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This essay will examine the contemporary issue of the television broadcasting of the sacred Gurbani from the Darbar Sahib to set the stage for understanding the historical context of the musical sessions (chauṅkīs) of devotional singing, followed by the process of decolonizing the musical performances in modern times, including religious aesthetics and sacred time and the processional chauṅkīs in the Darbar Sahib Complex. The continuous singing of the Guru’s hymns (Gurbani kirtan) resounds inside the Darbar Sahib (“the Divine Court”), popularly known as the Golden Temple of Amritsar. This special mode of worship consists of singing and listening to the hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. The heart of Sikh devotional experience lies in the performance of scriptural hymns in a congregational setting. Notably, different sessions of devotional singing go on day and night from 2.45 a.m. to 10.45 p.m. at the Golden Temple, following a celebrated tradition established more than four centuries ago by the Fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan. Even during the four-hour period of cleaning the sanctum sanctorum at midnight, the devotees recite hymns from memory, thereby making the Darbar Sahib a unique place where vibrations of sacred sound reverberate continuously for twenty-four hours a day.

This article examines how Catholics form their consciences together in parishes particularly on topics of gender and sexuality. The data for this project stems from ethnographic observations and forty interviews from a 2010 to 2012 study of two Catholic parishes in Chicago. The first is a progressive parish promoting inclusion of gay and lesbians as well as women’s ordination. The second had a small but active Respect Life group attempting to change their parish culture to be more committed to Respect Life issues. The paper suggests that cultural inertia (or lack there of) is one mechanism that drives or halts conscience formation. These collective consciences lead to differing understandings of what it means to be Church and to be a person, and they may motivate actions to change the Catholic Church hierarchy or local parish. Forming consciences together has implications for understanding the role of culture and structure in the Catholic Church. Specifically, these formed consciences, parish cultures, and actions produce different boundaries and partnerships with the Archdiocese which determines what actions are legitimate by setting the conditions for parish actions and constraining parish actions with threats of sanction.

This essay argues that “atheist” and “agnostic” are not merely negative labels that indicate a person lacks belief in God or is not religious. Relying on a new survey of very secular Americans and the General Social Survey, we demonstrate a statistically significant and substantively meaningful relationship, in both predictive directions, between identifying as atheist or agnostic and holding certain beliefs about how best to know the world and what happens when we die. We can reliably predict that most people in the U.S. who trust science, reason, and evidence and do not trust religious sources will identify as atheist or agnostic—and vice-versa. We find the same bi-directional relationship with belief in mortal finitude, i.e., that death is the final end. Our findings suggest that exclusive empiricism and mortal finitude are positive tenets of belief systems that those who identify as atheist or agnostic are likely to hold.

The article focuses on the challenges of Christian outreach to Muslims and proposes a metaphorical approach to understanding Islam as a theological mosaic, drawing parallels with the creative repurposing of broken ceramics into mosaics. Topics include the absence of a unified field theory of Islam, the use of metaphorical reasoning to navigate the complexity of Islamic theology, and the examination of historical and textual evidence to support the proposed metaphorical framework.

The interview given by Marina F. Bykova, Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at North Carolina State University (USA), and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Studies in East European Thought. She earned her PhD and Dr. Habil in Philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), where she worked until relocating to the USA in 2000. Bykova specializes in the history of nineteenth century continental philosophy, with a particular focus on German idealism. She has also written extensively on Russian philosophy and intellectual tradition. She has published 11 books and over 250 scholarly articles. Her forthcoming book, Hegel's Philosophy of Nature: A Critical Guide, is set to be released by Cambridge University Press in 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the question "Who Owns Religion?", in the context of a recent analysis of debates in religious studies, marked by controversy and friction between members of religious traditions and scholars writing about those traditions. Habermas's concept of a public sphere is at the center of an analysis by Laurie Patton that uses six case studies, including one involving the Sikh tradition. The paper reviews this conceptual framing and the accompanying analysis, provides a reconsideration of the Sikh case, which pertains to the construction of religious boundaries in that tradition, and draws more general lessons, including the functioning of academia as well as the contextual appropriateness of the concept of the public sphere. It argues that "eruptions" in the public sphere can be reduced by improvements in academic knowledge production, to provide a better foundation for navigating differences in modes of reasoning, or between the religious and the secular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of book "Why Study Religion?" by Richard B. Miller is presented. It offers an in-depth analysis of Miller's arguments and assumptions, particularly focusing on his views regarding moral reactive emotions, reason, and the concept of religion itself. It critiques Miller's advocacy for critical humanism as a solution to the perceived crisis in religious studies.

