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Religions, Volume 16, Issue 3 (March 2025) – 102 articles

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14 pages, 238 KiB  
Article
Against Quasi-Fideism
by Annalisa Coliva
Religions 2025, 16(3), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030365 (registering DOI) - 13 Mar 2025
Abstract
In a series of papers, Duncan Pritchard has argued that Wittgenstein’s remarks in On Certainty (OC) provide the foundation for a quasi-fideistic account of religious belief. This account seeks to navigate a middle path between evidentialism—the view that religious belief is rational only [...] Read more.
In a series of papers, Duncan Pritchard has argued that Wittgenstein’s remarks in On Certainty (OC) provide the foundation for a quasi-fideistic account of religious belief. This account seeks to navigate a middle path between evidentialism—the view that religious belief is rational only if supported by epistemic reasons—and fideism, which holds that religious belief cannot be rationally justified precisely because it is not grounded in epistemic reasons. Central to Pritchard’s quasi-fideism is a parity argument, which asserts that religious and non-religious beliefs are on equal footing. For the rationality of both depends on their connection to a background of a-rational foundational commitments, or “hinges”. In this paper, I challenge Pritchard’s account on two fronts. First, I argue that his quasi-fideism relies on a contentious interpretation of OC, and of Wittgenstein’s views about religious discourse, making it questionable whether it can genuinely be considered an application of Wittgenstein’s views to religious epistemology. Second, I contend that quasi-fideism, as developed by Pritchard, is inherently unstable, as it risks either collapsing into fideism or permitting relativism, contrary to Pritchard’s intentions. I then explore the potential for quasi-fideism—or, at any rate, a position meant to steer a middle path between evidentialism and fideism—under an alternative interpretation of OC. While this alternative framework may offer better prospects than Pritchard’s original formulation for avoiding the pitfalls of fideism and relativism, while sidestepping evidentialism, I argue that it ultimately fails to support a parity argument between religious and non-religious beliefs. Consequently, it cannot sustain a religious epistemology that avoids both evidentialism and fideism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Work on Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion)
12 pages, 216 KiB  
Article
Data Protection and Religious Freedom in the EU in the Context of the Catholic Church in Poland
by Piotr Kroczek
Religions 2025, 16(3), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030364 (registering DOI) - 13 Mar 2025
Abstract
The protection of personal data and religious freedom represent two fundamental rights that can be potentially in conflict in the European Union legal framework. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze Articles 91 and 17 of the General Data Protection Regulation [...] Read more.
The protection of personal data and religious freedom represent two fundamental rights that can be potentially in conflict in the European Union legal framework. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze Articles 91 and 17 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR 2016) in order to examine their implications for the exercise of religious freedom in both the personal and the institutional realms. The research employs a comprehensive legal analysis, examining potential interpretations of the articles in the context of the Catholic Church and of Poland. The findings suggest that while Article 91 introduces data protection requirements for religious associations, it does not inherently threaten religious freedom. However, the study highlights significant risks arising from potential misinterpretations of Article 91, particularly regarding the concepts of “comprehensive rules” and “brought into line with” GDPR standards. The same applies to Article 17 and the “right to be forgotten”, whose absolute application can interfere with freedom of religion. The research concludes that careful, nuanced interpretation of the GDPR is crucial to maintaining both personal data protection and religious freedom. The paper ultimately argues that the articles of the GDPR can be understood as a mechanism for safeguarding religious freedom rather than constraining it, provided it is applied regarding the diverse doctrinal principles of different religious organizations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Right to Freedom of Religion: Contributions)
13 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
Paul and Rhetoric Revisited: Reexamining Litfin’s Assumptions on Pauline Preaching in 1 Corinthians
by Timothy J. Christian
Religions 2025, 16(3), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030363 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 73
Abstract
In contemporary New Testament studies, the question of whether Paul employed Greco-Roman rhetoric in his writings and preaching remains contentious. A prominent critic of Paul’s rhetorical usage is Duane Litfin, whose works, St. Paul’s Theology of Proclamation: 1 Corinthians 1–4 and Greco-Roman Rhetoric [...] Read more.
