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The purpose of this article is to explore consumption practices that involve the deliberate destruction of meaningful possessions; in particular, what motivates consumers to do so, why they choose it over other divestment options and what value creation do they expect from this. This is a consumer choice acknowledged but lacking in extant research, theoretical or empirical. From the existing literature a qualitative study was developed, consisting of a series of exploratory interviews with consumers who considered that they had engaged in possession destruction. From analysis of the identified themes, we developed a temporal process, where possession destruction creates self-wellbeing for the consumer, through the elimination of negative symbolic value associated with the possession. The existence of ritualistic and taboo behaviour suggests that this type of consumption can also be conceptualised as a social, violent, and sacrificial process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, philosopher Chantal Jaquet coined the term transclasse to describe a person who is in the process of changing their social class. In opposition to the perhaps more widely-known expression 'transfuge de classe' – popularised by writers such as Annie Ernaux and Édouard Louis – transclasse allows for a comprehension of the necessarily transient nature of social migration, encapsulating a vital element of flux. Importantly, Jaquet's term allows for an understanding that the transclasse is not a rigidly definable identity category, and instead reflects individual experiences of liminality. In this article, I demonstrate the continuing relevance of Jaquet's theorisations by analysing the ways in which Kaoutar Harchi's memoir Comme nous existons explores the unique position of double absence that she occupies as a transclasse who must also navigate her identity as the child of postcolonial immigrants in France, using Abdelmalek Sayad's work La double absence in dialogue with Jaquet and Harchi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the Gaza events of 2023/24, this study examines how Palestinians understand mass death and mass destruction, exploring how can such a humanitarian catastrophe be framed within a coherent narrative. The focus is on the concept of sacrifice, analysed through a theoretical framework that distinguishes between meaningful sacrifices and absurd, meaningless deaths that categorises the victims as homo-sacer. Hence, this study aims to investigate the language and literature of the Palestinian people that regards to the 2023/24 Gaza events, and the way it re-conceptualises the mass death and destruction and its victims, between the concepts of sacrifice and homo-sacer. A sample of 120 literary and creative texts from the cultural magazine ‘Fusha for Palestinian Culture,’,1 was examined using the methodology of thematic analysis. Four primary themes emerged from the texts: the active documentation, the speed and intensity of death and destruction, the form of death, namely handling of bodies and burial rituals, and lastly the implementation of myths from various traditions, including the duality of mythologising and demythologising Gaza and its inhabitants. I conclude that these four themes were elemental in the rhetoric process of sanctification of the mass and random death and destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among the many pressing concerns of the Somali-American community, and other similar immigrant and refugee communities as they grow in the United States, is the provision of care for older adults and adults with disabilities. The implications of effective caregiving range from the facilitation of community building and place-making to the delivery and management of healthcare on a systemic level. However, little is currently known about Somali-American family caregivers, including their duties and responsibilities, primary concerns, and the impacts of surrounding influences on their ability to fulfill their role. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Somali-American family caregivers in Somali language. The resulting transcripts were translated into English by a professional interpreter and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. A key informant from the community was additionally consulted for insights regarding cultural nuances and interpretations of idiomatic expressions and concepts. Results: Thematic analysis of the reports revealed the principal themes of visitation, patient accompaniment, and self-sacrifice through acceptance and God-consciousness as pervasive and salient concerns across participants. Furthermore, the heightened stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how severe the consequences can be when access to culturally habituated navigational tools and coping mechanisms are restricted. Conclusions: In light of our findings, the growing concern for discrimination and sociocultural discord in the Somali-American community presents a particularly prescient threat to the well-being and sustainability of family caregivers. Their experiences must be understood and used to promote education and partnership between the healthcare system and the community in order to build trust and ensure a healthy future for this indispensable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the parallel natures of both the divine law and animal rights within the religious contexts of the Old and New Testaments. Employing a comparative approach, the paper inspects the developing perspectives on the treatment of animals in biblical scriptures, shedding light on the ethical and legal dimensions embedded in religious teachings. The study investigates key subtopics such as sacrificial rituals and moral imperatives, providing a nuanced understanding of the historical development of attitudes towards animals. Additionally, the analysis of this article encompasses ethical considerations, legal implications, and societal attitudes towards animals, drawing connections between ancient laws and contemporary discourse. Moreover, this article will look at the contemporary needs of society and how religious discourse