Afterword

2020 ◽  
pp. 195-198
Author(s):  
Guy G. Stroumsa
Keyword(s):  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Major Question ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Sasanian Empire ◽  
The Impact

The Bundahišn was redacted after the end of the Sasanian Empire, at a time when Zoroastrians were adapting to their new, fragile situation as a tolerated minority under Islamic rule. Like most other Pahlavi literary texts, however, much of its contents reflects older conceptions, and it often presents theological and mythological traditions from the ancient past. A major question confronting scholars of ancient Iranian literature concerns the dating of these traditions, all the more so as this literature had been preserved orally for centuries before being committed to writing. It is often extremely difficult, or altogether impossible, to disentangle older layers from later accretions. Just like religious beliefs and practices, indeed like language itself, myths never remain static but constantly evolve, driven by an inner logic of development and under the impact of foreign traditions with which they are in contact....

The Impact of Secularism on Religious Beliefs and Practices

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Adibah Binti AbdulRahim
Keyword(s):  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Practical Aspect ◽  
The West ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Religious Worldview ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Secularism is the most serious challenge of modernity posed by the West. Its main ideology is to liberate man from the religious and metaphysical values and expel religion from the practical aspect of man’s life. It clearly presents its materialistic viewpoint which is cut off from Divine, Transcendent or Supernatural principles and does not refer to and is isolated from Revelation. In terms of its intensity and scope as well as its discernable effects upon people’s mind, the repercussion of secularism is so pervasive and universal. It gives a great impact on every facet of life including individual and family lives as well as educational, political, economic and social-cultural realm. Most importantly, secularism affects the very tenets of traditional religious beliefs and practices. This paper tries to focus on the danger of secularism and its principles which are contradict to the religious worldview.  

scholarly journals Religion, culture, and development

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter White
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Reference Point ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Economic Development Plan ◽  
Culture And Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

We cannot realistically discuss development without factoring religion into the analysis. In the same way, we cannot design any economic development plan without acknowledging the influence of religion on its implementation. The fact is that, many economic development policies require a change from old values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of the citizenry to those that are supportive of the new policy. Religious practices and beliefs have important consequences for the economic development of a community or nation. The relationship between religion and development is likely to be complementary as long as religious beliefs and practices promote ‘moderation’ rather than ‘extremes.’ This article therefore discusses how Pentecostalism has been used as a reference point in addressing religio-cultural and socio-economic needs of Africans. The study uses Spiritual capital theory and pneuma-diaconal mission theory to unearth the impact of African Pentecostalism in the socio-economic lives of Ghanaians and more especially Africans.

Shakespeare's Representation of Weather, Climate and Environment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Chiari
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Free Will ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Early Modern England ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Romeo And Juliet ◽  
Midsummer Night's Dream ◽  
The Tempest ◽  
As You Like It ◽  
Ability To Act

While ecocritical approaches to literary texts receive more and more attention, climate-related issues remain fairly neglected, particularly in the field of Shakespeare studies. This monograph explores the importance of weather and changing skies in early modern England while acknowledging the fact that traditional representations and religious beliefs still fashioned people’s relations to meteorological phenomena. At the same time, a growing number of literati stood against determinism and defended free will, thereby insisting on man’s ability to act upon celestial forces. Yet, in doing so, they began to give precedence to a counter-intuitive approach to Nature. Sophie Chiari argues that Shakespeare reconciles the scholarly views of his time with more popular ideas rooted in superstition and that he promotes a sensitive, pragmatic understanding of climatic events. She pays particular attention to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Othello, King Lear, Anthony and Cleopatra, and The Tempest. Taking into account the influence of classical thought, each of the book’s seven chapters emphasises specific issues (e.g. cataclysmic disorders, the dog days’ influence, freezing temperatures, threatening storms) and considers the way climatic events were presented on stage and how they came to shape the production and reception of Shakespeare’s drama.

The link between coronavirus, anxiety, and religious beliefs in the United States and United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Rigoli
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
The Impact

Research has shown that stress impacts on people’s religious beliefs. However, several aspects of this effect remain poorly understood, for example regarding the role of prior religiosity and stress-induced anxiety. This paper explores these aspects in the context of the recent coronavirus emergency. The latter has impacted dramatically on many people’s well-being; hence it can be considered a highly stressful event. Through online questionnaires administered to UK and USA citizens professing either Christian faith or no religion, this paper examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon common people’s religious beliefs. We found that, following the coronavirus emergency, strong believers reported higher confidence in their religious beliefs while non-believers reported increased scepticism towards religion. Moreover, for strong believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus threat was associated with increased strengthening of religious beliefs. Conversely, for non-believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus thereat was associated with increased scepticism towards religious beliefs. These observations are consistent with the notion that stress-induced anxiety enhances support for the ideology already embraced before a stressful event occurs. This study sheds light on the psychological and cultural implications of the coronavirus crisis, which represents one of the most serious health emergencies in recent times.

Syria-Palestine

2020 ◽  
pp. 52-67
Author(s):  
Adrian Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Special Interest ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
The Other ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Israelite Religion ◽  
Religious Significance ◽  
Ras Shamra

Knowledge of the religion of ancient Syria has increased significantly in recent years thanks to key archaeological discoveries. Particularly important have been those from Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), which may offer the best window available for an understanding of Canaanite religious beliefs and practices. Excavations have revealed structures of religious significance, such as temples, sanctuaries, and tombs, as well as numerous texts. Of special interest are those mythological texts which tell the exploits of Baal, El, and the other great gods. There are also legends, sacrifice lists, pantheon lists, and prescriptions for various rituals. Some of these, notably the legends of Keret, and of Danel and his son Aqhat, provide evidence for beliefs about the religious status and significance of the king. This material enables a more considered understanding of ideas and practices that may have impacted upon Israelite religion.

10-Year Study of Christian Church Support for Domestic Violence Victims: 2005-2015

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 2959-2985
Author(s):  
Barbara L. Zust ◽  
Breanna Flicek Opdahl ◽  
Katie Siebert Moses ◽  
Courtney Noecker Schubert ◽  
Jessica Timmerman
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Upper Midwest ◽  
Professional Counseling ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Domestic Violence Victims ◽  
Church Support ◽  
The Impact

Religious beliefs play a significant role in the lives of victims of domestic violence. Victims find strength in their faith and would rather endure the violence at all costs to keep a family or a marriage together, than to compromise their faith by leaving. This 10 –year study explored the climate of support for victims of domestic violence among Christian clergy and church members between 2005 and 2015. Using a convenience sample, surveys were sent out to congregations in the Upper Midwest in 2005 and 2015. The survey included demographics; two items measuring perception of domestic violence in the congregation and community; six Likert Scale items regarding agreement with statements concerning leaving an abusive marriage; four “Yes–No” items regarding the impact of faith in leaving, support of the congregation, community resources, and clergy as counselors. The clergy’s survey had the same questions plus open-ended questions about their skills in counseling victims, their congregation’s support for victims, community resources, and beliefs that could impact a victim’s choice in leaving. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, simple frequencies, and bivariate correlations. Narrative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results of this study indicated that change is slow. Members want their clergy to become more educated in counseling and in speaking about domestic violence from the pulpit. Clergy felt comfortable in making referrals for professional counseling, while the majority of members would prefer counseling with their pastor if they were in a violent relationship. Both clergy and members want to create a safe and supportive environment for victims/survivors of violent relationships. Findings from this study exemplify the need for pastors to remove the silence about domestic violence in their congregations and address the misunderstood social religious beliefs that may bind a victim to the violence.

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