THE QUR’ANIC LEARNING SOFTWARE IN DIGITAL ERA: A THREAT TOWARDS THE VALUE OF QUR’ANIC ORTODOXY IN INDONESIA

The gadget’s software applications nowadays appear to be highly popular and its use has been elevating among gadget users. This kind of technological advance also touched the Qur’anic learning process in Indonesia. On the one hand, not only does the emergence of Qur’anic learning software stimulate children’s interest, but it also provides a lot of features that will make children quickly understand and practice the Qur’anic reciting. On the other hand, this kind of learning method can threat the value of Qur’anic orthodoxy which had been applied among traditional Muslim societies since the emergence of Islam in Indonesia. Some resources have noted that there were some sacred values and courtesies perpetuated by traditional Muslims while teaching Qur’anic reciting. This article will track the historical journey of Qur’anic learnings in Indonesia and discuss how the emergence of Qur’anic Learning software (as the logical consequence of technological improvement) can threat the existence of some ancient orthodoxies toward the Qur’an.

Does a denomination matter? Differences in religiosity and value systems between Catholics and Anglicans

The purpose of this empirical article is to investigate differences between two Christian denominations: Catholics and Anglicans in terms of religiosity and values. Religiosity was measured within dimensions of centrality of religiosity and religious coping, while the value system contained hedonic, vital, aesthetic, truth, moral, and sacred values. In addition, potential associations between the dimensions of religiosity and values were assessed. One hundred and fifty one participants (75 Catholics and 76 Anglicans) completed three questionnaires: the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, the Brief RCOPE Scale, and the Scheler Values Scale. The results demonstrated that Catholics were characterised by higher levels of religious dimensions representing communal worship related to the sacraments, while Anglicans more strongly favoured religious dimensions reflecting an individual approach to religiosity. Catholics also obtained higher levels of hedonic and vital values than Anglicans. In addition, there were significant associations between most dimensions of religiosity and sacred values. Taken together, the findings emphasise the need for a combined study of religiosity and values which appears central to the formation of people’s religious beliefs and behaviour.

Kajian Bhagavad Gītā Terhadap Makna Prasadam Bagi Masyarakat Hindu di Bali

<em><span lang="EN-US">Prasadam in Hinduism is a term in Sanskrit which means God's gift, which is the result or remnant of an offering to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa who has been purified. In the Hindu community in Bali the term lungura/surudan is better known than the term prasadam. Related to the phenomenon of prasadam, after being investigated, it turns out that the term lunguran/surudan indicates the strata or class of a dish that starts with the offering (bebanten), complete with food, after being offered, the contents of the bakuten turn into lunguran/surudan, which is ready to be enjoyed as a form of grace from Ida Sang Hyang Widhi or Ida Bhatara-Bhatari who has been presented with a sincere heart and has sacred values </span><span lang="EN-US">and is meaningful as prasadham (holy dish). The Bhagavad Gītā states that, those who eat holy food after going through an offering or sacrifice will attain eternal Brahman (God). So there is no reason to think, whether to accept or desire to refuse the blessings of the blessing of Prasadam, because it has previously been offered as a sacred dish for Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa and His manifestations.</span></em>

The changing meaning of Taylagan Festival for contemporary Russia Buryat society: An adaptation of tradition

Festival is a product of a culture that develops according to the needs and times, including the Taylagan Festival. Taylagan Festival is one of the most important annual rituals for the Russian Buryat Shamans. In the contemporary era, this festival has also been performed for tourists. By using Roland Barthes’s semiotic theory, this research explores the impact of the changes of Taylagan Festival meanings for Russian Buryat contemporary society. At the same time, Eric Hobsbawm’s “The Invention of Tradition" (1992) is used to investigate the inventory of Taylagan Festival traditions, based on qualitative data collected through intensive interviews for selected informants. By using the descriptive analysis method, the research result shows that the change in the sacred values of the Russian Buryat Shamans in the Taylagan Festival has been started since the presence of Neo-shamans as a form of cultural adaptation during the Contemporary Era, which is known to be more modern and active in social and cultural activities.

Why True Believers Make the Ultimate Sacrifice: Sacred Values, Moral Convictions, or Identity Fusion?

Recent research has identified three promising candidates for predicting extreme behavior: sacred values, moral convictions, and identity fusion. Each construct is thought to motivate extreme behavior in unique ways: Sacred values trigger extreme actions when people are asked to compromise cause-related values for personal gain; moral convictions trigger extreme actions when a cause is aligned with one’s moral compass; and identity fusion triggers extreme actions when a cause is inextricably associated (“fused”) with the personal self. In six studies, we asked which of the three constructs (either alone or in combination) was most predictive of sacrifice for a cause. We measured all three constructs with respect to either of two causes: gun rights (Studies 1–3) or abortion rights (4–6). The outcome measure was endorsement of fighting and dying for the cause. Although all three constructs were significant predictors of the outcome measure when considered separately, identity fusion consistently emerged as the strongest predictor of endorsement of self-sacrifice when all three were considered simultaneously. This pattern occurred regardless of the target cause (gun or abortion rights), the participant’s position on the cause (i.e., pro-gun or anti-gun, pro-choice, or pro-life), or nationality (American vs. Spanish). Also, there was no evidence that the predictors interacted to predict the outcome measure. Finally, a manipulation that threatened the validity of the personal self strengthened the relationship between endorsement of self-sacrifice and both (a) identity fusion and (b) moral convictions. The latter finding suggests that threats to the validity of one’s self-views may amplify the extreme behaviors of true believers.

