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A Vocational Reading of Gen 2:15 to Link Theology of Work and Ecotheology Following Escrivá’s Christian Materialism
A Patristic Synthesis of the Word Enfleshed: The Christology of Maximus the Confessor
Decorating Tibetan Buddhist Manuscripts: A Preliminary Analysis of Ornamental Writing Frames
Imitatio Dei, Imitatio Darii: Authority, Assimilation and Afterlife of the Epilogue of Bīsotūn (DB 4:36–92)
Newman and Wittgenstein on the Will to Believe: Quasi-Fideism and the Ground of Religious Certainty

Journal Description

Religions

Religions is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on religions and theology, published monthly online by MDPI.

Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, AHCI (Web of Science), ATLA Religion Database, Religious and Theological Abstracts, and other databases.
Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (Religious Studies)
Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 24.5 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 3.7 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2024).
Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.

Impact Factor: 0.7 (2023)

Imprint Information Journal Flyer Open Access ISSN: 2077-1444

Latest Articles

14 pages, 519 KiB

Open AccessEssay

AI as a Buddhist Self-Overcoming Technique in Another Medium

by Primož Krašovec

Religions 2025, 16(6), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060669 - 23 May 2025

Buddhist soteriology presents a discovery of a paradox at the very heart of the “human condition”. To reach awakening, one has to relinquish central tenets of what makes us human (in conventional understanding), such as mind and self, meaning that the process of [...] Read more.

Buddhist soteriology presents a discovery of a paradox at the very heart of the “human condition”. To reach awakening, one has to relinquish central tenets of what makes us human (in conventional understanding), such as mind and self, meaning that the process of awakening is necessarily at the same time also a process of self-overcoming that shatters everything ordinarily understood as human and leaves it behind. In this sense, various strands of Buddhism come close to some contemporary neuroscience’s deconstruction of the self and its counterintuitive insights about the mind and intelligence. The main thesis of the present essay is that Buddhism exposes the limits of human intelligence and why it is so ill fitted to becoming awakened, especially when compared to machine intelligence. Unburdened by the organic substrate and the resulting desire and attachment, artificial intelligence (AI) might be a solution to an ancient Buddhist paradox of how the human can be overcome by human means. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Changes and Challenges in the Wake of Increasing Global Migration)

27 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intersections Between the Intercultural Education Ethos and the Integral Ecological Ethics for the Common Home

by Ana Maria Eyng and Aline Vicentim Villas Boas

Religions 2025, 16(6), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060668 - 23 May 2025

This study critically analyses the urgency of establishing an ethos of discourse and action for the realization of an integral planetary ethic that is capable of addressing the challenges of our time. To this end, this study seeks to systematize ethos propositions for [...] Read more.

This study critically analyses the urgency of establishing an ethos of discourse and action for the realization of an integral planetary ethic that is capable of addressing the challenges of our time. To this end, this study seeks to systematize ethos propositions for the implementation of intercultural education based on integral ecological ethics, aligning with the concept of Common Home. The outputs indicate that integral ecological ethics serves as a teleological, epistemic, and methodological support for intercultural education, while also proposing concrete pathways for the application of the values articulated in the encyclical Laudato si’ within educational contexts. The development of this study is guided by a qualitative research approach, integrating literature review and field study methodologies, which illuminate the perspectives of educators, students, and their families regarding well-being in both current and future contexts. The conclusions underscore the urgency of establishing an ethos of discourse and action in the implementation of integral planetary ethics, which relates to the integrative and dialogical propositions of intercultural education aimed at sustaining the integrity of both human and planetary dimensions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Public Agenda: Complexity and the Challenges of the Common Home)

18 pages, 277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decolonizing Lamanite Studies—A Critical and Decolonial Indigenist Perspective

by Hemopereki Simon

Religions 2025, 16(6), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060667 - 23 May 2025

The emergence of Lamanite Studies exemplifies the need for decolonial and Indigenous-centered reevaluations of Mormon–Indigenous relations. This article advocates for the reclamation of Indigenous identity independent of the constraints imposed by Mormon doctrine. The incorporation of Indigenous genealogies into Mormon theology results in [...] Read more.

