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Among the men of the Middle Ages who have been reduced to anonymity due to an absence or lack of written and archaeological sources, as well as a failure of memory, are the majority of those sentenced to prison. The few archival documents that have come down to us reveal the faces of these unknown men, some of whom were judged by the ecclesiastical justice system, which was known as the officiality. The most that can be ascertained from the few surviving records are the names and dates of detention of the prisoners. In order to recover their identity, it is necessary to study the figurative graffiti, which provides invaluable information. Some prisoners left traces of their passage by “inserting their own images”, in the form of drawings or carvings, on their cell walls. This article will attempt to analyse the means of figurative expression in the late-medieval prison environment, to make them meaningful, to account for the sociocultural practices of those men and to grasp their unveiled identity. In order to gain insight into the concerns, beliefs, thoughts and very life of those men, the figurative graffiti of Selles Castle in Cambrai (France) will be used as an illustration. The Selles Castle served as a confined space in the late Middle Ages, particularly for the Cambrai officiality.

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of religious practice in a working-class and middle-class Muslim American community. Given the small sample size (N = 18), this study is exploratory and suggests avenues for future research on social class and religious practice among Muslim Americans. The results indicate that different social classes have different views regarding the proper role of religion in their lives. Moreover, social class provides people with unequal resources to meet certain demands placed on them by their religious community and society in general. Other aspects of community life (e.g., social networks) also intervene and mediate institutional relationships and affect religious practice. The social and cultural elements that facilitate perceived compliance with a particular interpretation of religious praxis can be analysed in terms of social and cultural capital. This study suggests that social and cultural capital can help scholars understand differences in religious practice among Muslims across different localities and classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study investigates the transformation of religiosity in Spain over the two decades from 1998 to 2018, with a focus on social changes in belief, religiosity, and religious controversies, as well as the evolution of religious socialization. By incorporating the concepts of religious socialization and religious controversy into the theoretical framework, the study analyzes data from three waves of surveys on religious topics conducted in Spain during this period. The descriptive findings reveal a clear trend towards a decline in religious belief, religiosity, and practice, coupled with a significant rise in atheistic and non-religious attitudes. Moreover, the explanatory analysis indicates a reduction in the impact of primary religious socialization during childhood, while sociodemographic variables such as age and ideology have either maintained or increased their influence in shaping religious or non-religious positions. The study identifies religious polarization, driven by a marked increase in atheism and non-religion, and suggests that intergenerational and ideological shifts are more critical in explaining changes in religious beliefs than traditional religious socialization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has a unique background of "religious practice without religious belief". As China enters the digital age, it is necessary to consider religious practices from the perspective of internet use. In this research, we used data from the 2017, 2018, and 2021 years of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to explore whether internet use affects Chinese religious practices. The results show that internet use significantly influences Chinese religious practices. We also constructed a parallel mediation model involving relative deprivation and social trust, demonstrating that relative deprivation positively mediates the effect of internet use on religious practices, while social trust negatively mediates this effect. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that internet use has a greater impact on religious practices in eastern and central regions, among women, and urban residents. Our research underscores the significant role of religious practices in Chinese society, profoundly influencing everyday life and challenging external perceptions of China as "faithless". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feminisation of religion is a category used for organizing the knowledge on sexual difference in modern imaginary. Concerning Spain at the turn of the twentieth century, the analysis of data on the participation of men and women in pious activities can serve to enrich the study of the feminisation and re-masculinisation of religion. First, it allows us to assess that the pious practices related to the most significant dates in the Catholic calendar was, regularly, similar for both sexes. Moreover, the use of data can test the hypothesis that sometimes there existed a notion of feminisation of religion even in a context where there was no substantial difference de facto between sexes concerning religious practice. This phenomenon could be explained by such a notion being imported from places where such a trend was indeed underway. I do not argue for a return to the ways and methods typical of social history in its heyday; what I strive for is to engage with the current lines of research on the feminisation and re-masculinisation of religion and carry out a nuanced analysis of the available data that would enrich or modify the prevailing interpretation of both phenomena.