In contemporary New Testament studies, the question of whether Paul employed Greco-Roman rhetoric in his writings and preaching remains contentious. A prominent critic of Paul’s rhetorical usage is Duane Litfin, whose works, St. Paul’s Theology of Proclamation: 1 Corinthians 1–4 and Greco-Roman Rhetoric (1994) and Paul’s Theology of Preaching: The Apostle’s Challenge to the Art of Persuasion in Ancient Corinth (2015), argue that Paul outright rejected rhetoric in favor of a straightforward proclamation of the gospel. Litfin asserts that Paul viewed himself as a herald rather than a rhetorician, that his preaching was devoid of rhetorical adornment, and that 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5 represents a universal theology of preaching. Litfin further suggests that Paul did not employ rhetoric in his Acts sermons, thereby aligning his epistolary and Acts portrayals of Paul. This article critically evaluates Litfin’s position by addressing five key issues. First, it challenges Litfin’s claim that Paul rejected rhetoric generally, arguing instead that Paul likely repudiated sophistic rhetoric or ornate styles rather than rhetoric per se. Second, it disputes Litfin’s dichotomy between heralds and orators, contending that Paul, identified as an apostle rather than a herald, was not bound by such a false binary. Third, it critiques Litfin’s assumption that 1 Corinthians 1–4 serves as Paul’s comprehensive theology of preaching, arguing instead that the passage is context-specific and not indicative of a universal preaching methodology. Fourth, it rejects Litfin’s view of 1 Corinthians as an apology for Paul’s ministry and style, suggesting instead that it addresses Corinthian divisions and promotes unity. Lastly, the article refutes Litfin’s claim that Paul did not use rhetoric in Acts, highlighting that the rhetorical nature of Acts’ speeches suggests otherwise. Ultimately, this article argues that Paul did not categorically reject rhetoric but utilized it in various forms to effectively communicate the gospel. Full article
14 pages, 216 KiB  
Article
Equal Before God but Not Equal Before His Law? Sharia Law and Women’s Right to Interpretation in the Light of the Human Rights Debate
by Ajla Čustović
Religions 2025, 16(3), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030362 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 19
Abstract
Over the last couple of decades, the subject of women’s rights in Islam has emerged as the central tension point in discussion about the (in)compatibility of Islam with the modern concept of universal human rights. This topic has drawn significant attention from both [...] Read more.
Over the last couple of decades, the subject of women’s rights in Islam has emerged as the central tension point in discussion about the (in)compatibility of Islam with the modern concept of universal human rights. This topic has drawn significant attention from both liberal and Muslim theorists, who have questioned the source of gender inequality and discrimination against women evident in various Muslim societies. These issues are particularly pronounced in certain provisions of Islamic family law, which appear to conflict with both Islamic principles and the concept of a just and merciful God. Simultaneously, another discussion is unfolding within inner-Muslim debate where Muslims are sharply divided over an important question: Is Sharia divinely created or humanly constructed? Within this debate, Islamic female theorists argue that not only is Sharia man-made law, but one constructed dominantly through the interpretations of male jurists, theologians, and thinkers, whereas female voices and experiences were marginalized, silenced, and excluded. This profoundly influenced the construction of Sharia and embedded hierarchical gender-power dynamics within its provisions. This article explores the topic through three key points: first, the question of the creation or construction of Sharia is examined, emphasizing the unquestionable interpretative role of humans in deciphering God’s Will; second, it argues that the construction process of Sharia was dominated and monopolized by male interpreters, who have read the Qur’an through the lens of the historical context of eighth- and ninth-century Arabia, where gender inequality was a norm; third, it highlights the voices of Islamic female theorists and their egalitarian interpretations of the Qur’an, which reflect the core Islamic message of a just and merciful God. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Worlds Collide: Religion, Politics, and Society in a Globalized World)
15 pages, 198 KiB  
Article
Bible Noise—Sonic Explorations in Biblical Engagement Through the Use of Voice
by Sunil Philp Chandy
Religions 2025, 16(3), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030361 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 98
Abstract
This paper examines the practice of ‘Bible Noise’, a group which I led at a Church of England evangelical church that explored creative ways of reading aloud the Bible through sound art practice. Biblical engagement is central to evangelicals and I wanted to [...] Read more.
