SENTIMENT(ALITY) AS A MEANS OF PERSUASION: ON THE THIN ICE OF MANIPULATION IN PROTESTANT SERMONS

Religious discourse represents an area of human communication in which persuasion plays a vital role; religious texts seem to be essentially related to the ultimate objective of religion: to create, mediate and legitimise ideology in order to persuade the reader of the veracity of the religious doctrine (Fairclough 1989, Cotterell & Turner 1989: 26-33, van Dijk 1998: 317). The paper seeks to investigate the persuasive strategies and linguistic means employed to convey persuasion in English Protestant sermons. The analysis focuses on the rhetorical role of pathos, which is purposefully evoked by the preacher via wilful employment of aff ect and emotions. Attention will also be paid to the blurred borderline between the intentional use of sentiment and sentimentality, and manipulation.

Filsafat Kenabian Muhammad Saw. di dalam al-Quran

The discussion of Prophetic philosophy was one of the central themes for Muslim philosophers in the Middle Ages. This is because one of the foundations of the Muslim faith is built on trust in God's messengers as recipients and transmitters of divine messages. Therefore, if someone has claimed to be a believer, the consequence that must be accepted is to believe in the existence of Muhammad's prophecy. However, history records the existence of some groups of Muslims in the Middle Ages that have ruled out the role of a prophet. The assumption that underlies them solely rests on the role of human reason which is considered sufficient to lead him to the truth so that the role of prophethood is no longer needed. This paper highlights how the Qur'an explains the concept of Muhammad's prophecy with all the visions and missions it carries. The Qur'an through sura al-Ahzab verses 45-46 has captured some of the prophetic characteristics of Muhammad. The philosophical approach in this research is a concrete effort to understand and explain religious doctrine more logically and systematically. The results of this study indicate that sura al-Ahzab verses 45-46 contain the prophetic message of Muhammad's prophethood, that is his testimony as a messenger who brings good news as well as a warning to people who are in denial of the existence of God. In addition, Muhammad also played a role as a caller for truth and a guide for lost mankind.

Relationship of Religion and Culture

This research focuses on issues of religious, cultural and political conflicts and the integration of Ulama and Umara in Purwakarta which intersect with the political dimensions ahead of the Regional Head Election. The specific focus is on the evaluation of religion over culture and turns into a strategic issue played by interest groups. This research is a type of field research research using a qualitative dialectical phenomenological approach as the method. The collection of data and information was carried out by means of observation techniques. The findings of this study include the first, the religious and cultural relations in Purwakarta due to the perspective of the FPI, KUI and FUI mass organizations in assessing that the preservation of Sundanese culture in Purwakarta is contrary to Islamic teachings. second, the form of conflict between Ulama and Umara begins with the case of "the flute and the Koran, the making of puppet figures, the Hideung Bodas (Black and White) Festival of the Tumpeng Parade, the Bebegig Parade, to the confrontation of Sampurasun vs campurracun, and is closely related to political issues. and religious doctrine and understanding of Sundanese culture. But then it is processed into a religious issue and utilized by interest groups.Third, efforts to integrate ulama and Umara are carried out by holding a Cultural and Religious Workshop, establishing communication and compromising on the conflicts that occur.

On the meanings of the terms dhāraṇī and mantra in the Buddhist written tradition

The article comprises an analysis of some of the most important terms in the Buddhist religious tradition – dhāraṇī and mantra. It is based upon research of the Buddhist canonical and post-canonical texts. Among others, the article sets to clarify whether it is possible to identify the terms of dhāraṇī and mantra also as ‘spells’, ‘incantations’ or ‘invocations’. Special attention is paid to the study of the semantic areas of the terms in question. This aims to clarify whether the dhāraṇī and mantra can be considered synonyms. The article also examines the approaches of Russian and foreign scholarly traditions, which interpreted the meaning of these terms. On a parallel basis, it analyzes the meaning of the term dhāraṇī recorded in Buddhist canonical and post-canonical texts. Additionally, the article comprises a research of the technical terms, which are synonymous for dhāraṇī and mantra, however, used in both authentic (Indian) and non-endemic zones and the relevant traditions, where the Buddhist teaching was also popular, i.e. in Tibet, China and Japan. As a result, the author concludes as follows. On the ‘popular level’ of the functioning of Buddhist doctrine (protection from illnesses, robbers, bites of poisonous snakes and insects, etc.) both terms dhāraṇī and mantra can be certainly bear the meaning as ‘spells’, ‘incantations’ or ‘invocations’. On the level of the meditative practice of the consciousness transformation, which aims to the final liberation from affects, both dhāraṇī and mantra function as a ‘mental construct’. On the one hand, they protect the ascetic consciousness they protect the ascetic consciosness (manas-tra) from afflictions, on the other, they provide the mental comprehension ‘grasping’ and firm holding (dhāraṇa) in memory of the aspects of religious doctrine, that, ultimately, leads to the Nirvāṇa obtaining. In both cases, dhāraṇī and mantra function as synonyms, with the only difference that dhāraṇī is a product of Buddhist ideologists who sought to identify a break from the previous religious tradition – Brahmanism.

