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Religions, Volume 17, Issue 1 (January 2026) – 126 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Drawing on four years of ethnographic fieldwork in a Singaporean Pentecostal megachurch, this article introduces theological tinkering to describe how young believers engage Christian teachings in digitally mediated environments. Rather than inheriting theology through stable institutions, youth encounter sermons, devotionals, and spiritual influencers through algorithms, peer networks, and church media. The study shows how faith is sustained through relational discernment, institutional boundary-work, and everyday interpretive labour. Framed through liquid modernity, it argues that such tinkering reflects not doctrinal instability but a resilient form of liquid faith, inviting renewed reflection on theological formation and pastoral leadership in East Asia’s digital religious landscape. View this paper
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31 pages, 13775 KB  
Article
The Sacristy of the Virgin of the Basílica del Pilar: Breviary of Marian Apology
by Esther Ortiz
Religions 2026, 17(1), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010126 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 137
Abstract
This article analyses the iconographic cycle of the Sacristy of the Virgin in the Basílica del Pilar, with the aim of unveiling the complex system of visual symbols present in its bas-reliefs. Through a typological and exegetical approach, the study examines the [...] Read more.
This article analyses the iconographic cycle of the Sacristy of the Virgin in the Basílica del Pilar, with the aim of unveiling the complex system of visual symbols present in its bas-reliefs. Through a typological and exegetical approach, the study examines the various Marian representations, highlighting their connection with Old Testament, Patristic, Scholastic, and Baroque traditions. The research demonstrates how these visual emblems embody the principles of Divine Motherhood, purity, Co-Redemptrix, and the Virgin’s spiritual superiority. Furthermore, it explores the relationship between the carvings and hermeneutic and emblematic literature, revealing how tradition and devotion intertwine to configure a genuine Baroque iconographic breviary. The findings allow for an interpretation of Mary not only as an object of worship but also as a theological paradigm and aesthetic model of divine perfection, thus offering a comprehensive vision of Baroque Mariology and of the didactic and devotional function of the Sacristy of the Virgin. Full article
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11 pages, 216 KB  
Article
The Virtue of Solidarity: Reinterpreting Charity in Mujerista Theology
by Amanda Rachel Bolaños
Religions 2026, 17(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010125 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 93
Abstract
Theologians have a moral responsibility to attend to the grave disorder in which the language of morality currently suffers. I argue that the healing of this disorder involves a morally prescribable disloyalty to the semblance of the virtue of charity. In this paper, [...] Read more.
Theologians have a moral responsibility to attend to the grave disorder in which the language of morality currently suffers. I argue that the healing of this disorder involves a morally prescribable disloyalty to the semblance of the virtue of charity. In this paper, I will review the moral blind spots and ethical inconsistencies in how the semblance of the virtue of charity is confused with the actual virtue of charity and is thus actualized inappropriately in today’s society. I will then investigate the virtue of solidarity as a prescription to help repair the potentiality of what the virtue of charity ought to be and look like. In looking to solidarity, I will turn to Ada María Isasi-Díaz’ epistemological concept of lo cotidiano as a means of practicing accountability in virtue theory and virtue practice. First, I will explore mujerista theology as an approach and why it is important to ethically attend to the voices on the margins; then, I will investigate the concept of lo cotidiano as a methodology that centers a commitment of responsibility to the other; lastly, I will turn to the virtue of solidarity and argue how attending to solidarity enhances our call to charity in an authentic and accountable way (A version of this paper was presented at the 2025 Convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) in Portland, Oregon). Full article
22 pages, 32105 KB  
Article
The Revival of the ’Bri Gung Bka’ Brgyud School in Western Tibet: Focus on the Murals in the ’Du Khang of Gung ’Phur Monastery at sPu Rang in mNga’ Ris, Tibet
by Yunyun Liang
Religions 2026, 17(1), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010124 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 137
Abstract
Based on the previous investigation results, this article investigates the ’Du khang of Gung ’phur Monastery in sPu rang, mNga’ ris, identifying the images and corresponding inscriptions on its four walls and interpreting the meaning of the murals. The study concludes that the [...] Read more.
Based on the previous investigation results, this article investigates the ’Du khang of Gung ’phur Monastery in sPu rang, mNga’ ris, identifying the images and corresponding inscriptions on its four walls and interpreting the meaning of the murals. The study concludes that the murals were executed in the Water-tiger year (1602), with involvement from the local king and his minister, as well as native donors and painters from neighboring Nepal. A comparative analysis with relevant temples in sPu rang and Ladakh reveals that the murals reflect the popular themes of the ’Bri gung bka’ brgyud school in Western Tibet from the mid-16th to the early 17th century. As such, the murals attest to the spread of the school in mNga’ ris, and provide first-hand materials for research on the history and royal family of sPu rang around the 17th century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temple Art, Architecture and Theatre)
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18 pages, 264 KB  
Article
Navigating the Margins: The Liminal Journey of Dalits and Women in the Early Pentecostal Movement in Kerala
by Jose Abraham and George Oommen
Religions 2026, 17(1), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010123 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 400
Abstract
This article examines how the early Pentecostal movement in Kerala created a liminal space for Dalits and women—groups historically marginalized by caste and patriarchy—to exercise spiritual agency and contest social hierarchies. Grounded in a Spirit-centered theology that emphasized charismatic openness and the democratization [...] Read more.