Dreaming plays a part in many of the world's religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism Christianity, and Islam. However, research into what the actual dreams of religious persons look like is very rare. Within a series of 2,055 dreams recorded over more than 30 years by a Benedictine nun, the frequency and content of church dreams were analyzed. The church dream frequency (11%) was high compared to other samples. The findings indicate that the daily religious practices of the dreamer as a nun is reflected in her dreams, with the most frequent church being "her" church and the most frequent activity related to the church being religious (praying, singing, a church service). Interestingly, the nun's dreams also included profound religious dreams of inner liberation, insights, and positive feelings. It would be interesting to study the beneficial effects of dreams in other persons who have dedicated their lives to religious practice, whether within Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, or any other faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of visitors to the Fuxi Taihao Mausoleum and provides two sets of results derived from mixed methods research. The first is a description of motives and behaviours derived from observation and interviews with visitors. The second set reports statistical data derived from questionnaires completed by 553 informants pertaining to motives for visiting the site and perceived cultural importance. The paper covers practices relating to the belief systems associated with Fuxi and Nuwa, constructed, objective and existential authenticity, the strength of traditional Chinese cultural practices, but also the role of good site management. The study identifies the types of visitors and their understanding of authenticity. In addition, it notes that observation of faith-based activities and management care reinforce a sense of site 'authenticity'. Finally, it is suggested that longitudinal study is required to assess the impacts of long-term demographic and social change on faith-based tourist attractions and uses a directed acyclic graph to suggest future research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old Belief emerged as a broad social and religious movement in the second half of the 17th century as a result of church reform. The Old Believers who did not adopt the reforms were forced to flee to the outer reaches of Russia and were persecuted by both the church and secular powers until the beginning of the 20th century. This contributed to a great extent to the development of eschatological opinions and the striving for social and general isolation. A distinctive feature of the Old Believers' culture is traditionalism, which is expressed in both everyday and religious practice. Old Belief, as a form of Christianity, is seen among most scholars and the general public as an exclusively Russian phenomenon. However, it was also quite widespread among a number of Finno-Ugric peoples; in the territory of the Ural and Volga region most of the non-Russian Old Believers were Mordovians or Komi-Permyaks. The main reasons for the process of transition from 'inorodtsy' ('infidels') to 'raskolniks'1 ('schismatics') were the lack of social barriers (both were religious outsiders) and the conflict caused by the State's policy of violent Christianisation. There were many different nuances in this process related to the problem of language, the perception among Finno-Ugrians of the use of books, and the closed nature of the group. In this paper, I would like to describe this based on archival documents and my own field research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the importance of Sabbath observance in both social and spiritual contexts. Sabbath, the day of rest ordained by the Law of God, provides time for humans to rest, worship, and connect with others. The practice of Sabbath observance not only holds spiritual implications but also economic and social ones. Sabbath observance restricts economic activities, thus aiding in reducing social disparities temporarily. Furthermore, Sabbath strengthens brotherhood and unity within communities. The concepts of the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee also bring forth positive social implications, including debt release and emancipation of slaves, providing opportunities for the less fortunate. Hence, Sabbath observance has a positive impact on societal well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: Since man is a being in search of meaning, religion can be defined as a way of 'sacral search for meaning' related to certain events in life. While sacrality is central to some people's systems of meaning-seeking, it is marginal or not sacral at all in the systems of others. It is clear that religion can be an important guide for the individual, as it can influence one's understanding of the world and make individual challenges and social conflicts understandable and bearable. As faith, in its mature developmental form, underpins the way religious people live their lives, the sacral search for meaning can also play a crucial role in one's coping processes. However, the extent to which religion is involved in coping with a particular life event depends to a large extent on the extent to which it is part of an individual's orientation system. The protective effect of religion in coping is a thesis already recognised by scientific psychology and therefore has an undisputed place in the scientific professional discourse on reintegration. The aim of this paper is to provide scientific evidence for the place and legitimacy of religion in reintegration. Methodology: The research is based on two sub-samples, one religious and one control group. Inclusion in the religious group was based on self-reporting, regardless of whether the subjects of the study had a religious experience in the life period prior to serving their sentence. The data were analysed using SPSS statistical software package. Findings: Juveniles in juvenile detention who self-reported being religious showed a different attitude towards conflict management compared to the control group. This suggests that a framework of cooperation between civil churches, the academic community and decision-makers in custodial institutions could be used to develop a diversified, faith-based reintegration model to increase the effectiveness of efforts to reduce crime. Value: The publication is a gap in the empirical study of religion-based reintegration. The topic is a practical one, but its full exploration requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinions on abortion are more polarized than opinions on most other moral issues. Why are some people pro-choice and some pro-life? Religious and political preferences play a role here, but pro-choice and pro-life people may also differ in other aspects. In the current preregistered study (N = 479), we investigated how pro-choice women differ in their moral foundations from pro-life women. When the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) was applied (i.e., when declared moral principles were measured), pro-life women scored higher than pro-choice women in loyalty, authority, and purity. However, when women were asked about moral judgments indirectly via more real-life problems from the Moral Foundations Vignettes (MFV), pro-choice women scored higher than pro-life women in emotional and physical care and liberty but lower in loyalty. When we additionally controlled for religious practice and political views, we found no differences between groups in declaring moral foundations (MFQ). However, in the case of real-life moral judgments (MFV), we observed higher care, fairness, and liberty among pro-choice and higher authority and purity among pro-life. Our results show intriguing nuances between women pro-choice and pro-life as we found a different pattern of moral foundations in those groups depending on whether we measured their declared abstract moral principles or moral judgment about real-life