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This article employs interviews and primary and secondary sources to examine the discrimination, securitization, and instrumentalization faced by four main Christian denominations throughout Turkish history: the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and Protestant communities. We shed light on how some religious minority groups have been utilized and represented within the framework of Turkish diplomacy and the pursuit of neo-Ottomanism. We contend that the blanket term 'Christian' is less applicable in Turkey's context, where religion becomes intricately intertwined with ethnicity. Thus, it becomes imperative to investigate each non-Muslim community independently, considering their unique trajectories, historical traumas, internal divisions, and relationships with the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do groups reckon with differences in members' identities and beliefs? A tension exists between groups, whose identities are singular and stably positioned, and their members, whose identities are intertwined and constituted in interaction. Existing work shows how this tension is addressed through downplaying difference, but we know less about how differences are played up in group life. Drawing on two years of ethnographic fieldwork and 56 interviews with a racially and politically diverse religious group, I examine how members play up identities and beliefs that are not shared by all and how comembers respond. This analysis reveals two pathways that playing up difference takes: an engagement pathway and an avoidance pathway. The engagement pathway depends on the activation of shared structural, relational, and epistemic foundations. I conclude with a broader consideration of how playing up difference relates to the pursuit of plurality and wholeness in contemporary organizations and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a special issue of the journal Religions that focuses on the relationship between religion and the media. The issue explores how religion influences traditional and online media, as well as broader social communication processes. It includes studies on the thematizing power of religion in media content, the construction of religious meaning, and the visual components of religious framing. The special issue also contains empirical research from various countries, including Romania, Switzerland, Hungary, and Russia. The studies cover topics such as online religious worship during the COVID-19 pandemic, media coverage of religious communities, and the discourse of Christianity in political rhetoric. The special issue provides a comprehensive overview of the intersection between religion and the media, drawing from disciplines such as media science, philosophy, sociology, and linguistics. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the role of liturgy, ritual, and pastoral care in responding to collective trauma in diverse communities. It acknowledges the wounds experienced by black, brown, Asian, LGBTQ+, indigenous, and religious groups, as well as victims of wars and natural disasters. The author emphasizes the importance of ongoing discussion, resources, and leadership in addressing collective trauma and healing wounded communities. The article discusses tensions such as natural versus human-caused disasters, accountability versus forgiveness, and cohesive versus dynamic communities. It highlights the need for spaces of lament, protest, and grief, and the importance of adapting liturgical practices to match the specific needs and phases of recovery. The text also raises questions about the relationship between faith and politics, the self-care of religious leaders, and the ongoing work of responding to wounded communities. It concludes by emphasizing the need for curiosity, collaboration, and compassion in addressing the wounds of various communities and exploring new ritual practices. [Extracted from the article]

We tested the effects of relational and instrumental message strategies on US residents' perception of rattlesnakes—animals that tend to generate feelings of fear, disgust, or hatred but are nevertheless key members of healthy ecosystems. We deployed an online survey to social media users (n = 1,182) to describe perceptions of rattlesnakes and assess the change after viewing a randomly selected relational or instrumental video message. An 8–item, pre–and post–Rattlesnake Perception Test (RPT) evaluated perception variables along emotional, knowledge, and behavioral gradients on a 5–point Likert scale; the eight responses were combined to produce an Aggregate Rattlesnake Perception (ARP) score for each participant. We found that people from Abrahamic religions (i.e., Christianity, Judaism, Islam) and those identifying as female were associated with low initial perceptions of rattlesnakes, whereas agnostics and individuals residing in the Midwest region and in rural residential areas had relatively favorable perceptions. Overall, both videos produced positive changes in rattlesnake perception, although the instrumental video message led to a greater increase in ARP than the relational message. The relational message was associated with significant increases in ARP only among females, agnostics, Baby Boomers (age 57–75), and Generation–Z (age 18–25 to exclude minors). The instrumental video message was associated with significant increases in ARP, and this result varied by religious group. ARP changed less in those reporting prior experience with a venomous snake bite (to them, a friend, or a pet) than in those with no such experience. Our data suggest that relational and instrumental message strategies can improve people's perceptions of unpopular and potentially dangerous wildlife, but their effectiveness may vary by gender, age, religious beliefs, and experience. These results can be used to hone and personalize communication strategies to improve perceptions of unpopular wildlife species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and loneliness in the United States, using the 2018 General Social Survey to assess their interactions against a backdrop of declining traditional religious affiliation and a rise in "spiritual but not religious" identification. It examines religion and spirituality's capacity to counteract loneliness, a condition with significant health implications. The analysis uncovers complex relationships between aspects of religious life and loneliness, showing no mitigating role of spirituality when controlling for other factors, with complex and varied negative relationships of religious service attendance and self-rate religiosity to different aspects of loneliness. Yet, any potentially protective effect of religion varies, with minority religious groups reporting feelings of increased loneliness. These findings underscore religion and spirituality's nuanced roles in emotional well-being, indicating that their benefits (or not) against loneliness are complex, varied, and depend on the aspect of religion or loneliness observed, along with non-religious factors. The paper contributes to the literature on societal loneliness, changing religious and spiritual engagements, and highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to explore the role of religion and spirituality in understanding loneliness specifically, and personal and social well-being more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central European countries with a historically dominant Roman Catholic heritage belong to a particular cluster in respect to the governance of religion. This paper focuses on Hungary and Slovakia and addresses the effect of religious nationalism on the regimes of governance of religion in the two countries. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, there was a brief period of neutral stance towards religion, which was characterized by liberal values. With the introduction of the bilateral Concordat agreements with the Holy See, both countries started to treat traditional Christian Churches preferentially. By the 2010s legislation in both countries created restrictive entry barriers for "new" religions. This created two or multi-tiered systems for "old" and "new" religions, in which the former enjoyed closer relationship with the state. As a result, the separation of church and state has become blurred. Preferentially treated churches reappeared in the public space as providers of certain educational and social services. Preferentially treated churches and the state developed asymmetrically interdependent relationships, the state having the upper hand. Meanwhile, increasingly populist and nationalist parties instrumentalized religion by involving Christianity in their nationalistic political discourse. This helped create a normative space, in which the state is able to give further preferential treatment to certain religious groups over others. The emphasis on Christian national identity underpinned these governments' narratives that conflates migration with security and Islam, which pushed those religious groups on the margins, which do not fit in the religious nationalist narrative of the increasingly right- and populism-leaning governing elite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals often hold beliefs in religion and in science, but how they mutually function is not well‐understood. We examined these conjoint influences by examining their relative contributions to individuals' global meaning systems. We also examined whether subgroups of participants could be identified in terms of relative influence of religious or science beliefs on their meaning systems. A nationally representative sample of 300 American adults completed online surveys. Results suggested that science beliefs and religion beliefs comprise separate but only modestly negatively correlated dimensions. Both contributed similarly to the explanation of world assumptions, but only religious beliefs generally predicted goals, values and sense of meaning in life. Latent profile analysis produced a three‐profile solution: one profile of moderate science and religious beliefs represented half the sample while the remainder split evenly between predominantly religious and predominantly science beliefs. In general, across most aspects of global meaning, the religious beliefs group was higher than the science beliefs and moderate beliefs in both groups. Results of this first systematic investigation of the separate effects of beliefs in religion and in science on meaning systems suggest that the balance of these beliefs is a potentially important individual difference warranting further investigation and elaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the Daiva Inscription, an ancient text from the reign of Xerxes I, which mentions the destruction of temples belonging to a group called daivas. Scholars have debated the identity of the daivas and Xerxes' policy towards them. Some argue that the daivas were false gods and that Xerxes took drastic measures against religions other than his own, while others suggest that the inscription reflects conflicts among worshippers of Auramazdā. The article explores different interpretations of the inscription and its significance in understanding the religious policies of the Achaemenid Empire. It emphasizes that the inscription should be understood in its intellectual and political context, as a proclamation of Xerxes' royal persona and the ideology of legitimate kingship and empire. [Extracted from the article]

This study aims to investigate the application of intercultural communication patterns in preventing conflicts between religious groups in Kalurahan Pendowoharjo, Kapanewon Sewon, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta. Communication is essential for individuals and society, and effective communication can have a positive impact on everyone's quality of life. The communication pattern is a behavior that has a position in a group in the process of conveying a message. Intercultural communication is an interaction between individuals with different cultural backgrounds. In Kalurahan Pendowoharjo, despite having different beliefs, the community strives to live together and maintain a high level of tolerance and respect for each other's differences. The study aims to understand how intercultural communication patterns can prevent conflicts between religious groups in Kalurahan Pendowoharjo. The research will use qualitative methods to explore the efforts made by the community to maintain religious harmony and the intercultural communication patterns between the majority and minority religious groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Wartime North Africa: a documentary history 1934–1950" is a book edited by Aomar Boum and Sarah Abrevaya Stein that brings together a collection of testimonies and documents from North Africa during the rise of Fascism and Nazism, the impact of race laws and internment during World War II, and the challenges faced by survivors in the postwar period. The book includes a diverse range of voices, including Muslims, Jews, West African soldiers, and European refugees, and the sources are translated from multiple languages. The editors provide contextual introductions and footnotes to support the sources, allowing them to speak for themselves. The book sheds light on the experiences of North African Jews during the war, which has received limited scholarly attention, and aims to foster empathy and solidarity across diverse experiences of violence and deprivation. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Religious leaders have the potential to play a significant role in the identification and referral of individuals with mental health problems. Objective: This study sought to understand the perceptions of religious leaders in regards to identifying and referring parishioners with mental health issues to healthcare professionals, in Chimbote, Peru. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study that covered religious leaders of different religious groups in Chimbote. The leaders completed a survey that assessed their characteristics, past experiences of detecting and referring those with mental health problems to healthcare professionals, and perceptions of four clinical cases (for which we used the Clergy's Perception of Mental Illness Survey instrument). Results: We included 109 religious' leaders of four religious groups (11 Catholics, 70 Evangelicals, 21 Mormons, and 7 Adventists). Of these, 50.5% had received at least one request for help with mental health issues from a parishioner in the previous month, over 85% expressed a desire for training in identifying mental health problems, and 22–30% reported receiving any training. While the majority of leaders were able to correctly identify cases of depression, alcohol dependence, and drug problems, only 62% correctly classified a case of schizophrenia. Despite this, 80% stated that they would refer their parishioners to healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Parishioners tend to consult their religious leaders regarding their mental health and approximately 80% stated they would refer such cases to a healthcare professional. However, less than one-third of the leaders had received training to detect mental health problems. These results suggest that there is a need for training programs to improve the ability of religious leaders to identify and refer individuals with mental health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to test the importance of belonging to religious communities to the frequency of using religious strategies for coping with stress, taking into account the moderating role of identity status and gender. This study used Polish adaptations of two questionnaires: The Religious Coping Questionnaire and the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale. Participants in this study were adolescent and young adult Polish Catholic girls and boys, belonging and not belonging to religious communities. The survey was carried out using the pencil–paper method on a sample of 407 young people with varying degrees of involvement in religious practice. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the frequency of using positive religious coping strategies differs significantly between groups of people belonging to and not belonging to a religious community. As a result of the study, the interaction of the variable belonging to a religious community and the variable identity status in deciding on the frequency of using positive religious strategies for coping with stress was recognized (F = 2.448; p = 0.033). However, the interaction of these variables with gender did not reach the level of statistical significance (F = 0.655; p = 0.658). Multiple regression analysis indicates that the identity dimension Identification with Commitment explains 14.7% of the frequency of using the Cooperation with God strategy. Belonging to religious communities is significant for the frequency of use of selected religious coping strategies and the intensity of all dimensions of identity development. The results of the statistical analysis showed that identity status is a moderator of the relationship between belonging to religious communities and the intensity of positive religious coping strategies. It was found that the frequency of use of religious coping strategies and the intensity of identity dimensions differed between Polish Catholic girls and boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The situation of widows was a serious problem in the multi-religious societies resulting from the first Islamic conquests, both among the elite and in the lower echelons of society, where poverty stalked those women who did not have a protective and supportive family environment. Several possibilities were open to Christian widows at the time of their insertion into the new society: their entry into a monastery, a solution that did not suit the reproductive strategies of either group; or several kinds of marriage: within the same social and religious group, or with Muslim conquerors, bringing them into the host society. The few testimonies from chronical sources will be analyzed in contrast to legal treatises, fatwa compilations, Islamic legal formularies, and canon collections produced by Andalusi Christians to obtain a perspective from both sides. The dynamics of these sources, which show the evolution from the 8th to the 11th century, will help us to understand the continuity of Christian religious practices in Andalusi society and the role of widows in Medieval families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the ways in which (un)shared religious group memberships contribute to individual helping responses through perceived similarity in the context of a refugee emergency. Across three studies (N = 762), we examined religious sub‐groups of British people's helping responses to religious subgroups of Syrian refugees, in quasi‐experimental and experimental designs. Overall findings suggest that sharing a religious group membership with refugee targets increases perceived similarity, political support, and helping intention, but not charitable donation—regardless of shared group membership being subtle or salient. However, when refugee targets' religious identity is that of a salient unshared group membership, not sharing a religious group membership reduces perceived similarity, political support, and helping intention, among those who are religious—with again charitable donation remaining unchanged. These results provide critical insights into developing more effective and unique strategies to promote and mobilize support for refugees among different groups of potential helpers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After experiencing first-hand the limitations of an exclusively activist, "name and shame" approach to advocating for religious freedom in Central Asia, I learned about a different, relational model of building religious freedom and covenantal pluralism, which was pioneered by the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) in Southeast Asia. In this essay I tell the story of how my organization, Love Your Neighbor Community (LYNC), has applied the IGE model in Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Church's place in modern life has gone a lot beyond its original purpose of giving spiritual advice through religious groups. Through participant observation and a review of the literature, this paper examined how