This article examines how the early Pentecostal movement in Kerala created a liminal space for Dalits and women—groups historically marginalized by caste and patriarchy—to exercise spiritual agency and contest social hierarchies. Grounded in a Spirit-centered theology that emphasized charismatic openness and the democratization of spiritual gifts, early Pentecostalism disrupted conventional modes of authority and belonging. Drawing on Victor Turner’s theory of liminality, this study interprets this early period as a threshold moment wherein new forms of identity and communal life briefly emerged. While Pentecostalism offered a radically inclusive grammar of participation, its emancipatory potential was ultimately constrained by institutionalization and the reassertion of social norms. Nonetheless, within this fragile and contested space, Dalits and women found opportunities for voice, leadership, and embodied transformation rarely available in other ecclesial traditions. By recovering the theological and historical significance of this liminal journey, this article contributes to broader conversations on decolonial ecclesiology, Spirit-led resistance, and the ongoing tension between charisma and structure in Pentecostal movements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Encounter of Colonialism and Indian Religious Traditions)
14 pages, 338 KB  
Article
The Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah in the Theological Discourse of Medieval Jewish Spain
by Francisco Varo
Religions 2026, 17(1), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010122 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 217
Abstract
This study analyses the theological debates surrounding the Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah, with particular attention to the fourth song, as interpreted in medieval Jewish literature. These passages, fundamental to both Jewish and Christian tradition, became a central focus of controversial [...] Read more.
This study analyses the theological debates surrounding the Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah, with particular attention to the fourth song, as interpreted in medieval Jewish literature. These passages, fundamental to both Jewish and Christian tradition, became a central focus of controversial dialogue in medieval Spain. Through a systematic analysis of Hebrew commentaries, the article examines key theological issues that emerge in these debates: the universal mission of Israel, the meaning of suffering, the concept of kenosis in Pauline theology, and the doctrine of original sin. Jewish exegetes such as Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Moses Ha-Kohen of Tordesillas, and Abravanel offered critical responses to Christian claims, often proposing alternative readings based on Hebrew philology and rational anthropology. The study highlights how these exchanges contributed to a deeper understanding of divine justice, human action, and incarnation, while emphasising the importance of precise theological language in interreligious dialogue. Some anthropological and metaphysical questions briefly addressed here point to new lines of research. Ultimately, the Servant Songs reveal themselves as a privileged space for theological reflection and manifest the enduring resonance of prophetic revelation. Full article
24 pages, 372 KB  
Article
Episcopal Temporalities and Royal Intervention: A Judicial Perspective on Church–Crown Relations in Fourteenth-Century England
by Jiaxin Huang
Religions 2026, 17(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010121 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 288
Abstract
Disputes over episcopal temporalities provide a crucial lens through which to view complex Church–Crown relations in medieval England. The secular estates endowed by the Crown formed the backbone of ecclesiastical wealth, sustaining diocesan administration and judicial operations. As the principal patron, the king [...] Read more.
Disputes over episcopal temporalities provide a crucial lens through which to view complex Church–Crown relations in medieval England. The secular estates endowed by the Crown formed the backbone of ecclesiastical wealth, sustaining diocesan administration and judicial operations. As the principal patron, the king frequently intervened in episcopal property disputes. By drawing them into the royal courts, the Crown was able to diminish episcopal authority within bishops’ temporal jurisdiction and to consolidate control over ecclesiastical lands and benefice appointments, thereby contributing to the institutionalization of secular judicial interventions in ecclesiastical affairs. Confiscation of temporalities functioned as a key royal instrument for disciplining recalcitrant bishops, carrying both fiscal and political implications. A micro-level analysis of three major fourteenth-century seizures of episcopal temporalities reveals that the process of “seizure—negotiation—conditional restitution” fostered a pattern of “negotiated obedience” between the king and the episcopate. At the same time, conflicts between bishops and lay magnates over landholdings expose the multi-layered configuration of Church–Crown relations. In these contests, both sides petitioned the king and offered strategic concessions to seek royal support, generating a tripartite form of “competitive compromise” that further entrenched royal supremacy in the adjudication of ecclesiastical and secular property. Full article
18 pages, 3137 KB  
Article
The Necromancer of Endor (1 Samuel, 28): Body, Power, and Transgression in the Visual Construction of Witchcraft
by Cristina Expósito de Vicente
Religions 2026, 17(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010120 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 278
Abstract
This article examines the visual reception of the woman of Endor (1 Sam 28) and her gradual integration into the Western imaginary of the witch. In the first section, it offers a concise overview of the formation of witchcraft in late medieval and [...] Read more.
This article examines the visual reception of the woman of Endor (1 Sam 28) and her gradual integration into the Western imaginary of the witch. In the first section, it offers a concise overview of the formation of witchcraft in late medieval and early modern visual culture, when iconographic and discursive registers contributed to the consolidation of a demonological and persecutory repertoire associated with the female body. Against this background, the study analyzes how the figure of Endor came to be interpreted and represented through increasingly negative categories—eventually becoming a conventionalized motif in the history of art—despite the fact that the biblical narrative originally presents her as a ritual mediator whose role in Saul’s episode is not constructed as a paradigmatic case of “witchcraft” in a strict sense. Drawing on a methodology of visual exegesis that brings together cultural biblical studies, art history, and gender studies, this article examines a range of artworks depicting the episode in order to show how visual culture negotiates the boundary between the legitimate and the forbidden, and how the later demonization of Endor reveals persistent tensions between orthodoxy and heterodoxy across different historical contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arts, Spirituality, and Religion)
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25 pages, 7860 KB  
Article
From India to China: The Origin and Transmission of the Han Dynasty’s Column–Arch–Buddha Motif from a Pan-Asian Perspective
by Wenjun Hu, Xuguang Zhu and Hu Zhu
Religions 2026, 17(1), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010119 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 637
Abstract
The artistic exchange during Buddhism’s early transmission represents a vital field within Silk Road art studies. When Buddhist art first entered China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220), many artistic elements originating from Indian and Central Asian traditions manifested via a highly fragmentary [...] Read more.