and juristic principles can be applied to ensure the safety and rights of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short article on Peter Fitzpatrick's conception of "responsive law" analyzes the ambiguous temporality that Fitzpatrick discerned in modern law. On the one hand, law makes the claim of being fully present and therefore already and completely contained in itself. This aspect of law reflects the law's claim to "immanence," that is, its claim of always being able to rely strictly on its own operational terms without having to take recourse to any consideration not already contained within itself. It is this aspect of law that renders the ideal of the "rule of law" feasible. On the other hand, the law's claim to doing justice to every unique and therefore every new case also demands that it takes leave of that which is already settled within it. This aspect of law can be called its "imminence." The imminence of the law concerns the reality that law always finds itself on the threshold of that which has not yet been said and must still be said. The article shows how Fitzpatrick relied on Freud's concept of the totem to explain the "wondrous" unity of its immanence and imminence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I analyze the tikmũ,ũn recent history through their sacrificial practices and the relationship they establish with the yãmĩyxop (group of singing spirits). As I analyze historically the process of "whitening" the tikmũ,ũn land, which consists of its desertification and reterritorialization through extensive livestock, I observe that there are different territories crossing indigenous and non-indigenous bodies. The article develops two arguments. The first one is that sacrifice mobilizes a construction of the body of the tikmũ,ũn person, which places it on other paths, different from the reterritorialization in agriculture and cattle raising. The second is that if whites and tikmũ,ũn people mobilize different territories in their bodies, this allows me to say that if the point of view is in the body, then possibly it is historical and territorial and, in front of the land, the variable factor is less a culture than a nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girsu, the modern site of Tello (southern Iraq), represents one of the earliest known urban centres of the ancient world, along with Uruk, Eridu, and Ur. During the 3rd millennium BCE (3000–2000 BCE), Girsu was revered as the sanctuary of the Sumerian heroic deity Ningirsu, who fought with supernatural beasts and made possible the introduction of irrigation and agriculture in Sumer. While much is known about the gods, their roles, and rituals inside the temples, there is little textual or archaeological evidence concerning the rituals that took place in the large open-air plazas adjacent to the temples. These areas within the sacred precinct were where the general population would gather to participate in festivals and ceremonies to honour the gods. To better understand the ancient cultic realm in southern Mesopotamia, an in-depth investigation of a favissa (ritual pit) discovered within the sacred precinct at Girsu was undertaken. The excavations recovered a large quantity of ceramics and animal remains that had been used for ritual purposes. Through the study of archaeological remains of cultic spaces at Girsu, information on ritual behaviour such as sacrificial animal slaughtering and consumption for the purpose of feasting, the types of libations provided to quench the thirst of the gods, and the distance travelled to take part in the annual festivals to pay homage to the patron god of their sacred city were explored. Analysis of the associated ceramics, cuneiform texts, and zooarchaeological remains (including stable isotope data), allowed a multi-faceted and integrative approach to better understand ceremonial behaviour and ritual feasting in this sacred city. New insights into communal and performative participation in ceremonies, especially by non-elite individuals, are generated. These data increase our knowledge not only of how Girsu's citizens organised their sacred spaces and religious festivals, but also of how they behaved in order to satisfy the ever-demanding needs of their gods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Among the many pressing concerns of the Somali-American community, and other similar immigrant and refugee communities as they grow in the United States, is the provision of care for older adults and adults with disabilities. The implications of effective caregiving range from the facilitation of community building and place-making to the delivery and management of healthcare on a systemic level. However, little is currently known about Somali-American family caregivers, including their duties and responsibilities, primary concerns, and the impacts of surrounding influences on their ability to fulfill their role. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Somali-American family caregivers in Somali language. The resulting transcripts were translated into English by a professional interpreter and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. A key informant from the community was additionally consulted for insights regarding cultural nuances and interpretations of idiomatic expressions and concepts. Results Thematic analysis of the reports revealed the principal themes of visitation, patient accompaniment, and self-sacrifice through acceptance and God-consciousness as pervasive and salient concerns across participants. Furthermore, the heightened stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how severe the consequences can be when access to culturally habituated navigational tools and coping mechanisms are restricted. Conclusions In light of our findings, the growing concern for discrimination and sociocultural discord in the Somali-American community presents a particularly prescient threat to the well-being and sustainability of family caregivers. Their experiences must be understood and used to promote education and partnership between the healthcare system and the community in order to build trust and ensure a healthy future for this indispensable population.

