Search Results (110)

The research aims to derive the positive and negative values and strange habits included in Ibn Battuta’s journey called “Tuhfat An-Nuzzar fi Ghara’ibal-Amsar wa-‘Aja’ib Al-Asfar” by Shams al-Din bin Abdullah al-Lawati, the Moroccan al-Tanji, known as Ibn Battuta (d. 1377 AD), presented and investigated by Ali al-Muntasir al-Katani (D.T), which was included in Ibn Battuta’s trip, to the peoples of the countries he visited on the African and Asian continents. A total of 440 respondents participated in the study: 195 teachers in the supplementary track and 245 fourth-year regular track students at an Arab College of Education from all disciplines: early childhood, Arabic language, science, mathematics and computer science, English language, and special education. The respondents were asked to select an enrichment text or a story of one or more pages from Ibn Battuta’s travels, with the aim of eliciting the positive and negative values and strange customs of the peoples and countries Ibn Battuta visited in Africa and Asia. The study results indicated that Ibn Battuta’s travelogue, “Tuhfat An-Nuzzar fi Ghara’ibal-Amsar wa-‘Aja’ib Al-Asfar,” is considered an important literary reference, rich with texts and stories from which we can deduce the values and customs of the people of the countries Ibn Battuta visited in Africa and Asia. Teachers can use this information for discussion and constructive dialogue with their students in schools, in various educational subjects such as social studies, religion, literature, Arabic language, history, and geography. Most of the study participants support the idea of integrating Ibn Battuta’s travelogue into various lessons. The study recommends the importance of integrating and expanding it to include other subjects in schools, colleges, and universities. This integration should be systematically built around various activities that achieve “meaningful learning,” ensure active student participation, and enhance value for the learner and society. In conclusion, I recommend conducting detailed studies and research on the educational values derived from travel literature. Full article

This study critically examines the civil–religious influence of Korean conservative Protestantism, which mobilizes heteronormative strategies to oppose anti-discrimination and family rights legislation, through the lens of Christian normativity. These movements justify heteronormative values by appealing to the immutability of the “creation order” in Genesis. Yet such literalist interpretations disregard contemporary findings in evolutionary biology and animal behavior that document same-sex phenomena across species, thereby framing creation and evolution in rigid opposition. Imported from American fundamentalism, “creation science” has further fueled an anti-intellectual public sentiment that naturalizes heterosexuality as divine law. The absolutism of the creation order and special revelation exposes deep theological contradictions when confronted with the existence of diverse sexual and gender identities. In response, this study turns to process theology, which reimagines creation as open-ended, dynamic, and co-creative. Engaging Catherine Keller’s apophatic theology to reopen theological space for sexual minorities, it further develops Justin Sabia-Tanis’s interpretation of transgender transformation as a process of co-evolution, in dialogue with Donna Haraway’s notion of cyborg hybridity. Moreover, drawing on John B. Cobb Jr.’s “persuasive political theology,” it argues that participation in divine co-creation must be expanded into the socio-political sphere. Ultimately, this study seeks to resist anti-intellectualism and advocate for a transformative Christian civil religion in Korea—one oriented toward justice, inclusion, and continual co-creation. Full article

Modern approaches to research assessment often treat two independent dimensions: the degree of readiness (the progress of scientific maturity) and the Added Scientific Value (novelty, rigor, reproducibility, and societal significance). The present study aims to develop an integrative model that links the stepwise logic of Scientific Readiness Levels (SRLs) with the continuous evaluation of Added Scientific Value (ASV). To achieve this, we construct a two-dimensional quantitative framework, SRL × ASV, in which discrete readiness levels are combined with the multiplicative aggregation of normalized qualitative indicators—including novelty, rigor, reproducibility, openness, impact, and collaboration. Advancement to a higher readiness level becomes possible only when the evidential criteria are simultaneously satisfied and the ASV threshold value is reached. The model is formally defined and illustrated via the example of Kazakhstan’s national science funding system. The results demonstrate that the integration of SRL and ASV creates a reproducible and transparent decision-making structure in which weak components cannot be compensated by strong ones, and excessive dependence on purely metric-based evaluations is eliminated. By uniting maturity and quality within a single coherent system, the SRL + ASV model bridges the gap between developmental staging and scientific value, transforming research assessment into a transparent, evidence-based, and continuously improvable process applicable to the governance of responsible and reproducible science. Full article