The emergence of Lamanite Studies exemplifies the need for decolonial and Indigenous-centered reevaluations of Mormon–Indigenous relations. This article advocates for the reclamation of Indigenous identity independent of the constraints imposed by Mormon doctrine. The incorporation of Indigenous genealogies into Mormon theology results in epistemic violence, disconnecting Indigenous peoples from their ancestral identities and substituting the latter with the settler/invader colonial construct of “Lamanite”. This paper advocates for the decolonization of Indigenous identities within Mormonism, emphasizing the need for a radical intervention that prioritizes Indigenous sovereignty and self-definition over the maintenance of colonial categories. I present approaches and scholarship in Lamanite Studies that align with Indigenous land and spiritual repatriation, promoting the restoration of Indigenous epistemologies to Indigenous communities. Theoretical colonialism must be supplemented by grassroots initiatives that empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Indigenous Traditions)

16 pages, 553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Holding onto Hope in Times of Crisis: The Mediating Role of Hope in the Link Between Religious Motivation, Pandemic Burnout, and Future Anxiety Among Turkish Older Adults

by Muhammet Enes Vural, Harun Geçer, Hızır Hacıkeleşoğlu and Murat Yıldırım

Religions 2025, 16(6), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060666 - 23 May 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only triggered a global health crisis but also profoundly disrupted the psychological well-being of older adults, leading to heightened levels of burnout, uncertainty, and anxiety about the future. During times of crisis, intrinsic religious motivation may offer a [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only triggered a global health crisis but also profoundly disrupted the psychological well-being of older adults, leading to heightened levels of burnout, uncertainty, and anxiety about the future. During times of crisis, intrinsic religious motivation may offer a spiritual grounding that fosters hope, a critical internal resource in sustaining emotional balance. This study investigates the mediating role of hope in the relationship between intrinsic religious motivation, pandemic-related burnout, and future anxiety among Turkish older adults. A total of 427 participants (M_age = 66.98, SD = 7.23) were recruited using a cross-sectional design. Participants completed validated measures of intrinsic religiosity, dispositional hope, pandemic burnout, and future anxiety. Structural equation modeling revealed that intrinsic religious motivation positively predicted hope and negatively predicted both burnout and future anxiety. Moreover, hope significantly mediated the relationship between intrinsic religious motivation and both outcome variables. These findings suggest that religious meaning-making may enhance psychological resilience by promoting hope, thereby mitigating the mental health burden during large-scale crises. The study enhances understanding of culturally embedded support mechanisms and highlights the role of faith-based inner resources, such as intrinsic religious motivation and hope, in fostering resilience among older adults during uncertainty and crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grief Care: Religion and Spiritual Support in Times of Loss)

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24 pages, 322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“That Part of Us That Is Mystical”: The Paradoxical Pieties of Huey P. Newton

by Matthew W. Hughey

Religions 2025, 16(6), 665; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060665 - 23 May 2025

Born the seventh son of a Louisiana preacher in 1942 and becoming the co-founder of the Black Panther Party in 1966, Huey P. Newton evidenced a complex, changing, and contradictory synthesis of faith and facts until his death in 1989. Focusing on 1960s’ [...] Read more.

