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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 25.4 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 4.5 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2025).
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: 0.6 (2024)

Imprint Information Journal Flyer Open Access ISSN: 2077-1444

Latest Articles

30 pages, 383 KB

Open AccessArticle

Cooperatives in the Teaching of the Catholic Popes in the Face of Challenges of Sustainable Development

by Aneta Suchoń, Maria Zuba-Ciszewska and Marek Jakubiak

Religions 2026, 17(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010045 (registering DOI) - 31 Dec 2025

The aim of this article is to determine the extent to which (directly or indirectly) the papal teachings apply to cooperatives as tools for solving social, economic and environmental problems, which were defined by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in accordance with CST by [...] Read more.

The aim of this article is to determine the extent to which (directly or indirectly) the papal teachings apply to cooperatives as tools for solving social, economic and environmental problems, which were defined by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in accordance with CST by implementing the principles of solidarity, cooperation, justice and respect for human dignity. The analysis of various papal documents covers the period from the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII up to Francis. The popes appreciate the work of cooperatives. They serve their members by implementing Christian values, including in the cooperative movement known as Christian solidarity. Cooperatives had been developing since the 19th century, often thanks to the priests involved in their founding and management. Popes are interested in socio-economic issues, economic activity and its form as cooperatives. Their reflections encompass various issues related to cooperatives, ranging from the right of people to associate, the principles of cooperative activity, the tasks of cooperative members, the role of production, agricultural, banking, consumer, social, labour, and energy cooperatives, to the necessity of state support for this form of management. They also emphasize the achievement of universal personal, spiritual, and community values, as well as the need to promote the common good. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Faith and Sustainable Development: Exploring Practice, Progress and Challenges among Faith Communities and Institutions)

17 pages, 1231 KB

Open AccessArticle

Religious Governance and Canon Compilation: The Inclusion of the Fozu Tongji in the Ming Buddhist Canon

by Haochen Lian

Religions 2026, 17(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010044 (registering DOI) - 31 Dec 2025

The Fozu tongji 佛祖統紀 (Comprehensive Records of the Buddha and Patriarchs), compiled by the Tiantai monk Zhipan 志磐 during the Song dynasty, is a seminal work in the history of historiography. This article focuses on its inclusion process during the Ming [...] Read more.

The Fozu tongji 佛祖統紀 (Comprehensive Records of the Buddha and Patriarchs), compiled by the Tiantai monk Zhipan 志磐 during the Song dynasty, is a seminal work in the history of historiography. This article focuses on its inclusion process during the Ming dynasty, revealing the interplay between textual transmission and political power. Through primary source analysis and textual criticism, this article examines how the Fozu tongji became included in Ming court editions of the Buddhist Canon. Two main conclusions emerge: First, the Fozu tongji—a text documenting the history of the Tiantai school—was formally included through advocacy by Puqia 溥洽 of the seng lu si 僧錄司 (Buddhist Registry Office), signifying the imperial rulers’ recognition of the Tiantai school. Second, to align with state ideology, all prophecy-related content was systematically eliminated from the original text. This case study provides a window into practices of religious governance in the early Ming Dynasty. Furthermore, it enriches the scholarly understanding of the dissemination history of the Fozu tongji and also provides broader insights on the inclusion of Buddhist texts. While inclusion in the canon elevated the Fozu tongji’s influence, the text was altered under the ideological “purification” imposed by the state. 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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22 pages, 931 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Semiotic Symbolism and Power Configuration of Korean Shamanic Rituals: A Quantitative Analysis of Ssitgim-Gut and Byeolsin-Gut

by Ting Zhou and Wenbo Ci

Religions 2026, 17(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010043 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

In the governance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), traditional rituals often fall into a paradox of institutional exhibition. The Korean shamanic rites Ssitgim-gut and Byeolsin-gut, respectively, represent the two poles of ritual institutionalization, displaying semiotic logics of original iconicity and institutional textualization. This [...] Read more.