the Church, especially The Church of Pentecost (CoP), has changed over time in modern Ghana to promote patriotism and instil moral values in modern Ghana through its two flagship programmes-"National Development Conference 2023" and the "All Ministers Conference 2023". The findings of the research revealed that morals, unity, and national growth were emphasised at these conferences. There were teachings, prayers, workshops, and the raising of the Ghanaian flag as a symbol of how important it is to work together across party lines for national growth. The study highlighted key recommendations, including employing a holistic approach, promoting patriotic songs, fostering collaboration, upholding moral values, emphasizing the national flag, and transcending partisanship. The study concluded that media influence, equality, punctuality, and unity are essential in fostering patriotism and moral values for Ghana's growth and development. The paper contributes to the proactive role of the church in nurturing patriotism and moral values, providing valuable insights into nation-building and societal cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matrix of deep-rooted social, political, sectarian, and patriarchal structures in Lebanon necessitates the introduction of a nuanced understanding of 'backlash' that veers away from definitions of the notion that apply mostly in Western contexts. This article proposes a contextualised definition of backlash for Lebanon and frames it by unpacking the structural flaws found in the very way Lebanese society is constructed, and in power relations within the country's familial structures. It also discusses the different forms of anti-feminist backlash observed in the country over the past few years, focusing on three axes: systemic violence, tactical backlash, and atomised backlash. Explored through case studies ranging from the hostile sectarian system against women in politics to radical religious groups, this article explores how backlash in this context diverges from the conceptualisations of backlash in existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to examine personality traits among late adolescents and elderly from Hindu and Christian religious groups using NEO- FFI (3). The study included three hundred and twenty participants with 160 Hindus and 160 Christians. Results from the study reported a significant difference between the two age groups, with the elderly scoring high on agreeableness and extraversion, and late adolescents reporting high scores in openness to experience, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. No gender difference was observed in the study. Furthermore, Hindu participants scored high on neuroticism and conscientiousness whereas, Christian participants scored high on openness to experience, extraversion and agreeableness. Additionally, difference was observed in openness to experience and agreeableness among the two religious groups, Hindu and Christian. Thus, the findings of this study confirm that factors such as age and religious affiliation can have some variations in an individual's personality development across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secularizing reforms of the republican elites in modern Turkey encountered Islamic resistance orchestrated by Naqshbandīs, who were declared enemies of the regime, repressed, and banned. The literature on how Turkish Islamists and the Naqshbandiyya have responded to republicans predominantly deals with either how they withdrew into a sort of diaspora or how they submitted and/or adapted to the republican regime. The consensus has been that Naqshbandīs played a role in inhibiting the infiltration of radical Islamic ideologies in modern Turkey. However, there is a lacuna in the literature on the Naqshbandī diaspora outside Turkey and its cooperation with transnational Islamic movements in building networks of resistance to secularism. Addressing this gap, this paper argues that some Naqshbandīs evaded republican surveillance and bans by creating an Egypt-based diasporic community, developing an Islamic cadre intended to eventually re-Islamize the Turkish state, its politics and society. Based on the memoirs and biographies of the prominent figures of the diaspora in Cairo, the study uncovers the connection between the Naqshbandiyya and other Islamic transnational movements, principally the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, at the ideological and institutional levels from the 1920s to the 1980s, to show how this cadre emerged and subsequently shaped the character of Islamism in modern Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on public attitudes and tolerance mostly focus on "non-ordinary" groups. These include communities considered as strangers, outsiders, or outgroups as well as those perceived to hold values and practices that deviate from the majority. Consequently, the question of whether social interactions between "ordinary" groups are also marred with intolerance is largely unexplored. Additionally, existing studies on this issue often focus only on political tolerance, neglecting social and religious tolerance. Using a nationally representative survey in Indonesia, this study aims to examine the patterns of social, political, and religious tolerance of Indonesian Muslims toward ordinary non-Muslims. The study shows that religiosity in general is not associated with tolerance, nor are other variables such as democracy and socio-economic status. Instead, we discover consistent and significant findings that higher levels of Muslims' interreligious interaction with non-Muslims are positively associated with higher social, religious, and political tolerance. On the other hand, Muslims' participation in religious study clubs (pengajian), as a form of intrareligious interaction, is significantly related to lower levels of social, religious, and political tolerance. As such, friendship between ordinary religious groups is key to reducing intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a model that explains personal attitudes toward religious groups and the role of parental religious heterogamy and homogamy. The sample included 32,595 participants from 26 countries around the world and was obtained from the International Social Survey Programme. Participants whose parents were religiously homogamous presented higher well-being, better health perception, and higher religiosity than participants whose parents were religiously heterogamous. Having had parental heterogamy or homogamy is a moderator of the relationship between religious practice and attitudes toward religious groups, with this relationship being stronger among participants who had parental homogamy. Religious variables are directly related to heterogamy/homogamy and indirectly related to well-being and personal attitude toward