This paper examines the practice of ‘Bible Noise’, a group which I led at a Church of England evangelical church that explored creative ways of reading aloud the Bible through sound art practice. Biblical engagement is central to evangelicals and I wanted to expand biblical engagement by using sonic performances through the use of our voices, thereby facilitating a more bodily encounter with scripture. ‘Noise’ in the group name alludes to the disruption that sound can generate and also alludes to the ‘noise’ of multivocality, since the Bible has many voices in it from authors, narrative characters, editors, compilers, translators, interpreters and so on. The ‘noise’ is also a disruption of the visual primacy of our current culture. Bible Noise explores ways in which different voices can be brought in to enrich our aural engagement with scripture by exploring five different ‘pieces’ or readings of scripture. In doing so it establishes a communal idea of scripture where the different voices within scripture can be heard, paying attention to their particularities. Listening to these voices and our own embodied enactment of them can enrich and deepen our perception and engagement of scripture by appreciating the chorus of voices that is the Bible, the collection of texts that forms a core of British evangelical practice and belief. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disclosing God in Action: Contemporary British Evangelical Practices)
17 pages, 198 KiB  
Article
Why Ethics Requires a God and Is Safer from Evolutionary Debunking Threats as a Result: A Reply to Sterba
by Gerald K. Harrison
Religions 2025, 16(3), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030360 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 46
Abstract
Sterba has argued that ethics does not require God and that an atheistic objectivist ethics is compatible with an evolutionary account of our development. This paper argues that though ethics does not require God specifically, it does require a god of some sort, [...] Read more.
Sterba has argued that ethics does not require God and that an atheistic objectivist ethics is compatible with an evolutionary account of our development. This paper argues that though ethics does not require God specifically, it does require a god of some sort, for all normative reasons require a god and moral reasons are simply a subset of normative reasons. Sterba’s criticisms of more orthodox divine command theories of ethics are shown to raise no challenge to my view. Furthermore, even if Sterba’s alternative atheistic objectivist ethics is coherent, it would leave moral norms vulnerable to a particular kind of evolutionary debunking threat in a way that my theistic alternative does not. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Is an Ethics without God Possible?)
21 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Empirical Evaluation of the Role of African Traditional Religion in Promoting Gender-Based Violence in Southeast Nigeria
by Stella C. Ekwueme
Religions 2025, 16(3), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030359 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 144
Abstract
The tenets and philosophies of the Igbo traditional religion (ATR) form the bedrock of the Igbo traditional and sociocultural belief system whose principles and practices directly and indirectly influence the perceptions and way of life of the Igbo society. These traditional and sociocultural [...] Read more.
The tenets and philosophies of the Igbo traditional religion (ATR) form the bedrock of the Igbo traditional and sociocultural belief system whose principles and practices directly and indirectly influence the perceptions and way of life of the Igbo society. These traditional and sociocultural beliefs are practiced in a way that promotes patriarchy, reducing the women to second-class citizens, and often making room for gender-based violence (GBV) against the women. This study is designed to establish the prevalence, forms, effects, and causes of GBV using results from empirical data. A total of 369 women, selected from 12 villages in Enugu State, South Eastern Nigeria, via single-stage adaptive cluster sampling, were involved in the study. The data were analyzed using means, frequencies, and percentages. This study identified a high presence of all forms of physical, sexual, emotional, and economic violence, as well as violence through harmful traditional religious and widowhood practices. More than 70.0% of physical, sexual, emotional, and economic acts of GBV were perpetrated mainly by intimate partners (husbands and/or boyfriends). There was little evidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in all the forms of harmful traditional and widowhood practices. Rather, traditional and widowhood acts of violence against women are mainly perpetrated by the female peer group (Umuada), family members, and their husbands’ kinsmen (umunna). This study recommends effective outlets for victims to speak out and an action-oriented legal system to bring offenders to justice. Full article
22 pages, 617 KiB  
Article
The Cover of the Holy Building, the Symbol of Politics: The Historical Power Rivalry over the Kiswa of the Ka‘ba
by Esra Atmaca
Religions 2025, 16(3), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030358 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 181
Abstract
For Muslims, the Ka‘ba holds immense significance as the destination of pilgrimage—an obligatory act of worship—and as the direction toward which prayers are performed. The kiswa is a cover that has been placed on the Ka‘ba, the holiest place in Islam, since the [...] Read more.