This article analyzes the sketches of Ernesto “Che” Guevara and fellow guerrillas made by the Argentine Ciro Bustos during his captivity in Bolivia in 1967. Many of the references to Bustos in biographies of Guevara and in writings about the latter’s failed Bolivian campaign depict Bustos, because of those sketches, as “the man who betrayed Che.” The tensions and discrepancies in those accounts suggest instead that Bustos’s sketches should be seen not merely as documents of betrayal but as artworks embedded in the period’s wider revolutionary visualities. The article argues that Bustos’s drawing of Che Guevara, who is usually depicted visually as “heroic guerrilla” or “saintly martyr,” introduces an affective, intimate gaze of armed struggle in all its complications.

Background: Persons suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) in need of help from low‐threshold centres have complex and severe conditions together with uncontrolled use of mainly illicit substances. Their sufferings are all‐encompassing and demand ethically aware nurses with competence to take care of somatic, existential and spiritual needs. Aim: To explore and describe a new understanding of the ethical and ontological values upon which nurses base their work when caring for persons suffering from SUD. Methodology: The study had a hermeneutical approach. A focus‐group interview was conducted with five nurses working at a low‐threshold centre in Norway. Data analysis was carried out through a hermeneutical reading based on Gadamer's hermeneutics. Ethical Consideration s : The study was approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT). Oral and written consent was obtained from the participants. Results: The hermeneutical reading revealed three dimensions; A wish to be useful; Nurses' motive for caring for persons suffering from SUD is a wish to be useful and needed. Nurses are fighting a battle against injustice and stigmatisation. Neighbourly love, the core value; Neighbourly love serves as the basis for the nurses' work. Nurses feel humble towards their clients, they feel privileged to have the opportunity to help others through compassionate care. The value of being clients' advocate; Nurses are trying to ensure that clients receive the help they need. A large part of nurses' job is to monitor and take care of the clients' condition. This involves working close to death, trying to save lives. Conclusion: Nurses wish to care in accordance with their ethos of usefulness. Sacrifice stands out as the ultimate form of neighbourly love, empowering nurses with moral authority to act as advocates for their clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From what would John's immersions purify? Considering texts from the Synoptics, Josephus, and 1QS on purification, sin, and forgiveness, various options are outlined and disentangled with the help of conceptual metaphor theory, especially conceptual blending, and the theory of ritual form. Although John's immersion was a ritual innovation, broadening ritual purification to include the removal of offensive acts and a change of behaviour by a physical water ritual, a conceptual blending analysis speaks strongly against immersion as a substitute for sacrifice and questions any confusion in relation to the priestly purity system. The theory of ritual form suggests an infrequent and high-arousal Special Agent ritual. Features reminiscent of pre-Hasmonean practices (river and 'wilderness' rather than miqveh), gave John's rite a sense of genuineness and divine agency, making it attractive and emotionally satisfying. The eschatological setting of general purification in view of a divine encounter further contributed to the ritual's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girsu, the modern site of Tello (southern Iraq), represents one of the earliest known urban centres of the ancient world, along with Uruk, Eridu, and Ur. During the 3rd millennium BCE (3000–2000 BCE), Girsu was revered as the sanctuary of the Sumerian heroic deity Ningirsu, who fought with supernatural beasts and made possible the introduction of irrigation and agriculture in Sumer. While much is known about the gods, their roles, and rituals inside the temples, there is little textual or archaeological evidence concerning the rituals that took place in the large open-air plazas adjacent to the temples. These areas within the sacred precinct were where the general population would gather to participate in festivals and ceremonies to honour the gods. To better understand the ancient cultic realm in southern Mesopotamia, an in-depth investigation of a favissa (ritual pit) discovered within the sacred precinct at Girsu was undertaken. The excavations recovered a large quantity of ceramics and animal remains that had been used for ritual purposes. Through the study of archaeological remains of cultic spaces at Girsu, information on ritual behaviour such as sacrificial animal slaughtering and consumption for the purpose of feasting, the types of libations provided to quench the thirst of the gods, and the distance travelled to take part in the annual festivals to pay homage to the patron god of their sacred city were explored. Analysis of the associated ceramics, cuneiform texts, and zooarchaeological remains (including stable isotope data), allowed a multi-faceted and integrative approach to better understand ceremonial behaviour and ritual feasting in this sacred city. New insights into communal and performative participation in ceremonies, especially by non-elite individuals, are generated. These data increase our knowledge not only of how Girsu’s citizens organised their sacred spaces and religious festivals, but also of how they behaved in order to satisfy the ever-demanding needs of their gods.