situations. We also showed how religious practice and political views might play a role in such differences. We conclude that attitudes to abortion "go beyond" abstract moral principles, and the real-life context matters in moral judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the association between religious identity, religiosity (internal vs external), and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from two cross-sectional surveys were used to test these associations among Malaysians from the three major religious groups—Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists—as well as mixed qualitative coding on illness beliefs and helpful resources. During the pandemic, higher religiosity was associated with less perceived stress, external religiosity was negatively associated with stress, and internal religiosity was positively associated with life satisfaction among young adults. Thematic coding also confirmed a variety of illness beliefs and helpful resources relevant to social and religious norms. Different pathways of religious coping were utilized during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social conditions in post-apartheid South Africa have been widely seen as marked by persistent and often racialised inequalities. The country has also been viewed through the prism of crisis, in economic, social, ecological and political spheres. Such language of crisis is increasingly reflected today among religious actors that reconstitute religious publics in the post-apartheid dispensation. Focusing on the growing public presence of Pentecostal-Charismatic and Evangelical Christianity, this article analyses how cultivating food 'God's way' interplays with discourses of crisis in South Africa. The study employs ethnographic observation and interviews of practitioners and instructors of the Farming God's Way network, a parachurch organisation operating in promoting regenerative agricultural principles as authentic Christian practice. Biblically authorised land practices address Christians' emotional attachments and personal histories of agricultural production, land use and ownership. The study argues for understanding such farming as encompassing a space of both mediation and contestation between hopes of restoring an ideal past based on a biblically based agrarian and ecological order and frustrations with attempts at transforming a morally degraded present. Addressing Farming God's Way as an emotional project entangled in discourses of (non)belonging and questions of change reveals tensions around representations of race, class and gender in Charismatic Christians' approach to biodiversity. Here, adherence to regenerative farming principles reveals practices through which Christian farmers attempt to remake themselves as moral citizens through ecological care. Rearticulations of the responsible steward, however, pinpoint the persistence of racialised tropes at the core of the religious public project of redeeming the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the issues that has always been the subject of controversy between Islamic and Western theologians and philosophers is the issue of the relationship between faith and action. In all religions, their followers are asked to adhere to religion in addition to faith in action. Meanwhile, in his works, Kant considers human reason capable of drawing a comprehensive plan for his happiness and believes in a moral ritual itself. Relying on the power of reason to recognize principles and generalities, Motahari believes that human reason is not capable of drawing such a comprehensive road map and has criticized Kant's views on this matter. This article tries to express the damage caused to Kant's foundations regarding faith and religious practice. Among the harms that can be considered from the perspective of Kant to this idea are: reducing religious concepts to rational perceptions, not paying attention to the difference between Actual good and good actor, humanizing divine laws, wandering, being caught in the contradiction of idea and action, neglecting The root and origin of religious and moral actions, lack of separation between purpose and means and lack of separation between types of relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has introduced severe restrictions on movement and direct communication not only internationally, but also within individual countries, regions, cities, communities, and families. In this period, many religions, including those whose leadership did not previously consider the Internet an important area of religious activity, were compelled by circumstances to actively use it, one way or another. This applied to both religious and church authorities, as well as ordinary believers. By utilizing the discussion possibilities of social networks, virtual presence at worship services in many cities and countries generally influenced believers not only of Christian denominations but also of other religions. In record time, the “Pandora’s box” of cyberspace was this way opened, while at the same time, the offline space was visibly limited. For the first time in all the centuries of the existence of Christianity in Europe, public religious activities against diseases (such as the plague, for example), which included public prayers, liturgies, litanies, and other religious ritual forms, were prohibited by the secular authorities, who defined such public religious manifestations to be in collision with effective pandemic measures and explicitly named them as obstacles to the efforts to prevent and treat the infection. Admittedly, the efforts of the authorities themselves were often administrative and political since they were not fully guided by scientific, medical, and related research. The suddenness of the appearance of a new virus, as well as the insufficient research of the pathogen itself could be taken as mitigating circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Since man is a being in search of meaning, religion can be defined as a way of ‘sacral search for meaning’ related to certain events in life. While sacrality is central to some people’s systems of meaning-seeking, it is marginal or not sacral at all in the systems of others. It is clear that religion can be an important guide for the individual, as it can influence one’s understanding of the world and make individual challenges and social conflicts understandable and bearable. As faith, in its mature developmental form, underpins the way religious people live their lives, the sacral search for meaning can also play a crucial role in one’s coping processes. However, the extent to which religion is involved in coping with a particular life event depends to a large extent on the extent to which it is part of an individual’s orientation system. The protective effect of religion in coping is a thesis already recognised by scientific psychology and therefore has an undisputed place in the scientific professional discourse on reintegration. The aim of this paper is to provide scientific evidence for the place and legitimacy of religion in reintegration. Methodology: The research is based on two sub-samples, one religious and one control group. Inclusion in the religious group was based on self-reporting, regardless of whether the subjects of the study had a religious experience in the life period prior to serving their sentence. The data were analysed using SPSS statistical software package. Findings: Juveniles in juvenile detention who self-reported being religious showed a different attitude towards conflict management compared to the control group. This suggests that a framework of cooperation between civil churches, the academic community and decision-makers in custodial institutions could be used to develop a diversified, faith-based reintegration model to increase the effectiveness of efforts to reduce crime. Value: The publication is a gap in the empirical study of religion-based reintegration. The topic is a practical one, but its full exploration requires further research.