In the governance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), traditional rituals often fall into a paradox of institutional exhibition. The Korean shamanic rites Ssitgim-gut and Byeolsin-gut, respectively, represent the two poles of ritual institutionalization, displaying semiotic logics of original iconicity and institutional textualization. This study, based on audiovisual materials, archival records, and performative documentation, constructs event-level coding of the signifier–subsystem–power relation and, through hierarchical regression and Mann–Whitney nonparametric tests, proposes the Dual-Axis Symbolic Regime Model (DSRR)—comprising the Symbolic Purification–Differentiation Axis (S) and the Textual–Institutional Axis (I). Results indicate that along the S-axis, the purification segments of Ssitgim-gut, dominated by iconic signifiers of soul pacification, manifest a shaman-centered unipolar power structure, whereas its performance segments, involving community participation, reveal a collaborative and co-performative power distribution. Moreover, institutionalization significantly affects the distribution of symbolic power. Along the I-axis, after Byeolsin-gut was incorporated into ICH stage performances, its ritual signifiers became scripted and codified, acquiring administrative value; consequently, the power gap between shamans and families narrowed, and interpretive authority shifted toward institutional agencies. These results remain robust after controlling for media-related variables.In conclusion, the DSRR model elucidates the correlation between symbols and power, offering empirical insights for ICH governance—specifically, how to preserve ritual integrity while avoiding the semantic attenuation of symbols caused by over-textualization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religions and Society: Between Navigating Secularism and Lived Religion)

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18 pages, 550 KB

Open AccessArticle

“Torn Between Two Lovers”: Uncovering the Real Fool of Proverbs 9:1–18

by Lisa Marie Belz

Religions 2026, 17(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010042 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

Feminist biblical criticism of Proverbs 1–9 has decried the figure of “Dame Folly” as reinforcing pejorative stereotypes of women that blame women for “the world’s sin and corruption.” To be sure, in the history of Christian biblical interpretation, Proverbs has been read in [...] Read more.

Feminist biblical criticism of Proverbs 1–9 has decried the figure of “Dame Folly” as reinforcing pejorative stereotypes of women that blame women for “the world’s sin and corruption.” To be sure, in the history of Christian biblical interpretation, Proverbs has been read in precisely this way—and with tragic consequences. In fact, Proverbs was used as fuel for the witch-hunting craze that infected the Christian West in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with its particular focus on women as being especially “addicted” to heresy and “evil superstitions.” Nonetheless, as this essay demonstrates, a reading which denigrates all women universally as blameworthy is not really native to post-exilic Judaism or biblical literature in general before the Hellenistic period. Instead, it emerges with the influence of Hellenism and the misogynist stereotypes endemic to Greek literature, mythology, and even philosophy that distort and blur the lens through which Hellenistic Jews (and later Greco-Roman Christians) read their Scriptures. Through a reading of Proverbs in its own language, its own post-exilic Jewish world, and its own literary context, this essay both recovers the wise women of Israel, so esteemed and valued in post-exilic Judaism, and uncovers the identity of the real fool of Proverbs 9. Full article

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30 pages, 535 KB

Open AccessArticle

Uncovering the Hijab Among Turkish Women: The Impact of Social Media and an Analysis Through Social and Cultural Capital

by Feyza Uzunoğlu and Fatma Baynal

Religions 2026, 17(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010041 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

In the digital age, social media platforms homogenize beauty standards and intricately link clothing choices to social norms and class identities. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural and social capital, supplemented by Erving Goffman’s theory of stigma, this study examines how social [...] Read more.

In the digital age, social media platforms homogenize beauty standards and intricately link clothing choices to social norms and class identities. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural and social capital, supplemented by Erving Goffman’s theory of stigma, this study examines how social media amplifies pre-existing socio-cultural pressures that influence Turkish women’s decisions to abandon the hijab. The research has practical implications for understanding and addressing hijab abandonment. It employs a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, analyzed through a phenomenological approach. The findings reveal that the pursuit of social acceptance and resistance to social exclusion are more decisive factors in hijab abandonment than direct social media influence. While social media serves as a crucial amplifier of aesthetic ideals and a gateway to digital legitimacy, the primary drivers are deeply rooted in the pursuit of social acceptance and resistance to long-standing mechanisms of socio-cultural exclusion, stigmatization, and symbolic violence—processes intensified and mediated through digital platforms. The analysis uncovers the operation of a dual-sided neighborhood pressure, whereby women face scrutiny from both religious communities enforcing idealized piety norms and secular circles perpetuating stigmatizing labels such as backwardness or ignorance. Crucially, participants reported that unveiling was strategically employed as a means of overcoming barriers to professional advancement, gaining access to elite social spheres, and escaping the constant burden of representation. The study concludes that hijab abandonment emerges as a complex strategy of social navigation, where digital platforms act as powerful accelerants of pre-existing class- and identity-based conflicts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Culture and Spirituality in a Digital World)