religious groups through parents' religious heterogamy/homogamy. Religious variables are related to personal attitudes toward religious groups through patents' religious heterogamy/homogamy and well-being. Participants whose parents are religiously heterogamous present a more negative attitude toward Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, and participants whose parents are religiously homogamous present a more negative attitude toward atheists or nonbelievers. In the context of globalization and the merging of cultures, these results open new research questions and may support religious, spiritual, and clinical practitioners in their approach to religious discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition between social units has long been central to sociological theories of change. Understanding it has become particularly important in the sociology of religion with the theory of religious economies, a market model of religious change. Existing empirical tests of the theory are limited by (1) ambiguity regarding which religious groups are expected to compete with which other groups, and/or (2) a neglect of the local level (competition among congregations). Using an original compilation of the life histories of religious congregations in Manhattan from 1949 to 1999, I conduct event-history analyses that avoid those limitations. The chief results are the following: (1) the more congregations there were near a given congregation that were theologically dissimilar to that congregation, the less likely that congregation was to advertise; (2) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically similar to the focal congregation, that congregation became more likely to advertise; and (3) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically dissimilar to the focal congregation, that congregation became less likely to advertise. Implications for the study of religion include modifications of religious-economies theory; broader implications speak to understanding the social units that compete and what drives competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the threat and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant source of distress, using religion to cope may be associated with more positive health. Given the severity and chronicity of the pandemic, religious individuals may also have relied on a variety of non-religious coping methods. Much of the existing COVID-19 research overlooks the role of religious group membership and beliefs in relation to coping responses and associated mental health, with an additional lack of such research within the Canadian context. Thus, this cross-sectional study investigated relations among religiosity, stressor appraisals, (both religious and non-religious) coping strategies, mental and physical health in a religiously-diverse Canadian community sample (N = 280) during the pandemic's 2nd wave from March to June 2021. Numerous differences were apparent in appraisal-coping methods and health across five (non)religious groups (i.e., Atheists, Agnostics, "Spiritual but not religious", Christians, and those considered to be religious "Minorities" in Canada). Religiosity was also associated with better mental health, appraisals of the pandemic as a challenge from which one might learn or grow, and a greater reliance on problem-focused, emotional-engagement, and religious coping. Moreover, both problem-focused and emotional-engagement coping mediated the relations between religiosity and health. Taken together, this research has implications for individual-level coping as well as informing culturally-sensitive public health messages promoting targeted self-care recommendations with integrated religious or spiritual elements during times of threat and uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text explores the educational activities of French Roman Catholic missions in the nineteenth century, as they evolved from serving local Catholic needs to becoming crucial assets in advancing France's religious–cultural influences and the Holy See's efforts to unify Eastern Christian Churches under Rome. Focused on the Mission d'Orient, initiated during Pius IX's papacy, this study delves into the Assumptionists' educational activities in the Ottoman Empire (1863–1914), which aimed to inculturate the Christian communities of the Ottoman Empire, achieve union with Rome, and build a bridge of knowledge between the Ottoman Orient and Europe. Employing a transnational historical approach, this research utilizes primary sources from the Holy See and the Assumptionist Order, examining religious and educational interactions with Ottoman millets. This article argues that Assumptionist institutions succeeded in inculturation and acted as bridges for cultural exchange. The context includes the French protectorate of the Ottoman Empire, the protégé system, and the Capitulations of 1740, demonstrating the Holy See's use of political and religious alliances. The Assumptionists, influential in advancing the Holy See's interests, are studied regarding their engagement in France and the Orient. Despite valuable insights from existing research, this article seeks to fill gaps by using Assumptionists as a case study, exploring the specific impacts of their education on various religious groups within the context of France's religious–cultural imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the modes of interaction between the Ottoman state and the Kızılbaş and Nusayri communities in a comparative way. Both communities diverge from Hanafi-Sunnism, which was increasingly fashioned as the official Ottoman Islam in the course of the sixteenth century. Furthermore, both groups share a history of persecution, which has continued on and off until today and constitutes an important aspect of their respective identities. Yet persecution was but one side of the Ottoman treatment of both Kızılbaş and Nusayris: the state also integrated them into its administrative apparatus. Drawing on a variety of sources, this article seeks to identify different contexts in which the Kızılbaş and the Nusayris interacted with the Ottoman state and its local agents. The examples illustrate, on the one hand, how these groups were treated, labelled and thus perceived by the state and thereby accommodated to the Empire's apparatus of power. On the other hand, they also indicate the historical agency of the groups themselves. The findings presented here thus serve to revisit the history of these communities in the Ottoman Empire, which has for long been approached from the perspective of their persecution as 'heretics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman authorities carried out two waves of persecution of the members of the Melami-Bayrami Sufi order in the Ottoman European province of Bosnia. At the same time, similar