Georges Bataille is undoubtedly a key reference for all relevant contemporary thoughts about sacrifice. This article attempts to follow his impulses and intuitions, which are often misunderstood because they are highly personal, provocative, and suggestive. The problem of sacrifice is approached in three concentric circles. The first presents a view from a distance, from the cosmic standpoint of “base materialism” and “general economy.” The second takes a closer look at the sacrificial site and deals with Bataille’s fascination with Aztec sacrificial culture. The concluding third part looks at sacrifice from the point of the altar, the place of communication and communal consumption of death, as a site of the emergence of the sacred and of community. In this way, the article seeks to highlight Bataille’s transgressive thinking as a worthwhile contribution to post-metaphysical theology.

Sacrifice is mainly a patriarchal institution. Nancy Jay argued that sacrifice serves as a ritual supplement and replacement for natural birth, and attempts to establish the dominance and priority of descent through the father over descent through the mother. I demonstrate the cogency of Jay’s analysis across a number of traditions. My focus is not on sacrificial rituals, but instead on a series of myths – Hebrew biblical, ancient Greek, and Vedic Indian – that disclose the manner in which sacrifice inhabits a continuum with a broader array of struggles for dominance within the family including, but not limited to, the contestation between patriarchy and matriarchy. In many myths, the kinship group becomes a primary metaphor, both for the competition over scarce goods, including power and authority within the family unit, and for modeling the body politic in a microcosm.

This article examines the critique of social contract theory in Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan through the lens of Georges Bataille's notion of sacrifice. Bataille and Hobbes share several key motifs, including death, violence and sovereignty. However, they interpret these motifs in different ways. Hobbes rationalises these concepts by introducing the concept of the social contract, whereby individuals relinquish their freedom in exchange for security. For him, the state is a means of protecting people’s lives through rational submission to the social contract. In contrast, Bataille emphasises the role of the irrational and the sacred, viewing them as a means of liberation from the fear of death, the material world and domination. Sacrifice plays a pivotal role in Bataille's philosophy, serving as a conduit to the sacred and a unifying force within communities through shared experiences of loss and sacrifice. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that over time, the significance of sacrifice has increased in terms of utilitarian value, while its intrinsic value as an act of gratuitous giving for the sake of affirming the "fertility of life" has diminished. Hobbes's social contract can be presented in basic terms as the sacrifice of a good for the sake of exchanging it for another good. This is exemplified by the exchange of the right to liberty for protection from the sovereign. For both Hobbes and Bataille, the fear of death is the rationale behind the relinquishment of freedom and the introduction of prohibitions. But Bataille, unlike Hobbes, proposes to build society not on the fear of death, but on overcoming this fear and sovereign rejection - the rejection of both one's freedom and the transfer of it to someone else. Thus, reading Leviathan through Bataille's logic helps to debunk the image of the sovereign as a mortal god and omnipotent protector.

The settled population of the Fergana Valley is distinguished by a unique agricultural culture. It had a strong influence on the agriculture of the Kyrgyz, Kipchak, Kuramin, Yuzi, and Karakalpaks, who were engaged in cattle breeding in the past. Traditions and rituals associated with agriculture were formed on the basis of belief in the magical power of various agricultural cults. In such rituals as khudoyi (sacrifice), kosh chikarish (plowing with an ox-drawn plow), shokhmoylar (lubrication of horns), kosh oshi (food prepared before plowing with an ox-drawn plow), performed before the start of spring work, ancient agrarian cults were preserved in syncretism with Islamic views.