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12 pages, 245 KB

Open AccessArticle

Catholic Idiom and the Dialectic of Reading: A Meditation on Joris-Karl Huysmans’s Novel À rebours

by Gábor L. Ambrus

Religions 2026, 17(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010040 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

Huysmans’s novel À rebours can be seen as an epitome of the dialectic implied by the term peccata lectionis: reading can only come into its own through certain ‘sins’ inherent to it while possibly compromising it. Such ‘sins’ are involved in the decision [...] Read more.

Huysmans’s novel À rebours can be seen as an epitome of the dialectic implied by the term peccata lectionis: reading can only come into its own through certain ‘sins’ inherent to it while possibly compromising it. Such ‘sins’ are involved in the decision of the novel’s single protagonist and anti-hero, Des Esseintes, to withdraw into the solitude of his country house to live a life dedicated to aesthetic and intellectual pleasure. While celebrating his own eccentric fancies and artificiality of taste, the protagonist’s days of decadence, in their very antagonism towards both society and nature, are spent pursuing what can be called ‘reading of culture’. As ‘the reading of culture’ and its dialectics in the novel extend to and draw upon a wealth of references to the Catholic cultural tradition, the latter leads to a textual logic and a particular kind of lectio. It is in keeping with the novel being widely regarded as a harbinger of the ‘Catholic turn’ in its author’s career, Des Esseintes, at one point of the narrative, comes to explore the so-called ‘Catholic idiom’. Whereas his critique is aimed at 19th century Catholic writers in France and their indebtedness to the definitive rhetoric of the French Grand Siècle, the ‘Catholic idiom’, its particular textuality and the ‘reading of culture’ that is manifest in it may lie elsewhere in Huysmans’s novel itself. These likely reside in the textual logic of catalogues or ‘compendia’, that is, the listing of names within a category, which evokes mediaeval textual practices. The catalogue or ‘compendium’ as a genre within Huysmans’s novel fulfils the artificiality and vigour of the protagonist’s ‘reading of culture’—and the whole dialectic of the peccata lectionis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peccata Lectionis)

28 pages, 391 KB

Open AccessArticle

Attitude of Hope in the Poetry of St. John of the Cross in Context of Ethics of Ambiguity and Spiritual Abuse

by Antonina Wozna Urbanczak

Religions 2026, 17(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010039 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

The mystical poetry of St. John of the Cross (born in 1542 in Spain and died in 1591), a collaborator of St. Teresa of Jesus in the reform of the Carmelite Order, reveals how the experience of God is indissolubly linked with compassion, [...] Read more.

The mystical poetry of St. John of the Cross (born in 1542 in Spain and died in 1591), a collaborator of St. Teresa of Jesus in the reform of the Carmelite Order, reveals how the experience of God is indissolubly linked with compassion, and the practice of charity and hope. His life consistently reflects the virtues and attitudes celebrated in his poetry. This paper reinterprets three of his poems—Ascent of Mount Carmel, Of Falconry, and Spiritual Canticle—with a focus on the virtue and attitude of hope. It explores how hope is promoted and expressed through the lens of an ethics shaped by uncertainty and ambiguity, establishing a creative dialogue between classical and disruptive contemporary visions of Sanjuanist ethics. The text proposes an intersection of theology and ethics within a context of vulnerability, complexity, change, volatility, uncertainty, and ambiguity. It also addresses cases of spiritual abuse that distort the mystical and monastic meanings of the “dark night” metaphor. The experience of John of the Cross during his imprisonment is examined in relation to criteria for spiritual growth, with the aim of preventing spiritual misguidance. The paper aims to open the conversation in relation to the problem of abuse and its relation of how the cross may be understood and―in consequence―to help prevent the spiritual abuse that can take place through spiritual guidance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mysticism and Ethics: Bridging Transcendence and Action in Religious Experience)

26 pages, 713 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Buddha as the Legitimate Knower of Bráhman—The Brahminical Interpretation of the Brahmin Disciples of the Buddha

by Efraín Villamor Herrero

Religions 2026, 17(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010038 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

The influence of Brahmanism on Buddhist thought, is plausible in the Pāli Canon. Words attributed to the Buddha say that he defined himself as Brahmā (AN 4.89) and that he can read the very thoughts of the Vedic god (aham asmi brahmā [...] Read more.