persecutions took place in central Anatolia against the Kızılbaş and their sympathizers. Two different groups of religious subalterns at two opposite ends of the empire, one, a Sufi order with strong urban support and links with trade-guilds, and the other, a militant Shi'a movement with a rural power-base and links with the neighbouring Safavids, were afforded almost identical treatment by the Ottoman state. Information on these persecutions can be found in legal opinions (fetvālar) and investigation or arrest warrants (ḥükümler) contained in the Ottoman 'registers of important affairs' (mühimme defterleri). This article examines a sample of these documents to ascertain the extent to which the Ottoman government saw these two groups as parts of the same phenomenon. It also assesses whether, in these persecutions, political and security concerns were of more pressing importance than the ostensive religious ones – a valuation that nuances the academic debate on the ratio between Ottoman administrative pragmatism on the one hand, and 'Sunnitization' tendencies on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This thematic issue brings together articles on non-Sunni Muslim communities in the Ottoman Empire between the sixteenth and early twentieth centuries. Drawing on case studies from Bayrami-Melami, Kızılbaş, Nusayri and Twelver Shii contexts, the issue investigates the different modes in which the Ottoman state and these parts of its population encountered and perceived each other. At times severely persecuting them, the state also applied other, more accommodative measures towards these groups, which Sharia-minded Muslims may regard as 'heretics'. This thematic issue explores the dynamics of these different relations between the state and these ambivalent subjects. Focusing on specific constellations of time and place and using a variety of sources from both local and central administration archives, the articles explore the historical context of the diverse policies of persecution and accommodation, collaboration and resistance that were implemented. The overall argument is for a perspective that historicizes Ottoman politics of difference in order to go beyond essentialist notions of timeless 'heretics' on the one hand and a seemingly monolithic, Sunni Muslim body politic on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to examine the changing nature of the Ottoman central administration's policies towards Nusayris in the nineteenth century. In different contexts of space and time, the Ottoman authorities employed different measures of collaboration, oppression and persecution, while the Nusayris responded to these policies by either resistance or accommodation. Drawing on various sources from the Ottoman archives, the article singles out various contexts in time and space, in which the Ottoman state – both centrally and locally – condemned them as 'heretics' or, alternatively within this fluid continuum, accommodated them to local political and administrative practice and needs. A close analysis of the practices and the terminology brought to bear in dealing with the Nusayris suggests an adaptive, ever changing and dynamic relationship of the state to these parts of the population. The findings presented here thus urge the historicization of instances of persecution and marginalization in order to come to terms with complex religio-political entanglements and, finally, to delineate a more nuanced perspective on the history of this community in the late Ottoman Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the relationship between the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) and the Shiite subjects of Ottoman Iraq in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, it examines the various contexts in which the CUP attempted to integrate Iraq's Shiite population into the state apparatus – for example, by authorizing and supporting the establishment of modern Shiite schools or by employing Shiite scholars at the Ottoman courts. The Shiites themselves navigated administrative contexts, regularly petitioning the Ottoman authorities to fight for their rights under the recently restored constitution of 1908, thus exercising agency as Shiite subjects of the empire. In dealing with Iraq's Shiite population, the CUP government in Istanbul had to negotiate continuity and change in its policies towards them from earlier practices under the rule of Abdulhamid II (r. 1876–1909). New policies and administrative practices towards Iraq's Shiite population also had to be negotiated with local political intermediaries – creating a complex political constellation in which the equally complex relationship between the CUP and the Iraqi Shiites would unfold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria's current democratic dispensation is plagued by a rise in ethnic nationalism, agitations for self-determination and secession, claims of marginalisation, and ethnic, regional and religious tensions. These issues continually dominate state politics. For some analysts, these problems are symptoms of a lack of oneness among the multiple ethno-linguistic and religious groups that make up the country. They are of the view that the solution to the intractable problems lies in nation-building, suggesting the enthronement of a sense of common nationality. On the contrary, this article argues that the lack of national consciousness for a nation may not be the main problem but the lack of viable institutions that can promote deep inter-ethnic relations. State-(re)building in the form of institution-strengthening is rather important for unity in the plural society. Therefore, the creation of new institutions and the strengthening of existing ones, including the federal system, to produce a viable Nigerian state capable of delivering on public goods and good governance is more important to address the many challenges confronting the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoliberal shifts have brought about a centring of market logics and a new focus on the individual as consumer. Some religious groups are better able to adapt to these shifts than others, which reveals the changing role of religion in people's daily lives. This article explores how the adaptive strategies of religious groups in response to neoliberalisation can trigger a reimagination of the role and value of religion in/to society. I illustrate these ideas through a comparative exploration of the way Buddhist élites and evangelical Christians engage with theology, tradition, and the market in Sri Lanka. While Buddhist élites struggle to overcome a sense of disjuncture in the way Buddhist principles relate to the market, evangelicals have always been more integrationist in their approach. Comparing these approaches reveals the extent to which neoliberalisation shapes the (trans)boundary