Advances in AI and Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) like Neuralink’s invite constructive Christian ethical responses that capitalize on these increasingly powerful technologies. This paper offers such a response. Its thought experiment partly draws on Immanuel Kant’s work Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason in which he argues that the Son of God is the prototype of the perfectly good person and, as such, serves as the ideal model for anyone seeking to lead a moral life. Working within this Kantian framework, the anticipated capabilities of BCIs and AI could assist humans make moral progress and support their efforts to imitate the Son of God. These two technologies, coupled with a computer science approach to AI ethics known as Conditional Preference Networks, or CP-nets, offer a path forward. A case study in which a medical doctor with access to only one donor kidney must choose between two patients illustrates how BCIs and AI can help. Full article

This publication marks yet another interdisciplinary contribution by the authors: a canon lawyer and a biblical theologian. They undertake a joint canonical and exegetical analysis of Ezra 9:1–2, reflecting on whether this passage might be counted among the biblical foundations that have informed the Catholic Church’s doctrine on mixed marriages and the diriment impediment arising from disparity of religion. Already, the title poses the research problem framed as a question, “Does the Biblical Injunction against Marriage with ‘Outsiders’ (Ezra 9:1–2) still Bind Catholics Today?” As a first step, the authors undertake an examination of the biblical pericope with a particular focus on the problem of intermarriage, contextualized within its historical setting and the reform initiated by Ezra. Special attention is given to Deuteronomy 7:3–4, which is considered a fundamental underpinning of Ezra’s position. Subsequently, the authors trace the historical evolution of the concepts of impedimentum disparitatis cultus and impedimentum mixtae religionis. The authors move on to discuss the contemporary teaching of the Catholic Church concerning mixed marriages and the granting of dispensations from the diriment impediment of disparity of cult. Particular attention is given to the prerequisites for obtaining the permission of the local ordinary and the aforesaid dispensation, nuanced from the perspective of the Catholic party and non-Catholic one. In the final section, the authors articulate the conclusions of their inquiry. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the study, their research methodology integrated scholarly sources from both biblical sciences and the canonical legal tradition. Full article

The sustainability of coastal ecosystem resources hinges on collective action; however, conservation programs often fail when the underlying values that shape human behavior are overlooked. Anchored in behavioral change theory and common-pool resource governance, this study explores artisanal fishers’ subconscious value orientations as drivers of conservation. Relational value, as defined by IPBES, was used to assess the strength of the relationship between artisanal fishers and coastal resources. Principal Component Analysis of survey data revealed three value components, Natural Legacy Value (NLV), Non-Economic Value (NEV), and Economic Value (EV), and two conservation orientations, tangible and intangible. Relational valuation, blending intrinsic and instrumental motives, strongly influences conservation attitudes. NEV correlates with religion and intangible measures (knowledge, cultural practices) (R = 0.153, p < 0.05), while EV supports both tangible and intangible strategies but none of the demographic factors, indicating strategic leverage points for inclusive engagement. Conversely, NLV’s negative association with tangible measures reflects cultural sensitivities that can hinder compliance. The results suggest that embedding value-sensitive approaches into co-management frameworks can foster trust, reciprocity, and behavioral change, key elements in Ostrom’s design principles. This study contributes to sustainability science by linking socio-psychological drivers to governance strategies for promoting coastal socio-ecological systems resilience. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite legal frameworks acknowledging the need to protect the rights of female prisoners, penitentiary systems often neglect gender-specific needs, particularly for foreign women. Among them, Muslim women face distinct challenges linked to cultural and religious practices, which are frequently unmet in prison contexts. This review aims to explore the academic literature on the experiences of Muslim women in detention. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using three major bibliographic databases—Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science—covering the period from 2010 to 2024. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed studies examining the condition of Muslim women in prison. Of the initial pool, only four articles met the criteria and were included in the final analysis. Results: The review reveals a marked scarcity of research on Muslim women in prison at both national and international levels. This gap may be due to their limited representation or cultural factors that hinder open discourse. The selected studies highlight key issues, including restricted access to services, limited ability to practice religion, and language and cultural barriers. These challenges contribute to increased psychological vulnerability, which is often underestimated in prison settings. Conclusions: There is an urgent need for targeted research and culturally competent training for prison staff to adequately support Muslim women in detention. Greater academic and institutional attention is essential to develop inclusive policies that consider the intersection of gender, religion, and migration, particularly in the post-release reintegration process. Full article

