Search Results (244)

Based on ethnographic data collected in Germany, this article compares ultra-conservative Salafi and progressive, LGBTQI-plus Muslim movements and examines their negotiation of religious identity and practice within and in contrast to ‘mainstream Islam’ (e.g., DİTİB). While on the surface these movements appear to be on the fringes of Islam and clearly opposed to each other, a closer look reveals interesting moments of convergence and publicly gained prominence. In doing so, this article explores the actor biography issues that drive affiliation, including negative experiences with mainstream mosques and the search for authentic expression and roots. It analyses the politics of labelling (e.g., ‘Salafi’, ‘liberal’), and how these groups define their target audiences in relation to the perceived mainstream. It examines the negotiation of cultural diversity and Islamic ‘purity’, contrasting Salafi reform with progressive interpretations. Finally, it examines strategies for challenging mainstream institutions. By comparing these groups, the article offers a nuanced insight into Islamic practices at the margins. It sheds light on the various strategies employed to discredit mainstream Islamic institutions, ranging from theological differences to power struggles within the contested religious field. Full article

This study examines the interplay between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and substance use disorders (SUDs) among Brazilian college students, also addressing associated emotional distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress). A total of 3130 students (M_age = 23.6; SD_age = 5.34) participated in an online survey featuring validated measures for assessing PSU, alcohol and drug consumption, and emotional distress. Participants were categorized into problematic smartphone use (PSU) and non-problematic use (nPSU) groups. The prevalence of PSU was 46.9%, notably higher among female students, those lacking a religious affiliation, individuals living alone, and the unemployed. PSU individuals showed significantly elevated rates of alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit substance use, along with greater emotional distress. Network analysis revealed that weekly alcohol consumption and stress symptoms exhibited the highest centrality indices (e.g., stress with high betweenness; alcohol with strong expected influence), underscoring their key roles in connecting PSU and SUDs. These findings suggest that PSU and SUDs may share underlying emotional vulnerabilities, highlighting the need for integrated intervention strategies targeting both conditions concurrently. Full article

This study examines critical challenges associated with religious literacy in contemporary South Korea and educational approaches to address them. By analyzing data from the Religious Literacy Survey 2023 (n = 2022), we reveal that these paradoxical attitudes stem from a declining religious literacy, manifested as limited knowledge of religious traditions and their teachings. Amid the rise in the number of the religiously unaffiliated, our analysis indicates that this trend reflects not a rejection of religion but rather an urgent need for education to enhance religious literacy. Based on this analysis, we examine religious education curricula at Dongguk and Yonsei Universities as exemplars that not only deepen students’ understanding of specific religious traditions but also help them recognize religion’s enduring relevance in addressing contemporary societal challenges. Building on these cases, while recognizing their limitations as religiously affiliated institutions, we emphasize the need for an integrated educational approach to religious literacy—one that extends beyond specific traditions and incorporates religious studies examining various dimensions of religion itself. We further suggest the broader implementation of religious literacy education across higher education institutions. Such educational approaches provide insights into fostering social cohesion and meaningful interreligious engagement in South Korea and beyond. Full article

Research on religion and migration has often focused on institutions and belief systems, while overlooking how mediation links migrants, sacred objects, rituals, and religious imaginaries. This study advances mediation as a core analytic in religion–migration studies by examining the practices of ten Thai migrant students in South Korea through semi-structured interviews on Buddhist amulets, Hindu deity pendants, Catholic rosaries, merit-making, and the elevation of sacred objects. Guided by Meyer’s religion-as-mediation framework and Taylor’s concept of the social imaginary, the analysis shows that quotidian, embodied engagements with sacred objects mediate and materialize Thai Buddhist–Animist imaginaries in Korean settings, expanding, transnationalizing, and hybridizing them through encounters with the host environment. These practices not only sustain spiritual continuity, but also generate sacred transnational social spaces that bridge both the ontological divide between the human and the transcendent and the geographical divide between Thailand and Korea. Rather than being preserved through institutional affiliation, migrant religiosity is continually reconstituted through everyday embodied practices of mediation that render the sacred experientially real in the host society. By foregrounding mediation, this study offers a reconceptualization of migrant religion as an embodied, material, and world-making process—one through which migrants actively reimagine and inhabit sacred spaces across borders. Full article