Born the seventh son of a Louisiana preacher in 1942 and becoming the co-founder of the Black Panther Party in 1966, Huey P. Newton evidenced a complex, changing, and contradictory synthesis of faith and facts until his death in 1989. Focusing on 1960s’ U.S. Black Nationalism as materialist, Maoist, and Marxist in its appeals to objectivity, rationality, and positivist science, some scholars have presented Black Nationalist contempt for religion as pacifying and counter-revolutionary. Conversely, others have focused on the religious-like nature of formally secular 1960s’ Black Nationalism, even framing it as a “form of piety” and a “politics of transcendence”. Between these bookends, the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton have simultaneously been characterized as both “anti-religious” and as possessing an “innate spirituality”. I attempt to reconcile these divergent interpretations through an analysis of Newton’s worldviews (culled from his graduate school papers, published articles and books, and speeches and interviews). Newton frequently described aspects of the human condition as partially spiritual and in so doing, regularly married dialectical materialist variants of anti-capitalism, Black Nationalism, and ethno-racial self-determinism with “mystical” and theological aesthetics, concepts, stories, and styles from a variety of religious and philosophic traditions. These “paradoxical pieties” included, but were not limited to, the embrace and critique of spiritual existentialism and transcendentalism; deism and theosis; Christian hermeneutics; Zen Buddhism; and Vedic and Pranic Hinduism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roots, Religion and Resistance: Unpacking the Spectrum of Black Nationalist Movements)

35 pages, 37595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maritime Links Between China, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Buddhist Monasteries in India (c. 11th–12th Centuries) in the Light of Two Fragmentary Inscribed Strips of Copper from Muara Jambi

by Wahyu Rizky Andhifani, Hedwi Prihatmoko, Andrea Acri, Arlo Griffiths, Mathilde Mechling and Gregory Sattler

Religions 2025, 16(6), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060664 - 23 May 2025

This article explores the maritime connections relating to Buddhism and diplomacy between polities in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and China from the beginning of the 11th century up to the 12th century CE. It focuses on new epigraphic evidence from [...] Read more.

This article explores the maritime connections relating to Buddhism and diplomacy between polities in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and China from the beginning of the 11th century up to the 12th century CE. It focuses on new epigraphic evidence from Muara Jambi in the form of two inscribed strips of copper mentioning the Cūḍāmaṇivarmavihāra, a monastery funded by the king of Śrīvijaya in Nagapattinam (South India), and the Bālādityavihāra, probably located in Nālandā (Northeastern India). These new findings are compared to archaeological and textual materials from elsewhere in the Buddhist world that cast light on the web of transregional connections between Nusantara, China, and India in the early centuries of the second millennium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the “Spice Routes”: Indic and Sinitic Religions across the Asian Maritime Realm)

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14 pages, 377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Three Ni Doctrine of Healing the World: A New Breakthrough in Qing Dynasty Daoism’s Interpretation of the “Inner Sage, Outer King” Ideal Within the Three Teachings Unity Movement

by Yuhao Wu

Religions 2025, 16(6), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060663 - 23 May 2025

The Three Ni Doctrine of Healing the World 三尼醫世說 is a product of the Three Teachings Unity 三教合一 movement during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This doctrine is believed to have been directly transmitted by Confucius (Ch. Zhong Ni 仲尼), Shakyamuni (Ch. Mu [...] Read more.

The Three Ni Doctrine of Healing the World 三尼醫世說 is a product of the Three Teachings Unity 三教合一 movement during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This doctrine is believed to have been directly transmitted by Confucius (Ch. Zhong Ni 仲尼), Shakyamuni (Ch. Mu Ni 牟尼), and Laozi (Ch. Qing Ni 青尼), which is why it is referred to as the “Three Ni”. After being extensively refined by the Qing dynasty Daoist Min Yide, the doctrine evolved into a complete theoretical system for healing the world. It advocates for the connection between humans and the world through “qi” 氣. By properly regulating the qi within the individual, one can influence the qi of the world, thereby achieving governance of the world through personal inner alchemical cultivation. The doctrine addresses the challenge of reconciling personal cultivation with the salvation of all beings after Daoism’s decline in political influence. It marks a significant breakthrough in the traditional Chinese ideal of “Inner Sage, Outer King” 內聖外王. Furthermore, Min integrated the Three Ni Doctrine with the Celestial Immortality teachings of Jing’ai Mountain Daoism, creating a systematic Daoist orthodoxy known as the “Heart Lineage of the Most High” (Ch. Taishang Xinzong 太上心宗). This initiative highlights the courage of Qing dynasty Daoist elites in reforming themselves to preserve Daoism’s status within the broader context of the Three Teachings Unity movement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Daoist Inner Alchemy Atlas: Practice and Related Medicine, Thunder Rites and Iconology)