The artistic exchange during Buddhism’s early transmission represents a vital field within Silk Road art studies. When Buddhist art first entered China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220), many artistic elements originating from Indian and Central Asian traditions manifested via a highly fragmentary mode of dissemination. As a result, prior scholarship on Buddhist art in the Han Dynasty has predominantly focused on case studies of individual motifs such as Buddha images, lotus patterns, lions, and elephants. These studies form an essential foundation for the present research. This paper observes that Buddha images from the Han period were not always disseminated as isolated icons but were frequently closely associated with octagonal columns and arches/lintels. Tracing their origins reveals a connection to the “column–arch–Buddha” narrative motif found in the architectural art of Indian and Central Asian Buddhism. This motif extended eastward through the Western Regions (Xiyu 西域, present-day Xinjiang 新疆) and ultimately reached the core territories of the Han Empire, undergoing various transformations—including deconstruction, reassembly, and translation—in the process. Understanding these combinatory modes and their underlying intent is crucial for comprehending the essential nature of the early interaction and fusion between Buddhist art and Han Chinese civilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Art Along the Silk Road and Its Cross-Cultural Interaction)
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19 pages, 371 KB  
Article
Between Religion and Crisis: Yasir Qadhi’s Da‘wa as Islamic Practical Theology in Post-October 7 America
by Elad Ben David
Religions 2026, 17(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010118 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 263
Abstract
Practical theology is the application of theological reflection to concrete human experience—how faith is interpreted and embodied within shifting social realities. In the article, I examine how Islamic practical theology was interpreted amid the extensive crisis in light of the Gaza war in [...] Read more.
Practical theology is the application of theological reflection to concrete human experience—how faith is interpreted and embodied within shifting social realities. In the article, I examine how Islamic practical theology was interpreted amid the extensive crisis in light of the Gaza war in post-October 7 America, connecting it to the Islamic concept of da’wa (call to Islam). As a case study, I explore the doctrine of Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, one of the most prominent clerics in the US, who emerged as part of a new generation of young American imams who burst into the Western public sphere during the post-9/11 era. The rise of social media gained him prestige and solidified his global influence, amplifying his impact on shaping contemporary Islamic discourse to millions in America and the West. Similar to Qadhi’s post-9/11 use of da’wa as a practical theology that transformed Islamophobia into a means of strengthening faith and American Muslim identity, his post-October 7 da’wa discourse is a clear case of Islamic practical theology in response to crisis. Following the October 7 events, Qadhi framed the chaotic situation in Gaza as both a spiritual and activist catalyst. His emphasis on da’wa promoted personal piety, repentance, and communal solidarity, while also urging political activism, interfaith dialogue, and advocacy for global Muslim causes. This dual strategy—spiritual renewal intertwined with socio-political mobilization—illustrates how da’wa functions as a flexible instrument of Islamic practical theology addressing individual, communal, and national concerns. By comparing Qadhi’s post-9/11 and post-October 7 discourses, the article highlights a shift from defensive apologetics shaped by Islamophobia to a more assertive public theology intertwined with political engagement. This evolution illustrates how American Muslim leadership employs a living, crisis-responsive theology to redefine faith, identity, and responsibility in moments of profound upheaval. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Islamic Practical Theology)
25 pages, 609 KB  
Article
Vasubandhu 世親 (ca. 320–400 CE) as a Putative Pure Land Patriarch in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism
by George A. Keyworth
Religions 2026, 17(1), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010117 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 348
Abstract
In terms of his reception in East Asia and the legacy of his commentaries and compendia in translation, Vasubandhu 世親 (ca. 320–400 centuries CE) is among the most important figures in the textual history of Indian Buddhism. Although perhaps best known by modern [...] Read more.
In terms of his reception in East Asia and the legacy of his commentaries and compendia in translation, Vasubandhu 世親 (ca. 320–400 centuries CE) is among the most important figures in the textual history of Indian Buddhism. Although perhaps best known by modern scholars through his works concerning abstruse intellectual ideas presented from the Yogācāra or mind-only and Abhidharma perspectives, his legacy is arguably best represented as an authoritative voice concerning the Pure Land of Amitāyus buddha. Both Nāgārjuna 龍樹 (ca. 150–250 CE) and Vasubandhu are considered to be patriarchs (soshi 祖師) for Jōdo Shin 浄土真宗 Buddhists, following Shinran’s 親鸞 (1173–1263) teachings. In this paper I investigate the textual history of these two Indian masters who are considered to be patriarchs by Pure Land and Shin Buddhists in Japan. No one believes these individuals transmitted some sort of true mind or essential teaching from one to another as in the Chan or Zen 禪宗 tradition; they are recognized because of fundamental texts with key ideas that are ascribed to them. These key texts were never singled out in any Chinese or Indian set of special texts, nor were they highlighted in various catalogs to the Buddhist “canon.” This research demonstrates how the sacred teachings ascribed to Vasubandhu, and to a certain extent Nāgārjuna as well, by Pure Land and Shin Buddhists reveal how and why Pure Land practices were expected to be seen as mainstream Mahāyāna Buddhism and nothing at all like a reformation for a later age. Full article
20 pages, 339 KB  
Article
Confronting Demonic Autonomy in Digital Capitalism: Reconstructing Tillich’s Religious Socialism as a Post-Secular Public Theology
by Li Tian and Shangwen Dong
Religions 2026, 17(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010116 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 246
Abstract
In an age in which the post-secular condition and digital capitalism are increasingly interwoven, the question of what role religion ought to play in the public sphere—and how it might regain critical and constructive force amid deepening crises of meaning—has become urgent. Contemporary [...] Read more.
