From Zoroaster to Star Wars, Jesus to Marx: The Art, Science and Technology of Human Manipulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Sosteric

Superficially, it appears that humans enjoy a wide variety of spiritual and religious traditions. In fact, the vast majority of human belief systems are rooted in the same ancient Persian soil. This article explores the ancient roots of our “modern” secular and spiritual beliefs, demonstrates their ideological character, briefly examines the emotional, psychological, and spiritual toll, and outlines a course of research for those interested in bringing additional sophistication and depth to the sociological, psychological, historical, and political study of human spirituality and human religion. The paper introduces several terms into the lexicon, including Symbol Factories, Ideological Institutions, and Toxic Socialization.

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isra Yazicioglu

Miracle stories in sacred texts have been a source of both fascination and heated debate across religious traditions. Qur'anic miracle stories are especially interesting because they are part of a discourse that also de-emphasises the miraculous. By looking at how three scholars have engaged with Qur'anic miracle stories, I here investigate how these narratives have been interpreted in diverse and fruitful ways. The first part of the article analyses how two medieval scholars, al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111) and Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198), engaged with the implications of miracle stories. Taking his cue from miracle stories, al-Ghazālī offered a sophisticated critique of natural determinism and suggested that the natural order should be perceived as a constantly renewed divine gift. In contrast, Ibn Rushd dismissed al-Ghazālī’s critique as sophistry and maintained that accepting the possibility that the natural order might be suspended was an affront to human knowledge and science. In the second part, I turn to Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1870–1960), whose interpretation offers a crystallisation of al-Ghazālī’s insights as well as, surprisingly, an indirect confirmation of Ibn Rushd's concerns about human knowledge and science. Nursi redefines the miraculous in light of miracle stories, and interprets them as reminders of ‘everyday miracles’ and as encouragements to improve science and technology in God's name.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Hodkinson ◽  
Chandrika Devarakonda

This paper offers a critique of transnational aspects of ‘inclusion,’ one of those global education buzzwords that as Slee (2009) puts it, say everything but say nothing. It starts off by trying to compare Indian and English usages and attitudes at the level of teacher discourse, and notes the impossibility of any ‘authentic’ translation, given the very different cultural contexts and histories. In response to these divergences, the authors undertake a much more genealogical and ‘forensic’ examination of values associated with ‘inclusion,’ focussing especially on a key notion of ‘pity.’ The Eurocentric tradition is traced from its Platonic origins through what is claimed to be the ‘industrialization of pity’ and its rejection as a virtue in favour of more apparently egalitarian measures of fairness. The Indian tradition relates rather to religious traditions across a number of different belief systems, most of which centre on some version of a karmic notion of pity. The authors both criticise and reject ‘inclusion’ as a colonisation of the global and call for a new understanding of notions like ‘pity’ as affective commitment rather than ‘fair’ dispensation of equality.


What makes for a good scientist or a good engineer? How does using a new technology or working in a research lab begin to shape our thought and behavior? How can we best anticipate and navigate the ethical dilemmas created by modern scientific research and technology? Scholars across multiple disciplines have begun turning to a surprising resource to address these questions: discussions of virtue that have their roots in ancient philosophical and religious traditions. This volume gathers a number of these perspectives to show how concepts of virtue can help us better understand, construct, and use the fruits of modern science and technology.


Spiritualita ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukron Romadhon

Spirituality and a new religious awakening, are seen by religious elites as a stage of religious directness in carrying out religious traditions and rituals. New civilizations can instead be a threat to conventional religious traditions and rituals. Without the willingness of religious elites to criticize and re-interpret conventional ritual traditions and patterns, the functions of the world's major religions could fade. The world's major religions are increasingly alienated from the objective world and awareness of the lives of the people and their people. It seems that there will be a new form of religion or a new religion that is completely different from the tradition of religious rituals that have been carried out by the major religions of the world. While the religious elite is still attached to classical religious interpretations. But on the other hand, the emergence of modern society, encouraging the argument of secularization is part of modernization. The values underlying socio-political and economic relations also appear to be beginning to enter an irregular stage, when viewed conventionally, the spiritulitas of global civilization, rather than lies in the format of values, traditional systems and structures or modern rationality. New civilizations in social systems and Science and Technology (SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) began to be directed at a more intuitive spirituality stage. Then came the act of social piety that proved impartiality over the duafa wal mustad'afin, workers and the poor who were oppressed by the economic system. The emergence of the term left theology only wants to explain about righteousness and belief based on the ability to perform acts of liberation of the proletariat. This action is not only done after the reality of the proletariat appears, but creates a social and economic system that has impartiality towards the proletariat.Keywords: Spirituality, Secularization, Social Piety