The article examines the concept of "religion" as a universal and definable category, challenging its historical biases and limitations. It explores the dissolution of the theory of religion and the broader disintegration of disciplinary master categories, arguing for a shift towards a dynamic and process-oriented approach in Religious Studies and related fields. It offers new avenues for understanding the complexities of culture, society, and human experience.

The article focuses on the continued relevance and necessity of religious studies and religious literacy in understanding global events, particularly in intersectional contexts involving gender and sexuality studies and anti-colonial studies. It examines Pope Francis's progressive yet sometimes contradictory approach to social issues and critiques the Vatican's stance on "gender theory" and "gender ideology."

The article discusses the challenges facing Religious Studies departments in higher education institutions, particularly in North America. It examines the tension between scholarly specialization and the demand for practical career opportunities in the field. It highlights the lack of disciplinary unity and shared vision within Religious Studies, which hampers its ability to adapt to changing institutional and societal pressures.

The article focuses on two key developments within Religious Studies, the expansion of content boundaries and the integration of scientific perspectives. It explores how the discipline has broadened its scope to include diverse religious traditions and non-religious worldviews, while also discussing efforts to bridge the gap between the humanities and sciences through consilience.

The article delves into the contemporary landscape of religious studies, addressing both apprehensions and aspirations for its future trajectory. It elucidates concerns surrounding dwindling enrollment, shifting priorities in academia, and the potential marginalization of humanities education, particularly in the U.S. It calls for a reinvigoration of the field that fosters understanding and appreciation for the multifaceted nature of religious traditions worldwide.

The article explores the intersection of religious studies with concepts such as secularization, fundamentalism, and individualization, using Jim Spickard's framework of six narratives as a guide. It discusses the impact of secularization on religious studies, examining the decline in interest and religious literacy among students in Western countries. It addresses the reorganization of religious institutions and the increased diversity within religious studies classrooms.

The article addresses the trajectory of religious studies within academia, advocating for its recognition as a scientific discipline in modern research universities. It reflects on his extensive academic career and the historical context of religious studies, particularly contrasting European efforts to establish Religionswissenschaft with American theological concerns.

The article explores the implications of W.E.B. Du Bois's 1960 address "Whither Now and Why" for contemporary religious studies. It delves into Du Bois's reflections on the changing status of African Americans and the complexities of race and culture in education and society. It suggests the need for a critical reevaluation and reorientation of the field, particularly in light of evolving political, economic, and cultural landscapes.

The article examines the evolving relationship between religion and digital media over the past three decades, highlighting the increasing integration of digital technologies into religious practices and communities. It discusses the concept of digital religion and emphasizes the importance of studying how technology influences religious beliefs, practices, and community engagement.

The article focuses on redefining religious studies by emphasizing the concept of the sacred and transcending traditional religious paradigms. It introduces the notion of the sacred as a realm of possibilities and impossibilities within communities, advocating for a deeper understanding of lived experiences and narratives through ethnographic methods. It also challenges the dichotomy between the secular and the sacred.