When designing, implementing and assessing public policies, and, in particular, those affecting the public management of religious diversity, it is increasingly common to include ethnographic approaches from the field of social anthropology and the broader social sciences. Ethnographic practice can provide more representative and accurate perspectives on the actors, settings, and social phenomena subject to regulation. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study on two minority religious communities, conducted by a team of anthropologists within the framework of a broader research project on religious freedom in Spain, led by jurists. Based on two case studies—the teaching of Evangelical religion in state schools and Islamic burial practices—our study analyses the implications of the varying degrees of public recognition, as well as how this recognition actually manifests in the everyday practice of religious groups within a context of religious diversity. The study also examines the barriers to the full participation of these communities in public institutions and civil society, as well as the discourses, strategies, and practices they develop to overcome these challenges. Full article

This article considers the dilemma between advocating for a religion-based environmentalism in the Himalayas and recognising that the different cultural traditions in the region make a uniform religious environmentalism difficult to uphold. Conservationists often attempt to mobilise local communities for environmental protection by building on their religious and cultural beliefs. Yet, such forms of mobilisation tend to homogenise plural traditions by forcing them within a single fold. What is the way out of this dilemma? I offer some reflections, drawing on my empirical work in the Buddhist Himalayas, and focusing on the case studies of the yak and the black-necked crane respectively, two species which hold a special significance in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Examining these multispecies relations in Arunachal Pradesh reveal not only Buddhist values at work, but plural and evolving entanglements. The question, then, is not to see if the value is religious but if the value is more-than-human in its orientation, taking into account the entangled lives of human and non-human habitations. My broad argument is that an ethics of the environment need neither to be removed from religious ethics, nor enclosed by it. Rather than force environmental thought and behaviour into silos of particular religious traditions or conservation science paradigms, how can one see these as the function of plural habitations? Full article

The study examines how individual skills influence adolescents’ and young adults’ commitment to climate protection and global health. Based on 21st-century skills and transformative education, it focuses on competences in science, geography, mathematics, religion, ethics, and media. A representative online survey of 783 participants in Germany assessed topic relevance, information-seeking behavior, and active engagement. The results show that subject-specific skills significantly affect engagement, especially when closely related to the topics. Scientific, mathematical, and geographical competences enhance all three engagement dimensions. Media competence primarily increases perceived importance, while religious and ethical competences positively influence all areas. Structural equation modeling reveals a process: perceived relevance leads to information search, which then drives engagement. Thus, competences have both direct and indirect effects on active involvement. The findings highlight that long-term engagement is not only driven by campaigns but also by education that equips young people with the skills to recognize important issues, seek information, and take action independently. Full article

This paper addresses the longstanding tension between reason and revelation in Islamic religious epistemology, with a focus on the thought of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328). It aims to reassess his critique of philosophical theology (falsafa and kalām) and explore his constructive alternative to rationalist metaphysics. The study adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology, combining close textual reading of Darʾ Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa al-Naql and Naqd al-Manṭiq with conceptual analysis informed by contemporary religious epistemology and philosophy of religion. The findings reveal that Ibn Taymiyyah advances a triadic epistemological model centered on revelation (naql), reason (ʿaql), and innate disposition (fiṭrah). He refutes the autonomy of reason, redefines logic as a tool rather than a judge, and repositions fiṭrah as an intuitive foundation for belief. His approach emphasizes the harmony of sound reason with authentic revelation and challenges the epistemic assumptions of speculative theology. By presenting a comparative table of rationalist and Taymiyyan epistemologies, the study demonstrates how Ibn Taymiyyah’s framework anticipates key themes in Reformed Epistemology and the cognitive science of religion. The conclusions suggest that his vision offers a coherent, theocentric paradigm for religious knowledge that is highly relevant to the contemporary philosophy of religion and Islamic theology. Full article