In this article, I examine what selected Muslim women in Finland and Egypt do with the Qur’an in their daily lives. I shed light on their modes of engagement with the Qur’an (spiritual, emotional, intellectual, communal). I analyse how their relationship with the Qur’an is shaped and changes over the course of their life. I pay attention to the interplay between the women’s daily lives and the ways in which they experience, learn from, grapple with, and interpret the text. My overall aim is twofold: to contribute to research-based understanding of the Qur’an as daily religious practice that in many ways involves learning both about God and about the complex circumstances of personal life, and to unpack the layered and shifting meanings of this practice in the context of the women’s lives. My analysis is informed by life-story interviews with six women in Helsinki and Cairo (three in each country).

This essay is adapted from a keynote address offered at Societas Homiletica in Budapest, Hungary (August 2022). It frames preaching in shifting social contexts as a practice of theologically ethical meaning-making—supported by accountability to lived experiences, practical wisdom and decision making, and imaginations grounded in boldness and humility. The essay argues that pedagogical strategies in support of these practices prioritize the possibilities that emerge in the constraints of learning contexts. Teaching within the mass crisis of a global pandemic is offered as a case study in the connected outcomes afforded in reassessing one’s presuppositions in both pedagogy and preaching.

The government obligates halal certification for all products across Indonesia to capture the larger halal market. In 2025, Indonesia's total consumption of goods and services will reach US$ 330.0 billion. Modernity that requires society to increase economic and religious feasibility is a good combination for capitalists. This modernity has subsequently transformed into a halal lifestyle and has penetrated various sectors of the life of the modern Muslim community. However, Foucault says that power is a determining factor for the discourse that develops in society. The qualitative methods and unstructured observation completed with library data as sources will reveals the practice of power in disseminating the discourse of halal products using the Foucault’s power-knowledge. In practice, various efforts have been made by the government as the ruler by issuing various regulations as instruments of discourse. There was a discipline of halal products in the form of supervision carried out by the government in which society became the agent for monitoring halal products. Normalization is also carried out by imposing sanctions on products deemed not under regulations. The examination is the last step in the discipline of halal products by the government. This article concludes that government already makes halal-oriented as the new Muslim behaviour. Hence, the decline of religious diversity becomes a new threat as long as the halal issue is held by the only authority.

This study aims to identify the development of religious practices and understanding of Sufism of the Teuku Raja Ubiet community group in Gunong Kong Village as an effort to reveal the veil of truth behind the claims of previous researchers. This qualitative type of research uses descriptive analysis, it is hoped that it can be known in depth the dynamics of the community in Gunong Kong Village in Sufism and faith. This research uses three data collection techniques: interview, observation, and document study. Data analysis uses data collection techniques, data reduction, presentation and conclusion drawing. The results of this research show that the beliefs of the Gunong Kong community are strongly influenced by the core teachings of Hakikat (Sufism) which have been passed down from generation to generation and used as the basis for religious tendencies. These teachings do not contradict the Shari'a because they are always guarded by charismatic authorities in Gunong Kong and Nagan Raya in general. The stereotype that the Gunong Kong community performs worship that contradicts the teachings of sharia cannot be proven.

Abstract Religion is undeniably one of the core components of the Mauritian identity, with religious values and principles woven into the Mauritian fabric. Due to the existing gaps in the research of religion and mental health in the Mauritian community, this study sought to examine the impact of religious identity on the psychological well-being of the typical Mauritian. 276 quantitative responses were retrieved, and 12 participants from the 3 main religious groups in the country were interviewed for an in-depth analysis of their religious identities. Results strongly demonstrated positive links between the 3 dimensions of religious identity and total well-being; religious identity achievement [χ2 (1680) = 2228 p

Abstract Background The issues of religious practice, healthy lifestyle behavior and academic achievement are global agendas. Most previous research has focused on either one or two of the variables, not three of them (e.g. just the relationship between religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior). And addressing these three issues, by and large, demands a systemic approach to re-thinking the current level and improving it. Objective To examine the causal relationship between religious practice, healthy lifestyle behavior, and academic achievement in the case of Debre Markos University (DMU) and Injibara University (IU), Ethiopia. Methods Four hundred forty students are participated voluntarily using random sampling techniques. To attain this objective, a cross-sectional research method design was used. Results The mean scores of students’ healthy lifestyle behavior is more than average in all aspects. MANOVA results revealed that batch, ethnicity (region), and the university did not display a statistically significant difference among the composite (or combined) scores of both students’ healthy lifestyles and religious practice. However, religious affiliation and gender religious practice and have an effect on religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior respectively. The correlation output informs that religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior are positively and significantly correlated with each other. Religious practice also significantly predicted students’ healthy lifestyle behavior. Despite this, the academic achievement of students didn’t have any relationship with their religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior. Conclusion University students’ healthy lifestyle behavior doesn’t play an intervening variable in the effect of religious practice on academic achievement. Possible practical implications and recommendations have been forwarded.

