy and religious salience interact to influence patterns of interstate violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhihar, a form of divorce from pre-Islamic Arab society, was abolished during the Islamic period through the Qur'an and the sunnah of the prophet. This article undertakes a reexamination of zhihar in a modern context, with a particular focus on the maqasid Shari'ah approach. This approach, which underscores the fundamental objectives of Islamic law, including the safeguarding of religion, soul, intellect, heredity, property, and self-esteem, plays a crucial role in reinterpreting the concept of zhihar to serve the benefit of the ummah in the contemporary era. By conducting a textual and contextual study of the Qur'an, the sunnah of the Prophet, and the opinions of scholars, this article concludes that zhihar in the modern context should be viewed as a means of protecting family honor and preserving the harmony of the marital relationship. The study utilizes a descriptive-analytical method, guided by the maqasid Shari'ah approach, to assess the relevance and application of zhihar in the context of Muslim life today, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores how George Herbert's poetry frames apocalypticism in terms of personal mortality to strengthen individual practices of obedience and passivity in one's daily habits. By bringing together the science of daily devotion in the ars moriendi tradition and the imaginative resources of poetry and rhetoric, Herbert's verses locate the site of politics in the management and maintenance of practical, everyday affects. These intersections between early modern poetry and religion render habits of self-discipline in service of political passivity and quiescence, encouraging readers to practice obeying forces larger than oneself—even upon the destabilizing extremities of existential finitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De Cruz and Levy, in their commentaries on Religion as make‐believe, present distinct questions that can be addressed by clarifying one core idea. De Cruz asks whether one can rationally assess the mental state of religious credence that I theorize. Levy asks why we should not explain the data on religious "belief" merely by positing factual beliefs with religious contents, which happen to be rationally acquired through testimony. To both, I say that having religious credences is p‐irrational: a purposeful departure from rational thought and behavior, where the purpose in question is maintaining a group identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a commentary on Neil Van Leeuwen's Religion as make‐believe focusing on the normative aspects of this book. According to Van Leeuwen, religious credences are not factual beliefs, and they are held to different standards of rationality than factual beliefs. Hence, religious believers are able to track and represent those states of affairs that govern their practical lives while also holding views that deviate significantly from it, such as divine omnipotence. Here, I examine whether this reasonable compartmentalization in religious believers holds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How effective was Soviet secularization and what is its long-term legacy? This paper investigates the lasting effects of Khrushchev's Virgin Lands Campaign (1950s) on the current level of Orthodox religiosity in eastern Russia using an original district (raion)-level dataset that combines historical and contemporary evidence. By employing various matching techniques and an instrumental variable approach, I identify significant effects of the Virgin Lands cultivation on diminishing the role of religion even 60 years later. Moreover, I demonstrate that the resettlement of Communist Youth League (Komsomol) members and the destruction of traditional social relations may have worked as key mechanisms that contributed to the legacy effects. This study offers one of the first micro-level empirical investigations into the impact of Communism-driven secularization, and contributes to the emerging inquiry into the historical legacy of communism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the preceding Part 1 of this two-part paper, I set out the background necessary for an understanding of the current status of the debate surrounding the relationship between science and religion. In this second part, I will outline Ian Barbour's influential four-fold typology of the possible relations, compare it with other similar taxonomies, and justify its choice as the basis for further detailed discussion. Arguments are then given for and against each of Barbour's four models: conflict, independence, integration and dialogue. In contradiction of the recent trend to dismiss the conflict model as overly "simplistic", I conclude that it is the clear front-runner. Critical examination reveals that theology (the academic face of religion) typically proceeds by first affirming belief in God and then seeking rationalisations that protect this belief against contrary evidence. As this is the very antithesis of scientific endeavour, the two disciplines are in unavoidable and irreconcilable conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite religion's deep historical roots, adults in modern societies express greater confidence in the existence of unobservable scientific entities, like oxygen, as compared to unobservable religious entities, like God. Challenging conventional explanations, we argue that testimony-based input, rather than direct experience, is the primary determinant of individuals' ontological beliefs in both science and religion. Disparities in ontological beliefs between the domains of science and religion, within each domain, and across