If you are having a hard day, what can someone else do to help you feel better? Maybe they could verbally comfort you or maybe they could give you a small gift. In seven studies, including an in‐person real gifting study, we find that receiving a small material gift, such as a candy bar or flowers, improves receivers' affect more than a supportive conversation with a close other does. We investigate the mechanism for this effect and find that support receivers perceive a gift to be a larger sacrifice than a conversation. This occurs because gifts seem more receiver‐focused (i.e., actions done solely to benefit the receiver) than do conversations. This difference in perceived sacrifice makes gifts (vs. conversations) more effective at promoting emotional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that a person's reciprocity toward others depends on the amount of sacrifice made by others. We develop a reciprocity model that incorporates the concept of sacrifice, defined as the payoff forgone when choosing an action. Our model retains many desirable properties of the existing reciprocity models, while capturing the nuanced psychology of reciprocity. In our model, one's motivation to reciprocate increases in the size of others' sacrifice. In two-person games, it can be shown that our model strengthens reciprocity motivation in reciprocity equilibria that are not Nash equilibria under selfish preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word ‘sacrifice’ is both admirable and repulsive. It can be a “desired value” or a “crime against humanity”. Unfortunately, our ancestors left sacrifice theories unresolved. This paper will demonstrate that analyzing and reinterpreting sacrifice texts and theories yields a “sacrificial algorithm.” This term ‘algorithm’ means methodological, not mechanical. This article delves into the economical logic behind sacrifice after examining different concepts and theories on the subject. To address this issue, this article proposes an alternative understanding of both sacrifice and the economy. A change in perspective on sacrifice allows people to recognize its capacity to generate inherent values. Sacrifice can be viewed as a rational response in an irrational world. This allows us to consistently return our lives and lived-experiences to the original meaning of sacrifice, sacra facere, to make something (or some act) sacred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The argument of this article is that there are remarkable affinities between early configurations of Jewish prayer in the Second Temple period and the later rabbinic liturgical system. The article examines Greek and Hebrew sources that exhibit a process of deepening and purification in which sacrificial worship is reinterpreted and relegated to other domains of non-sacrificial worship and service. Furthermore, the article explores elements of the sacrificial cult that are incorporated into prayers from the Second Temple period. My argument relies on both textual and material evidence, including the works of Philo of Alexandria, the Dead Sea Scrolls, excerpted texts and tefillin, and the Septuagint of Daniel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As people seek to manicure their online presence within the current "technomeritocracy," there is a need to understand what sacrifices people will make to curate social media worthy travel experiences. Hence, the Social Media Sacrifice Scale was developed from the literature on identity theory and compensatory purchasing behavior to conceptualize and measure these sacrifices. The scale was purified using EFA (n = 252) and validated using CFA (n = 251). Results demonstrate validity across four sacrifice dimensions (spending money, sacrifices at home, discomfort, and rule breaking) providing managers with marketing strategies to attract markets with the right mix of sacrificial expectations for the destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I endeavor to advance discussion of the symbolic "meaning" of sacrifice during the Second Temple period by examining the wisdom instruction of Ben Sira. As part of his longest exposition of his views on sacrifice, Ben Sira emphasizes the "gift" aspects of the regular, literal altar service initiated by an individual (35:6-13). Such ritual gifts sought to be "acceptable" (35:9a) and communicated a relationship of gratitude for God's prior generosity (35:11-13). These gifts may also have aimed, as the contemporaneous Samaritan inscriptions would have it, at "good remembrance" (cf. Sir 35:9b)--perhaps concretely realized as Yhwh's bestowal of benefits like healing upon his pious dependent (38:9-11). The ritual joy and generosity initiated by the individual participated in a divinely ordained temple cultus by which the cosmos was thought to be properly ordered, and contributed conceptual support for broad circles of reciprocity encompassing God, the pious Israelite, and neighbors who may never have been able to "repay" (35:3-4; cf. 29:8-13). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we examine the meaning of the Ugaritic term ỉṯt and its implications for Ugaritic and biblical lexicography in light of ancient Near Eastern vowing practices. We reevaluate the association of ỉṯt with vows and its influential translation as "gift," which has served as the basis for viewing it as etymologically related to the biblical offering term .... Our analysis reveals that all of the nonfragmentary attestations of ỉṯt can be convincingly understood as conjugated forms of the verb of existence ỉṯ. This understanding sets the stage for a new interpretation of its appearance in Kirta's vow (KTU³ 1.14 IV 38) as a reference to the divine presence at the moment of vow making, a reading that is corroborated by a wide body of ancient Near Eastern votive inscriptions and literary texts in which statements of divine presence are explicit. Based on this analysis, it becomes clear that the Ugaritic data are not relevant to understanding the biblical term ... (...), which can only be elucidated based on its contextual evidence. In the final part of the article, we address challenges to the traditional interpretation of ... as a "fire-offering" and show how this has led to a widespread misunderstanding of this term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Judeo-Christians have seen environmental concerns as a way of renewing the contemporary relevance of the doctrine of Creation. This article argues that, set against the decline of Christianity in the Western world, modern environmentalism is a rival, not an ally, to Judeo-Christianity. While its basic thought patterns replicate five key religious motifs—the existence of the sacred, sin and repentance, prophetic warning, the wisdom of sacrifice, and expression of faith through symbolic action—these are humanistic alternatives to the same motifs in Judeo-Christianity. The article concludes with a brief analysis of the deficiencies of environmentalism as a religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The EU has recently taken important climate action, notably through the launching of the European Green Deal. However, EU action has been criticized for its potential to generate a heavy increase in mining of 'critical minerals' necessary for renewables technologies, and so create green sacrifice zones both overseas and within Europe. We explore the politics of green sacrifice making through an analysis of green governance practices and opposition to them in a case of a lithium mining conflict in rural northern Portugal. We find that institutional rearrangements attempt to reconfigure lithium mining as a force for sustainability in ways that enable capital accumulation. Such reconfigurations clash with concerns about maintaining a meaningful life in localities where mining would take place, as well as alternative definitions of the logic of the circular economy and of what the proper scales of decision-making for marginalized territories should be. Government and corporate action attempt to resolve these clashes by promoting a discourse of 'responsibility', which assigns public institutions the role of convincing communities to accept 'green' mining; to corporations the role of exercising corporate social responsibility; and to affected populations the role of subjects whose political action should conform to their consumption habits and help deliver a distinctive 'European way' of being responsible in a warming world. We conclude that green sacrifice is essential for maintaining economic growth and a liberal order of governance, delivered through a biopolitics of inclusion that exists side-by-side with attempts at self-constitution. We highlight a contradiction between what such praxis tries to achieve and ways in which some critical constituencies seek to address democracy challenges of just transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for the coherence of penal substitutionary theories of atonement (PSA) with presentism. After summarizing both the PSA and presentism, we address two major objections to the coherence of these two doctrines working together, namely that (1) there is no reality of the future sins that are atoned for, and (2) that since the past no longer exists, there no longer exists anything for which atonement is needed. We demonstrate that these objections are easily overcome by the PSA-affirming presentist. Lastly, we further argue that PSA seems to require presentism in order for such an atonement to obtain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The centrality of individual petition in ritual practice in the Hebrew Bible is rarely recognized. This article draws connections between legislation for the well-being sacrifice (זבח שלמים‎; Lev. 3; 7.11–36) and individual petitions as presented in biblical narratives and psalms. Hannah's successful petition for a son (1 Sam. 1.1–2.10) illustrates the petition process and the stakes. Solomon's dedication of the Temple (1 Kgs. 8) further details the process and authorizes seven types of petitions with equal provision for individuals vs. the nation and for sin-based vs. inexplicable crises. Of these, inexplicable crises faced by individuals are literally the most central. Hannah's crisis is of this type. The types authorized for individuals are reflected in numerous first-person psalms, which also make frequent use of the terminology of well-being offerings. Individual petition provides for an ongoing oral interaction with a God who is perceived as open to persuasion in a public space where an individual's social status may also be negotiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as every nation in the world has its own characteristic features, so do the Turks, who have a very old and old and rooted history. One of these features of the Turks is