21 pages, 374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Original Approach to the Relationship Between Tafsīr and the Bible: Al-Ṣafadī’s Dialogue with Two Sacred Texts

by Enes Büyük

Religions 2025, 16(6), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060662 - 23 May 2025

In the late classical period of the history of tafsīr, one of the rare commentators who utilized the Bible was Yūsuf b. Hilāl al-Ṣafadī (d. 696/1296). The question of how he utilized the Bible in his tafsīr is important for understanding both his [...] Read more.

In the late classical period of the history of tafsīr, one of the rare commentators who utilized the Bible was Yūsuf b. Hilāl al-Ṣafadī (d. 696/1296). The question of how he utilized the Bible in his tafsīr is important for understanding both his position and the modes of interpretation within the classical tafsīr tradition. This study aims to identify al-Ṣafadī’s approach to the Bible, his interpretations based on biblical material, and his overall methodological framework. The context, frequency, type, and semantic scope of his quotations from the Bible are analyzed, and these references are evaluated through a comparative approach within the framework of the classical tafsīr tradition. Accordingly, the original and non-original aspects of al-Ṣafadī’s approach to the Bible have been identified. By establishing intertextual relationships, al-Ṣafadī interpreted the Qurʾān in the context of the Bible, and the Bible in the context of the Qurʾān. One of the distinctive aspects of al-Ṣafadī’s engagement with the Bible is his interpretation of it from the perspective of a Muslim exegete, ultimately contributing to the tradition of Biblical exegesis. The article aims to contribute to the scholarly literature on Qurʾān–Bible relations by identifying the nature and methodology of biblical references within the framework of Ṣafadī’s tafsīr. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bible Translation and Biblical Hermeneutics: Exploring the Nexus of Language and Interpretation)

18 pages, 10811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compositional Analysis of Cultic Clay Objects from the Iron Age Southern Levant

by David Ben-Shlomo

Religions 2025, 16(6), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060661 - 22 May 2025

Compositional analysis conducted on pottery and other ceramic items can shed light on their place of production and in certain cases, on technological aspects of the production sequence. The methods used, petrography and chemical analysis, can also be employed on cultic terracotta such [...] Read more.

Compositional analysis conducted on pottery and other ceramic items can shed light on their place of production and in certain cases, on technological aspects of the production sequence. The methods used, petrography and chemical analysis, can also be employed on cultic terracotta such as figurines, cult stands, models, or other clay objects. Several studies of such analyses of items from various periods in the Southern Levant have been published, mostly from temple contexts. This paper focuses particularly on two groups of items: clay models from the favissa at Yavneh and pillar figurines and other (mostly horse) figurines from Jerusalem and Tell en-Nasbeh in Iron Age Judah. These two groups are both roughly dated to the time span between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE. While the former group is of objects representing a temple context in Philistia, the latter is likely related to a domestic cult in Judah. The analysis of these objects is also examined against the background of a robust compositional analysis of regular pottery from the sites. The compositional analysis can indicate whether these objects were locally produced or imported from various regions (thus possibly brought by pilgrims), as well as whether they were “mass-produced” in a single workshop. The results can shed light on aspects of religious and cultic conducts in these occasions as well as compare domestic and temple-related cultic behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ancient Cult and Modern Methods: Unearthing the Religions of Ancient Israel and the Surrounding Cultures)

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19 pages, 1588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climing Up, Thinking With, Feeling Through: Ritual, Spirituality and Ecoscience in Northwestern Nepal

by Jag Bahadur Budha, Maya Daurio and Mark Turin

Religions 2025, 16(6), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060660 - 22 May 2025

This paper examines local knowledge, perceptions, and responses to changing climes in the Trans-Himalayan region of Dolpa in Nepal. Rooted within the environmental humanities and shaped by emerging understandings of faith-based ecospirituality, our research partnership focuses on the experiences of the indigenous Tarali [...] Read more.

