Concrete holiness and place attachment: Christian Zionist agricultural volunteers in Samaria

Christian Zionism is a Protestant theology rooted in nineteenth-century Britain, advocating the return of Jews to the land of Israel as the fulfilment of God’s will and plan for the salvation of humanity. This article deals with the unique theology of the Christian Zionist group Hayovel, an organization dedicated to bringing Christian volunteers for agricultural work in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Based on fieldwork conducted among Hayovel volunteers, this article offers an analysis of Hayovel’s theology of rootedness and faith in the religious significance of the land. In contrast to mainstream Evangelical Christianity, Hayovel emphasizes the importance of sacred space and attempts to construct an experience of concrete holiness through agricultural work and touring the region’s Biblical sites. Hayovel’s activity is described here as the construction and cultivation of the Israel as a spatial and spiritual core and as a place of potential refuge and as a reaction to the increasing detachment from space in the global era.

THE INVESTIGATION OF “DİĞENİS AND AZRAIL” AND “DUHA KOCA OĞLU DELİ DUMRUL” IN CONTEXT OF INTERCULTURAL INTERACTION

Epics are the oldest products in the world. They are passed down from generation to generation. They allow us to detect cultural exchanges. In the study, the works of "Digenis and Azrael" and "Duha Kocaoğlu Deli Dumrul" were compared. The work focused on common cultural elements. Anonymous epic called "Digenis and Azrael" was translated from Dimotiki Greek into Turkish. Both works were analyzed in a holistic way with content analysis method. There are religious elements in both works. Belief in the existence and oneness of God is emphasized. In both works, the protagonists are famous for their beatings. They both fought with the Azrael who came to take their lives. In the end, they accepted God's will and accepted death. In both works, there is a grandfather who is defined as a wise person and he comments on the hero. The differences in the works are as follows: Azrâil wants to take Digenis' life because the time has come. He wants to take Deli Dumrul's life because he is suspicious of God's unity and power. Azrâil, who is a strong character in Deli Dumrul, bows to the power of Digenis in Digenis. Deli Dumrul's mother does not want to give her life for her son. Azrael's mother advises Azrael not to take anyone's life. In both works, the inability to accept death in the universal human thought and the desire to change the result are handled.

Destiny in Nālaṭiyār and Tirukkuṟal – A Comparative Study

Influence of idea of destiny in Tamil society could be traced back to sangam period. It is regarded that eighteen lesser works (patiṇ̱eṇkḹḻkkaṇakkunūlkal) emerged in the post- sangam period in which Jainism and Buddhism had abundant influenced in life and literature of Tamils. This period is also conceived the period of righteousness (aṟaneṟikkālam) by scholars of Tamil Literature. Tirukkuṟal and Nālaṭiyār comes under the collection works known as patiṇ̱eṇkḹḻkkaṇakkunūlkal (didactic works) Even though the twosome works narrate moral maxims for humanity in universal manner, the concept of destiny occupies prominent place in the aforesaid works. Jainism and Buddhism lay more emphasis on human effort than destiny in the path of liberation and religious life proposed by the two isms is logically vehemently opposed to supremacy of destiny. Pañca mahā vratas of Jainism and eightfold path of Buddhism challenge command of destiny. Ajivikas’ contribution to very concept of destiny cannot be completely ruled out from the sangam period of early Tamils and it can be found that destiny plays a pivotal role in Hindu epics and purāṇas and there is no contradiction between God’s will and destiny in a vaiṣṇava tradition. On the contrary, pure devotion and self-surrender are the unconquerable weapons to conquer destiny in Saivā tradition. This study analyses destiny in Tirukkuṟal and Nālaṭiyār in the wider and complex social, historical and philosophical back ground of Tamil Nadu.

Markers of Ecological Conversion

Conversion is a transformation altering worldviews and identities through changed awareness of self, community (including religion, society, politics, economics and industry) and global ecology. The guiding principle of Laudato si’ by Pope Francis is contained in several points, “Everything is related”, relies on scientifical findings: life on Earth’s current forms depend on natural equilibriums. Biodiversity collapse and global warming are two deteriorations which deeply threaten the humanity survival. Christian tradition offers some precious assets to face this emergency, and become committed, as a Christian, in ecological causes: Ecological conversion is essentially a return to the realization of God’s will in the matter of caring for one’s home.

Augustine on the Economy of Angels

Angelology is a major theme in Augustine’s important works such as The City of God, The Literal Meaning of Genesis and Enchiridion. This essay explains Augustine’s theology of angelic economy from three perspectives -- creation, governance and kingdom. 1) The relationship between the angelic economy and the creation: it is here argued that the economic ability of the angels is originated in the intellectual intuition of God and of the creation, as, even prior to creation, angels had already stored the created in their minds as concepts; 2) The relationship between the angelic economy and governance is originated in the concept of “divine apparition.” Angels govern as God’s agents, but their governance is impersonal; 3) The relationship between the angelic economy and the kingdom is originated in the union between the holy angels and the holy people, which occurs in God’s will. In this union, Angels act as guides leading human beings to the kingdom of peace. This essay also points out that Augustine’s angelology is related to his three major theological principles, i.e. the theories of creation, governance and salvation.