The Effects of Collective Ritual on Affect, Unity, and Pro-Sociality: A Naturalistic Study

<p>Anthropologists have long speculated that collective group rituals endure due to their functional capacity to foster co-operation and cohesion within groups and thus help societies to overcome free-rider problems. Recently, experimental studies have provided empirical data to support this hypothesis and have suggested that synchronous group movement as a key element in this process. Further more, recent field studies have suggested that the sacred values surrounding rituals may mediate the synchrony/pro-sociality relationship. The current study aims to further explore the psychological affects of group ritual in terms of positive affect, perceptions of group unity, and pro-sociality in naturalistic settings. Additionally the current study extrapolates out physical arousal and religiosity as important elements of ritual as well as synchronous movement. Our results suggest that the psychological modulations of positive affect, perceived group unity, and pro-sociality in rituals are primarily due to the meaning context within which they are performed. Results have also shown that when used together in a religious context, rituals that use high levels of synchrony and physicality are associated with higher levels of positive affect and co-operation within groups. These findings may help to explain the expansion of charismatic religions in those regions of the world where there are lower levels of security. They also suggest that past laboratory studies of ritual have been limited due to their inability to assess the meaning contexts that may be driving the effects found. Further research is required to assess the rates of endurance of these psychological affects outside of ritualistic settings and also the generalisation of pro-sociality to outgroups. Also, future development of more accurate measures of variables for field use will provide additional strength and reliability within this field.</p>

The Effects of Collective Ritual on Affect, Unity, and Pro-Sociality: A Naturalistic Study

<p>Anthropologists have long speculated that collective group rituals endure due to their functional capacity to foster co-operation and cohesion within groups and thus help societies to overcome free-rider problems. Recently, experimental studies have provided empirical data to support this hypothesis and have suggested that synchronous group movement as a key element in this process. Further more, recent field studies have suggested that the sacred values surrounding rituals may mediate the synchrony/pro-sociality relationship. The current study aims to further explore the psychological affects of group ritual in terms of positive affect, perceptions of group unity, and pro-sociality in naturalistic settings. Additionally the current study extrapolates out physical arousal and religiosity as important elements of ritual as well as synchronous movement. Our results suggest that the psychological modulations of positive affect, perceived group unity, and pro-sociality in rituals are primarily due to the meaning context within which they are performed. Results have also shown that when used together in a religious context, rituals that use high levels of synchrony and physicality are associated with higher levels of positive affect and co-operation within groups. These findings may help to explain the expansion of charismatic religions in those regions of the world where there are lower levels of security. They also suggest that past laboratory studies of ritual have been limited due to their inability to assess the meaning contexts that may be driving the effects found. Further research is required to assess the rates of endurance of these psychological affects outside of ritualistic settings and also the generalisation of pro-sociality to outgroups. Also, future development of more accurate measures of variables for field use will provide additional strength and reliability within this field.</p>

Solidarity as the phenomenon of modern culture

This article elucidated the phenomenon of solidarity from the perspective of value-semantic characteristic. The existing research on solidarity focus attention on the social nature and social aspects of the formation and development of this phenomenon. However, this is insufficient to get a clear picture of the factors that determine the solidary interaction of individuals: sacred values, values of the good, historical memory, etc. Examination of solidarity from such perspective allows developing such independent avenue of research as axiology of solidarity, etc. The main conclusions acquired in the course of studying solidarity as the cultural phenomenon consists in the following statements: 1) values are the determinants of solidarity, although the type of values (political, ideological, social) are of little significance; 2) solidarity is rather associated with universal values that are present in each culture, regardless of its national distinctness; 3) special role in studying solidarity is played by the empirical techniques &nbsp;that allow specifying the value aspects of manifestations of solidarity in various social groups and communities, as well as sociocultural systems

THE IMPORTANCE OF RITUALS IN COURT PROCEEDINGS

The article focuses on defining the concept and historical roots of ritual. The ritual component of justice is analysed. The characteristics and role of rituals in modern justice are identified. The contemporary judiciary is becoming more and more isolated, its structure more complex and branched out, each of which serves as a safeguard against the errors of the previous one. However, above the last instance, there is still something that guarantees justice and inspires confidence in the human court. This is reminded by the judicial rituals that continue to accompany the judicial process. Court rituals are not only an accepted way of doing things; they also convey information that contains the answers to many of the questions that people subconsciously ask themselves when they come into contact with the courts in particular situations. The deeper one understands the origins and traditions of the judiciary, the greater is the trust in the court, which is so necessary in the modern conditions of the development of our society, when the very idea of justice and guarantees of judicial protection is proclaimed as one of the main legal values. Today, some part, perhaps a significant one, of this functional purpose of rituals has been irrevocably lost and one can speak of the end of the era of a society of sacred traditions. Rather, we can talk about the transformation of a number of ritual forms into legal forms by reducing their religious significance, and about the transfer of sacral significance to the values of modern secular civilisation – the independence of judges, free access to justice, etc. Today’s judicial rituals are as necessary for participants in the process as they were a thousand years ago, despite the fact that not many people think of them as such, perceiving them precisely from a legal perspective. The traditions of court rituals should not only be observed as a tribute to the past, but their performance should be conscious and filled with meaning in keeping with today’s demands, for trust in a court that looks and acts beyond the perceptions and expectations of observers is hardly possible. The court, both in the Middle Ages and today, differs from various pseudo-judicial organizations (such as the emergency courts, which are based on arbitrariness) precisely in judicial rituals – the attributes of a real judicial process. Just as rituals were important in times when the court was trusted by virtue of their observance, so today the court needs rituals when the very idea of justice and guarantees of judicial protection is proclaimed to be one of the most important legal values. The court today more than ever must conform to modern ideals which are hardly more sacred values than the divine justice in the medieval court.