For Muslims, the Ka‘ba holds immense significance as the destination of pilgrimage—an obligatory act of worship—and as the direction toward which prayers are performed. The kiswa is a cover that has been placed on the Ka‘ba, the holiest place in Islam, since the Jāhiliyya period as an expression of respect for it. Although there are some exceptions in Islamic history, it is usually changed once a year and it was woven in different colours according to the period, and finally it became a tradition to be black. The kiswa of the Ka‘ba is one of the most important religious and political symbols of Islamic history. This article analyses the role of the kiswa of the Ka‘ba in the relations between Muslim rulers in the Islamic world throughout history. From the earliest periods of Islam, the kiswa has been recognized as a symbol of legitimacy and a means of asserting control over the administration of pilgrimage. Many states, such as the Abbāsids, Mamlūks, and Ottomans, expressed or reinforced their political legitimacy among Muslims by showing their influence over the Ka‘ba through the tradition of the kiswa. In the medieval Islamic world, Muslim states or local administrators of these states especially used the kiswa as a symbol of sovereignty, thus increasing their influence in the regions they governed. Some Muslim administrators who wanted to send the kiswa to the Ka‘ba competed with each other or prevented the other from sending the kiswa to the Ka‘ba because each year only one kiswa was sent to Mecca. In this study, the position of the kiswa as a political symbol in the quest for the legitimacy of Muslim rulers in Islamic history and the historical development of this issue are discussed and analysed with examples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Historical Developments and Contemporary Transformations)
36 pages, 10116 KiB  
Article
The Phenomenon of “Tao-for-Buddhism” in Dunhuang Taoist Manuscripts
by Peng Zhang
Religions 2025, 16(3), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030357 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 50
Abstract
The text Poxie lun:Daojing shijingfo wen破邪論:道經師敬佛文 (Treatise on Refuting Heresies: On the Respect of Taoist Scriptures for Buddha) records twenty-three items of “miscellaneous ancient records in Taoist scriptures” 道教古經古事雜抄. Half of these entries align with contents found in Dunhuang manuscripts [...] Read more.
The text Poxie lun:Daojing shijingfo wen破邪論:道經師敬佛文 (Treatise on Refuting Heresies: On the Respect of Taoist Scriptures for Buddha) records twenty-three items of “miscellaneous ancient records in Taoist scriptures” 道教古經古事雜抄. Half of these entries align with contents found in Dunhuang manuscripts and pertain to the practice of “replacing Buddhism with Taoism”. The Dunhuang manuscripts that involve the content of “replacing Buddhism with Taoism” can be categorized into five situations: First, Taoist scriptures that retain Buddhist terminology which was later replaced by later generations; Second, instances where traces of Buddhist terminology remain, showing signs of having been altered or replaced; Third, cases where the replacement of Buddhist terminology has already been completed in the manuscripts; Fourth, instances where, after replacing Buddhist terminology, the sentence structure was also revised; Fifth, sections that were preserved which, in later generations, were deleted due to their content relating to the blending of Buddhism and Taoism. These instances of “replacing Buddhism with Taoism” may reflect efforts by Taoism to remove Buddhist elements amid criticism or an attempt by Buddhist monks to preserve Buddhism’s sanctity by altering Taoist texts. The Dunhuang Taoist manuscripts offer vibrant historical material for discussing interactions between Buddhism and Taoism in medieval China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Diversity and Harmony of Taoism: Ideas, Behaviors and Influences)
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21 pages, 357 KiB  
Article
A Historical Examination of Westerners’ Pro-Confucianism in China During the Early Republican Years
by Pan Jia
Religions 2025, 16(3), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030356 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 60
Abstract
During the early Republican years in China, through the publication of several prominent Western individuals’ view with respect to the Confucian religion in materials like Kong jiao lun 孔教论 (On the Confucian Religion) and 孔教会杂志 (The Confucian Association Monthly), [...] Read more.