Legal regulation of religion in the context of ecclesiastical law as a model of a single legal space in Europe

The basic historical conditions for the formation of religious doctrines within the Christian faith were determined. It was established that the church proclaiming the need for unity of Europe did not object to the existence of nation states. The conclusion regarding the desire of the church to subject the political power in the states of Europe and thereby establish unity of management methods was proved. Such methods were based on the principles of Catholic religious doctrine and dogma. The content culturological integration processes in the environment, particularly in science and art was disclosed. It was identified their impact on integration and mutual penetration of ideas of humanistic orientation into the European consciousness.

Illness, Aesthetics, and Body Politics: Forging the Third Republic in Émile Zola's 'La Faute de l'abbé Mouret'

This article examines the political role of illness in Émile Zola’s La Faute de l’abbé Mouret (The Sin of Father Mouret) (1875) in articulating the difference between a religious and a secular body. Published in the early French Third Republic (1870–1940), this novel shows the Zolian body as the nexus upon which religious and republican discourses compete. Using Paul Ricœur’s theory on Christianity’s original sin, this article compares Mouret’s sickness with physical evil and illustrates how Zola redeploys the traditional religious symbols of the heart, the blood, and the Word to the secular realm. It will show that original sin is a Christian myth inscribed on the body, and that Zola’s reformulation of a core religious doctrine and its supporting framework can and must be dismantled for the fledgling secular Third Republic. The article shows an attempt by Zola to forge a republican self, and thereby offers a new perspective on the nature of the Zolian body which merits further study under the field of Medical Humanities. Through the construction of the religious body, the article also contributes to wider critical discussion on mythology in Zola’s work.

Genesis of the concept of correctional punishment: From antiquity to modern times

The article examines the genesis of the idea of correctional punishment. The authors analyse the concepts and views on the purpose of punishing Plato, Roman lawyers, European humanists, as well as English prison reformers of the XVIII century. The relevance of this topic for domestic legal science is due to the ongoing transformation of approaches to determining the purpose of punishment, the revision of strategies in the field of punishments in foreign penology and the development of correctional policy, taking into account new goals. The era of correctional punishment, admittedly, was the XIX century. The basis of penitentiary discourse during this period was the belief that with the help of a proper prison regime, segregation, humane treatment and spiritual care, it would certainly be possible to correct convicts. Although the ideas of correctional punishment appear in ancient times and acquire their practical implementation in the medieval Christian tradition of European states, the idea of the primacy of English and American prison reformers in the establishment of penitentiary systems prevails in historiography. An unbiased analysis of knowledge systems and the rejection of the methodology of ideological bias allowed proving that the penitentiary systems of the XIX century only developed the models of prison discipline that began in previous periods. In fact, there was a revival of the ancient paternalistic concept of correctional punishment, supplemented by a religious doctrine that provided for the influence not on the body, but on the soul of the offender to repent, correct and, as a result, return to society. At the end of the XVIII century, the secular authorities adopted these disciplinary models. They will be most widely implemented in correctional and penitentiary houses in England during the prison reform of the 70s and 90s and will later become the basis for the formation of penitentiary systems that will be implemented in practice in most countries of the world during the XIX-early XX centuries

Making the local and the decentralized governable: a study of the implementation of the Chinese Temples Ordinance

Purpose This paper aims at illustrating how the local and the decentralized temple management bodies were made governable and governed through law. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines the implementation of Chinese Temples Ordinances (the Ordinance) and the activities of the Chinese Temples Committee (the Committee) in Hong Kong during colonial times by analyzing official archival records from 1920s to 1970s. Findings This paper delineates how the local and decentralized temple management bodies were made governable under the Ordinance. The Ordinance and the Committee translated Chinese temples into financial resources for Chinese charity activities managed by the elite merchant class. Chinese temples were also sometimes translated as obstacles for land development. Though there existed different representations of Chinese temples in practices, the Committee and related officials provided legal reasons under the same legal framework suggested by the Ordinance. Originality/value This paper suggests that folk religion as a research topic is not only relevant to studies of religious doctrine, belief and ritual performances. A study of the history of temple management bodies is also highly relevant to the study of colonial governance in Hong Kong. It adds value to the discussion on the trajectory of the development of local communities.

POLITICAL TRADITIONALISM

The article is devoted to the traditionalism as a phenomenon and its role in politics. The essence of the processes of conservation and transformation of political traditionalism in modern society is revealed. It is shown that the emphasis on the archaization of the spiritual and value elementstestifies to the “conservation of traditionalism”. Traditionalism can be primitive, everyday, political and ideological. “Integral traditionalism” is distinguished by a special interpretation of tradition and an understanding of the crisis of modern civilization. Traditionalism is associated with conservatism as a political ideology. As a philosophical and religious doctrine, in contrast to conservatism as an ideology, traditionalism is dogmatic, providing a transcendental justification for power. Traditionalism in politics, approaching conservatism as a political ideology, is used to protect against threats of destruction of the established socio-cultural model, which is idealized by references to the past. The semantic core of the understanding of management based on the traditional approach is the idea of ​​the ability of a state to achieve self-determination and independent development. Comparison of traditionalism and modernism / reformism as types of mentality is made. The advantages and disadvantages of traditionalism, its role in the interpretation and practice of public administration are shown. The article reveals the characteristics of neo-traditionalism as a transformed form of adherence to a protective approach to the development of society: politicization of traditionalism; adaptation of traditions to modern conditions and the incorporation of innovations during their reproduction; the subordination of the value-irrational meaning of traditions to the constructed technologies of referring to the past; construction of new traditions; maintaining subject and paternalistic elements in moral and political culture.