A conundrum in the cognitive, evolutionary, and anthropological study of religion is how to propose descriptions and explanatory models of the structure and functions of supernatural dreaming and its relationship to action imagery, the use of experience, and, importantly, cultural transmission (factors) associated with these representations. Research has long emphasized the important function and significance of dreams and dreaming in beliefs and practices related to religious phenomena. The literature of anthropology and religious studies shows that dreams, dream experiences, and narratives are often associated with religious ideas and practices, both in traditional societies and in the world religions. Indeed, at the very beginning of the anthropological study of human beings, scholars proposed that dreaming is a primary source of religious beliefs and practices. Another facet of this is the recurrent manifestations of divinities, spirits, ancestors, and demons—in short, imagery of various supernatural agents—together with the occasional ritualization of dreams in the waking state. However, we know less about the associated phenomenon of dreams about ritual imagery. The aim of this paper is to elucidate and map dream imagery about rituals, drawing on simulation theories from dream research and prominent models of ritual behavior in the cognitive and evolutionary science of religion (CESR). This theoretical and methodological endeavor is illustrated by examples from dream narratives collected in Nepal before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

Effective conservation of large mammals depends on how people perceive them. Grey wolves have a widespread distribution globally, and their recent recolonization of human-dominated landscapes offers an excellent opportunity to understand the heterogeneity in their perception across continents. Our analysis included all quantitative studies (118 articles) conducted in 35 countries through a systematic review process, published globally between 1980–2023 and indexed in Web of Science and Google Scholar. Fifty-four percent of the studies reported a negative perception toward wolves. Most studies conducted in Asia reported a negative perception, while 56% of studies conducted in Europe and 48% in North America reported a positive perception. Fifty-four percent of studies from Western Europe and forty percent of studies from Slavic Russian cultural regions reported positive perceptions. Respondents from low-income countries elicited the most negative perceptions. We identified the predominant religion and economic status of a country as dominant factors determining perception. Studies conducted in countries with Hinduism as the predominant religion reported a negative perception toward wolves. We recommend that future studies on human–wolf interactions must prioritize regions within central Europe, parts of Asia, and Russia. A global human–wolf coexistence strategy should consider the social factors driving attitude toward the species. Full article

Viktor Frankl attributes significant importance to religion in relation to the human quest for meaning. According to Frankl, religion maintains its existence and continues offering guidance in the search for meaning irrespective of worldly conditions or developments. Since the 19th century, secularism—initially adopted particularly by Western nations but influential globally—has significantly limited the presence of religion in public life. Although the predictions of positivist scientists did not materialize and science has not “overthrown” religion, the number of religious individuals is rapidly declining in the contemporary era, while atheism is increasing. Nevertheless, research indicates that religions still serve as powerful guides in believers’ search for meaning. Moreover, globally, the most religious segments of the population tend to be the poorest and, as Frankl suggests, religion enables people to attribute meaning to their patience and endurance in the face of adversity. It is discussed by the academia that in the future world, humanity might transcend biological limitations, reaching an advanced form of existence (“trans-humanism”), and eventually even surpassing the biological form of Homo Sapiens into a digitally based life form described as the “post-human” stage. This study argues that unless humanity reaches this stage, people’s quest for meaning will continue independently of technological advancements, religions will persist in guiding these searches, and Frankl’s views will most likely remain valid. Full article

For some time now, regardless of the still-common paradigm of Barbour’s practice of science–religion relations, proposals have been emerging to develop a theology of science from a Christian perspective. This article begins by discussing three theologies of science as proposed by Michael (Michał) Heller, Christopher B. Kaiser, and Tom McLeish. It then goes on to present the theological vision of the arts and sciences as contained in the work De reductione artium ad theologiam by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (c. 1221–1274). The aim of this article is to compare the contemporary variants for a theology of science with each other and then compare them with Bonaventure’s theological project. Thus, we analyze this 13th-century thinker’s concepts and their heuristic relevance to the modern theologies of science. Full article