In an age in which the post-secular condition and digital capitalism are increasingly interwoven, the question of what role religion ought to play in the public sphere—and how it might regain critical and constructive force amid deepening crises of meaning—has become urgent. Contemporary digital capitalism, characterized by the pseudo-sacralization of algorithmic logic, generates a persistent absorptive power marked by ecstatic effects. This elevates technological rationality and market logic to a level of pseudo-sacral authority, exercising a form of symbolic and spiritual domination. Returning to Paul Tillich’s thought, this article reconstructs his vision of religious socialism not as a historical artifact, but as a critical public theology capable of resisting this form of demonic domination. Tillich’s central insight is that the crisis of capitalism is not merely economic but ontological: its culture of “autonomy” severs itself from its religious ground, allowing finite forms—now amplified by digital technology—to elevate themselves into ultimate meaning and thereby consolidate into self-absolutizing, demonic structures. Against this background, the article argues that Tillich’s religious socialism is not a proposal for institutional replacement, but a public theological practice rooted in “ultimate concern.” Its task is to expose the structures of usurpation operative within digital capitalism and to reconfigure the order of meaning through the symbolic vision of theonomy. Through this symbolic practice, religion is recovered as a deep dimension of culture capable of critically piercing the regimes of meaning-occlusion. Moreover, it is precisely the unfinished and open-ended characteristic of religious socialism that enables it to regain theoretical and symbolic vitality in the post-secular present. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-Secularism: Society, Politics, Theology)
15 pages, 259 KB  
Article
Sterba’s Argument from Evil and Objections to Divine Command Theory
by Caleb Cumberland
Religions 2026, 17(1), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010115 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 254
Abstract
This paper will respond to James Sterba’s paper “An Ethics without God That is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution”. In his paper, Sterba argues that God cannot be the source of morality. Sterba maintains this position because he believes that his problem of extreme [...] Read more.
This paper will respond to James Sterba’s paper “An Ethics without God That is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution”. In his paper, Sterba argues that God cannot be the source of morality. Sterba maintains this position because he believes that his problem of extreme suffering entails that God cannot exist. Furthermore, Sterba argues that divine command theory has a number of serious problems confronting it. Alternatively, Sterba maintains that one can account for objective morality without appealing to God’s nature and/or commands. In response, this paper grants that Sterba presents a logically consistent account of objective morality without appealing to God’s nature and/or commands. However, this paper also cites a couple of reasons why one might think that God is still the better explanation for objective morality. This paper furthermore argues that Sterba’s objections do not demonstrate that divine command theory is false. The main thrust of this paper, though, focuses on Sterba’s argument about horrendous suffering. This paper argues that Sterba’s argument on horrendous suffering (while challenging) does not prove that a morally perfect God could not exist. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Is an Ethics without God Possible?)
24 pages, 303 KB  
Article
Darwinian Narratives: Cultural Impact and Reconsideration
by Jonathan R. Witt
Religions 2026, 17(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010114 - 19 Jan 2026
Viewed by 392
Abstract
The rise in the West of religious unbelief and its sometimes companions, relativism and nihilism, has been widely noted. Dostoyevsky’s famous dictum, “Without God, everything is permissible,” has in many quarters been taken as more recommendation than warning. The causes behind this trend [...] Read more.
The rise in the West of religious unbelief and its sometimes companions, relativism and nihilism, has been widely noted. Dostoyevsky’s famous dictum, “Without God, everything is permissible,” has in many quarters been taken as more recommendation than warning. The causes behind this trend are surely complex, but a key accelerant appears to have been the triumph of Darwin’s theory of evolution, in its original and now updated forms. Taken to its logical conclusions, the theory, together with part of its methodological apparatus (methodological naturalism), would seem to drain physical reality of meaning and humans of free will, significance, and higher purpose. Atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett called it a “universal acid.” The subject is one that could fill many books. One manageable way of rendering the subject manageable in a single paper is by considering key narratives that buttress Darwinian theory and by tracing the theory’s impact on the narrative arts of literature and film. How have Christians in the academy responded to modern evolutionary theory’s impact on the culture? One response has been to graft it onto Christianity in the hopes of neutralizing the theory’s more pernicious cultural implications. In practice, such attempts have tended to fundamentally alter either modern evolutionary theory or Christianity or both. Before attempting any such union, we would do well to revisit the foundations of the theory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Humans, Science, and Faith)
19 pages, 462 KB  
Article
Symbolic Transfigurations of Jinhua in The Secret of the Golden Flower (Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi太乙金華宗旨): From Inner Alchemy to Interreligious Synthesis
by Danke Zhang
Religions 2026, 17(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010113 - 18 Jan 2026
Viewed by 296
Abstract
The Secret of the Golden Flower (Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi 太乙金華宗旨), a Qing dynasty spirit-writing (fuji扶乩) text, is widely known through the Wilhelm–Jung translation lineage, where jinhua 金華 is rendered as “Golden Flower” and read as mandala-like symbolism. Based on a close reading [...] Read more.
The Secret of the Golden Flower (Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi 太乙金華宗旨), a Qing dynasty spirit-writing (fuji扶乩) text, is widely known through the Wilhelm–Jung translation lineage, where jinhua 金華 is rendered as “Golden Flower” and read as mandala-like symbolism. Based on a close reading of the Daozang Jiyao 道藏輯要version, this article argues that in the Chinese text jinhua is not primarily a floral image but a technical and experiential term for luminosity in Daoist inner-alchemical cultivation. Hua 華 is resemanticized from botanical “flower/flourishing” into “radiance,” and the work explicitly defines the key term as “jinhua is light”. The text further organizes cultivation into a three-stage trajectory—“sudden emergence”, “circulation”, and “great condensation”, through which qi 氣 is refined into light and luminosity stabilizes as spirit (shen 神). Finally, the analysis situates this luminous grammar within the work’s explicit Three Teachings (sanjiao 三教) framing: Confucian “illuminating virtue” (mingde 明德) and Buddhist idioms of luminous mind-nature (xin-xing guangming 心性光明) and dharma-body language function as a shared vocabulary for describing non-grasping awareness and embodied realization. On this basis, jinhua is best understood not as a decorative metaphor or a purely psychological symbol but as a practice-oriented mechanism of ontological luminosity, clarifying both the inner-alchemical logic of The Secret and the stakes of its modern reception. Full article
12 pages, 239 KB  
Article
An Ubuntu Pentecostal Perspective of Pan-Africanism and African Identity
by Abraham Modisa Mkhondo Mzondi
Religions 2026, 17(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010112 - 18 Jan 2026
Viewed by 210
Abstract
Clarke provides a critical analysis of Pentecostalism as a tool for attaining the theological and political objectives of Pan-Africanism. However, this seems to suggest that, at least, African Pentecostals and African Pentecostal researchers may not be aware of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda [...] Read more.
