Understanding Folk Religiosity in the Philippines

This paper argues for the appreciation of Filipino folk religiosity as part of cultivating authentic faith expressions among Filipinos. It presents historical, anthropological, sociocultural, and theological views on significant folk religious groups, traditions, and practices in the Philippines, including but not limited to the millenarian movements and popular Catholic feasts. Despite the varied influences and variegated Philippine culture, folk religiosity among Filipinos can be generalized as a syncretic blending of pre-colonial beliefs with the Catholic faith. As an academic and practicing Catholic, the researcher explores the folk religious elements present in the development of the millenarian movements, the unique faith expressions and influences behind folk Catholic feasts and celebrations, and probes deeper into the meaning of ordinary faith expressions. Coming from his own experiences and insights, he refers to previous scholarly works in discussing how spirituality or reverence to the sacred is inherently embedded in the folk religious ways, how the cultural Filipino traits manifest in the religious practices and vice versa, and how folk spirituality enables the expression of deep cultural and personal Christian faith experience. In conclusion, he maintains that millenarian movements are valid faith expressions that also celebrate independence and Filipino identity; traditional festivals and religious rites are the locals’ unique way of authentically expressing their faith, and; preserving folk religions and folk religiosity among Catholics is beneficial for engendering the growth of the faithful and the development of religion. A clear sense of folk religiosity is elemental in reappropriating religious dogmas and doctrines as the church and the faithful continuously study, dialogue, and fully experience life in the pursuit of approaching authenticity in faith, beliefs, and religions.

Investigating the Impact of Different Religions on Corporate Social Responsibility Practices: A Cross-National Evidence

The growing interest in the impact that organizations have on society has made Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a matter of extraordinary relevance. Religions are among the factors that may drive the adoption of more CSR practices and, as such, may play a significant role in their promotion. The aim here is to discover whether religions contribute to the development of a broader range of CSR initiatives on the basis of Stakeholder, and Legitimacy theories. We studied the impact of different religions on an index made up of 122 CSR practices that include social and environmental issues. We tested the hypothesis proposed through panel data models for a sample composed of 13,884 firm-year observations from 30 countries. Our findings suggest that certain religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, have a positive influence on the adoption of CSR practices. Companies operating in countries with a high percentage of adherents to these religions are more prone to undertake CSR activities. However, Islam, Hinduism, and Folk religions record an inverse trend that evidences a negative link. JEL codes: M14, M16

What are some Taoist influences in Vietnamese culture?

A bit of history first, Taoism is the result of the union between the folk religions of northern China and the folk religions of southern China. Taoism is partly a philosophy of life and partly a belief. Taoism was first introduced to Vietnam during the first Chinese domination period.

The Shintoization of Mazu in Tokugawa Japan

Mazu was a Chinese sea goddess worshiped by fishermen, villagers, maritime merchants, and local officials in the Sinic world including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In a sense, the Chinese cultural sphere was also the “sphere of Mazu belief.” Compared with China’s other neighboring nations, Japan settled at a deeper level of localization, turning Mazu into a Shinto deity, worshiping the Chinese goddess in the Shinto way, and enshrining her along with other Shinto deities. In the Tokugawa period, Mazu was worshiped by the Japanese as the manifestation of different Shinto deities. Based on Japanese primary sources, this study investigates the Shintoization of Mazu in Tokugawa Japan using Funadama belief among seafarers and shipbuilders, Noma Gongen belief in the Satsuma domain, and Ototachibanahime belief in the Mito domain as the main points of reference. Mazu was associated with Funadama, the Japanese protector god of seafarers, in different parts of Japan. In the Satsuma and Mito domains, Mazu belief differed tremendously from that in China in terms of religious titles, festival dates, forms of worship, and functions. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how Chinese folk religions were incorporated into the Shinto framework of Tokugawa Japan and the nature of the popularization of Chinese culture in Japan through the lens of localization.

