Tolstoy and Dostoevsky: Two Images of Finding God

The religious opposition of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky was formalized (or even created) and was significantly widened in the works of Russian religious philosophy. The almost unconditional acceptance (or at least sympathy) for Dostoevsky's religiosity, along with distrust and well-known criticism of Tolstoy's later religious works, was firmly entrenched in the Orthodox and general cultural consciousness for more than a century. However, the confrontation was never taken seriously. We want to outline the insurmountable chasm between two images of finding God using the example of the relationship between Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova on the one hand, and Father Sergius (Stepan Kasatsky) and Pashenka (Praskovya Mikhailovna) on the other. These examples are of a paradigmatic nature and can be extended to other artistic and religious (in Dostoevsky's case, journalistic) works of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. From the legacy of Russian religious philosophy for the consideration of the works selected in the article ("Crime and Punishment" and "Father Sergius"), Bulgakov's "The Man-God and the Man-Beast" has the greatest and characteristic value. The opposition set by Bulgakov between Tolstoy (using the example of later works) and Dostoevsky (using the figure of the elder Zosima) is considered a misunderstanding by us. Bulgakov biasedly understands the religious meaning of Tolstoy's later texts. We offer a different reading of "Father Sergius" and raise the question of different images of the attainment (finding) of God in the texts of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky anew.

Strategies of action and marginalised identities in Pop Culture Paganism and Magic

<p>In this thesis I will argue that marginalised individuals are highly represented in the Pop Culture Paganism and Magic community, because it is a religious movement which encourages participants to use the cultural symbols that populate the media for religious meaning-making. The availability of media symbols for this purpose is important for marginalised individuals, who do not access the same ‘traditional’ religious resources or symbols as other individuals in society due to the sense of exclusion which arises from their marginality, but still seek religious meaning-making.</p>

Strategies of action and marginalised identities in Pop Culture Paganism and Magic

<p>In this thesis I will argue that marginalised individuals are highly represented in the Pop Culture Paganism and Magic community, because it is a religious movement which encourages participants to use the cultural symbols that populate the media for religious meaning-making. The availability of media symbols for this purpose is important for marginalised individuals, who do not access the same ‘traditional’ religious resources or symbols as other individuals in society due to the sense of exclusion which arises from their marginality, but still seek religious meaning-making.</p>

UPACARA BOKAS PADA ACARA PERKAWINAN UMAT HINDU KAHARINGAN DAYAK DUSUN (KAJIAN PENDIDIKAN AGAMA HINDU)

This study aims to explore and explain the religious meaning and educational value of the bokas ceremony at the Kaharingan Dayak Dusun Hindu wedding ceremony. The Bokas ceremony is part of the Pitra Yajna ceremony, which is a sacred offering to the ancestors by the Kaharingan Hindus. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach, in which data were obtained through interviews, observation and document recording which were then analyzed. As for the process before the bokas ceremony is carried out, then first carry out (1) bisik kurik event. (2) The process of Basantane or the proposal to bring goods. Meanwhile, the religious value of the tradition of the bokas paying hajat ceremony at the wedding ceremony is obligatory to be carried out by people who are bahajat parapah (asking for prayer) to the god kalalungan Aning kalelio. Bokas is a Pitra Yajna ceremony, which is an offering to ancestors. During the Bokas ceremony, a wadian Nayu calls Dewa Kallungan Aning Kalalio to come to receive offerings. If the bokas ceremony, at the wedding ceremony, deviates from what has been determined by Wadian Nayu, it can lead to elite bo'i, namely in the form of thunderstorms and accompanied by lightning that can turn humans into stone (curse). Meanwhile, the educational value reflected through the bokas ceremony is implemented in the concept of Tri Hita Karana and Tri Kaya Parisudha teachings.

Mapping the Pilgrimage Network

This chapter outlines the author’s approach to research and method, as well as the scope and timeline of participant observation. The redevelopment of the Norwegian pilgrimage network comes on the heels of the post–World War II European efforts to build transregional and transnational peace. Historic pilgrimage routes become part of this network but are slow to begin in Protestant contexts. In contemporary pilgrimage, embodiment and relations to other pilgrims are central ingredients. It is through physical relations to landscape and people that sacred, transforming encounters are sought. Ritual creativity features strongly in how such encounters are facilitated by pilgrim priests, hosts, government, local officials, artists, and scores of volunteers. Religious meaning-making and secular nation-building are closely intertwined in these efforts to lift up and preserve, if not stage, local heritage. A consistent ambivalence is the overlap between pilgrims and tourists, and questions of spirituality and consumption. As Norway’s population has become more diverse religiously and ethnically, actors continually adjust the pilgrimage network to the needs of a changing population and a wide range of social issues.