diverse cultures are poorly explained by variation in direct experience. From early childhood, humans rely heavily on testimony to form and calibrate their beliefs. The credibility of testimony emerges as a key factor in understanding the nuanced dynamics of ontological beliefs in both scientific and religious domains. Understanding why individuals are more confident of the existence of invisible scientific phenomena (e.g., oxygen) than invisible religious phenomena (e.g., God) remains a puzzle. Departing from conventional explanations linking ontological beliefs to direct experience, we introduce a model positing that testimony predominantly shapes beliefs in both scientific and religious domains. Distinguishing direct experience (personal observation) from cultural input (testimony-based evidence), we argue that even apparently direct experiences often stem from others' testimony. Our analysis indicates that variability in direct experience cannot explain belief disparities between science and religion, within each domain, or across cultures. Instead, variability in testimony is the primary driver of ontological beliefs. We present developmental evidence for testimony-based beliefs and elucidate the mechanisms underlying their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Folk religions are reviving in contemporary China. They are distinctive from institutionalized religions and share many qualities with the emerging religious phenomena in the West. Despite their significance, however, the lack of concise frameworks and causal analysis methods has hindered a deeper understanding of these religions. By integrating psychological and sociocultural perspectives, this study concentrates on subjective well-being and tailors a micro model applicable to analyzing Chinese folk religions, along with a novel instrumental variable for causal identification. Empirical evidence suggests that folk religions have negative effects on subjective well-being, resulting in a 17.3 percent decrease in subjective well-being compared to the sample mean. This is primarily due to believers seeing folk religions as mere means for achieving earthly targets, therefore suffering from strengthened negative senses and motivated radical behaviors. Nevertheless, investing in folk religions to a high degree might transform believers' attitudes from seeing folk religions as means to seeing them as ends, thereby alleviating the negativity. This alleviation is mainly derived from positive senses, self-regulation, and inclusive attitudes towards society. Hence, taking religions more seriously and not utilitarianly, or fulfilling unmet targets more effectively, are two paths to eliminate the negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article examines how recent scholarship on religion and Reconstruction has highlighted the central role of churches in the post-emancipation South, emphasizing their impact on racial identity, gender roles, and political engagement. It also discusses the evolution of scholarly focus from civil rights-era studies of enslaved religion to contemporary analyses of Black religious institutions, their political strategies, and the intricate intersections of race, religion, and politics.

Vasiṣṭha claims both that all four āśramas are equal and that the householder is the best of the four āśramas. This apparent contradiction would be resolved if either of these claims could be dismissed. Vasiṣṭha's claim that the four āśramas are equal seems entailed, however, by his endorsement of the original formulation of the āśrama system. His claim that the householder is superior, in turn, seems supported by the surplus of arguments that he offers in favor of the householder. Patrick Olivelle takes Vasiṣṭha to advance this surplus of arguments for the householder only to bolster the more modest claim that the householder is equal—and therefore not inferior—to the celibate āśramas. If this right, then Vasiṣṭha's claim that the householder is superior might be understood in the same way. If the balance of evidence weighs in favor of one claim or the other, however, it seems to weigh in favor of the superiority of the householder, rather than the equality of the āśramas. An alternative interpretation takes Vasiṣṭha to evaluate the householder in relation to two distinct metrics. The four āśramas are equal, he says, in their ability to attain the highest heaven. The householder is superior to the other three āśramas, however, in his unmatched contributions to the general welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Sāṃkhya-Yoga and Buddhist Abhidharma ontologies and their engagement. A close reading of two hitherto uncompared passages from Pātañjalayogaśāstra 2.13 and Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośabhāṣya 4.94 suggests that they are intertextual or interdiscursive. A mirrored argument form in the texts explains ethical causality (karma) in relation to rebirth (punarjanman). The arguments in both texts are similar in form, sequence, and even conclusion, although not in terms of the doctrinal basis of reasoning. On first examination, both arguments analyse how action (karma) sustains patterns of moral repercussion across life and beyond death in terms of singular and plural causes and effects. But a close reading shows that the level of conceptual engagement on this issue is more nuanced – centred on 'projecting' and 'completing' mechanisms of karmic retribution (ākṣepaka karman and paripūraka karman) as well as determinate or indeterminate (niyata and aniyata) maturation of karmic effects. The paper suggests that the function of Patañjali's passage was to serve as a structured engagement with Buddhist Sarvāstivāda karma theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]