This paper examines local knowledge, perceptions, and responses to changing climes in the Trans-Himalayan region of Dolpa in Nepal. Rooted within the environmental humanities and shaped by emerging understandings of faith-based ecospirituality, our research partnership focuses on the experiences of the indigenous Tarali Magar people of Gumbatara and neighbouring Shaharatara in the Tichurong valley. Through place-based engagements and drawing on various disciplinary threads and intellectual traditions, we review the effects of changing cultural, climatic, and ritual patterns on the lives and livelihoods of the Tarali Magar community. We explore how (i) agricultural practices are changing and adapting in response to wider systemic transformations; (ii) in what ways physical changes in the weather, clime and climate are experienced and imagined by Taralis through the lens of the Tarali concepts of nham (weather) and sameu (time); and (iii) local knowledge and embodied understandings about the natural and cultural worlds are embedded within Tarali spiritual traditions and religious worldviews. In reckoning with shifts in ecological patterns that disrupt long-standing agricultural practices and the cultural and religious knowledge systems that guide them, we demonstrate that Taralis are indigenous environmental humanists and empirical scientists. Through our study, we uplift culturally grounded, location-specific religious practices in the Tichurong valley and show how members of the Tarali community are contributing to global imaginaries for sustainable futures in our more-than-human world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Himalayan Ecospiritual Knowledges and Ethics of Sustainability in the Anthropocene)

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14 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integral Ecology as Theology and Ethics of “Place”

by Emmanuel Omokugbo Ojeifo

Religions 2025, 16(6), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060659 - 22 May 2025

Studies on the significance of “place” as a theological concept are in the early stages of development in ecotheology. However, the few scholars who have provided key insights into the concept have approached it from a narrow perspective. In contrast, this article approaches [...] Read more.

Studies on the significance of “place” as a theological concept are in the early stages of development in ecotheology. However, the few scholars who have provided key insights into the concept have approached it from a narrow perspective. In contrast, this article approaches the notion of “place” from a broader perspective that engages philosophy, scripture, theology, and contemporary social thought. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the centrality of “place” in relation to environmental care as the necessary enabling condition for human and ecological flourishing amid our global ecological crisis. To advance this argument, the article adopts a textual method of analysis that draws significantly on secondary literature. It begins with a brief description of what integral ecology is about; it then proceeds to provide an overview of the contemporary crisis of “place”. This is followed by an examination of “place” from biblical and theological perspectives. The article concludes by discussing “place” as an ethical praxis at the heart of integral ecology. Central to the discussion is the usefulness of talking about “place” as a site of both action and resistance in the face of our present ecological crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

17 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Imagining Otherwise: Black Women, Theological Resistance, and Afrofuturist Possibility

by Marquisha Lawrence Scott

Religions 2025, 16(5), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050658 - 21 May 2025

“If it wasn’t for the women” is a common refrain in Black Church culture, made most popular by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes’ sociology of religion work in the 1990s. As conversations grow around a perceived disconnection from the church—particularly among younger generations—many Black congregations [...] Read more.

“If it wasn’t for the women” is a common refrain in Black Church culture, made most popular by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes’ sociology of religion work in the 1990s. As conversations grow around a perceived disconnection from the church—particularly among younger generations—many Black congregations and denominations are asking the following question: Where do we go from here? One possible response is to ask the women. Black women have long been central to the sustenance and theological framing of the Black Church. However, many contemporary Black women theologians and church-adjacent writers are reshaping religious discourse in ways that move beyond traditional ecclesial boundaries and into the interiority of Black womanhood. This turn should be considered essential in any reimagining of the Black Church. This paper employs content analysis to examine five contemporary works by Black women thinkers—Candice Benbow, Lyvonne Briggs, Tricia Hersey, EbonyJanice Moore, and Cole Arthur Riley—whose writings reflect Black women’s embodied spirituality, theological imagination, cultural meaning-making, and institutional critique within Black religious life. Rather than signaling a decline in moral or spiritual life, their work points to the search for sacred spaces that are more liberative, inclusive, and attuned to lived experience. Through a thematic analysis of Power, Authority, and Institutional Critique; Afrofuturistic Visioning of Faith; Sacred Embodiment and Spiritual Praxis; Language and Rhetorical Strategies; Gender, Sexuality, and Sacred Autonomy; and Liberation, Justice, and Social Transformation, this study contributes to the evolving conversation on Black women’s spirituality, leadership in religious spaces, and a possible iteration of the Black Church. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Congregational Engagement and Leadership)