During the early Republican years in China, through the publication of several prominent Western individuals’ view with respect to the Confucian religion in materials like Kong jiao lun 孔教论 (On the Confucian Religion) and 孔教会杂志 (The Confucian Association Monthly), Chen Huanchang, the director of the Confucian Association, appeared to have successfully enlisted the support for the Association from some renowned Western figures in China, including Timothy Richard, Gilbert Reid, Hermann Graf Keyserling, Hiram Stevens Maxim, and Reginald Fleming Johnston. Notwithstanding the Confucian Association’s propaganda, Timothy Richard and Gilbert Reid’s patronage of the Confucian Association in fact stemmed from their concept of “uniting all religions”. The praises heaped on Confucius by Hermann Graf Keyserling and Hiram Stevens Maxim were totally unrelated to the Confucian Association but were cleverly packaged by Chen Huanchang as an ideal resource through his ingenious translation. Reginald Fleming Johnston’s laudatory remarks with respect to the Confucian Association were inevitably motivated by his political speculation. The superficial respect for Confucius among Westerners in China belied more complex and nuanced attitudes towards making the Confucian religion the state religion of China. Such attitudes reveal the multiple facets of Confucianism in the early Republican era in response to some of the challenges posed by modernization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chinese Religious Cultures: Historical Traditions and Modern Interpretations)
29 pages, 13154 KiB  
Article
The Establishment of Religious Landscapes and Local Social Life in Nanshan and Beishan, Dazu District, in the Song Dynasty
by Jie Zhou
Religions 2025, 16(3), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030355 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 51
Abstract
As an exemplary and quintessential representation of China’s late-stage religious stone-carving art, previous research on the Dazu Rock Carvings has primarily concentrated on the typical cave remains in core areas like Baoding and Beishan. These investigations have been highly adept at archeological typology [...] Read more.
As an exemplary and quintessential representation of China’s late-stage religious stone-carving art, previous research on the Dazu Rock Carvings has primarily concentrated on the typical cave remains in core areas like Baoding and Beishan. These investigations have been highly adept at archeological typology and iconographic analysis. This study, based on 134 extant inscriptions, reassesses the Beishan and Nanshan stone-carving complexes from the perspective of cultural heritage integrity. Through long-term landscape analysis, we uncovered their distinctive value in the construction of religious spaces during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties. During the Song Dynasty (Zhao Song Dynasty), Buddhism held sway in Beishan, while Nanshan developed a comprehensive Taoist pantheon system encompassing the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Six Imperial Divinities (Liuyu). Together, they formed a religious spatial pattern of “Sakyamuni in Beishan and Taoist deities in Nanshan”. Furthermore, since the Shaoxing era (1131–1162), inscriptions left by Confucian scholars and officials during their visits to these two mountains have been frequently encountered. This spatial overlap phenomenon mirrors the profound integration of religious practices and secular power in the Bashu region during the Song Dynasty. This research breaks through the traditional case-study paradigm. By systematically examining the spatio-temporal evolution of the stone-carving complexes and the network of inscriptions, it reveals that the religious landscape of Dazu is, in essence, the outcome of the cumulative layering of political power, economic resources, and cultural aspirations across diverse historical periods. In particular, the transformation of Beishan and Nanshan from the merit caves of military generals in the late Tang Dynasty to the cultural spaces of the gentry class in the Song Dynasty vividly demonstrates the local practice model in the secularization process of Chinese religious art from the 10th to the 13th century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space for Worship in East Asia)
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16 pages, 332 KiB  
Article
The Ultimate in Verbalization: How Japanese Writer Furui Yoshikichi Reads Western Mystical Experiences
by Seungjun Lee and Do-Hyung Kim
Religions 2025, 16(3), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030354 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 128
Abstract
This study examines how the Japanese writer Furui Yoshikichi engages with Western mystical experiences, particularly through his reading of Martin Buber’s Ecstatic Confessions and his broader engagement with Meister Eckhart and medieval German mysticism. Furui’s literary inquiry revolves around the inherent tension between [...] Read more.