Earthing Theology

The encounter of Aboriginal Australians with European settlers led to appalling injustices, in which Christian churches were in part complicit. At the root of these injustices was the failure to comprehend the Aborigines’ relationship to the land. In their mythic vision, known as The Dreaming, land is suffused with religious meaning and therefore sacred. It took two hundred years for this to be acknowledged in British-Australian law (Mabo judgement, 1992). This abrogated the doctrine of terra nullius (the land belongs to no-one) and recognized native title to land, based on continuous occupation and ritual use. But land disputes continue, and at a deeper level, there is little appreciation of the Indigenous spirituality of the land and the significance it could have for reconciliation with First Nations and the ecological crisis. Aboriginal theologies can help Christians to appreciate the riches of this spirituality and work towards justice.

DID THE SUPERNATURAL EXIST IN MEDIEVAL CULTURE?

The article analyzes the problem of correlation between the modern category of “supernatural” and ideas about phenomena that went beyond the patterns of nature in pre-Mongol Russia. It is noted that, as in any pre-scientific society, in Old Rus there was no strict natural / supernatural opposition. Unusual phenomena lost the character of “wonder”, “miracle” even with their mystical interpretation. In turn, natural, recurring phenomena could acquire a religious meaning. The concept of “nature” was addressed to specific objects of the surrounding world, and not to nature in the modern sense. In turn, the otherworld also had a nature. Medieval skepticism was fueled by a conflict of values; it did not proceed from the denial of mysticism itself. The main ideas of the work are revealed in polemics with the concept of “miraculous” by V.V. Dolgov, in which the mystical and rational medieval thinking are opposed.

“Plants of the Gods” and their hallucinogenic powers in neuropharmacology — A review of two books

“Plants of the Gods” is a term referring to the religious meaning members of many primitive cultures worldwide attribute to plants containing hallucinogenic or mind-altering substances. The plants are customarily considered sacred and consumed in religious rituals in an attempt to reach and communicate with gods or revered ancestors. They are frequently used in healing rites. Occasionally, they are used for purely recreational purposes, this being their main use in the modern societies of both industrialized and underdeveloped nations. However, it must be noted that the hallucinogenic or psychedelic experiences, recreational, are not always euphoric. Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers is well-written, fully illustrated with color photographs, and contains a good index. It is an effective compilation of ethnographic, historic, and neuropharmacologic information on the hallucinogenic plants of planet Earth and the psychological and sociological impact they have, particularly in primitive societies. The behavioral side effects and toxic manifestations that may be associated with transient or permanent neurological deficits or psychiatric conditions place them in the realm of neuropsychiatry, when affected individuals present to the emergency room or are referred for medical consultation.

Lunat: Tato Tradisional Masyarakat Dawan di Timor Barat

This article aims to find out the meaning and function of the lunat (traditional tattoo) and the factors causing its absence among the Dawan community in West Timor. According to the Dawanese, lunat has a religious meaning and function, namely as a medium or an instrument of Salvation after someone dies. From the research, four things were found to be the causes why this practice is no longer practiced by the Dawanese nowadays. First is the stigma of being a member or part of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Second is the prohibition of attending school. Third is the disappearance of the lunat religious meaning caused by the transition from traditional religion to Christianity and the fourth is the break in the transfer of knowledge about lunat from one generation to another.

Ana Dhei Dhato (An Analysis of Traditional Wedding Traditions at Rajawawo Village of Ende Regency)

This research aimed to describe each process of ‘Ana Dhei Dhato’ and revealed its cultural meanings based on the perspective of people in Rajawawo village of Ende regency. The method of this research was descriptive qualitative research. In collecting the data, the researcher used interviews, note-taking, and recording. The data were analyzed through transcribing and translating. The analysis results show that ‘Ana Dhei Dhato’ is considered the most valuable type of wedding because of its complexity and peculiar characteristics. It can be seen from the way they run this kind of wedding ritual. Some cultural meanings are found in these wedding rituals and language spoken, such as religious meaning, social meaning, historical meaning, juridical meaning, and didactic meaning. Therefore, it is expected that people in Rajawawo village must consider ‘Ana Dhei Dhato’ as one of the most valuable cultural heritages and should also maintain its existence.