China has a unique background of “religious practice without religious belief”. As China enters the digital age, it is necessary to consider religious practices from the perspective of internet use. In this research, we used data from the 2017, 2018, and 2021 years of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to explore whether internet use affects Chinese religious practices. The results show that internet use significantly influences Chinese religious practices. We also constructed a parallel mediation model involving relative deprivation and social trust, demonstrating that relative deprivation positively mediates the effect of internet use on religious practices, while social trust negatively mediates this effect. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that internet use has a greater impact on religious practices in eastern and central regions, among women, and urban residents. Our research underscores the significant role of religious practices in Chinese society, profoundly influencing everyday life and challenging external perceptions of China as “faithless”.

This empirical study investigates the transformation of religiosity in Spain over the two decades from 1998 to 2018, with a focus on social changes in belief, religiosity, and religious controversies, as well as the evolution of religious socialization. By incorporating the concepts of religious socialization and religious controversy into the theoretical framework, the study analyzes data from three waves of surveys on religious topics conducted in Spain during this period. The descriptive findings reveal a clear trend towards a decline in religious belief, religiosity, and practice, coupled with a significant rise in atheistic and non-religious attitudes. Moreover, the explanatory analysis indicates a reduction in the impact of primary religious socialization during childhood, while sociodemographic variables such as age and ideology have either maintained or increased their influence in shaping religious or non-religious positions. The study identifies religious polarization, driven by a marked increase in atheism and non-religion, and suggests that intergenerational and ideological shifts are more critical in explaining changes in religious beliefs than traditional religious socialization processes.

Background: The ageing population in Indonesia is increasing. However, biological and social changes and declines may trigger mental health problems among the elderly. Existing data show that the prevalence of mental health problems (depression) among the elderly in Indonesia is above 15%. Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the Majelis Zikir (dhikr assembly) and the mental health of the elderly. Setting: The research was conducted in Aceh Barat District, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Methods: This study uses a retrospective cohort design. The study sample consists of individuals aged 60 years or older. The total sample size was 114 (57 exposed and 57 unexposed groups). The research instrument was in the form of a questionnaire. Results: The respondents had an average age of 67.61 years, with more females (63.2%), more educated (67.5%), more unemployed (71.1%) and 61.4% felt that their income was sufficient. The analysis showed that the relative risk value of members of the dhikr assembly was 1.857 (95% CI: 1.266–2.724) and showed a significant relationship between the dhikr assembly and mental health. Conclusion: Dhikr, as one of the forms of religious activities in Islam, has a positive role in older people’s mental health. Elderly members of the dhikr assembly are likelier to achieve better mental health. Contribution: The findings in this study can assist healthcare professionals and policymakers in their efforts to maintain and improve the mental health of the elderly through dhikr.

While severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans, there is a wide range of disease outcomes following virus exposures. Some individuals are asymptomatic while others develop complications within a few days after infection that can lead to fatalities in a smaller portion of the population. In the present study, we have analyzed the factors that may influence the outcome of post-SARS -CoV-2 infection. One factor that may influence virus control is pre-existing immunity conferred by an individual's past exposures to endemic coronaviruses (eCOVIDs) which cause the common cold in humans and generally, most children are exposed to one of the four eCOVIDs before 2 years of age. Here, we have carried out protein sequence analyses to show the amino acid homologies between the four eCOVIDs (i.e. OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63) as well as examining the cross-reactive immune responses between SARS-CoV-2 and eCOVIDs by epidemiologic analyses. Our results show that the nations where continuous exposures to eCOVIDs are very high due to religious and traditional causes showed significantly lower cases and low mortality rates per 100,000. We hypothesize that in the areas of the globe where Muslims are in majority and due to religious practices are regularly exposed to eCOVIDs they show a significantly lower infection, as well as mortality rate, and that is due to pre-existing cross-immunity against SARS-CoV-2. This is due to cross-reactive antibodies and T-cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigens. We also have reviewed the current literature that has also proposed that human infections with eCOVIDs impart protection against disease caused by subsequent exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We propose that a nasal spray vaccine consisting of selected genes of eCOVIDs would be beneficial against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic coronaviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether women can travel alone has been debated for centuries in Islamic law. This article examines the Islamic legal principles concerning women travelling alone, whether it be for Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) or any journeys. Despite the explicit Quranic order about the duty of Hajj for all believers, depending upon the fulfilment of specific conditions, Sunni scholars have introduced additional criteria, particularly related to women, which have led to the establishment of gender-specific regulations. These interpretations are based on the ḥadīth of the Prophet rather than explicit verses from the Qur'an. The view that prevents women from travelling alone has gained dominance among Sunni scholars, and a maḥram (a male relative) becomes a requirement for a journey. However, Ibn Ḥazm of Cordoba (d. 1064) presents an opposing perspective that significantly differs from this consensus. Ibn Ḥazm believes that women can travel and participate in the Hajj without a maḥram, emphasising the importance of Hajj as a personal responsibility in terms of the religious obligation. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the ḥadīth concerning women's travel alone, the varying opinions of Sunni scholars, and the distinctive position adopted by Ibn Ḥazm. The text explains that Ibn Ḥazm's analysis mainly based on a preference for reasonable arguments and egalitarian principles, prioritising them over literal interpretations of the ḥadīths regarding the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The issues of religious practice, healthy lifestyle behavior and academic achievement are global agendas. Most previous research has focused on either one or two of the variables, not three of them (e.g. just the relationship between religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior). And addressing these three issues, by and large, demands a systemic approach to re-thinking the current level and improving it. Objective: To examine the causal relationship between religious practice, healthy lifestyle behavior, and academic achievement in the case of Debre Markos University (DMU) and Injibara University (IU), Ethiopia. Methods: Four hundred forty students are participated voluntarily using random sampling techniques. To attain this objective, a cross-sectional research method design was used. Results: The mean scores of students' healthy lifestyle behavior is more than average in all aspects. MANOVA results revealed that batch, ethnicity (region), and the university did not display a statistically significant difference among the composite (or combined) scores of both students' healthy lifestyles and religious practice. However, religious affiliation and gender religious practice and have an effect on religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior respectively. The correlation output informs that religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior are positively and significantly correlated with each other. Religious practice also significantly predicted students' healthy lifestyle behavior. Despite this, the academic achievement of students didn't have any relationship with their religious practice and healthy lifestyle behavior. Conclusion: University students' healthy lifestyle behavior doesn't play an intervening variable in the effect of religious practice on academic achievement. Possible practical implications and recommendations have been forwarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religion is undeniably one of the core components of the Mauritian identity, with religious values and principles woven into the Mauritian fabric. Due to the existing gaps in the research of religion and mental health in the Mauritian community, this study sought to examine the impact of religious identity on the psychological well-being of the typical Mauritian. 276 quantitative responses were retrieved, and 12 participants from the 3 main religious groups in the country were interviewed for an in-depth analysis of their religious identities. Results strongly demonstrated positive links between the 3 dimensions of religious identity and total well-being; religious identity achievement [χ2 (1680) = 2228 p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.537]; religious affirmation and belongingness [χ2 (1620) = 2041, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.523], and religious faith and practices [χ2 (1620) = 1757, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.487]. Religious practice strongly associated with emotional stability [χ2 (246) = 296.15, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.432] and happiness [χ2 (48) = 73.86, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.211]. Demographically, educational attainment did not affect religious identification in the Mauritian community. The findings clearly demonstrate the need for an integrative system with ingroup beliefs and traditions embedded into models of recovery for psychological disorders. Mental health professionals should consider alternative approaches, reeling in religion and spiritual dimensions of healing into conventional therapies. The role of religious settings in improving psychological treatment adherence and fostering mental well-being should not be downplayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed entire social levels. Organized religion is one of those levels, having suffered a lot due to the closing of churches and the automatic physical cessation of religious services. Both the weekly practitioners and those attending church minimally (say at Easter and Christmas) felt the shock of the closing of the churches. As such, the online environment was the saving option during the pandemic. However, not all churches embraced the move of liturgical services to online from the start, and at the same time, not all churches had a rich history of using digital technologies or the Internet for religious purposes. In this context, I investigate how religious communities succeeded in dealing with the imposed governmental regulations on social distance. I follow the specific religious rituals that have suffered the most by moving liturgy online, rituals such as baptism, Eucharist, burial, etc. Because different Christian churches understand rituals and liturgical practices in different ways, I focus specifically on a succinct comparison between the Romanian Orthodox Church and the neo-Protestant environment, especially the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In addition, I briefly extend the comparison to Adventist communities from the diaspora—especially those from London, the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of new metaphors in early tantric Buddhism are analysed in the paper. Two models of religious practice are concerned. According to both of them, the goal of tantric practice is permanent modification of the practitioner's cognitive activity. That modification can be understood as willingness to implement particular metaphors spontaneously into the process of perceptive data interpretation. Those metaphorical concepts are closely related to the conception of buddha nature. Religious practice of Vajrayāna can be seen as striving for experiential substantiation for the main of those metaphors (mind is mandala). Special act of visualization in ritual context is expected to be such substantiation. Six types of metaphors important in the soteriology of the early Vajrayāna can be distinguished. All of them are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTWhile severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans, there is a wide range of disease outcomes following virus exposures. Some individuals are asymptomatic while others develop complications within a few days after infection that can lead to fatalities in a smaller portion of the population. In the present study, we have analyzed the factors that may influence the outcome of post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. One factor that may influence virus control is pre-existing immunity conferred by an individual’s past exposures to endemic coronaviruses (eCOVIDs) which cause the common cold in humans and generally, most children are exposed to one of the four eCOVIDs before 2 years of age. Here, we have carried out protein sequence analyses to show the amino acid homologies between the four eCOVIDs (i.e. OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63) as well as examining the cross-reactive immune responses between SARS-CoV-2 and eCOVIDs by epidemiologic analyses. Our results show that the nations where continuous exposures to eCOVIDs are very high due to religious and traditional causes showed significantly lower cases and low mortality rates per 100,000. We hypothesize that in the areas of the globe where Muslims are in majority and due to religious practices are regularly exposed to eCOVIDs they show a significantly lower infection, as well as mortality rate, and that is due to pre-existing cross-immunity against SARS-CoV-2. This is due to cross-reactive antibodies and T-cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigens. We also have reviewed the current literature that has also proposed that human infections with eCOVIDs impart protection against disease caused by subsequent exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We propose that a nasal spray vaccine consisting of selected genes of eCOVIDs would be beneficial against SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic coronaviruses.