The influence of Brahmanism on Buddhist thought, is plausible in the Pāli Canon. Words attributed to the Buddha say that he defined himself as Brahmā (AN 4.89) and that he can read the very thoughts of the Vedic god (aham asmi brahmā mahābrahmā DN 1.18, DN 1.221, DN 3.29). There are many other instances in the canon where Buddhists have interpreted terms in ways that did not develop from the context of orthodox Brahmanism. It has been documented even that Vedic Brahmins (who at the end converted to Buddhism) consistently asked the Buddha for the way to realize Brahma(n) (MN 2.206, DN 1.249), a hope also shared by Buddhists to be attained in the afterlife (AN 3.225, MN 2.76–78, DN 2.195), using the same formulas that the canonical tradition records as having been used by the Buddha to describe not his teachings (AN 3.371, AN 4.135) but the beliefs of ancient Brahmins (AN 4.103). Why is Buddhism understood in the light of Brahmanism? Why is Brahminical terminology and religious thought so present in the interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings? This paper discusses the historical influence of Upaniṣadic thought on the development and transmission of Buddhism. Here, I propose two significant theoretical frameworks to understand the development of Indian Buddhism: (1) the Buddha was praised as Brahmā: as the supreme Brahmin, represented by Buddhists as (2) the legitimate knower of Bráhman. Since the times of the Buddha, converted Brahmins, such as Sāriputta, seem to have influenced significantly the transmission of Indian Buddhism. This is reflected in Chinese translations, which portray an earlier interpretation of Buddhism, before the late opposition against Brahminism was established in Theravāda, and the decline of Brahmā and rebirth in the Brahmaloka were relegated in Buddhism as subordinate entities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Languages and Buddhist Texts: Translation, Transmission, and Interpretation Across Traditions)

17 pages, 348 KB

Open AccessArticle

From “What” Makes It Miraculous to “How” It Is Miraculous: The Qurʾān’s Methodological Revolution

by Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour

Religions 2026, 17(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010037 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

This article reinterprets the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān (the inimitability of the Qurʾān) by shifting the question from what makes the Qurʾān miraculous to how it is miraculous. It argues that the Qurʾān’s primary miracle lies not merely in its content, i.e., [...] Read more.

This article reinterprets the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān (the inimitability of the Qurʾān) by shifting the question from what makes the Qurʾān miraculous to how it is miraculous. It argues that the Qurʾān’s primary miracle lies not merely in its content, i.e., its eloquence or correspondence with scientific truth, but in its method: the transformation of the very frameworks through which knowledge, reason, and revelation were understood. Using Muḥammad ʿĀbid al-Jābirī’s tripartite epistemology of bayān (expressive reasoning), burhān (demonstrative reasoning), and ʿirfān (reflective reasoning) together with Gadamer’s “fusion of horizons,” the article argues that the Qurʾān can be read as fusing and transcending these three systems, uniting Arabic eloquence, Greek rationalism, and Persian–gnostic spirituality into a single, holistic discourse. Through close analysis of key passages, such as Abraham’s dialectical reasoning in Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ and the metaphysics of light in Āyat al-Nūr, the article shows how the Qurʾān integrates poetic language, rational argument, and mystical depth to create an epistemic design that addresses intellect, emotion, and spirit simultaneously. This synthesis allows the Qurʾān to be interpreted, within classical and later exegetical traditions, not only as a linguistic or theological miracle but as a paradigmatic reconfiguration of cognition: one that these traditions understood as teaching readers how to think, reflect, and awaken. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Islamic Colloquia of Edinburgh (ICE) Conference (7–9 July 2025): Miracles in Islam)

9 pages, 182 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ancient Wisdom for This Anxious Age: Luke 12:22–34’s Imperatives in Anxious Perspective

by Scott Geminn

Religions 2026, 17(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010036 (registering DOI) - 30 Dec 2025

In this article, I argue that the command of Jesus in Luke 12:22–34 not to be anxious and afraid are supported by exegetical clues from the text and findings in anxiety recovery research. I will argue that the imperatives of Luke 12:22–34 are [...] Read more.