Bhagabania, Nigamananda and Baha’i of Jashore in Bangladesh: A Study of Women

Jashore, a renowned district of Bangladesh whose has own ancient tradition and heritage which is surrounded by the various rivers, forests and various folk religious communities who lead their life like the heart of rivers. The Bhairav, the Chitra, the Begobati, the Kaputakhya, the Icchamati, the Mukteswaree, the Nabagonga, the Kumar, the Harihar, the Kobadak, the Mathabhanga, the Afra Khal, the Khatki, the Fatki, and the Bhadra are the ancient rivers of Jashore. The rivers have changed their own speed and path by the rules of eternal geonatural world and in these ways, watery, salty and sweet areas people follow the extraordinary style of religious beliefs which focus on the rivers and religious beliefs which focus on the rivers and religious paramount where the deities and entities of the people make up a resourceful religious culture. Like rivers and religions have changed their own facets and beliefs. The World religions are divided into two divisions. They are: (a) State recognized religions and (b) Folk religions. There is a good number of discrimination between state-recognized religions and Folk religions. The state-recognized religions are in two sections. They are: (a) Abrahamic religions and (b) Indian religions. Folk religions are community-based religions that may be national and international. Here will be shown about state-recognized were their women in what is how. The reviewer attempts to examine between state-recognized religions and folk religions where both of two, how to treat to the women.

Rethinking Mediumship in Contemporary Wenzhou

The study of spirit mediums has drawn the attention of international scholars from the 1960s onward, and the topic continues to thrive. Yet little work has been done on spirit mediums in mainland China, which have mainly been glimpsed through studies of mediumship in Taiwan. This article draws on ethnographic research to explore the diverse traditions of spirit mediums in Wenzhou. While spirit mediums are viewed with ambivalence, they play a significant role within broader Chinese folk religions. It is crucial to understand spirit mediums through the appropriate cultural context in order to understand their diverse practices and roles in local society. I discuss why Wenzhou’s mediumship should be regarded as a form of shamanism in spite of differences between its discourse and practices and those of Minnan mediumship, as well as those of Siberian or Korean shamanism.

Popular Religions and Multiple Modernities: A Framework for Understanding Current Religious Transformations

Popular, ethnic, and folk religions endure in all regions of the planet, but specially in underdeveloped or developing non-Western countries. The main objective of this paper was to propose a framework for understanding this popular religious trend. Although religion in general has previously been linked to multiple modernities, the revitalization of popular religions has not. While Eisenstadt’s original theory of multiple modernities has been criticized on several aspects, his interpretative approach is valid provided that the contradictory dynamics of modernizing processes are recognized. The epistemological shift suggested by this article involves recognizing the biases that Western sociology has brought to its analysis of religions. Once we treat modernities as multiple, the specificity of each modernity opens up the spectrum of religious alternatives that flourish in every geo-cultural area. The growing diversity of popular religious expressions in the Global South stems from the fact that they are supported by thousands of believers. Their lived religions spills beyond religious institutions. These popular religiosities are the main sources of religious diversities and religious resistance in the context of multiple modernities. Lived religion and symbolic action allow us a better understanding of the magical-religious expressions of peoples of the world.

Preaching the Gospel in China: Changes in the Concept of “Gospel” since the 17th Century

This paper focuses on the change of the meaning of “gospel” in Chinese context since the 17th Century. In the late Ming dynasty, Catholic missionaries were the first to translate “gospel” into Chinese with their writings about the Bible. Then the term became intermingled with traditional Chinese belief of seeking blessings. After the ban on Christianity imposed by the Emperor Yong Zheng, Chinese Catholics hid their faith and disguised it as Buddhism, Taoism and folk religions. At the end of the 19th century, “gospel” was connected to colonialism and became a trigger for Sino-Western conflict. The critique of and hostility toward the term abruptly arose. In the 20th century, “gospel” turned into a new concept, which went beyond its religious connotation and gradually referred to all kinds of “good news”.