modernities of religious leaders seeking to make the most of opportunities for expansion in post-war Sri Lanka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious areas were predicted to be negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using public data on religion and vaccination rates within local authorities in England, support for the hypothesis was found. All major religious groups within England (i.e., Christianity, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and "other" religious groups) were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. Effects were stronger for Muslim and Christian areas than areas with other religious groups. Effects were not due to wealth, household size, mobility, or age. These results suggest that religious regions in general and regions with Muslims and Christians in particular are negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccination rates. These findings can be used as a guide for future research and to help inform vaccination efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated that religiosity and engagement in faith practices are associated with increased task persistence. However, in this study, we sought to challenge this long-standing assumption by demonstrating that priming God-related concepts can actually lead to reduced task persistence in Taoism, a religion emphasizing passivity, calmness, and inaction. To investigate this theoretical perspective, we conducted two experimental studies using different behavioral measures of task persistence (anagram task and mirror-tracing task) and diverse religious priming techniques (the scrambled-sentence task and religious reading task). In Study 1, when Chinese Taoists were first reminded of God and then completed an unsolvable anagram task purported to measure the maturation of verbal abilities, they exhibited lower levels of task persistence than those in the neutral prime condition. In Study 2, we found that Taoist participants exposed to God-related primes spent less time on tracing a difficult geometric figures, indicating lower levels of task persistence. Across two studies, we replicated prior findings that exposure to God representations increased task persistence in Chinese Buddhists, who belong to a non-Abraham religious group. These results provided the first experimental evidence that activating thoughts of God may have divergent effects on task persistence in members of different religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to evaluate the potential causal effects of attending religious groups on the prevalence of depression, generalized anxiety disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicide and self-harm. Data from the UK Biobank and the FinnGen project were processed by inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger regression methods. Despite certain pleiotropic risks, we found that attending religious groups was potentially associated with a reduced risk of anxiety disorders (OR = 0.213, p =.028). The pleiotropies were largely controlled and the effect on anxiety disorders became more significant in our sensitivity analysis (OR = 0.162; p =.006). Additionally, attending religious groups was associated with a reduced risk of suicide and self-harm (OR = 0.231, p =.0006). However, we did not observe any substantial protection against depression. In conclusion, our study adds to the existing literature and sheds light on the potential health benefits of religious activities from a novel perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the processes of change in the study of the integration of immigrants in Spain, specifically in Castilla y León, their religiosity and the meaning of religion in their integration. The majority of immigrants residing in Spain declare themselves to be believers and practitioners of their religion, hence knowing about coexistence and their religious practices. A quantitative/qualitative study is used as it helps us to understand the relationship between the importance of religion and social participation as a factor of integration. From the study it is extracted, the low tendency to the relations with other cultures and the little social and cultural participation, makes difficult the integration of some ethnic/religious groups. Religiosity increases as integration decreases, this is a consequence of people locking themselves into their ethnic/religious group. Muslims have more difficulties integrating, mainly due to cultural and religious differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Church of Saint Thomas Paine: A Religious History of American Secularism" by Leigh Eric Schmidt explores the history of secularism in America from the 19th century to the present. The book examines how liberal secularists sought to establish a form of secularism that incorporated religious elements, such as rituals and non-traditional churches. It discusses the influence of figures like Thomas Paine and the creation of church-like establishments by individuals and groups. The book also addresses the challenges faced by secularists, including conservative backlash, and highlights the goal of building bridges with traditional religious groups. While the book provides unique insights and references primary documents, it has some organizational flaws and lacks a comprehensive definition of religion. [Extracted from the article]

Rup Kumar Barman's book, "River, Society and Culture: Environmental Perspectives on the Rivers of Assam and Bengal," explores the significance of rivers in defining political boundaries, commercial activities, and livelihoods in South Asia. The book focuses on the rivers of West Bengal and Assam, discussing topics such as the socio-economic conditions of people living in river basin regions, the impact of environmental changes on fishing communities, and the struggles faced by people living in river valleys. Barman also analyzes river-centered literature and examines the cultural and religious significance of rivers in the region. While the book could have included more rivers and aboriginal peoples, it effectively highlights the importance of riverine histories and societies in North Bengal and Assam. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a collection of abstracts from the International Journal of Psychology, covering a range of topics related to religion, spirituality, and psychological well-being. The articles explore various aspects such as the role of psychological mechanisms in religious rituals, the relationship between religiosity and smartphone use, spirituality in later life, the impact of spirituality on nurses' burnout, attitudes towards sexual diversity, religious belief and social cognitive ability in Japan, empathy and prejudice, different images of God and risky behaviors, and the impact of religious social identity on psychological well-being in Asian indigenous religious groups. The studies provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between religion, spirituality, and psychological processes. Another paper presents research on topics including the effects of meditation on brainwave patterns, religion and coping with cancer, beliefs in tempting fate, leaving destructive cults, religious coping and life satisfaction in Latinx individuals, religion and just world beliefs, and a comparison between Nirvana in Buddhism and self-actualization in psychology. These studies offer valuable insights into the intersection of religion and psychology and their potential implications for individuals and communities. [Extracted from the article]