19 pages, 328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kaibara Ekiken’s Syncretic Shinto–Confucian Philosophy

by Liqi Feng

Religions 2025, 16(5), 657; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050657 - 21 May 2025

During the Meiji period, the relationship between Confucianism and the indigenous Japanese religion of Shinto became more complex within the context of national culture and policy. The integration of Confucianism and Shinto became an important part of Japan’s modernization and ideological construction. However, [...] Read more.

During the Meiji period, the relationship between Confucianism and the indigenous Japanese religion of Shinto became more complex within the context of national culture and policy. The integration of Confucianism and Shinto became an important part of Japan’s modernization and ideological construction. However, this profound fusion did not emerge suddenly; as early as the Edo period, Confucianism and Shinto had already established a certain degree of interaction and influence. Therefore, this article attempts to outline an early example of the combination of Shinto and Confucianism (more specifically, Neo-Confucianism, which had a profound impact on modern and contemporary Japan) through the lens of the integrated thought of Shinto and Confucianism of the early Edo-period scholar, Kaibara Ekiken. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conflict and Integration of Confucianism and Religions in Modern Japan)

18 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Limit Situations” and Sociological Theory: Implications for the Study of Vulnerability and Engaged Spirituality

by Benedetta Nicoli

Religions 2025, 16(5), 656; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050656 - 21 May 2025

This paper aims to advance sociological theory by systematizing the concept of “limit situation”, a term that Berger employs throughout his work, though only in a hinted and unsystematic manner. To achieve this objective, the paper develops a theoretical framework that incorporates different [...] Read more.

This paper aims to advance sociological theory by systematizing the concept of “limit situation”, a term that Berger employs throughout his work, though only in a hinted and unsystematic manner. To achieve this objective, the paper develops a theoretical framework that incorporates different contributions and perspectives. Within this framework, the concept of “limit situation” translates into an analytical tool for the sociological study of vulnerability, particularly in relation to engaged spirituality. The concept is tested through an empirical study based on in-depth interviews with founders, workers, and volunteers from organizations that provide care for individuals facing vulnerability. The analysis shows that encounters with vulnerability, under specific circumstances, create a liminal situation that promotes spirituality at both existential and operational levels. This process informs the value systems of the involved actors and activates specific social practices and relationships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Spiritualities: Theories, Practices, and Future Directions)

13 pages, 235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship Between Submission and Sacrifice in the First Letter of Peter

by María José Schultz Montalbetti

Religions 2025, 16(5), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050655 - 21 May 2025

The First Epistle of Peter is a writing that addresses a new way of understanding and practicing worship among the followers of Jesus. The Christians, recipients of the letter, due to the imminent identity distinction from the Jews and their distancing from the [...] Read more.

The First Epistle of Peter is a writing that addresses a new way of understanding and practicing worship among the followers of Jesus. The Christians, recipients of the letter, due to the imminent identity distinction from the Jews and their distancing from the practices of imperial worship, live in a difficult social and religious situation. This situation demands the author to recall the theological foundations of Christian identity and redefine the meaning of traditional ritual concepts in new ethical and communal terms. This article, through a historical and theological analysis, examines the concepts of “sacrifice” and “submission” in their Christian reinterpretation and how they shape the worship practices of Jesus’ followers. To this end, the cultic elements present in the exhortative discourse are analyzed to explore the development of their theological significance at the dawn of the second century. Furthermore, considering the current appreciation of these attitudes as outdated values, this article evaluates whether the ethical discourse of the letter can have an impact on contemporary society. The study seeks to offer a renewed reading of 1 Peter that contributes to understanding the particularity of Christian worship in the Greco-Roman society of the first century and to ascertain whether its message is still relevant today. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interpreting the Bible: Re-Reading Texts, Characters, and Images from Scripture)