This essay offers a statement and defense of four core claims of my work, Why Study Religion? Those are: (1) the field of religious studies is preoccupied by procedural methods for studying religion to the neglect of values and purposes that can justify its intellectual practices; (2) this preoccupation operates under a "regime of truth" that is anti-normative; (3) this regime of truth buckles under the pressure of repressed values and smuggles in crypto-normative judgments and commitments; and (4) this preoccupation with method can be remedied by attending to purposes that can justify the study of religion, which I call Critical Humanism. Critical Humanism aims to expand the moral imagination and comprises four values: post-critical reasoning, social criticism, cross-cultural fluency, and environmental responsibility. After describing the book's main claims, I take up critiques expressed by Michael Stausberg, et al. in their essay, "A Normative Turn in Religious Studies?" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, scholars expect to measure religiosity in different ways, but these measurements run counter to the purpose for which "religiosity" was originally coined, which was to be highlighted and differentiated from "religion" under the "the crisis of modernity of religion"; so, this important concept should be redefined. However, the redefinition and analysis of religiosity needs to include the contribution of religious studies, thus correcting the bias of sociology of religion towards sociology, as well as the reflection on pluralism of religions. Among them, thinking about Buddha nature can provide a valuable reference for the redefining of "religiosity". First of all, the discussion of Buddha nature can provide a philosophical and value-level supplement to the understanding of "religiosity", making the originally flattened empirical interpretation three-dimensional; secondly, the reflection on Buddha nature influenced by Chinese culture can provide oriental wisdom for the definition of religiosity. For example, Chineseized Buddhist thought incorporates the traditional Chinese understanding of human nature. On the basis of the discussion of Buddha nature, it can be seen that "religiosity" has different emphases in different religions, but there are still areas of consistency under these different understandings and expressions. Thus, the redefinition of "religiosity" should both reflect these consistencies and address the reasons for the inconsistencies through a hierarchical division. Since the redefinition of "religiosity" is not only conducive to inter-religious dialogue, but also relates to the answer to a series of important questions, such as the prediction of the future of religions, its meaning needs to be updated in accordance with the changes in the times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfaith or multifaith chapels are so ubiquitous now in the United States—present in colleges and universities, hospitals, shopping malls, and airports—that their development as a distinct architectural form is often taken for granted. Yet that development in the mid-twentieth century was complex and even fraught. Taking a religious studies approach, this article examines the development of three early examples—the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, the Brandeis University chapels, and the MIT Chapel—to reveal the gradual movement, conceptual and architectural, toward a viable space serving many religions. While the former two examples proved unsuccessful in their goal of establishing a shared interfaith space due to their reliance on an understanding of religion as discrete traditions that resulted in exclusivist incompatibilities, the latter example moved beyond the emphasis on traditions to advance an unconventional, phenomenological understanding of religion as individual experience and spiritual life, and by doing so successfully achieved the goal of creating a space amenable to practitioners of many traditions, or none. Further, this article demonstrates how architecture functioned as a constitutive component in the developmental and popularization of this fresh understanding of religion and religious experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice as a case study, this paper explores how women religious and staff at NETWORK communicatively frame organizational tensions experienced with the patriarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. Claiming religious organizing can be considered a type of feminist organizing and exploring tensions of form within organizing, this project relies on interview and participant-observation data to showcase how NETWORK constitutes a socio-material feminist third space, named Sister Spirit, in response to tensional dualities. This study demonstrates how one organization manages dualities via trialectic response to organizational tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article emphasizes the mission of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, established by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in 1949, to encourage and communicate significant scientific research on religious institutions and experiences. It include the journal's founding, purpose, publication details, submission guidelines, and its commitment to fostering high-quality research in the field of religious studies.