This study examines how the Japanese writer Furui Yoshikichi engages with Western mystical experiences, particularly through his reading of Martin Buber’s Ecstatic Confessions and his broader engagement with Meister Eckhart and medieval German mysticism. Furui’s literary inquiry revolves around the inherent tension between the ineffability of mystical experiences and their articulation through language. He critically engages with the paradox of verbalization, recognizing that while mystical experiences transcend linguistic and temporal boundaries, they nevertheless achieve resonance through written and spoken expressions. His reflections converge with Buddhist notions of Sūnyatā, underscoring intersections between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. Drawing upon his background as a translator of German literature, Furui mediates mystical experiences within a comparative framework, navigating cultural and linguistic boundaries. His approach elucidates the concept of the multiplicity of qualities in mystical experiences, demonstrating particularity and universality simultaneously. By analyzing Furui’s interpretation of mystical texts, this study contributes to broader discussions on the limitations of language in conveying transcendence and the role of literary imagination in rendering the ineffable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Imagining Ultimacy: Religious and Spiritual Experience in Literature)
21 pages, 386 KiB  
Article
Harmonizing Diversity: Insights from Zhuangzi’s Concept of Zhi 知
by Cheng Wang
Religions 2025, 16(3), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030353 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 118
Abstract
Zhuangzi articulates a framework for harmonizing diversity in both thought and practice. An in-depth analysis of the concept of zhi 知 is essential for understanding Zhuangzi’s perspective on achieving harmony concerning the diverse and ever-changing nature of existence. Previous studies on Zhuangzi either [...] Read more.
Zhuangzi articulates a framework for harmonizing diversity in both thought and practice. An in-depth analysis of the concept of zhi 知 is essential for understanding Zhuangzi’s perspective on achieving harmony concerning the diverse and ever-changing nature of existence. Previous studies on Zhuangzi either label his philosophy as anti-intellectual or fail to sufficiently examine the multi-dimensional nature of zhi as presented in his writings. This article identifies a hierarchical framework of knowledge in the Zhuangzi, including xinzhi 心知 (conscious knowing), xiaozhi 小知 (lesser knowledge), dazhi 大知 (greater knowledge), and zhenzhi 真知 (true knowledge), and discusses its implications for both inner and external harmony. It illustrates Zhuangzi’s critique of conventional forms of knowledge, which often create rigid divisions. The study reveals how practices such as xinzhai 心齋 (fasting of the heart-mind) lead from limited understanding toward zhenzhi, culminating in the realization of zhenren, who lives in accordance with dao. The analysis of various levels of knowing illuminates Zhuangzi’s approach to transcending conventional epistemology while proposing methods to embrace diverse perspectives and achieve better harmony in existence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Diversity and Harmony of Taoism: Ideas, Behaviors and Influences)
16 pages, 957 KiB  
Article
Books of Becoming: Memory Writing and Memory Sharing on 20th-Century Oshwal Jain Migration
by Tine Vekemans
Religions 2025, 16(3), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030352 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 57
Abstract
This article examines the narrative of migration that circulates among Oshwal Jains today. It does so by closely analyzing a varied corpus of memory-writing, including autobiographies, family histories, community histories, memoirs, and social media discussing the settlement of Oshwal Jains from British India [...] Read more.
This article examines the narrative of migration that circulates among Oshwal Jains today. It does so by closely analyzing a varied corpus of memory-writing, including autobiographies, family histories, community histories, memoirs, and social media discussing the settlement of Oshwal Jains from British India in East Africa between 1890 and 1950, and their subsequent onward migration from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. This article first presents a brief historical overview of South Asians in East Africa, and pieces together a picture of how and where Oshwal and non-Oshwal Jains featured within this colonial history. Operationalizing concepts from the field of memory studies, it then discusses which stories and memories are shared, and shows how they combine to form and sustain a community-affirming rags-to-riches narrative. Although the materials in the corpus can certainly help fill in some of the under-researched aspects of South Asian cultural history in East Africa, the narrative(s) of migration they present, with their telling tropes and silences, are indicative of dynamics and developments within the contemporary Oshwal Jain community. Therefore, by way of conclusion, the article interrogates the timing and intergenerational dynamics of the recent surge in memory sharing and memory writing by Oshwals settled around the globe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Jainism and Narrative)
9 pages, 222 KiB  
Article
The Image of Monks and the Monastic Community in the Latest Russian Cinematography
by Joanna Kozieł
Religions 2025, 16(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030351 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 56
Abstract
This article is an attempt to analyse how monastic communities are presented in the latest Russian cinematography. It is an issue that has not been well researched so far, because scholars tend to focus primarily on broadly understood religious films. Considering the achievements [...] Read more.