In this article, I argue that the command of Jesus in Luke 12:22–34 not to be anxious and afraid are supported by exegetical clues from the text and findings in anxiety recovery research. I will argue that the imperatives of Luke 12:22–34 are not intended to be alienating but instructive with regard to where we put our attention and how we handle fear. Moreover, I will demonstrate that these words are not the fruit of a detached theologian or an abstract, impractical encouragement but instead the wisdom of someone familiar with the struggles of life, particularly that of first-century Jewish Palestine. Such is a wisdom that can be drawn upon today, especially for those who struggle with anxiety. The research methodology in this article is interdisciplinary, employing theology, exegesis, and psychology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

12 pages, 205 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Transcendental–Philosophical and Existential–Phenomenological Foundation of Sustainability on the Threshold of Theology

by Matthias Huber

Religions 2026, 17(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010035 (registering DOI) - 29 Dec 2025

This article explores the foundations and scope of theological discourse on sustainability by drawing upon transcendental–philosophical and existential–phenomenological perspectives. This study addresses the ongoing debate regarding the unique contribution and place of theological appeals to sustainability, especially in relation to secular arguments and [...] Read more.

This article explores the foundations and scope of theological discourse on sustainability by drawing upon transcendental–philosophical and existential–phenomenological perspectives. This study addresses the ongoing debate regarding the unique contribution and place of theological appeals to sustainability, especially in relation to secular arguments and audiences. Building on the structures of human cognition, freedom, and meaning, as well as the phenomenological concepts of givenness and promise, this paper critically examines how these structures can both motivate sustainable behavior and serve as interfaces to theological creation and eschatology. The methodological approach combines systematic philosophical analysis with affirmative theology, especially reflecting on the interrelation between the cognitive and experiential dimensions of human existence. The findings suggest that sustainability is not merely a moral option promoted by extrinsic or intrinsic motivators but is deeply rooted in the anthropological groundings of the human being. This study argues that a philosophically and anthropologically grounded discourse on sustainability serves as a vital interface between religious conviction and secular reasoning, extending the reach and impact of sustainability ethics. Full article

21 pages, 306 KB

Open AccessArticle

Governance Systems in the Management of Multireligious Societies: The Spanish Model

by Jaime Rossell

Religions 2026, 17(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010034 - 29 Dec 2025

This article addresses the need to rethink models for managing religious diversity in Europe, which, among other causes, has transformed into a multi-religious society, breaking with Christian hegemony as a result of the migration processes of the last century. The author proposes governance [...] Read more.

This article addresses the need to rethink models for managing religious diversity in Europe, which, among other causes, has transformed into a multi-religious society, breaking with Christian hegemony as a result of the migration processes of the last century. The author proposes governance as an essential tool for managing religious diversity, understood as a style of government that promotes interaction and cooperation between the State and non-state actors, including religious denominations, in decision-making processes to regulate this phenomenon and enable individuals and the groups they belong to, to exercise their fundamental right to religious freedom. This approach seeks the social inclusion and effective participation of religious minorities to combat their marginalization and radicalization. To this end, we propose moving away from laicism positions that seek to exclude religion from the public sphere or from those that defend the political use of religion as an element of national identity, proposing instead a model of positive secularism like the Spanish one. Analysing the Spanish model, the article argues how the political participation of religious minorities through a model of religious governance in the management of religious diversity is crucial for building inclusive and safe societies where social cohesion and the full observance of religious freedom and other fundamental rights are achieved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Institutions in the Mediterranean: A Comparative Perspective)

22 pages, 327 KB

Open AccessArticle

“Oastea Domnului” (The Lord’s Army): Contexts and Origins of a Moral and Spiritual Renewal Movement in Twentieth-Century Romania

by Oliviu-Petru Botoi

Religions 2026, 17(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010033 (registering DOI) - 29 Dec 2025

This article presents the context and genesis of the Lord’s Army (Oastea Domnului), a religious movement of moral and spiritual renewal in Romania at the beginning of the twentieth century. The text outlines the missionary context within the Romanian Orthodox Church [...] Read more.