This paper presents a rereading of David Little and Sumner Twiss's Comparative Religious Ethics in the context of its initial reception and legacy within the field of religious ethics and argues that we can read it more charitably as a piece of pragmatism rather than as a work of formalism or semi‐formalism. If one does not read Little and Twiss as committed positivists concerned with realizing a specific research program associated with the "twilight of logical empiricism," then their theoretical and methodological recommendations, illustrated in their case studies, appear more pragmatic in nature and less excessively rigid. By rereading Comparative Religious Ethics in this light, we can see more clearly its relevance for the field today, particularly regarding the fundamental importance of the discursive activity of practical reasoning, or the game of giving and asking for reasons, in the study of religious ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What follows is a book review of Eros Crucified: Death, Desire, and the Divine in Psychoanalysis and Philosophy of Religion, by Matthew Clemente. "Eros Crucified" was published by Routledge in 2020 as part of the "Psychology and the Other" series. The review focuses on thematic summarizations of each chapter, with a short set of notes analyzing the form, function, and forthgoing scholarly conversations that the book is likely to offer/invite. This space allocation is in part, due to the considerable prose, non-traditional writing style, and significant scholarly traditions drawn into dialogue with one another (philosophy, psychoanalysis, religious studies) that required further explication. "Eros Crucified" is a considerable text for those seeking a psychoanalytic description of reoccurring religious cultural phenomena, and the implications therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious individuals often assume that their beliefs promote strong romantic relationships. Yet the empirical evidence is mixed. To better understand this association, this study examined religious orientation as a moderator within the investment model of commitment. A community sample of 84 couples completed measures on religious orientation and commitment as part of a larger study on romantic relationships. The findings indicate that although both religious motivations promote commitment, they do so differently. Specifically, intrinsic religious orientation buffered the negative effects of dissatisfaction in a relationship; whereas an extrinsic religious orientation attenuated the extent to which alternatives to the relationship influenced commitment. Future research in this area should consider religious orientation, rather than overall religiosity, and examine specific predictors of relationship commitment to provide greater clarity on how religiosity influences romantic relationships. Implications for counseling individuals with religious beliefs are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I analyze the ideology of representation of religion in the tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) Dungeons & Dragons. I approach TRPGs as a type of protostory, an interactive set of stories governed by rules which provides affordances to create different stories. Whether a specific story is relatively hard or easy to instantiate from the protostory indicates if this particular instantiation serves as a preferred, negotiated, or oppositional reading of the TRPG rules. Based on an analysis of the dimensions of religion proposed by Ninian Smart, contrasted with Harold Bloom’s idea of American religion, as well as the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation, I discuss the similarity between the way Dungeons & Dragons simulates religion, and the traditional understanding of religion in American culture.

This article attempts to fill a gap in currently available literature on the history of the study of religiosity fitting it into a more general context of the formation of a scientific approach to the study of religion. This is the first review covering the second half of the 19th and the first two decades of the 20th century. The first part of the article explores the term “religiosity”. The issue was brought up at the initial stage of the history of Religious Studies. Nevertheless, the term wasn't immediately accepted by the scientific community. Its meaning was clarified as opposed to the term “religion”. This opposition is rooted in the German philosophy of the 18–19th centuries and was manifested in the 1860-1870s debates about religiosity as a distinctive feature of a human being in anthropology and, since the late 19th century, in psychology. An understanding of religiosity as a subjective side of religion became dominant in 1910s and provided a basis for later typologies and classifications of religiosity. The second part aims to describe some early studies on religiosity. Attendance to worship services was measured through statistical surveys. Conversion studies focused on various religious practices and beliefs, as well as factors that made people convert. Teachers and priests organized surveys among students in the United States trying to respond to a religious crisis and low level of interest in religion among children and adolescents at the turn of the century. Some studies grouped believers based on the frequency of religious practices, thus creating the first typologies of religiosity. The author analyzes the works of Russian researchers, too. He concludes that the theoretical understanding of religiosity went hand in hand with international science, although the term itself was used less. The lack of empirical studies of religiosity in Russia in the studied period was due to the state policy and the attention of theorists to other issues in relation to projects for the future Russia.

This article examines relationships between the absolute being of the universal ego (Ātman-self) according to the Indian religious philosophy of Vedanta (V) and the phenomenological, irreal being of the transcendental ego in Husserl’s phenomenology (P). Both Ātman and the transcendental ego are accessed in the first-person perspective by onto-phenomenological reductions. Such reductions, as stated by Husserl, have absolute freedom of positing and, thus, can reveal or conceal states of being. In contrast with P-reduction, which renders the being of the ego-pole invisible, V-reduction penetrates into the being of the ego-pole and opens a horizon of unique, non-intentional mental states. Following the dialectics in pre- and post-reduction givenness of being, there emerges a picture of connection between the intentional phenomenological being of the transcendental ego and the non-intentional being of the pure ego of Vedanta (Ātman-self). The pure ego of Vedanta manifests as a substrate for the transcendental ego of phenomenology. From this, we can conclude that reductions function as the loci of dialectical syntheses of being, whereby the unity of being has a fuller, more complex and multi-sided sense than the one intended in the natural attitude. In their breaking of theoretical habits conditioned by the substance metaphysical tradition, reductions are truly indispensable in the revelation of being that grounds the theory of knowledge.

Today, the so-called “decline of religion” in the Global North needs to be considered in light of the simultaneous “return of religion” in the Global South [...]