1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 496-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Long

This article explores and examines the fundamental need for nurses to include the promotion of the spiritual dimension of the health of human beings as well as the physical, mental and social facets if they truly wish to engage in holistic care. The author attempts to define the phenomenon of spirituality, aware of the dilemma that many individuals face when thinking and reflecting on this very personal and intangible issue. To be spiritual is to become fully human, the article argues, and the reverse is also true. Spirituality in health is inextricable in each person’s search for the discovery of the truth about self and the meaning and purpose of life. Healthy communities are the product of healthy individuals who sow spiritual seeds such as unconditional positive regard, acceptance, respect and dignity for the benefit and advancement of individuals and humankind as a whole. The global nature of the phenomenon of spirituality is also shown by using examples of people who demonstrate compassion and communion with other human beings, in other countries in times of suffering, war and disaster. Compassion and empathy is expressed and experienced for victims of earthquakes that happen miles from home and far removed from personal or religious beliefs. Yet at such times we are all connected in the tapestry of life by our own human spirituality and earthiness. Abstract themes like compassion and justice are treated in the text within the context of spirituality. The author argues that being just and fair means that all patients have the right to achieve spiritual healing regardless of their belief systems, culture or creed. The works of some spiritual philosophers are used to reflect on this integral aspect of human caregiving. Historical symbols of spirituality are examined. The need for nurses to explore and reflect on the paradoxical concepts involved in their own spirituality is highlighted. Nurses are the essential providers of care and, therefore, the paper argues, guardians of that essential humanity that ensures that patients never become less than full human beings, whatever their condition, faith, culture or belief, or whoever they may be. The author contends that this responsibility is uniquely essential to being a nurse.


Author(s):  
Helen K. Black ◽  
John T. Groce ◽  
Charles E. Harmon

“A book about caregiving can’t be written,” one of our caregivers said, “without some discussion of our spiritual life.” Our caregiving respondents noted the importance of their religious and spiritual beliefs as a means for coping with the daily stress of caregiving. Men’s faith offered guidelines for the morality or “rightness” of caregiving. Prayer was a vehicle used to ask God for help, particularly when in distress. For the most part, men believed that God, Allah, or a Higher Power ultimately controlled the precariousness of the caregiving situation. Religious services and fellow church members often provided camaraderie and sometimes respite for the caregiver. Men’s faith became an internal well in which they laid conflicting emotions to rest and drew a continuing spring of strength and peace.


Author(s):  
Michael Jindra

This chapter examines the fandom that has grown up around the Star Trek movies and television series, arguing that the entertainment industry also creates meanings that begin to function in religious ways for consumers of popular culture. Popular culture has become an independent producer of mythical narratives, a reflection of cultural themes and a producer of new ones. Though often using indirect religious themes and imagery (as in Star Wars or Harry Potter), the narratives and messages have been formally cut off from the religious traditions that have dominated Western culture over the centuries. In other words, parts of popular culture have taken their place alongside the mainstream religious traditions, ideologies, and narratives that have guided people's lives.


Numen ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob K. Olupona

AbstractThis essay presents an overview of past and recent scholarship in Yoruba religion. The earliest studies of Yoruba religious traditions were carried out by missionaries, travellers and explorers who were concerned with writing about the so called "pagan" practices and "animist" beliefs of the African peoples. In the first quarter of the 20th century professional ethnologists committed to documenting the Yoruba religion and culture were, among other things, concerned with theories about cosmology, belief-systems, and organizations of Orisà cults. Indigenous authors, especially the Reverend gentlemen of the Church Missionary Society, responded to these early works by proposing the Egyptian origin of Yoruba religion and by conducting research into Ifá divination system as a preparatio evangelica. The paper also examines the contributions of scholars in the arts and the social sciences to the interpretation and analysis of Yoruba religion, especially those areas neglected in previous scholarship. This essay further explores the study of Yoruba religion in the Americas, as a way of providing useful comparison with the Nigerian situation. It demonstrates the strong influence of Yoruba religion and culture on world religions among African diaspora. In the past ten years, significant works on the phenomenology and history of religions have been produced by indigenous scholars trained in philosophy and Religionswissenschaft in Europe and America and more recently in Nigeria. Lastly, the essay examines some neglected aspects of Yoruba religious studies and suggests that future research should focus on developing new theories and uncovering existing ones in indigenous Yoruba discourses.