austerity. Turks, who lived a nomadic life for a long time, had to make some sacrifices in their lives to fight against the harsh conditions of nature as a requirement of their lifestyle. Thus, those sacrifices became a part of their lives and when they adopted the settled life, they continued these traits. This feature of the Turks did not escape the attention of many travelers who visited the Turks at different times. In addition, some historians and writers of the period also touched on this subject. This study, which is based on the austerity of the Turks, was prepared based on the works of many travelers who visited the Turks, historians of the period and important Turkologists who have important studies on Turkish history and culture. The purpose of this study is to present in a comprehensive manner the austerity nature of the Turks, which is an important value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sacrifice (yajña) is considered to be one of the most mentioned words in the Hindu texts, and Panikkar understands it in relation to the preservation, continuation, and regeneration of the universe in existence. While Panikkar's interpretation of sacrifice focuses mainly on creation, this article extends his arguments to interpret the Hindu apocalypse as a yajña from four major angles, including the end of a kalpa and the concept of declining dharma in the successive yugas, the journey from the cosmological to the transcendental brahman, entire creation being the food of sacrifice, and the apocalypse as a reflection of the yajña. This study incorporates both śruti and smriti texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a particular case of change in traditional caste-based commercial and ritualistic practices in the face ofmodernization. Focusing on the Khadgis, who have historically been engaged in buffalo slaughter and animal sacrifice as part of their caste-based roles in Newar society, I show how they have adapted to the industrialization ofthe meat market as well as to government-led public health control measures. In the most recent past, public health management has been strengthened in Nepal. The traditional processing ofbuffalo meat by the Khadgis is mainly done by hand in simple slaughterhouses that are open-air or have tin roofs. I discuss how the Khadgis have reorganized their practice of animal slaughter by both re-assembling their traditional practices and the modern discourses surrounding caste. Khadgis established a company to produce "healthy and hygienic meat" in partnership with the government. They also continue justifying their role in blood sacrifice for goddess Taleju, and claim that only they can legitimately perform this role. Thus, they have fought to preserve their identity within both the ritual and commercial worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine whether CEOs' voluntary acceptance of a $1 salary is a credible signal of sacrifice. We find that firms with $1 salary CEOs are: (i) more likely to be associated with income‐increasing accrual‐based earnings management; (ii) less likely to use real earnings management; and (iii) more likely to engage in corporate tax avoidance. Our results indicate that this performance enhancement is driven by the motivation to restore salaries to their original levels. Our results suggest that extreme salary sacrifice could indicate an empty promise to improve firm performance and should be considered cautiously by investors and regulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the parallel natures of both the divine law and animal rights within the religious contexts of the Old and New Testaments. Employing a comparative approach, the paper inspects the developing perspectives on the treatment of animals in biblical scriptures, shedding light on the ethical and legal dimensions embedded in religious teachings. The study investigates key subtopics such as sacrificial rituals and moral imperatives, providing a nuanced understanding of the historical development of attitudes towards animals. Additionally, the analysis of this article encompasses ethical considerations, legal implications, and societal attitudes towards animals, drawing connections between ancient laws and contemporary discourse. Moreover, this article will look at the contemporary needs of society and how religious discourse and juristic principles can be applied to ensure the safety and rights of animals.

This is an ethnography among poor migrants from Kerala, India to the Middle East. This study offers insights into how the poor accumulate sacrificial money through sufferings and self-abnegation, and earmark it for consumption in Kerala. The hardships endured to earn the sacrificial money transform it into a sacred object. The phenomena of accumulation, earmarking, and meaning making of sacrificial money by the poor can be understood through the concept of sacrificial work. Sacrificial work is a spatially demarcated circuit of accumulation of money through hardships and its conflict-ridden transfer to family, community, and self for consumption. In sacrificial work, the poor erect a boundary around this money, and earmark it as caring, communal, and transformative. By delineating the various aspects of sacrificial work, this study brings to the center a behavior that has, in spite of its ubiquity, been relegated to the margins of consumer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]