China's ethnic policy is characterized by a strong promotion of ethnic equality and unity and regional ethnic autonomy under the unified multi-ethnic State framework. With regional ethnic autonomy at its core, this is a policy of precision autonomy and grouphood promotion. On the other hand, genocide is a crime of grouphood destruction, committed with the specific intent (dolus specialis) to "destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such". An examination of the main tenets of China's ethnic policy and the specific intent element of the crime of genocide makes it crystal clear that, instead of aiming to "destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such", China's ethnic policy aims to do the opposite, i.e. to promote the perception of the grouphood, the wellbeing and flourishing of every ethnic group. China's policy of ethnic equality and unity and regional ethnic autonomy under the unified multiethnic State framework is thus the antithesis to genocidal intent of grouphood destruction. The increase of the Uygur population from 2.2 million to 12 million and of the life expectancy of the group from 30 to 74.7 years in Xinjiang over the past 60 years and the idolization of Uygur actors and actresses across China and beyond put on conspicuous display the successful reality of this policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores aspects of the Soviet atheistic regime that contributed to the formation of the religious imaginary of believing Ukrainian and Lithuanian scientists born in 1930–1960s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of them did not accept Orthodox, Catholic, or other institutional religions, but instead created their own privatized religious patterns, using science-related elements in their imaginary. This distinguished them from the other national groups participating in the study. In the article, I propose an interpretation for this phenomenon. I analyze 29 in-depth interviews of a larger sample and focus on the biographies of the older cohort of natural scientists from Lithuania and Ukraine to show how the Soviet political and normative context supported their science-based imaginary. This allows us to draw some parallels concerning secularization—gradual in the West but forced in the Soviet case—and the role of science in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adorno and Benjamin's common intellectual project has been labeled, by Adorno, an Inverse Theology. This re-translation of theology into it's metaphysical truth contents can be only fully comprehended by taking into account their position towards the work of art. In this article, I locate the place where the categorical framework of "inverse theology" is displayed in a most complete manner in the discussion of Kafka's prose and extrapolate the outline of an Inverse theology from Adorno and Benjamin's readings of some of his most famous texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English writer John Michell (1933–2009) occupied a significant position within British alternative religion. Michell's manifold books revolve around his life-long aim to re-enchant the English landscape and launch a new golden age. Michell was a devoted Traditionalist and is widely considered the founding father of the vast field of British Earth Mysteries. Associated groups embrace speculative theories of the earth, claiming the existence of telluric (dragon) energies. As Michell's impact on such groups is widely acknowledged, within the context of Earth Mysteries, this article centers on cerealogy and the Dragon Environmental Network as examples in exploring Michell's discursive and enduring influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In feminist research on religion, women and gender, the concepts of "lived religion" as well as "agency as doing religion" take a prominent place. Both include an intersubjective and mostly partial perspective. However, against the background of current developments concerning a global religious right, the paper argues for the inclusion of a critical perspective through the methodology of a double critique that includes both an analysis of power relations that marginalize women in religious groups and an analysis of women's reproduction of gendered as well as racialized power relations. This argument is embedded in the complexity of post-secular feminist research including research on women, gender and religion, feminist critiques of secularism (and of anti-Muslim discourses), feminist, queer and trans theologies, and research on the religious right and their anti-feminist politics. The paper suggests to take feminist theologies and feminist spiritualities/religious practices as reference point for such an analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Claire Carlisle's new book contributes to this ongoing enthusiasm for Spinoza by drawing attention to an element of his thought that is somewhat neglected: his religious views. Spinoza is one of the most famous early modern philosophers. Carlisle develops her project with grace and wisdom, guiding the reader through some of the most intricate issues of Spinoza's works (mostly the I Ethics i and the I Theological-Political Treatise i ), while retaining a clear lucid prose that is very accessible and enjoyable to follow. [Extracted from the article]

The 2010 U. S. Religious Census: Religious Congregations and Membership Survey (RCMS) is the most comprehensive picture of U.S. religious life, county by county. How thorough is the RCMS in covering local religious groups? To answer this question, three county snapshots were performed with collected data compared to the RCMS 2010 reported numbers. Data suggest that there has been an underreport by as much as 25 percent of the number of local congregations in these counties. New and emerging religious movements and denominations as well as ethnic congregations comprise much of this percentage, making it more imperative for scholars to develop methodologies and frameworks in order to capture these "others" and invisible churches in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]