Clarke provides a critical analysis of Pentecostalism as a tool for attaining the theological and political objectives of Pan-Africanism. However, this seems to suggest that, at least, African Pentecostals and African Pentecostal researchers may not be aware of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2013, or, at worst, they find no interest in engaging with Agenda 2063 if they are aware it exists. Using religion and politics—particularly Pentecostalism and politics—as a framework, this article notes that there are some points of convergence between their praxis and some of the seven aspirations of Agenda 2063. It addresses this phenomenon by using Mzondi’s Ubuntu Pentecostalism as a theological lens to reflect on how some of the actions and praxis of African Pentecostals relate to the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Ubuntu Pentecostalism holds to a holistic view of life and embraces William Seymour’s Pentecostalism, influenced by an African worldview, and either embraces or denounces ancestral veneration. The latter form of Ubuntu Pentecostalism is used in this article and placed alongside Pan-Africanism and African identity to provide a perspective on the third and fifth aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The article further shows that (a) although African Pentecostals may not be aware of or do not bother to engage with the AU’s Agenda 2063, (b) their praxis and actions either support or contradict the third and fifth aspirations discussed in the article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)
15 pages, 298 KB  
Article
Catholicity and Catholicism in Avery Dulles (S.J.)’s Ecumenical Ecclesiology
by Han Seok Seo and Jae Yup Chung
Religions 2026, 17(1), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010111 - 18 Jan 2026
Viewed by 184
Abstract
Avery Dulles, in The Catholicity of the Church, conceptualizes catholicity in terms of its vertical dimension and its horizontal dimension, articulating the principles necessary to preserve catholicity in ecumenical contexts. His work redefines the relationship between catholicity and Catholicism. In Models of [...] Read more.
Avery Dulles, in The Catholicity of the Church, conceptualizes catholicity in terms of its vertical dimension and its horizontal dimension, articulating the principles necessary to preserve catholicity in ecumenical contexts. His work redefines the relationship between catholicity and Catholicism. In Models of the Church, Dulles integrates these two aspects through a dual ecclesiological model: the Church as Sacrament and as Community of Disciples. His ecclesiology enables the Church to engage with the secular society through concrete discipleship and public witness. Dulles’s vision, when expanded through Moltmann’s insights, offers a compelling theological model for contemporary ecumenism. Transcending mere doctrinal convergence, this model fosters a united Christian witness against secular atheism. This integrated approach advances a renewed understanding of ecclesial identity, rooted in discipleship, sacramentality, and social responsibility. Full article
16 pages, 255 KB  
Article
Beyond Heideggerian Gelassenheit and Lichtungen: Christian Thought in Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line
by Sixto J. Castro
Religions 2026, 17(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010110 - 17 Jan 2026
Viewed by 308
Abstract
The Thin Red Line is a film by Terrence Malick that is usually read in a Heideggerian key, due precisely to the intellectual formation of the author, who was a professor of phenomenology and translator of Heidegger before becoming a filmmaker. However, read [...] Read more.
The Thin Red Line is a film by Terrence Malick that is usually read in a Heideggerian key, due precisely to the intellectual formation of the author, who was a professor of phenomenology and translator of Heidegger before becoming a filmmaker. However, read in the light of some of his later works, it can be seen as an oblique preamble for the manifest theism that The Tree of Life and A Hidden Life, two manifestly 21st-century religious films, unfold. In The Thin Red Line, Malick gives cinematographic form to some Heideggerian concepts in order to go beyond Heideggerian post-Christian philosophy and make the viewers adopt a mystical gaze that allows them to contemplate creation from a point of view that is neither utilitarian nor technical, but rather characterised by the perspective of Gelassenheit. A religious reading of this Heideggerian idea allows access to Heidegger’s source, which is Meister Eckhart, who is as present in Malick’s film(s) as Heideggerian philosophy itself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Film in the 21st Century: Perspectives and Challenges)
14 pages, 347 KB  
Article
Daoist Unique Pursuit of Tianren Heyi
by Paulos Huang and Chenqing Zhao
Religions 2026, 17(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010109 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 218
Abstract
This paper critically examines Lu Guolong’s interpretation of tianren heyi, arguing that his portrayal of it as an inherent virtue of Chinese culture—and his positioning of Daoism between Confucianism and Buddhism—remains conceptually inadequate. Through a textual analysis of oracle-bone inscriptions, the Shangshu [...] Read more.