This article presents the context and genesis of the Lord’s Army (Oastea Domnului), a religious movement of moral and spiritual renewal in Romania at the beginning of the twentieth century. The text outlines the missionary context within the Romanian Orthodox Church in the early twentieth century, as well as the influences that made themselves felt in the Romanian area both from beyond the country’s borders and from within, taking into account the new socio-political realities that followed the World War I. The context in which the Lord’s Army arose is presented in a nuanced and comprehensive manner, going beyond the formal framework of the evangelical influences that were more strongly experienced in Transylvania. The article also examines the genesis of the movement, closely connected to the Orthodox priest Iosif Trifa, whose missionary profile is briefly outlined in order to illuminate the manner in which he articulated the missionary vision that eventually materialised in a new spiritual movement, one that gained numerous adherents in Romania and continues to exist to this day. Furthermore, the article presents the spiritual, moral, and missionary directions through which the Lord’s Army established itself in Romanian society as a new movement of moral revitalisation in the first half of the twentieth century. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Phenomena in Romania in the 20th and Early 21st Centuries)

19 pages, 35118 KB

Open AccessArticle

Temple Painting and Vernacular Narratives: The Case of the Miaoshan Story Mural of Guanyin Monastery, Xinjin, Sichuan (Mid-Fifteenth Century)

by Rostislav Berezkin

Religions 2026, 17(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010032 - 28 Dec 2025

This paper examines the complex connections between religious painting and vernacular narratives during the Ming dynasty through a case study of the Miaoshan story mural in the Vairochana Hall (Piludian 毗盧殿) of Guanyin Monastery (Guanyinsi 觀音寺) in Xinjin 新津, Sichuan (near Chengdu). [...] Read more.

This paper examines the complex connections between religious painting and vernacular narratives during the Ming dynasty through a case study of the Miaoshan story mural in the Vairochana Hall (Piludian 毗盧殿) of Guanyin Monastery (Guanyinsi 觀音寺) in Xinjin 新津, Sichuan (near Chengdu). This mural constitutes the earliest precisely dated surviving example (completed in 1468 and renovated in 1756) of pictorial representations of the Miaoshan story in China, the popular hagiography of Bodhisattva Guanyin that gained wide circulation in Buddhist communities during this period. Although this narrative painting has already attracted scholarly attention, many questions concerning its origins and meaning remain unresolved. Through a comparison with the earliest extant textual variants of the Baojuan of Xiangshan (香山寶卷, reprinted editions of 1772 and 1773), this paper demonstrates the distinctive features of the Xinjin mural. It further situates the mural within the broader history of visual representations of the Miaoshan story from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that survive in Sichuan and Beijing. This case study reveals the significant influence of vernacular narrative traditions on Buddhist art during the Ming dynasty, while also showing that the Xinjin mural represents an independent version of the Miaoshan narrative that was not preserved in later written sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Temple Art, Architecture and Theatre)

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14 pages, 349 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Conversion of Christian Armenians to Islam in Iran in the Early Modern Period

by Kristine Kostikyan

Religions 2026, 17(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010031 - 27 Dec 2025

A considerable portion of the Armenian population living in the Armenian highland and the South Caucasian region was subject to the Iranian dynasties of the Safavids, Afsharids and Qajars in the period from the 16th till the beginning of the 19th centuries. The [...] Read more.

A considerable portion of the Armenian population living in the Armenian highland and the South Caucasian region was subject to the Iranian dynasties of the Safavids, Afsharids and Qajars in the period from the 16th till the beginning of the 19th centuries. The rulers of Iran often initiated and stimulated processes of conversion to Shi̒i Islam among its subjects with the purpose of increasing the religious and cultural homogeneity of the society. Apart from some forced methods of conversion applied by different rulers of Iran, there existed a number of factors stimulating the conversion of Christian Armenians and their assimilation in Iran in the early modern period. After a review over the various factors stimulating this process, author focuses on the law of Shi̒i Islam practiced in the hereditary matters of Armenians since the 1620s. It became a major factor leading to the conversion of Christian Armenians not only in the inner provinces of Iran but also in their native settlements in the regions of South Caucasus and Anatolia subordinated to the rule of Iranian states. The article considers the consequences of the implementation of this law for the Armenians living under the rule of Iran, as well as the ways they used to avoid the claims of their relatives who had adopted Islam and to bypass its harmful effects. The data and information of the contemporary sources have also allowed us to reveal the legal ways used by the Armenians during the purchase and transmission of property in order to protect it from various encroachments of their Muslim relatives. The article elucidates likewise the attempts of the leaders of the Armenian Church to withstand the harm caused by the implementation of the law and stop it with royal decrees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interreligious Dialogue and Conflict)

