Ken Wilber’s Integral Spirituality

The book of Ken Wilber, a philosopher, psychologist and the founder of integral theory, is devoted to the role of spirituality, faith and religion nowadays and in the future. The author systematically applies the holist integral theory to many aspects of spirituality, considering modern methodologies and philosophical and religious traditions. He analyzes various practical approaches to the states and the stages of consciousness, views parallels and finds common ground between the Western and the Eastern, scientific and meditative branches of various spiritual systems, and complements them to build his own project – integral postmetaphysics – an area that, according to K. Wilber, can withstand the criticism of postmodernism. Although the author sometimes presents the ideas in a rather partial manner, one should note his erudition and his broad outlook on world religions, phenomenology, behaviorism, structuralism, yoga, meditation, philosophy of mind, psychophysiology and many other spheres. Certainly, the integral theory is a sphere of philosophic analysis that tends to be ambiguous and not universal in application. As it is noted by K. Wilber: “An integral map is just a map. This is not a territory. It would be an obvious mistake to confuse them” [Wilber, 2006: 2]. Nevertheless, it seems that this book can be useful for those interested in the development of holism and modern approaches to spirituality.

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Introduction: Evidence for entheogen use in prehistory and world religions

Journal of Psychedelic Studies ◽

10.1556/2054.2019.024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 43-62

Author(s):

Michael Winkelman

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Serotonergic System ◽

Complex Societies ◽

Special Issue ◽

World Religions ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

Serotonergic Receptors ◽

Hominin Evolution ◽

The World

This introduction to the special issue reviews research that supports the hypothesis that psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, were central features in the development of religion. The greater response of the human serotonergic system to psychedelics than is the case for chimpanzees’ serotonergic receptors indicates that these substances were environmental factors that affected hominin evolution. These substances also contributed to the evolution of ritual capacities, shamanism, and the associated alterations of consciousness. The role of psilocybin mushrooms in the ancient evolution of human religions is attested to fungiform petroglyphs, rock artifacts, and mythologies from all major regions of the world. This prehistoric mycolatry persisted into the historic era in the major religious traditions of the world, which often left evidence of these practices in sculpture, art, and scriptures. This continuation of entheogenic practices in the historical world is addressed in the articles here. But even through new entheogenic combinations were introduced, complex societies generally removed entheogens from widespread consumption, restricted them in private and exclusive spiritual practices of the leaders, and often carried out repressive punishment of those who engaged in entheogenic practices.

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Presbyterians, Religious Diversity, and World Religions

The Oxford Handbook of Presbyterianism ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190608392.013.33 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 437-456

Author(s):

Martha L. Moore-Keish

Keyword(s):

Holy Spirit ◽

Religious Diversity ◽

Historical Sources ◽

World Religions ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

Traditional Religions ◽

The Holy Spirit ◽

African Traditional Religions ◽

The Church

This chapter on Presbyterians, religious diversity, and world religions offers a few important caveats and then describes major themes in Presbyterian engagement of religious diversity: the sovereignty and freedom of God, the significance of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the nature of revelation, the role of scripture, and the church. It then walks through the five centuries of Presbyterianism, noting how Presbyterians have engaged with and interpreted the changing world of many religions, drawing from philosophical, theological, and historical sources. It briefly describes Presbyterian interaction with the particular religious traditions of Judaism, Islam, African traditional religions, and Hinduism. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of contemporary challenges and theological trajectories.

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Global and Solitary

International Journal for the Study of New Religions ◽

10.1558/ijsnr.v3i1.27 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 27-45

Author(s):

Sarah Lewis

Keyword(s):

Religious Belief ◽

Common Ground ◽

Interreligious Dialogue ◽

World Council Of Churches ◽

Unification Church ◽

The World ◽

The Future ◽

World Council ◽

The Way

This article examines the way in which the Unification Church has promoted dialogue, particularly interreligious dialogue, and the role of dialogue in the theology of the Unification Church. It notes, however, that although dialogue with other religions is essential to fulfil the theology of the movement, it is the theology of the movement that makes successful interreligious dialogue impossible. The Unification Church claims a new Messiah for Christianity and this paper argues that this presents one of the most significant barriers to dialogue with, for example, the World Council of Churches. The paper also argues that the Unification Church has successfully found common ground outside religious belief on which to engage in dialogue with those outside of the movement. It concludes with an assessment of how more formal interreligious dialogue may be possible with the Unification Church in the future.

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Voice of Islamic Moderation from the Malay World

American Journal of Islam and Society ◽

10.35632/ajis.v31i4.1070 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 108-111

Author(s):

Nurhidayahti Mohammad Miharja

Keyword(s):

Common Ground ◽

Spiritual Values ◽

World Religions ◽

The Past ◽

Human Need ◽

The Common ◽

The Voice ◽

Important Character ◽

Selection Of

Mohd Kamal Hassan’s Voice of Islamic Moderation from the Malay Worldpresents a selection of eleven essays written over the past decade in responseto the challenges from a globalization steeped in the post-9/11 climate. Intendedmainly for a non-Muslim audience, it seeks to represent the voice ofIslamic moderation (al-wasaṭīyah) from the multi-ethnic, multi-religiousMalaysian context. One hopes that discussions on this important character ofIslam will provide a collective vision of holistic wellbeing and, at the sametime, recognize Malaysia’s pluralistic nature. The Islamic perspective on theunifying theme of moderation’s universal ethos pervades its three sections –“Promoting the Common Ground amongst Religions and Cultures,” “Changingthe Muslim Mindset: A Civilizational Approach,” and “The Meaning andImplications of Islamic Moderation” – with a focus on the search for its progressiveintegration into all aspects of life.The first section opens with an analysis of “The Expanding Spiritual-Moral Role of World Religions in the New Millennium.” This chapter raisesmultiple social, moral, environmental, political, and economic concerns relatedto pursuing an aggressive economic agenda within the folds of globalizationwhile ignoring religion-based ethics and the human need for a spiritualguiding vision. Under the siege conditions of globalization’s “swiftness, totalityand irreligious mission” (p. 83), there is an urgent need for world religionsto play – as well as be given – a more assertive role in formulatingholistic action plans. States are thus urged to allow religious-based ethics andspiritual values to expand into public life, from business to international tradeand relations, politics and educational institutions.Hassan, however, notes that both proponents and opponents of the separationbetween spiritual values (private) and this-worldly affairs (public)need to fully understand each other’s position in order to appreciate the ...

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Challenges of Fear Conditioning Research in the Age of RDoC

Zeitschrift für Psychologie ◽

10.1027/2151-2604/a000303 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 225 (3) ◽

pp. 189-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tina B. Lonsdorf ◽

Jan Richter

Keyword(s):

Fear Conditioning ◽

Clinical Diagnosis ◽

Research Domain Criteria ◽

Major Focus ◽

The Future ◽

Definition Of ◽

Methodological Considerations ◽

Research Domain

Abstract. As the criticism of the definition of the phenotype (i.e., clinical diagnosis) represents the major focus of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative, it is somewhat surprising that discussions have not yet focused more on specific conceptual and procedural considerations of the suggested RDoC constructs, sub-constructs, and associated paradigms. We argue that we need more precise thinking as well as a conceptual and methodological discussion of RDoC domains and constructs, their interrelationships as well as their experimental operationalization and nomenclature. The present work is intended to start such a debate using fear conditioning as an example. Thereby, we aim to provide thought-provoking impulses on the role of fear conditioning in the age of RDoC as well as conceptual and methodological considerations and suggestions to guide RDoC-based fear conditioning research in the future.

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