This paper critically examines Lu Guolong’s interpretation of tianren heyi, arguing that his portrayal of it as an inherent virtue of Chinese culture—and his positioning of Daoism between Confucianism and Buddhism—remains conceptually inadequate. Through a textual analysis of oracle-bone inscriptions, the Shangshu, and the Guoyu, the study reconstructs the notions of shenmin bu za and the four historical “transgressions”, thereby demonstrating that tianren heyi is not a singular, unchanging tradition but a historically generated and internally diverse phenomenon. By distinguishing between the Confucian model of you ren zhi tian, the Daoist model of you tian zhi ren or you ziran zhi ren, and the Daoist practice of yi ren zhi tian, this paper highlights the Daoist distinctive emphasis on the embodied dimension—pursuing tianren heyi through corporeal cultivation and the twin disciplines of waidan and neidan. The modern trend of celebrating tianren heyi as an emblem of Chinese cultural excellence calls for cautious reinterpretation—one that carefully distinguishes its ontological meaning from its practical and historical articulations. Full article
17 pages, 2061 KB  
Article
On the Local Reception and Dissemination of Christian Novel Illustrations in Late Qing Guangdong
by Jinbei Wen, Xuelai Pei and Guoping Li
Religions 2026, 17(1), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010108 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 242
Abstract
Since the 19th century, Protestant missionaries in Guangdong have extensively engaged in the translation and publication of religious texts, employing localized strategies in the illustration of Christian novels. Within the local cultural context of late Qing Guangdong, missionaries collaborated with local scholars, used [...] Read more.
Since the 19th century, Protestant missionaries in Guangdong have extensively engaged in the translation and publication of religious texts, employing localized strategies in the illustration of Christian novels. Within the local cultural context of late Qing Guangdong, missionaries collaborated with local scholars, used Cantonese for writing, and designed novel illustrations to overcome barriers in doctrinal dissemination, thereby facilitating the spread of Christianity. The illustrations in missionary-published novels, such as The Pilgrim’s Progress in Vernacular and The Spiritual Warfare in Vernacular, adopted the stylistic features of Ming and Qing novel woodcuts in terms of lines, composition, character attire, and settings. Furthermore, they skillfully incorporated the Confucian moral framework of loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness, as represented in the Sacred Edict, into their narrative ethics, while integrating elements such as Buddhist causality and Daoist imagery into a “didactic” system. This localization strategy, combined with a “trinity” reading guidance model comprising images, text, and biblical annotations, visually elucidated the tenets of the Bible and encouraged the public to embrace Christianity. The localized practice of missionary novel illustrations served as a conscious and effective visual strategy aimed at bridging cultural divides and promoting the dissemination of the Gospel. It profoundly reflects the visual agency in modern Sino–Western cultural exchanges and significantly advanced the propagation of Christianity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chinese Christianity and Knowledge Development)
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14 pages, 612 KB  
Article
The Turning Point in the Question of Pulchrum: Thomas Aquinas and Early Franciscanism
by Daniele Guastini
Religions 2026, 17(1), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010107 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 220
Abstract
This article aims to examine the transformations of the concept of pulchrum that took place in the thirteenth century between Thomism and early Franciscan thought. Specifically, it explores and compares the theme of “pulchra enim dicuntur quae visa placent”, introduced by Thomas Aquinas [...] Read more.
This article aims to examine the transformations of the concept of pulchrum that took place in the thirteenth century between Thomism and early Franciscan thought. Specifically, it explores and compares the theme of “pulchra enim dicuntur quae visa placent”, introduced by Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae, and the theme of “creatural” beauty, introduced by Francis of Assisi and then taken up above all by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, identifying these as pivotal moments of transition in the medieval discourse on the pulchrum. Full article
11 pages, 191 KB  
Article
Divine Filiation and the Trinity in Thomas Aquinas: Reassessing Rahner’s Critique
by Catalina Vial
Religions 2026, 17(1), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010106 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 163
Abstract
The scholastic tradition is often criticized for starting from abstract principles or philosophical definitions. In this way, scholastic theology is frequently contrasted with post-conciliar theology, which is developed on the basis of the Paschal event, understood as the hermeneutical criterion for the whole [...] Read more.
The scholastic tradition is often criticized for starting from abstract principles or philosophical definitions. In this way, scholastic theology is frequently contrasted with post-conciliar theology, which is developed on the basis of the Paschal event, understood as the hermeneutical criterion for the whole of theology. Karl Rahner accuses Thomas Aquinas of “isolating” the Trinity from other areas of theology, such as soteriology, anthropology, moral theology, and spirituality. He also criticizes Aquinas for separating Christology from the Trinity, arguing that in the Thomistic account of the Incarnation it is not essential that the Son becomes incarnate, since any divine Person could, in principle, have done so. Rahner contends that this doctrine weakens the connection between God’s inner Trinitarian life and the missions. Consequently, our adoption as children of God would no longer be grounded in the Son’s own sonship, and what God reveals of himself in history would not truly express who he is as the Triune God. The purpose of this article is to show that such criticisms do not accurately represent Thomistic teaching and to present the doctrine of our divine filiation within a Trinitarian Christological framework. It will first examine the relationship between the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity, then present the Thomistic doctrine of the divine missions and processions. Finally, it will address the role of the Holy Spirit and our adoptive divine filiation, all considered from a Thomistic perspective. Alongside the Summa theologiae, particular attention will be paid to Aquinas’s biblical commentaries, where he focuses on the Trinitarian economy and its implications for salvation, drawn directly from his reading of Scripture. Full article
16 pages, 212 KB  
Article
On “Seeing Every Problem”—And Art—From Wittgenstein’s “Religious Point of View”
by Garry L. Hagberg
Religions 2026, 17(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010105 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 148
Abstract
This article will bring together and explore the relations between four aspects of Wittgenstein’s remarks on, and his relation to, religious language. The first is his sense of the special role that religious language can play in the lives of people. The focus [...] Read more.