Numen ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Geaves

AbstractThe article explores the Alevi community, a little-studied Muslim-influenced heterogeneous religious tradition whose roots are in Eastern Turkey, and provides recent fieldwork of the Alevi presence in London which has appeared through migration since the 1980s. This community development is compared with the older Alevi community in Istanbul. The intention is to use the high number of Alevis who live in diaspora communities to analyse the relationship between religion and ethnicity. The author argues, that even though the Alevi revival that has manifested since the 1990s and in which Alevi youth participate visibly, appears to be cultural rather than religious, closer examination of Alevi religious traditions indicates that the forms taken by the revival have their roots in traditional Alevi spiritual beliefs and practices in which values of tolerance, heterodoxy, freedom and justice prevail. The article concludes that although Alevi youth appear to be diverging significantly from their Sunni Muslim counterparts in their respective identity quests, religion plays a significant role for both although the manifestations of revival are almost diametrically opposed. This can be explained by the different manifestations of belief and practice in each community.


Author(s):  
Kumkum Bhardwaj

"The paintings of Kishangarh Sh. Of Rajasthan display the awareness of the environment in today's environment by preserving nature." Vegetation, water, air, three environmental components are depicted in abundance. The cultural tradition of spirituality philosophy is embedded in the environment with nature painting. The picturesque environment of the picturesque environment in the greenery seems to spread the message of saving the environment from getting polluted to the environment, which is a positive effort.Environment refers to the moral and biological system of the entire universe, under which all living beings are. Organisms live in the environment, grow and thrive; Develop their natural tendencies. Man is a part of the environment, apart from that, he has no existence. Air, water, land, vegetation, trees, animals, human beings all make up the environment. "In nature we see something - air, water, soil, vegetation and animals all compose the environment." So ecology is a science of environmental studies. In modern times, since we have renounced spiritual beliefs and science and technology have only accepted the cause of human progress and natural resources. Our environment has become full of crisis for life only when it started burning. 2 This scene of destruction from development has happened due to excessive tapping of nature only. ‘‘राजस्थान की किशनगढ़ श्©ली के चित्र्ा प्रकृति क¨ संरक्षित करके पर्यावरण जागरुकता क¨ आज के परिवेश में प्रदर्शित करते हैं। चित्र्ा¨ं में वनस्पति, जल, वायु तीन¨ं पर्यावरणीय घटक प्रचुर मात्र्ाा में चित्र्ाित हैं। पर्यावरण में प्रकृति चित्र्ाण के साथ अध्यात्म दर्शन की सांस्कृतिक परम्परा क¨ ज¨ड़ा गया है। हरियालीमय सुरम्य वातावरण चित्र्ा¨ं मंे प्रकृति चित्र्ाण की सांस्कृतिक थाती पर्यावरण प्रदूषित ह¨ने से बचाने का सन्देश जन-जन तक पहुँचाती प्रतीत ह¨ती है, ज¨ एक सकारात्मक प्रयास है।पर्यावरण का तात्पर्य समस्त ब्रह्माण्ड के नैतिक एवं जैविक व्यवस्था से है, जिसके अंतर्गत समस्त जीवधारी ह¨ते हैं। पर्यावरण में जीवधारी रहते हैं, बढ़ते हैं अ©र पनपते हैं; अपनी स्वाभाविक प्रवृत्तिय¨ं क¨ विकसित करते हैं। मनुष्य पर्यावरण का ही एक भाग है, उससे पृथक उसका क¨ई भी अस्तित्व नहीं है। वायु, जल, भूमि, वनस्पति, पेड़-प©ध्¨, पशु, मानव सब मिलाकर पर्यावरण बनाते हैं। ‘‘प्रकृति मंे हमें ज¨ कुछ दिखाई देता है- वायु, जल, मिट्टी, वनस्पति तथा प्राणी सभी सम्मिलित रूप से पर्यावरण की रचना करते हैं। अतः पारिस्थितिकी पर्यावरण अध्ययन का एक विज्ञान है।1आधुनिक काल में जब से हमने आध्यात्मिक मान्यताअ¨ं का त्याग किया है तथा विज्ञान अ©र प्र©द्य¨गिकी क¨ ही मानव प्रगति का कारण मान लिया अ©र प्राकृतिक संसाधन¨ं का भरपूर द¨हन करना प्रारंभ किया तभी हमारा पर्यावरण जीवन के लिए संकट पूर्ण ह¨ गया है।2 विकास से विनाश का यह मंजर केवल प्रकृति के अत्यधिक द¨हन के कारण हुआ है।


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