13 pages, 254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Spirituality on the Education of Incarcerated Individuals: Reflections on the Exceptional Experience of Police-Free Prisons in Brazil

by Sergio Grossi and Alessandra Augelli

Religions 2025, 16(5), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050654 - 21 May 2025

The article seeks to read the contribution of religious practices in prison education within the broader framework of spirituality as a search for meaning in life. It argues that religious engagement can foster cognitive and emotional development, providing inmates with a sense of [...] Read more.

The article seeks to read the contribution of religious practices in prison education within the broader framework of spirituality as a search for meaning in life. It argues that religious engagement can foster cognitive and emotional development, providing inmates with a sense of purpose, community, and resilience that supports their reintegration into society. In light of an exceptional and extremely significant experience with APAC in Brazil’s police-free prison model, the authors aim to highlight the nexus between spirituality and re-education in contexts of deprivation and restriction of personal liberty. Indeed, the APAC (Association for the Protection and Assistance of the Convicted) model, central to this study, emphasizes nonviolent coexistence, responsibility, and spiritual care as part of its rehabilitative framework, with a significant reduction in recidivism rates and costs compared to traditional prisons. The model’s approach, grounded in a collective sense of responsibility and spirituality, aligns with Viktor Frankl’s and Paulo Freire’s theories on meaning and liberation, illustrating how spirituality can transform prison environments and promote social justice. The study concludes that spirituality in prisons not only aids individual redemption but also calls for structural changes to support reintegration, marking a shift towards a more human-centered penitentiary system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Examining Religion's Influence in Non-formal and Informal Educational Contexts: Beliefs, Practices and Narratives)

23 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Different Religions, Similar Experiences: Intra-Group Religious Tension Among Non-Religious Jews and Arabs in Israel

by Oriana Abboud-Armaly, Rachelly Ashwall-Yakar and Michal Raz-Rotem

Religions 2025, 16(5), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050653 - 21 May 2025

The rapid growth in interfaith peacebuilding has elevated the prominence of religion in theoretical and practical discourse, highlighting its importance in conflict dynamics. In dialogue-based encounters between distinct identity groups, religion often emerges as a key factor, regardless of participants’ specific affiliation or [...] Read more.

The rapid growth in interfaith peacebuilding has elevated the prominence of religion in theoretical and practical discourse, highlighting its importance in conflict dynamics. In dialogue-based encounters between distinct identity groups, religion often emerges as a key factor, regardless of participants’ specific affiliation or religiosity level. However, studies on religion-related tension typically adopt a polarized perspective, framing conflict in intergroup contexts while overlooking intra-group dynamics. This paper addresses this gap through a qualitative cross-case analysis of two studies, conducted in Israel during 2016–2019. Participants included 28 secular Jews and 28 secular Arabs (Christian and Muslim). Our findings reveal that non-religious individuals from both societies experienced similar challenges in navigating intra-group, religion-based encounters. Participants identified religion as defining boundaries of understanding, acceptance, legitimacy, and belonging within their societies. The study also highlights gaps in mutual recognition, whereby the participants expressed willingness to accept religion as integral to their religious counterparts’ identity, yet reported that this openness was not reciprocated. This gap created barriers to dialogue, weakening potential intra-group cohesion. This paper contributes to the literature on conflicts and peacebuilding, underscoring notable intra-group similarities between Jewish and Arab participants, and offers a novel framework for understanding religious dynamics across distinct social contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interreligious Peacebuilding in a Global Context)

30 pages, 1096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Emergence and Spread of Relic Veneration in Medieval China: A Study with a Special Focus on the Relics Produced by Miracles

by Zhiyuan Chen

Religions 2025, 16(5), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050652 - 20 May 2025

Miracle tales are almost the sole source for the investigation of the emergence and spread of the relic cult in the early phase of Chinese Buddhism. The earliest excavated relic casket dates back to 453 CE, over four centuries after Buddhism was introduced [...] Read more.