This article joins the critical reassessment of the Romantic generation's role in contemporary debates about religious belief and practice. I focus on Wordsworth's frequent but often neglected use of liturgical discourse in The Excursion. Critics have repeatedly characterized the poem as a "failure" due to the fact Wordsworth's skeptical character, the Solitary, does not undergo a conversion experience at the poem's end. I argue that by paying close attention to liturgical discourse, we do see a change in Solitary—a growing openness to spiritual fellowship, which the poem ultimately names as "communion." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure and measurement invariance of the religious identity, religious practice, and religious beliefs across cultures in six world regions (Asia, non-Western Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, and Western Europe) and across Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic regions (WEIRD) and non-WEIRD world regions. Confirmatory factory analysis examined whether the hypothesized measurement model fits the data; several multi-group confirmatory factor analyses were performed to examine measurement invariance through a progressive analytic strategy involving three invariance conditions of configural, metric, and scalar invariance. The results generally supported the adequate fit to the data of the three correlated factors model (religious identity-RII, religious practice-RPI, and religious beliefs—RBI); it was found to be full metric invariance for WEIRD regions (RII), North America (RII and RBI), Western Europe (RII) and Non-Western Europe (RII), and South America (RII and RBI). Finally, for RII, it was found to be full configural invariance in almost all regions, except North America and Oceania; for RPI, it was found to be full configural only in North America and Non-WEIRD regions; and for RBI, it was found to be full configural only in North America, Asia, and South America, being that women scored significantly higher than men in all three indices all over the world; finally, it was found to be configural, but not metric or scalar invariance across WEIRD and non-WEIRD world regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent initiatives call for the incorporation of subjective well-being measures in the assessment of development. Latin Americans do report, on average, very high life satisfaction levels, which are also higher than what would be predicted for their socio-economic situation. Within this context, it becomes relevant to explore some arguments that have been proposed to explain high life satisfaction in Latin America within a not so favourable socio-economic context. This paper studies the soundness of the religious explanation for high life satisfaction in Latin America; the argument is based on modernisation theories, and it states that higher-than-expected life satisfaction in Latin America is explained by high religiosity in the region. The investigation relies on representative surveys applied in three high life-satisfaction Latin American countries (Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico), as well as to the non-Hispanic White population in the United States. A cross-regional methodology is implemented to study the role of religious practice, religious-events participation, and religious affiliation in explaining higher-than--expected life satisfaction in Latin America. It is found that religious variables do not explain the high life satisfaction levels in the Latin American countries under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objective: The aim of this study is to explore the health‐related quality of life outcomes and ostomy‐related obstacles among patients with ostomy in Saudi Arabia. Background: Negative effects on quality of life for patients following ostomy creation are a globally important health concern. Paucity of understanding factors that influenced quality of care after ostomy surgery hinders the ability of healthcare providers to offer appropriate care to improve patient's quality of care. Methods: This mixed‐methods study was undertaken through survey (COHQOL‐Q Arabic version) for collecting the quantitative data (n = 421) and semi‐structured interview for collecting qualitative data (n = 12). This study employed STROBE and GRAMMS checklists. Results: Multiple health‐related quality of life challenges was indicated by Saudi patients with intestinal stomas. Ostomy surgery interferes with religious practice in Muslim people, particularly obtaining Hajj worship and fasting for Ramadan. The overall QOL mean score was moderate level (M = 7.57) for ostomy patients in Saudi Arabia. The highest domain mean score was the social well‐being (M = 7.84) and the lowest in the physical well‐being (M = 7.18). Reshaping of religious practices, apprehension and adaptation to living with a stoma were the most common themes that participants discussed related to ostomy issues they experienced following ostomy surgery. Conclusion: The study findings reported a greater understanding of challenges that patients with stoma experience in Saudi Arabia. The process of the adaptation and the change of their lifestyle also affects patient's quality of life. The healthcare providers can use the study results to create a supportive intervention strategy that needed for maximise QOL for people with stoma. Relevance to clinical practice: This study identifies issues associated with stoma creation among Saudi people and can help in planning and providing the required nursing care which may support in the reduction of predictable problems. Recommendations for future studies related to nursing professional practice are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article exemplifies the field of an historical geography of religion, specifically focusing on the spatial aspect of inter-denominational relations. It analyses the impact of routes and distances on religious practice, arguing that space played a pivotal role in administering church services. Three case studies from different regions of Eastern Europe – Bukovina (today divided between Romania and Ukraine), Latgale (eastern Latvia) and Suwałki region (Polish-Lithuanian borderland) – focus on the exchangeability of religious services (baptisms, marriages and funerals) between various Christian denominations, as registered in metrical records. On this basis it is possible to state that in the multi-confessional environment with limited access to a priest of a certain denomination a common practice for the faithful, although officially banned, was to go to a priest of another confession. In this respect spatial realities affected religious practices more than official regulations. • Routes and distances to a priest played a pivotal role in administering church services. • Religious services were available in churches of different confessions. • Cross-confessional services were common in Eastern European rural areas. • Spatial realities influenced religious practice more than official regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslim families nowadays are facing threats that are big enough to lead to moral, social and economic collapse. The declining religious values and the occurrence of conflicts in family institutions can contribute to the existence of social diseases today. The psychological crisis and spiritual deprivation of humans in the era of globalization can be overcome if humans return to religion and practice religious teachings. Society needs resilience skills and a strong identity to produce balanced people from both internal and external aspects. Therefore, the injection of religious and spiritual elements becomes a priority to improve personal well-being. This article aims to describe the elements of marriage responsibility based on verse 35 of Surah al-Ahzab which conforms to the three principles of religion, Iman, Islam and Ihsan by using the documentation method. There are four main elements: knowledge and obedience, good association, livelihood and maintaining honour as the basis of responsibility in Muslim marriages that need to be implemented by husband and wife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This ethnographic work on the cultural behavior of anorexic women in a virtual communication space aimed to demonstrate the use of their verbalizations and images that support the motivations and guidelines of this practice. The methodology of writing from the leading role of this condition and having returned some time later to be able to document it was used. The main finding is a guide exposed in categories where it can be concluded that this pathology behaves as a spiritual cult where communication with ANA is vital, the deity of this practice that has its own symbols and imaginaries, all through a virtual forum. Este trabajo etnográfico sobre el comportamiento cultural de las mujeres anoréxicas en un espacio de comunicación virtual, tuvo como objetivo evidenciar el uso de sus verbalizaciones e imágenes que fundamentan las motivaciones y pautas de esta práctica. Se usó la metodología de escribir desde el protagonismo de este padecimiento y haber regresado tiempo después para poder documentarlo. Como principal hallazgo se presenta una guía expuesta en categorías donde se puede concluir que esta patología se comporta como culto espiritual donde es vital la comunicación con ANA, la deidad de esta práctica que tiene sus propios símbolos e imaginarios, todo a través de un foro virtual.

