Armeńscy Jezydzi. Proces akulturacji a specyfika diaspory

Yezidis is a religious group of Yezidi faith, sometimes identifying with Kurds or considering themselves a separate ethnic group. Parts of the Yezidi diaspora are scattered mainly in the countries of the Middle East. In Armenia, they are the largest minority in this country, with a population of around 30,000. The article presents the process of Yezidi acculturation in Armenia. The concept of acculturation of D. Sam and J. Berry, which takes into account the degree to which people want to preserve their identity and culture, and the degree to which they want to be in contact with people outside their own group and participate in everyday life within the framework of wider society, turned out to be helpful here. In the case of the Armenian Yezidis, the acculturation process is quite diverse, as it extends between integrating with the Armenian society and remaining on the margins of it.

A Previously Unpublished Letter of Introduction by an Andalusi Karaite (T-S 8J41.7)

The document published in this article is a letter of introduction written by a Karaite Andalusi Jew upon his arrival to Egypt, on his route to Jerusalem. The text, which was deposited in the Cairo Genizah, is currently held at Cambridge University Library in the Taylor-Schechter Collection (Genizah Research Unit). Although undated, the text has the distinction of being the only known letter written by an Andalusi who presents himself as a Karaite, and is thus a first-person confirmation of the presence of this religious group in al-Andalus.

Religious addiction

Talking about religious addiction in today’s age is both a timely and taboo subject. Religion has been a part of human life since ancient times. It is perhaps one of the most exciting and complex areas in research behavioural addictions together with its negative and positive sides. However, when we talk about religious addiction, in addition to the dysfunctional operation of the individual, the dysfunctional operation of the given religious group also appears. I try to explore the topic from several aspects, emphasizing the clarification of the concept and functions of religion, going around its positive and negative effects, and also presenting the methods of its therapeutic nature for young people.

The influence of cyberization on folk religion: A case study of Chinese online religious group

Religious cyberization is a new way of dissemination and development of traditional offline religions. In the process of cyberization, all aspects of religions are likely to be affected by the new Internet environment. Taking a Chinese online religious group as Internet field, this article analyzes the influence of cyberization on belief system, religious authority and religious experience of folk religion, and makes a preliminary exploration of its causes in combination with the characteristics of Internet and folk religion. This study mainly adopted the method of participant observation, and conducted online and offline interviews with participants when necessary. In addition, the researcher also analyzed documents, audio and other files uploaded in the online group. In the case discussed in this article, compared with officially recognized religions in China, folk religion seems to be more adapted to the opportunities and challenges brought by the new territory of the Internet due to its unique diffuseness and inclusiveness.

Social Identity of an Ancestral Religious Group: A Study of the Hamai People in Northeast India

An ancestral group, with a native religion, views its religion from a strictly confined group’s identity perspective. This narrowly confined identity narrative of their origin, rooted in their relationship with their proto-ancestor’s creator, contributes towards their belief systems that naturally precludes all other groups and thus results in a cautiously guarded religion of their ancestral group. The social identity process of religion shields it from evolving into a more universal belief system that cuts across cultures and languages. Nevertheless, the social identity process of the religion of an ancestral group is certainly a phenomenon that allows one to better comprehend the various intricate dynamics within an ancestral group and their inter-group dynamics. The article is contextualised within an ancestral group known as Hamai who come under Zeliangrong, an organisation formed for the socio-economic and political objectives of a section of the Hamai people of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.

Negotiating two worlds:

This article explores the lived experiences of Muslim youth in Belgium regarding their gender identity. Based on a qualitative study with focus groups among Moroccan Belgian youths, we examine the usefulness of studying gender identity as a dynamic construct. Gender identity is not only shaped within and through different contexts, the state of Moroccan Belgian youths negotiating between two worlds also highly complicates this construction. Gender acts as a mobilising force to legitimate borders and to differentiate from another ethnic or religious group that does not share the same practices or perceptions. Finally, processes of stereotyping, which are mainly gender-based, evoke a diversity of reactions among these youths. The aim of this article is to contribute to an understanding of the construction of gender identity as a continuous process that acquires meaning in relation to minority/majority relations in society. Directions for future research are suggested.

Communities of Absence: Emotions, Time, and Buddhism in the Creation of Belonging

This article argues that belonging can be characterized by absence. It explores this as experienced in two different geographical and historical contexts by two groups of actors: members of the early Tibetan diaspora in India (1959–1979) and former members of a religious group (Aum Shinrikyō) in Japan. The absence we conceptualize is double: it is not solely a spatial absence, but also a temporal absence in terms of the irreversibility of time. It is felt and articulated through emotions that play decisive roles in the constitution and sustaining of these communities. These communities as feeling communities are characterized by absence, but absence is simultaneously what makes them a community. This simultaneity allows our actors to create complex temporal frameworks by relating to reimagined pasts, different presents, and potential futures. Therefore, the article contributes to discussions of belonging by retheorizing the relationship between absence, emotions, and time.

“Living Between Two Different Worlds”: Experiences of Leaving a High-Cost Religious Group

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of individuals’ subjective experiences after leaving a high-cost religious group and how these experiences have affected their lives. In-depth interviews were done with 18 participants who had left different religious communities in Finland. The interviews were analysed through a thematic analysis. The results show that religious disaffiliation is a life change that may affect an individual’s life in profound ways. Life after being a member of a high-cost group may involve experiences of fear, guilt, sorrow, pain, loss and even suffering on an existential level. These experiences can have serious implications for one’s well-being and health. However, life after religious disaffiliation also includes many positive aspects, such as experiences of joy, freedom, relief, gratitude and empowerment.