Background/Objectives: As dementia progresses, patients often lose decision-making capacity, leaving family members responsible for making critical end-of-life (EOL) care decisions. This cross-sectional descriptive study explored the factors associated with the intention to complete an advance directive (AD) among family caregivers of older adults with dementia in South Korea. Methods: This study surveyed 140 caregivers aged 20 years or older to assess their knowledge of advance directives (ADs), preferences for EOL care, and attitudes toward withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (LST). Data were collected from 1 August to 14 August 2024, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression, with SPSS/WIN 28.0. Results: The intention to complete an AD significantly differed by religion (p = 0.004) and the functional status of the patient with dementia (p = 0.012). There was a positive correlation between intention to complete an AD and knowledge of ADs (r = 0.23, p = 0.007). Factors associated with intention to complete an AD included religion (OR = 4.36, p = 0.028) and knowledge of ADs (OR = 1.16, p = 0.033), explaining 22.2% of the variance, which is considered meaningful in studies dealing with complex psychosocial and behavioral variables. Conclusions: These findings suggest that religious affiliation and knowledge of ADs may contribute to greater emphasis on EOL preparedness and self-determination. To promote informed decision making, it is essential to implement targeted educational interventions—such as community-based workshops, telehealth counseling, and in-clinic guidance—that enhance caregivers’ understanding of ADs and empower them in their caregiving roles. Full article

For generations, a silent symbol of politics in U.S. religious congregations has been the presence of the national flag in worship spaces. Despite debates over the flag, there is limited empirical research on its contemporary prevalence or influence in congregations. Building upon research on social sorting, we hypothesize that people with conservative religion and conservative politics sort into congregations displaying the flag. Additionally, we hypothesize a priming effect whereby worshipping with the U.S. flag elevates support for Christian nationalism. Findings from the 2021 Baylor Religion Survey reveal that nearly half of religiously affiliated U.S. adults worship with the flag, most notably members of white Protestant religious traditions (more so than Catholics) and older adults. Regardless of religious tradition or political ideology, worshipping with the flag is associated with support for Christian nationalist beliefs. These finding highlight a sorting process into American congregations and hint at political socialization occurring within them. Full article

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

Overcoming its self-referential preoccupations, theology today is urged to exit into the public square characterized by multiple types of diversity. One of the crucial public domains in which religions have played a significant role is education. In the contemporary multireligious Indian context, the question that arises is whether we can consider Salesian pedagogy as public religious pedagogy, that is, if educators affiliated to neighbour religions can share the Salesian/religious pedagogy in Salesian educational institutions. It is our contention that the prism of public theology can shed some light on such a possibility. With this intent, we first elucidate the configuration of public theology amidst religious pluralism focusing successively on public practical theology of education, public religious education, and public religious pedagogy. This is then followed by a synthesis of Salesian pedagogy and the research design of a qualitative study on its lived experience among Hindu and Muslim educators, namely, professors in Salesian colleges, teachers in Salesian schools, and social collaborators in Salesian study centres of Tamil Nadu, India. Lastly, based on the emerging findings we highlight the relevance and advancement of Salesian pedagogy as public religious pedagogy. Full article

From public images of Islam to everyday Muslim practice. As the current debates on “Islam” and “Muslims” in Europe illustrate, social conflicts related to religious issues seem to attract public attention and become politicised relatively quickly. As European societies develop into a place of cultural and religious diversity in the context of global opening processes, voices are increasingly raised that propagate religious homogeneity in Europe and see the presence of Muslims almost exclusively as a problem. On the one hand, such homogenising interpretations are made visible, and it is shown how a decidedly negative image of Islam has emerged and how such rigid categorisations lead to the decontextualisation of religious affiliations and practices, which has a significant influence on the life constructions and positioning practices of those affected. On the other hand, biographical examples are used to illustrate how negative attributions to Islam and its adherents are perceived by subsequent generations, how they react to them, how they position themselves in the debate, and what strategies result from this to deal with them. The focus is on the experiences of those affected, i.e., the “knowledge of the people”, as a counterpoint to a “hegemonic knowledge” of Islam and Muslims. Full article

Congregational leaders in the US must navigate a political landscape marked by increasing political polarization and a notable rise in support for ideas aligned with Christian nationalism. While gender, race, ethnicity, and religious affiliation have long shaped political lines, the US population has steadily become more entrenched in partisan political divides. Recent research shows the relationship between religious identity and willingness to use violence to support political and religious ideologies. These trends profoundly affect faith communities, challenging theological perspectives, social dynamics, and civic engagement. This paper examines how political polarization and Christian nationalist impulses within mainline Christian congregations impact congregational leadership. This study identifies key factors driving these changes through qualitative analysis of case studies and quantitative research. It explores their implications for community cohesion and the broader societal fabric. The findings suggest that while some communities experience heightened internal conflict and fragmentation, others adapt by engaging in dialogue, story-sharing, and education. The paper concludes with recommendations to counter political polarization and ideological extremism through increased understanding, nuanced theological reflection, and political awareness. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on congregational leadership and political engagement, highlighting the need for nuanced strategies to address the challenges of political polarization and Christian nationalism in the US today. Full article

