Religions

This paper approaches the corpus of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the aim of underlining how a form of prophecy after (or besides) prophets is constructed in Second Temple Judaism. In contrast and parallel with other religions (saliently Islam), where prophecy is “sealed” and closed after a given event, Judaism links prophecy to text in the process of constructing an authorized corpus, as may be seen in phenomena such as the development of certain forms of exegesis. Nevertheless, some groups, like the Qumran community, give a central role to figures that are, at the very least, typologically related to early (biblical) prophets. I will approach these parallels in a systematic way, trying to define how text and inspiration are involved in the construction of prophets by another name in the corpus.

Buddhism has long maintained a fine tradition of establishing and preserving a hyper-stable institutional order. Historically, the Vinaya served as the institutional literature for the monasteries, but it gradually evolved into a sacred symbol of the public identity of the monks and became an object of scholastic study. Subsequently, as part of the internal monastic system, the rules governing monks transferred from being overseen by the Three Monastic Supervisors 三綱制—comprising an Elder (Sthavira), an Administrator (Vihārasvāmin), and a Discipline Master (Karmadāna)—to the Conglin system, a major innovation of Chinese Buddhism. However, the Conglin system, with more than a thousand years of history, had not experienced any major reforms. At the same time, it has also become an institutional culture within Chinese Buddhism, imbued with sacred symbolic significance. The excessive concentration of power inherent in the Conglin system, along with the lack of oversight over certain office-holding monks, represents a notable flaw within this system. The social environment of the time compelled Chinese Buddhism to adjust and reform its internal institutional construction. Only by developing institutions that align with both the vinaya and secular law; while embodying the Buddhist ideals of equality and fairness, could Chinese Buddhism remain in harmony with its era.

Especially over the last two and a half decades, Indonesian society has witnessed a deepening Islamisation, the impact of which is being felt in domains such as politics, education, morality, and private life. Linked to this development, a rise in religious intolerance and extremism has been noted. This process is often attributed to influences from transnational movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi-Wahhabism, which in turn is framed as an Arabisation of Islam and society in Indonesia. A pivotal reaction has been the launch and successful reinforcement of the concept of Islam Nusantara, a local Islam that is described as peaceful, moderate, and tolerant. Its unique Indonesian history, in which local culture and Islam have become intertwined, is said to have led to these characteristics. Despite its success, the concept has also met with scepticism. How valid is the binary Arabian Islam versus Islam Nusantara? Is it an authentic form of Islam? This article engages with these issues from a new angle by combining an assessment of Islam Nusantara’s claims to tolerance, its status as an authentic form of Islam, and how these issues relate to it being a local Islam.

This paper explores the potential of patristic theology to offer therapeutic resources for evangelical Christians who experience a crisis of hope: affirming hope doctrinally while struggling to feel hopeful in daily life. Drawing on recent psychological research, we use a tripartite model of hope—cognitive, agentic, and affective—to describe how hopeful experience can be sustained or undermined. We suggest that some theological frameworks, shaped by individualistic and goal-oriented assumptions, can unintentionally constrict believers’ capacity to experience hope. In dialogue with this psychological model, we read Gregory of Nyssa as a resource for each dimension of hope: his account of epektasis reframes the content of hope; his expansive understanding of divine agency widens the horizon of hope; and his use of imagery supports the affective experience of hope. The paper illustrates how patristic ressourcement can enrich theological imagination and can play a role in renewing believers’ capacity to hope.