Miracle tales are almost the sole source for the investigation of the emergence and spread of the relic cult in the early phase of Chinese Buddhism. The earliest excavated relic casket dates back to 453 CE, over four centuries after Buddhism was introduced to China. Through a critical textual analysis of Ji Shenzhou Sanbao Gantonglu, it is evident that the initial form of relic veneration was based on miraculous responses. Legends about imperial relic worship before the 3rd century are all later fabrications. Two archeological finds—the alleged relic murals in a Han tomb at Horinger, Inner Mongolia, and the stūpa-shaped bronze vessel in Gongyi, Henan—are not directly related to relic veneration. Based on the available evidence, it is tentatively concluded that relic worship first emerged around the 3rd century in the vicinity of Luoyang, the capital of the Western Jin, and later spread to the south of the Yangtze River after the Yongjia chaos. The early worshippers included both monks and lay Buddhists, such as merchants and lower-ranking officials. Royal interest in relics did not arise until the 5th century. The rise of relic veneration in China occured two or three centuries later than that in Gandhāra, from which Chinese Buddhism was significantly influenced. Compared to the cult of images or scriptures, relic veneration also emerged relatively late in China. The reluctance to adopt relics as worship objects can be partly explained by (the mahāyāna) Buddhist doctrines and the Chinese cultural mentality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Localization, Globalization and Glocalization: Paradigm Shifts in the Study of Transmission and Transformation of Buddhism in Asia and Beyond)

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11 pages, 170 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prolegomena to the Concept of God When Dealing with the Question: Is Ethics Without God Possible?

by Daniel A. Dombrowski

Religions 2025, 16(5), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050651 - 20 May 2025

This article examines the assumption that, in order to respond adequately to the question in the title, one must have the classical concept of God in mind. Classical theism is criticized and neoclassical/process theism is briefly defended. Specifically, the classical theistic attribute of [...] Read more.

This article examines the assumption that, in order to respond adequately to the question in the title, one must have the classical concept of God in mind. Classical theism is criticized and neoclassical/process theism is briefly defended. Specifically, the classical theistic attribute of omnipotence receives four criticisms. The hope is that these criticisms prepare the way for a more fruitful response to the question in the title than is possible when the classical concept of God is assumed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Is an Ethics without God Possible?)

22 pages, 13352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Publication and Dissemination of the Yuan Dynasty Pilu Canon

by Tun Zhao

Religions 2025, 16(5), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050650 - 20 May 2025

This study explores the publication and dissemination of the Pilu Canon 《毗盧藏》, engraved by followers of Bao’en Wanshou Hall in Houshan Village, Fujian, during the Yanyou reign of the Yuan Dynasty. Funded through donations, this canon was part of a broader initiative to [...] Read more.

This study explores the publication and dissemination of the Pilu Canon 《毗盧藏》, engraved by followers of Bao’en Wanshou Hall in Houshan Village, Fujian, during the Yanyou reign of the Yuan Dynasty. Funded through donations, this canon was part of a broader initiative to republish the four major Buddhist Canons. Its engraving style blends influences from Yan Zhenqing, Ouyang Xun, and Zhao Mengfu, with rounder characters and more spacious layouts compared to earlier Song editions. The project, supported by the White Lotus Society, involved various engravers and resulted in diverse transcription practices. Although no complete set survives, scattered volumes are housed in different institutions. The Pilu Canon provides valuable insights into the evolution of Buddhist scripture layout, the White Lotus Society’s influence, and the interaction between Buddhist texts and secular society in medieval China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shaping Sacred Knowledge: The Transmission and Legacy of the Chinese Buddhist Canon)

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