Background: The relationship between religiosity and health has been a topic of interest to researchers for many years, especially in the context of the potential positive impact of religion on individual health. A significant correlation between religious affiliation and well-being has been observed among individuals residing in religious communities. The shared lifestyle and values enable analysis of the impact of spirituality on health. Methods: The present study aimed to examine the lifestyle of consecrated persons in relation to variables such as nationality, country of ministry, age, and length of time in the community. Furthermore, it sought to ascertain the extent to which community members self-assess their well-being within the context of community life and identify potential areas that require support. Results: The survey was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire, which was available in electronic (n = 443) and paper (n = 20) format, depending on the participants’ locations in Poland and abroad. A total of 463 religious women representing 22 different nationalities and serving in 34 countries participated in the survey. The respondents frequently said a balanced diet, rest, and activity are important for good health. On average, 57% of the participants (n = 264) said their lifestyle was healthy, with the most responses coming from women aged 65 and over (73%). This could be due to a positive attitude towards healthy behaviors, regular exercise, better stress coping, and lower depression symptoms. These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Participants of non-Polish nationality who live outside Poland perceived their lifestyle as healthy significantly more often than Polish nationals and those living in Poland. The study shows that religiosity and spirituality may improve subjective health assessments, especially among the elderly, which could be the basis for research on wider populations. Full article

This research paper explores Romanian Orthodox religious places as vital centers for producing and promoting national identity as well as cultural and religious heritage in Italy. Through the application of a spatial perspective, it addresses the complexities of heritage recognition, questioning what constitutes “heritage” for the religious minorities in Italy and highlighting the inadequacies of the current legal frameworks in this context. The paper focuses on the interplay between history and memory, scrutinizing the dialectical relationships that shape polyphonic, collective, and public memories of the Romanian parishes’ national and religious heritage. Moreover, it analyzes how memories, traditions, and national identity influence the perception of religious communities by focusing on constructing a group memory that highlights ethnic identity rather than religious affiliation. Full article

Background: Induced after-death communication (IADC) therapy is an emerging approach for addressing grief-related distress, particularly in individuals experiencing complicated grief (CG). Developed from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), IADC therapy aims to change the meanings with which loss is read and to transform acute grief into integrated grief. While spontaneous after-death communications (ADCs) have been widely reported across different cultures, IADC therapy provides a structured procedure for inducing a state of mind in which such experiences can spontaneously arise and develop. Methods: This study employed a prospective observational cohort design with a retrospective analysis, comparing the effectiveness of IADC therapy (experimental group, n = 42) to standard grief interventions combining talk therapy and EMDR (control group, n = 43). Participants completed standardized measures, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) and the IADC Grief Questionnaire (IADC-GQ), at pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2), and six-month follow-up (T3). Additional analyses explored the role of spirituality, religious affiliation, and therapist characteristics in grief processing. Results: IADC therapy led to a significantly greater reduction in grief intensity (ICG scores) immediately after the intervention and at the six-month follow-up compared to the control group. The experimental group also showed a more pronounced decrease in distress symptoms (CS scores) and higher ratings of therapeutic satisfaction. Furthermore, participants in the experimental group exhibited a significantly greater increase in their continuing bond (CB) scores, suggesting a more adaptive connection with the deceased. Additional analyses examined therapist characteristics, treatment-related factors, and the nature of ADC experiences, which are further explored in the discussion. Conclusions: These findings highlight the clinical utility of IADC therapy as a brief and cost-effective grief intervention, offering comparable or superior outcomes to traditional grief therapies. The results suggest that recognizing and integrating spontaneous ADC experiences into grief therapy may provide a valuable therapeutic pathway. Future research should further explore the long-term effects, cultural variations, and therapist characteristics to optimize the integration of IADC therapy into mainstream clinical practice. Full article

During the last decade, the discussions about climate change have evolved beyond technical and technological debates, and politicians and religious leaders have started to acknowledge the complexity of the matter more frequently than ever. These discussions aptly underlined the inadequacy of the offered technical solutions to problems due to climate change, which are bound to social and psychological barriers and evaluated through the lenses of existing culture, values, and beliefs, which can hinder appropriate responses. The current study problematises this puzzle by exploring variations in ideological positions, religious affiliations, and religiosity levels and their interactions with climate anxiety. The findings indicate that differing religious affiliations and religiosity levels are robust predictors of variations in climate anxiety. Moreover, their interactions and ideological positions also effectively explain the variations in perceptions related to climate anxiety. These findings provide critical insights into how religious and ideological dimensions influence responses to climate issues, offering practical implications for policymakers. Full article

This study investigates the determinants of women empowerment among refugee women living in Nairobi, Kenya. First, the study constructs an index to examine empowerment drivers using data from the Refugee and Host Household Survey (RHHS) 2021. A fractional logit regression model was employed in the study. The results obtained show that the incidence of refugee women empowerment among refugees living in Nairobi was six percent. In addition, the study finds evidence that age; the gender of the household head; the education level of the refugee woman; employment status; and the education of the household head play substantial roles in enabling women empowerment. Conversely, marital statuses (divorced/separated/widowed and single/never married) and religious affiliations (Muslim) hinder women empowerment. Efforts geared towards improving wage employment and education are likely to empower refugee women. The study emphasizes the recognition of the role played by women in household income through care work. Full article