Virtualisasi : Lonceng Reformasi Gereja Masa Kini

Abstrak Virtualisasi membuka banyak fakta tentang kondisi gereja saat ini yang telah berubah sifat dan fungsinya. Tujuan penelitian hendak menggugah gereja atas kondisi tersebut di atas. Masa ini dapat mengarahkan kepada dua situasi yang berbeda bagi gereja yaitu untuk tetap berada pada kesalahan jalur mengikuti sistem dunia atau kepada pemenuhan sifat dan fungsi sesuai yang dikehendaki Tuhan. Metode penelitian kualitatif deskriptif dengan studi pustaka dan dilengkapi dengan wawancara serta observasi langsung di lapangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa virtualisasi yang terjadi sebagai momen penting bagi gereja untuk menyadari kesalahan arah dan melakukan reformasi fundamental terkait eksistensinya di dunia ini. Abstract Virtualization opens up many facts about the current state of the church which has changed its nature and function. The purpose of this research is to inspire the church to the conditions mentioned above. This period can lead to two different situations for the church, namely to remain on the wrong track to follow the world system or to fulfill the nature and function according to God's will. Descriptive qualitative research method with literature study and equipped with interviews and direct observation in the field. The results show that virtualization is an important moment for the church to realize the wrong direction and carry out fundamental reforms related to its existence in this world.

Redefining the Use of Digital Communities: AD Knowledge in an Online Educated Cohort of Midlife and Older Blacks

The normalization of memory loss continues to contribute to diagnostic delays among older adult African Americans with dementia. We utilized an innovative recruitment method to establish a solely online study to examine perceptions and knowledge levels of Alzheimer’s Disease in a highly educated geographically diverse cohort of 223 African Americans aged 50-84. Participants were recruited through largely electronic communications. Sample participants were primarily female (n=196), with 51.1% having completed a master’s degree, and 58.2% of participants with household incomes of $90,000 or higher. Study findings revealed that although highly educated, 42% of sample participants believed significant memory loss was a normal part of aging and 59.6% felt that God’s Will was a possible cause of AD. A sizable majority of participants, 86.5%, felt most family physicians were not trained to diagnose AD. Findings underscore the need for physician and community education within diverse populations, regardless of education and SES status.

Memahami Efesus 5:1-21 dalam Upaya Hidup Berpadanan dengan Panggilan Orang Percaya di tengah "Serigala"

Kesadaran akan identitas sebagai orang Kristen harus dipertahankan sebab setiap orang percaya mendapat tantangan untuk mengabdi dan hidup dalam ketaatan kepada Allah. Pola hidup orang percaya juga berkaitan dengan posisi. Sebagaimana banyak orang percaya lupa akan identitas dirinya sebagai pembawa terang dan anak-anak Allah. Melalui kualitatif deskriptif dapat menemukan kajian biblikal tentang pola hidup yang berpadan dengan posisi orang percaya sebagai tujuan dari penulisan ini yang mana dapat disimpulkan sebagai berikut: Posisi sebagai anak kekasih yang diaplikasikan berjalan dalam kecintaan kepada ilahi atau berjalan dalam pengabdian kepada Allah secara terus-menerus. Kedua posisi sebagai orang kudus berarti tidak bisa disesatkan karena tidak bergaul atau berkawan untuk mengabdosi pangajaran sesat. Selanjutnya posisi sebagai anak terang dimana orang percaya berjalan dalam kehendak Tuhan sehinga orang percaya semakin mencintai Tuhan dan berdampak bagi sesama. Lalu posisi sebagai orang arif memiliki makna harus memperhatikan karakter hidup yang berjalan dengan kebenaran Tuhan. Posisi tersebut harusnya melekat kepada Orang percaya sebagai pertanggungjawaban hidup yang berpadan dengan posisi. Abstract: The awareness of identity as a Christian must be maintained because every believer is challenged to serve and live in obedience to God. The lifestyle of the believer also has to do with position. As many believers forget their identity as a light bearer and children of God. Through descriptive qualitative one can find a biblical study of life patterns that are compatible with the position of believers as the purpose of this writing which can be concluded as follows: The position as a lover's child that is applied runs in love to the divine or walks in continuous devotion to Allah. The second position as a saint means that he cannot be misled by not associating or making friends to abstain from heretical teachings. Furthermore, the position of being a child of light is where believers walk in God's will so that believers love God more and have an impact on others. Then the position as a wise person has the meaning of having to pay attention to the character of life that runs with God's truth. This position should be attached to the Believer as a life accountability that matches the position

Understanding Barriers to the Access to Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services: A Qualitative Study with Mothers or Female Caregivers of Children with a Disability in Indonesia

Accessibility to healthcare and rehabilitation services for children with a disability (CWD) is essential to improving their health and wellbeing. However, access to the services, especially in many settings in developing countries with scarcity of resources, is still limited. As part of a qualitative study exploring impacts of caring for CWD on mothers or female caregivers and their coping strategies, this paper describes barriers for access to healthcare and rehabilitation services for CWD in Belu district, Indonesia. One-on-one, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 mothers or female caregivers of CWD. Participants were recruited using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. These were supplemented with interviews with two staff of disability rehabilitation centers in Belu to understand any additional barriers. Data analysis was guided by a qualitative data analysis framework. Our analysis identified that lack of affordability of healthcare services (high costs and low financial capacity of mothers) was the key barrier for access to healthcare and rehabilitation services CWD. Religious or faith-based factors, such as being a non-Catholic (Belu is predominantly Catholic), converting from Catholic to other religions, and the belief in children’s disability condition as “God’s will”, were also influencing factors for lack of access to the services. Shortage of staff, distrust in the therapy skills of staff at rehabilitation centers, and unavailability of appropriately trained healthcare professionals were structural or system-related barriers. The findings indicate the need for government-owned and run disability rehabilitation centers (not faith-based), the provision of fully subsidised health insurance to provide free services, and the provision of qualified therapists and healthcare professionals (to build trust) in Belu and other similar settings in Indonesia.