Revisiting the Religious Openness Hypothesis in a Migration Context: The Case of Muslims with a Turkish Migration Background in Germany

The religious openness hypothesis, which states that religious traditions have the potential to integrate faith with intellect, is examined in this study within a migration context for the first time. Based on two lines of research, our central question is whether the sociological context or the Islamic tradition per se explains the (in)compatibility of faith and intellect orientation and their relation to psychological openness. Religious openness, psychological openness (ambiguity tolerance and acculturation strategies) and religiosity were measured among Muslims with a Turkish migration background in Germany. Our findings show a non-significant relationship between faith and intellect orientation and we therefore propose that the secular context is the crucial explaining factor. Religious reflection also moderates the link between different forms of religiosity and ambiguity tolerance. Finally, heterogeneous religious rationalities were uncovered that challenge the negative view of Muslims as fanatic, closed-minded people which prevails among the German majority society.

‘This is a Call of God … or is it?’: Narratives about Humans, God and Eschatology in the Dutch Reformed Pietist Community during the COVID-19 Outbreak

In this study, we examine which narratives were put forward by key figures of the Dutch reformed pietist community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyse sermons and news articles from the period March–November 2020. We find, as expected, a dominant narrative of COVID-19 as God’s judgment, a calling to repentance and an event which emphasizes the need for prayer. Although the pandemic was seen as a call by God, the systematic origin of the virus (God/Satan/natural phenomena) remained rather ambiguous. More often it was stated that ‘everything falls under His providence’. The earthly origin of the virus remained mostly unaddressed, as well as eschatological interpretations, contrary to our expectations. We conclude that the main narrative is a general message of repentance, rather than a concrete theological application to the dynamic of the virus, its origins and its subsequent spread. In some cases, virus ‘jargon’ even was used as a tool just to further accentuate general tendencies of reformed pietist theology.

Religious and Spiritual Struggles in a German-Speaking Sample: a Validation Study

This paper presents the German adaptation and validation of the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSSS) (Exline et al. 2014). Religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles consist of inner conflicts regarding supernatural, interpersonal and intrapersonal concerns, which in the RSSS are categorized into six struggles: Divine, Demonic, Doubt, Interpersonal, Moral and Ultimate Meaning. The prevalence of these as well as mental health correlates and associations with centrality of religiosity were explored in a sample of 1359 German-speaking participants, primarily university students from Switzerland. Inner r/s struggles have primarily been studied in samples from the United States, and data are lacking for more secular societies such as Switzerland, where these struggles are experienced as well. For the first time, the RSSS was translated into and administered in the German language and its six-factor structure confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis.

The Development and Validation of the Christian Environmentalism Scale (CES) from a Philippine Sample

Responding to emerging ecotheologies, we articulated a new environmental construct distinct from previous environmental measures which largely follow developmental models. In the present study we developed and reviewed the psychometric properties of the Christian Environmentalism Scale (CES) initially in three dimensions from 970 youth participants in the Philippines. Study design included exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for data reduction and best fit model analysis. CES is a unidimensional 15-item measure with a high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .95) score and adequate results for best fit model. CES had significant associations with pro-environment and religious attitude scales indicating initial evidence of convergent validity.

Canadian Calvinists Help to Overcome Intolerance against Muslims: Dutch Reformed Theology behind a Pluralist Worldview

This paper presents a case study of the dialogue groups organized by the members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) to hold dialogue with Muslims in Canada. Being profoundly influenced by Dutch neo-Calvinist theology, members of CRCNA promote an idea of confessional plurality, which has resulted in building relationships with Muslim communities. This study is based on fifteen interviews with participants of several Reformed Christian-Muslim groups, a content analysis of mass and social media and a variety of theological documents. Our findings show that these interfaith meetings help develop cohesive neighbourhoods and communities which facilitate new Muslim immigrants’ settlement and adjustment in Canada. This paper also points out the opportunities for further fruitful interfaith cooperation, both in the social and political spheres. However, some of the research participants are challenged with distinguishing missionary work and dialogue, which might undermine the work of the community in building bridges between Reformed Christians and Muslims.

Insights from Adolescents’ Prayer Requests within a Christian Ethos School: A Qualitative Perspective

State-maintained Christian ethos schools are a prominent part of the educational landscape of England and Wales, and a growing body of empirical research has sought to access, study and interpret the voices of their students in order to contribute to a fuller understanding of life within these schools and their place in contemporary Britain. As part of this endeavour, this study focuses on what may be learnt from students’ prayer in a joint Anglican and Catholic Christian ethos secondary school. Following the identification of the school prayer board and intercessory prayers within school Eucharists as offering a significant contribution to the Christian ethos school, this study set out to explore and evaluate these prayer requests composed by students. Taking a sample of 212 prayers, an established analytic framework for the analysis and classification of intercessory prayer (the apSAFIP) was employed and other notable characteristics identified (including prayer type, ‘proclamations’, drawings, liturgical language and style). The findings draw attention to the distinctive profile of the prayer requests offered within the school in terms of the issues for which prayers are offered, and the religious language, expressions, and themes that shape these prayers. The study concludes by appraising the performance of the apSAFIP in this new context and by considering what may be learnt from these themes and linguistic forms about the spiritual and religious lives of the students.

Religion, Spirituality, Well-Being, and Ill-Being in a Church-Renewal Movement: The Case of Finland

An expanding body of research connects religiosity/spirituality (later R/S) with human well-being and health. While psychological and medical research lacks a common theoretical or theological framework, these dimensions are measured by instruments with a wide variation in quality. As the religious landscapes in Western societies are becoming increasingly plural and complex, the need for developing our understanding and assessment of the role of R/S in human health and well-being is as important as ever. This study, based on quantitative data (N = 529) from members of a church renewal oriented network in the Lutheran majority Church in Finland, measures the role of R/S in the subjective well-being of the participants through a multi-dimensional framework. While exploring Ellison’s Spiritual Well-being Scale (1983), the study expands its scope to a more multi-dimensional approach to religion, spirituality and well-being. The results reveal that religious beliefs and practices do not contribute to the level of subjective well-being in the lives of the participants as much as the way in which these beliefs and practices are lived out and actualized in social contexts. The study identified several sources of both well-being and ill-being in the participants’ lives. The article contributes to the terms of measuring the various ways in which R/S are connected to human well-being.

The Prohibition of Discrimination and Unequal Treatment of Women and Homosexuals in the Spheres of Work and in Public Life

Differences in race, ethnic origin, gender, belief and worldview, disability and chronic disease, age, and sexual orientation must not be a reason for discriminating against people. Non-discrimination is enshrined as a fundamental right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in numerous subsequent documents and in the constitutions of democratic states. Also the major religions are hostile to discriminatory distinctions. Among the groups that repeatedly experience discrimination are, on the one hand, women, who have to put up with disadvantages even in countries that advocate equality. Secondly, they include people with a homosexual orientation, who sometimes have to endure open rejection. This research uses a sample of N=5363 from 10 countries to examine the attitudes of young people about non-discrimination. Specifically, it asks whether religious belonging and the country of origin show any impact on this attitude, and whether the religiosity of respondents moderates the influence of religion and country. The empirical findings show that discrimination against women is rejected, but with differences between religious groups and countries. Homosexuality is seen more controversially and there is no uniform rejection of discrimination against homosexuals. However, depending on religious affiliation and national context, individual religiosity can have positive and negative effects on the rejection of discrimination.