This article will bring together and explore the relations between four aspects of Wittgenstein’s remarks on, and his relation to, religious language. The first is his sense of the special role that religious language can play in the lives of people. The focus is not on traditional issues in the philosophy of religion—not the Ontological Proof of the existence of God; not any of Aquinas’ Five Ways; not the argument from Design or the Cosmological Argument; and not any other philosophico-religious matter concerning arguments for the existence or non-existence of any deity. His interests lie elsewhere. Second, we see that what Wittgenstein is centrally concerned with is the life-structuring power that religious language can possess and exert; it concerns both the sense-making power of pattern-lives in religious narratives and the metaphorical content of religious ways of thinking and perceiving. The third aspect is the distinctive, and in its way transcendental, way of seeing the world and existence sub specie aeternitatis, that is, under the aspect of eternity. Or, I will suggest, under the aspect of timelessness, or of having the sense of being above and outside of time. Wittgenstein said that he was not a religious person, but that he could not help but to see every problem from a religious point of view. In this third theme of the article, I will attempt to explicate what that remark can mean—how it reveals what Wittgenstein elsewhere in his work calls “a way of seeing.” And then fourth, this article will connect these three aspects to the special, non-pragmatic (and often in the above sense, transcendental) way that we view works of art. In his Notebooks of 1914-16, Wittgenstein wrote, “The work of art is the object seen sub specie aeternitatis; and the good life is the world seen sub specie aeternitatis. This is the connection between art and ethics.” At the close, I suggest that the way we learn to see the world through and within religious language (again, apart from any theological claim concerning divine existence or not) is parallel to one important way of seeing art—where the parallel is one that casts light from each side to the other. Along with some other works, my most central example in art will be the paintings of Morandi: in conveying an unmistakable sense of timelessness, they both convey, and in viewing them invite us to enact, the special way of seeing objects sub specie aeternitatis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Work on Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion)
16 pages, 276 KB  
Article
Ascetic Freedom and the Relationship Between Body and Emotions in Eastern Orthodox Spirituality
by Nicolae Turcan
Religions 2026, 17(1), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010104 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 359
Abstract
This study proposes a theo-phenomenological reading of asceticism in Eastern Orthodox spirituality, with particular attention to the Philokalic tradition, analyzing the relationship between the body, emotions, and spiritual freedom. Drawing on the phenomenological distinction between the physical body (Körper) and the [...] Read more.
This study proposes a theo-phenomenological reading of asceticism in Eastern Orthodox spirituality, with particular attention to the Philokalic tradition, analyzing the relationship between the body, emotions, and spiritual freedom. Drawing on the phenomenological distinction between the physical body (Körper) and the lived body (Leib), the article describes asceticism as a limit-experience that de-limits: an exercise of bodily and affective finitude oriented toward the transfiguration of life within the horizon of divine grace. Methodologically, the research combines textual analysis of representative Philokalic authors with insights from modern Orthodox thinkers and phenomenological concepts such as intentionality, affectivity, reduction, and apatheia, in order to describe from within the lived body, the synergy between ascetic will and the working of grace as it manifests itself in lived ascetic experience. Asceticism is presented as a dynamic process unfolding in stages: inauguration through the discovery of finitude; confrontation, in which the limits of the body and emotions are tested; and liberation as apatheia, in which the body becomes co-praying and co-serving with the soul. Emotions are interpreted as an intermediate space between body and soul—as affects of awareness, struggle, and ultimately transfiguration—through which human existence before God is manifested. The contribution of the article lies in articulating a theo-phenomenological model of Philokalic asceticism in which freedom is not the absence of emotions nor the negation of the body, but an affective and bodily reconfiguration through grace, making possible the communion of love with God and with others. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Orthodox Spirituality: Fundaments and Contemporary Perspectives)
16 pages, 15182 KB  
Article
A Medium for Chanting the Buddha’s Name for Rebirth in the Pure Land: The Woodblock Print of Kwŏnsu-Chŏngŏp-Wangsaeng-Ch’ŏpkyŏngdo in Chosŏn Korea
by Jahyun Kim
Religions 2026, 17(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010099 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 224
Abstract
This study examines the Kwŏnsu-chŏngŏp-wangsaeng-ch’ŏpkyŏngdo (勸修淨業往生捷徑圖), a woodblock print created for Pure Land practice during the Chosŏn period. The print served as material evidence demonstrating how Pure Land faith developed within Chosŏn Buddhism, which consolidated various schools under the Sŏn tradition while integrating [...] Read more.
This study examines the Kwŏnsu-chŏngŏp-wangsaeng-ch’ŏpkyŏngdo (勸修淨業往生捷徑圖), a woodblock print created for Pure Land practice during the Chosŏn period. The print served as material evidence demonstrating how Pure Land faith developed within Chosŏn Buddhism, which consolidated various schools under the Sŏn tradition while integrating doctrinal studies and Pure Land faith. Through iconographic analysis of the transformation tableau and examination of its publication colophon, this paper explores how yŏmbul-Sŏn practice evolved from the early Chosŏn period and how this print functioned as a practical medium for daily Buddha recitation practice. The study argues that the Kwŏnsu-chŏngŏp-wangsaeng-ch’ŏpkyŏngdo represents empirical evidence of the synthesis between Sŏn meditation and Pure Land faith, demonstrating the inclusive approach of Chosŏn Buddhist masters who accepted both Mind-Only Pure Land and Western Pure Land concepts for the purpose of widespread religious instruction. Full article
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17 pages, 329 KB  
Article
Living in Religious Life in the Early Modern Period: Rules, Daily Life, and Reforms in Portuguese Nunneries—The Case of the Cistercian Order
by Antónia Fialho Conde
Religions 2026, 17(1), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010098 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 240
Abstract
This article focuses on the choice of the religious life for women during the early modern period, following a Rule that ensured harmony within the cloister. We trace the emergence of codes of life for female communities across time, with particular attention to [...] Read more.