34 pages, 574 KB

Open AccessArticle

Across Eurasia’s Middle Ages: “Women’s Weaving” Motif in Daoism and Christianity

by Jing Wei and Lifang Zhu

Religions 2026, 17(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010030 - 27 Dec 2025

This article undertakes a cross-cultural comparative inquiry into the motif of “women’s weaving” in medieval Daoism and Christianity. Although the two traditions developed with minimal historical contact, both elevate women’s textile labor into a central metaphor for cosmogenesis, sacred order, and individual salvation. [...] Read more.

This article undertakes a cross-cultural comparative inquiry into the motif of “women’s weaving” in medieval Daoism and Christianity. Although the two traditions developed with minimal historical contact, both elevate women’s textile labor into a central metaphor for cosmogenesis, sacred order, and individual salvation. Nevertheless, their hermeneutic trajectories diverge in essential ways. Working within a tripartite analytical framework (intellectual roots, artistic images, ritual practices) to argue that Daoism interprets “women’s weaving” as a proactive technique of transformation and nurture, based on a cosmology of immanent huasheng lun. In this reading, the image is affiliated with the cosmic creativity of nüxian, the inner transformation of their body, and the autonomous pursuit of transcendence. By contrast, within Christianity’s transcendent theological horizon of creatio ex nihilo, “women’s weaving” is configured primarily as an ethical discipline of responsive obedience, closely tied to the mystery of the Incarnation, the imitatio Dei, and communal spiritual exercises and charity under monasticism. The cross-cultural resonance of this motif, I contend, is grounded in the “men’s ploughing and women’s weaving” economic formation, patriarchal gender order, and shared symbolic cognition; its decisive bifurcation arises from contrasting deep cultural structures—namely, cosmology, conceptions of the body, soteriology, and church–state arrangements. Through this micro-case, the article further argues that the sacralization of secular gender roles constitutes an agentic cultural choice, one that indexes distinct civilizational pathways in understanding creation, nature, the body, and freedom. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Modern Reception and Interpretation of Daoism in East Asia and the West: A Comparative Perspective (19th–21st Centuries))

20 pages, 915 KB

Open AccessArticle

“Sing Unto the Lord a New Song”: Musical Innovation at the Boundaries of Schism

by Efrat Urbach

Religions 2026, 17(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010029 (registering DOI) - 26 Dec 2025

This study examines the theological and liturgical significance of the biblical injunction to “sing a new song,” tracing its deployment across eras of Christian history as both a symbol of renewal and a tool of doctrinal contestation. Focusing on key moments of schism—the [...] Read more.

This study examines the theological and liturgical significance of the biblical injunction to “sing a new song,” tracing its deployment across eras of Christian history as both a symbol of renewal and a tool of doctrinal contestation. Focusing on key moments of schism—the early Church’s response to Gnostic and Arian hymnody and Ambrose’s adoption of Eastern antiphonal singing, the article explores how musical form, meter, and performance practice became markers of orthodoxy and heresy long before Reformation-era musical reforms. Drawing on patristic commentary, heresiographical sources, and hymnological analysis, the study highlights how the popular style in various guises was alternately condemned and reclaimed. This suggests that Christian music has consistently evolved through interaction with popular and heterodox forms and that the “new song” in its exegetical form has functioned as a recurring strategy of theological self-definition. Ultimately, the paper argues that disputes over musical style mirror broader tensions between innovation and authority and that the history of hymnody offers a unique lens into the formation of Christian identity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecclesiology in Context: Exploring the Historical, Cultural, and Theological Dimensions of the Church)

28 pages, 519 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Bible Rearranged—How the Rites of the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer Use the Bible as a Source

by Matthew S. C. Olver

Religions 2026, 17(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010028 - 26 Dec 2025

A common trope in Anglicanism is to refer to the Book of Common Prayer as “the Bible rearranged for public service.” This paper unpacks the complex and varied ways in which the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer uses and appropriates Scripture in [...] Read more.