The utilization practices of houses of worship in Benteng Pancasila Area of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) campus can be seen as a field of cultural production by religious communities in an educational environment. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study to discover 1) how houses of worship on UNS Benteng Pancasila are utilized, 2) how agents use capital to shape cultural production, and 3) what social impacts are created. The results indicate that 1) the successfully constructed habitus leads to socio-cultural religious practices with academic nature, 2) agents instill values through narratives using cultural, social, and symbolic capital, and 3) the social impacts include inter-religious group integration, but the interaction within it is still limited. In this case, it was revealed that the social relations formed from the cultural production are still limited on the symbolic level.

In this special issue, we explore the concept of lived religion in order to construct categories for the study of religion that reflect the Latin American reality, where, despite modernization, studies do not observe secularization, but rather a transformation in the practices and social role of religion. Lived religion deals with understanding what ordinary people do when they practice religion in their daily lives. When we speak of lived religion, we take a serious approach to what the participants understand religion to be: it is the people who practice it who define what religion is and what function it fulfills in their lives. The authors of this issue understand lived religion as the practices that ordinary people perform in everyday life situations to connect with superhuman powers. These incorporate corporeality, materiality, and discourse, and are chosen by individuals from a religious cultural repertoire. The articles in this issue are based on empirical research on animitas, processions, domestic altars, spaces of commercialization of religious objects, interviews and surveys that collect religious practices, and cases of religious everyday life in Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru. On this basis, they expand, problematize and discuss the approach of lived religion, with alternatives such as hinge religoisity or lived spirituality. At the same time, they show the limits of the theories of secularization and the religious market to explain Latin American religious dynamics.

This essay engages with Kåre Berge's reflections on book religion in Deuteronomy. It first elaborates upon the concepts of religion and book religion and considers aspects of the literary and rhetorical anatomy of Deuteronomy. Then it argues that the salient point in Deuteronomy is not the text of the Torah as such, but the doing of what that text says. This orientation towards religious practice is squarely similar to adjacent strands of ancient Hebrew religion. Deuteronomy, however, adds certain religious practices, all of which required the use of (oral or written) texts. The essay argues that Deuteronomy had little potential to generate common religious change, but it could be seen as a force towards changes in religious leadership. Finally, the essay considers the concept of book religion—as a classificatory concept and as an analytical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]