This article focuses on the choice of the religious life for women during the early modern period, following a Rule that ensured harmony within the cloister. We trace the emergence of codes of life for female communities across time, with particular attention to the Rule of St. Benedict and its adoption by Cistercian communities, where silence assumed a particular significance. Silence, sounds, and monastic daily life as governed by the Rule, by the Tridentine decrees and, in the case of Portuguese Cistercian communities, obedience to the Autonomous Congregation of Alcobaça and to its supervisory mechanism of Visitations, were elements that shaped both the discourse presented here and its interpretive framework. While the Council of Trent emphasized the importance of vocation and simultaneously imposed upon women the so-called “fourth vow” (enclosure), documentary evidence allows us to observe to what extent the conventual milieu, composed of women from diverse social origins, remained engaged with the wider world outside cloister; nunneries became both a mode of existence and a space of affirmation for women, one that fostered creativity (in music, writing, painting) and upheld authority and power, embodied in the figure of the abbess and in the acts, rituals, and ceremonies associated with her. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women and Religion in the Medieval and Early Modern World)
6 pages, 155 KB  
Editorial
Introduction to the Special Issue “On the Problem of Hell: Comparative Historical and Philosophical Perspectives”
by Ethan Leong Yee and Luis Cordeiro-Rodrigues
Religions 2026, 17(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010103 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 237
Abstract
In the Christian tradition, numerous questions emerge with the possibility of hell [...] Full article
18 pages, 398 KB  
Article
From the Debate over the City God to the Transformation of Cosmology: 口鐸日抄 (Kouduo Richao) and the Introduction of the Catholic Concept of God in Late Ming
by Shiyu Wang
Religions 2026, 17(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010102 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 206
Abstract
This paper takes the interaction between late-Ming Jesuits and Chinese City God (chenghuang, 城隍) worship as a case study, employing the “Great Tradition/Little Tradition” framework to examine the confrontation between “humans-becoming-gods” and “God-creating-angels”. It argues that the Confucian Great Tradition integrated [...] Read more.
This paper takes the interaction between late-Ming Jesuits and Chinese City God (chenghuang, 城隍) worship as a case study, employing the “Great Tradition/Little Tradition” framework to examine the confrontation between “humans-becoming-gods” and “God-creating-angels”. It argues that the Confucian Great Tradition integrated popular beliefs through using the divine way to implement moral instruction (shendao shejiao, 神道設教), maintaining state–religion unity and a monistic cosmology. By contrast, Catholicism, centered on monotheism and a transcendent God, reallocated mystical power from imperial and local deities to the Christian God, thus implicitly reconstructing traditional Chinese knowledge systems under an apparent compromise. The article concludes that Catholicism in late Ming China signified not merely religious transmission but also the penetration of a transcendent God-concept and a dualistic cosmology dividing the otherworldly from the this-worldly into China’s this-worldly monistic cosmology, thereby clarifying the intellectual tensions revealed by the Jesuit encounter with Chinese cosmology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chinese Christianity and Knowledge Development)
6 pages, 147 KB  
Editorial
Dynamics of Innovation and Tradition, Disruption and Continuity: Reconsidering Communication, Agency and Ethics in Digital Religion
by Pauline Hope Cheong and Ilona Nord
Religions 2026, 17(1), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010101 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 170
Abstract
Our daily lives, long-lasting realities and future horizons have been stretched in recent times as emerging new technologies and AI (artificial intelligence) have made contact with and filled human and nonhuman existence [...] Full article
19 pages, 388 KB  
Article
The Geopolitical Significance of Papal Funerals: Bridges in a Divided World
by Loránd Ujházi
Religions 2026, 17(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010100 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 453
Abstract
The liturgical and juridical regulation of papal funerals is coeval with the existence of the Church. The perspective that the funeral should also promote unity among Christians appeared early on. Later, it became a stage for political encounters. The Second Vatican Council’s understanding [...] Read more.
The liturgical and juridical regulation of papal funerals is coeval with the existence of the Church. The perspective that the funeral should also promote unity among Christians appeared early on. Later, it became a stage for political encounters. The Second Vatican Council’s understanding of society also permeated papal funerals. The juridical and liturgical regulations were inherently built upon a philosophy of encounter and dialogue, as they conveyed the Church’s social teaching and its commitment to those living on the peripheries of society, regardless of their religious affiliation. This was further supported by the homily at papal funerals, which discussed issues concerning the good of all humanity, based on the teachings of the respective Pope. The funeral rites of the post-conciliar Popes have eminently demonstrated that the burial ceremony serves as a vital bridge between different religions and countries with diverse political systems. That, contrary to Huntington’s central thesis, which is based on the clash of civilizations, the starting point can be dialogue, gestures, and the promotion of peace. The study employed a qualitative methodology, processing and confronting primary and secondary sources, from which conclusions were drawn. Full article
12 pages, 233 KB  
Article
Catholic Education, the Virtue of Hope and the Primacy of a Trinitarian Theological Anthropology
by Tracey Rowland
Religions 2026, 17(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010097 - 14 Jan 2026
Viewed by 466
Abstract
This paper argues that Catholic Education needs to be based on the foundation of Trinitarian theological anthropology. It explains where this fits within the architectonic framework of Catholic systematic theology. Trinitarian theological anthropology is the work of the theological virtues (faith, hope and [...] Read more.
This paper argues that Catholic Education needs to be based on the foundation of Trinitarian theological anthropology. It explains where this fits within the architectonic framework of Catholic systematic theology. Trinitarian theological anthropology is the work of the theological virtues (faith, hope and love), operating upon faculties of the soul (intellect, memory and will) in pursuit of the transcendental properties of being (truth, beauty and goodness). Through the operation of these virtues a person is brought into a relationship with the Holy Trinity. A consideration of these fundamental elements of Catholic systematic theology and their place in Catholic Education is offered as a contribution to the celebrations of the Jubilee Year of 2025, with its title “Pilgrims of Hope”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematic Theology as a Catalyst for Renewal in Catholic Education)
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