A common trope in Anglicanism is to refer to the Book of Common Prayer as “the Bible rearranged for public service.” This paper unpacks the complex and varied ways in which the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer uses and appropriates Scripture in the text of its liturgies. Relying on an earlier essay in Studia Liturgica where the author proposed a taxonomy to describe the various ways that any liturgical rite can use Scripture as a source within the text of the rite, he applies that taxonomy to the English and American Prayer Book tradition more generally and the current American BCP more specifically. He demonstrates not only that this taxonomy is just as applicable to modern liturgical texts as it is to ancient ones, but also that it provides a means to describe accurately the range of ways in which this particular BCP can rightly be said to be scriptural. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bible and Liturgy in Dialogue)

23 pages, 288 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship Between Education and Religion in Slovenia in the Context of Increasing Cultural Diversity: Insights from a Pilot Study on the Visibility of Minority Pupils

by Živa Kos and Veronika Tašner

Religions 2026, 17(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010027 - 26 Dec 2025

This article examines the complex interplay between plurality and neutrality in Slovenian education in the context of increasing religious and cultural diversity associated with global migration. Drawing on a pilot study conducted with five primary school counsellors working in high-diversity school environments, it [...] Read more.

This article examines the complex interplay between plurality and neutrality in Slovenian education in the context of increasing religious and cultural diversity associated with global migration. Drawing on a pilot study conducted with five primary school counsellors working in high-diversity school environments, it explores the tensions between the normative principles of plurality and neutrality and their practical implementation in everyday school life. The aim is to highlight the concrete challenges that schools and school staff encounter when addressing religious and cultural diversity. The pilot study shows that schools react differently to religious and cultural diversity, depending on the challenges faced by pupils, staff, school management and family-school co-operation. While the study included pupils from various religious backgrounds, only certain minority groups, particularly Muslim pupils, emerged as the minority group most clearly observed in the interviews. This visibility reflects the combination of cultural and religious differences from the majority and the more explicit demands these pupils and their families raised within the school context. In contrast, Orthodox Christian pupils were generally perceived as culturally and institutionally aligned with the majority population, and their practices (such as observing their New Year or other holidays) were accommodated by the existing school system without specific challenges. It also suggests that there are different understandings of how schools should teach neutrality and plurality beyond the official curriculum. The study identifies common challenges that schools face in relation to religious and cultural diversity, some of which are closely linked to the multicultural approach to education. The challenges identified are illustrated using Muslim pupils as an example of the minority group most prominently observed in the data, while acknowledging that other minority groups may experience different or less visible challenges. The findings are therefore limited to the context observed in this pilot study and cannot be generalised to all minority pupils in Slovenia. Full article

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

17 pages, 366 KB

Open AccessArticle

Deo Parere Libertas Est: Stoic Echoes in Wittgenstein’s Conception of Destiny

by Begoña Ramón Cámara

Religions 2026, 17(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17010026 - 25 Dec 2025

My aim in this paper is to examine some aspects of the relationship between the concepts of God, destiny, and happiness in Wittgenstein’s writings. The analysis is done—to use an expression of the philosopher’s own—by contrast with and against the background of Roman [...] Read more.

My aim in this paper is to examine some aspects of the relationship between the concepts of God, destiny, and happiness in Wittgenstein’s writings. The analysis is done—to use an expression of the philosopher’s own—by contrast with and against the background of Roman Stoicism’s views on this matter, mainly Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. The different uses of the concept of God that appeared in their texts are analysed, and the relationship between the notions of destiny, self-sufficiency, and happiness is clarified. Several similarities between Wittgenstein and Roman Stoics are traced, among others, those relating to the sense of the principle of distinction between what depends on oneself and what does not, the primacy of inner life as an absolute alternative to the impossible mastery of the world of facts, and the ideas of a serene acceptance of adversity and of happiness as peace of mind. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Work on Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion)

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