This article is an attempt to analyse how monastic communities are presented in the latest Russian cinematography. It is an issue that has not been well researched so far, because scholars tend to focus primarily on broadly understood religious films. Considering the achievements of the last 25 years, two selected films were analysed in terms of the aforementioned themes, both at the level of visual and verbal representations, as well as at the level of interpretation. In addition, the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to individual visions of the artists was taken into account. The research results indicate that one can identify the most popular motifs in films about monastic life. Moreover, the monastery itself most often becomes a place of refuge and at the same time a place of transformation for the heroes. In recent years, the Russian Orthodox Church has had a significant impact on artists’ visions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monastic Identities: Comparative and Historical Perspectives)
21 pages, 380 KiB  
Article
When Miriam’s Well Runs Dry: Death, Thirst, and the Bitterness of Israel in Num 20:1–2
by Francesco Cocco
Religions 2025, 16(3), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030350 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 113
Abstract
The abrupt juxtaposition of Miriam’s death and the subsequent water crisis in Num 20:1–2 invites deeper reflection on the narrative and theological significance of her role in Israel’s wilderness journey. While the biblical text provides a succinct account, the immediate onset of thirst [...] Read more.
The abrupt juxtaposition of Miriam’s death and the subsequent water crisis in Num 20:1–2 invites deeper reflection on the narrative and theological significance of her role in Israel’s wilderness journey. While the biblical text provides a succinct account, the immediate onset of thirst among the Israelites suggests a profound connection between her presence and divine sustenance. This article explores the literary and theological dimensions of Miriam’s role, arguing that her death disrupts the delicate balance of Israel’s survival in the desert. Through the exegetical analysis of Num 20:1–2, this study examines the syntactical continuity that binds Miriam’s passing with the ensuing crisis. It revisits her leadership in Num 12, where her challenge to Moses highlights the complexity of wilderness leadership. Furthermore, the article engages with rabbinic interpretations that identify Miriam as Israel’s well, emphasizing the theological implications of her absence. By synthesizing biblical narrative, linguistic analysis, and Jewish exegetical traditions, this study argues that Miriam’s presence embodies Israel’s dependence on divine provision. Her death, and the drying up of water that follows, expose the fragility of both leadership and faith in the wilderness. In doing so, the article underscores how—while somehow building on the biblical text—rabbinic interpretations portray Miriam as a pivotal mediator of divine grace, whose absence precipitates a crisis of both thirst and identity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Hebrew Bible: A Journey Through History and Literature)
16 pages, 239 KiB  
Article
Religious Nationalism: Narendra Modi’s 2019 Election Victory Speech
by Nihar Sreepada
Religions 2025, 16(3), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030349 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 61
Abstract
The ideology of nationalism is permeating and ascending across societies, eventually manifesting materially in several nations across the world. In this essay, I analyze the religious manifestation of nationalism within the context of India’s Hindu nationalism. I argue that Modi, in his 2019 [...] Read more.
The ideology of nationalism is permeating and ascending across societies, eventually manifesting materially in several nations across the world. In this essay, I analyze the religious manifestation of nationalism within the context of India’s Hindu nationalism. I argue that Modi, in his 2019 election victory speech, constructs a grand narrative of Hindu nationalistic unification by positioning himself as a Hindu sanyasi (ascetic) and by alluding to Hindu mythologies. First, I present the historical context of India’s Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). Second, I explicate the formation of an ideological discourse through Kenneth Burke’s focus on identification and the constitutive rhetoric of calling into being the second and third persona. Third, I critique the ideological formations of Modi’s speech for its grand narrative of Hindu nationalistic unification. Fourth, I conclude within a broader context of national collective imaginings and the ideological formations of nationalistic rhetoric. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Nationalism in Global Perspective)
17 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
Bhagavad Gītā as a Dialogical Space in Philosophical Counseling
by Balaganapathi Devarakonda and Goutham A V
Religions 2025, 16(3), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030348 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 78
Abstract
The importance of dialogical space and its various forms, useful in philosophical counseling, has been emphasized in recent discourse. The discourse primarily focuses on various aspects of the exchange between the counselee and the counselor in the form of external dialogue. This paper, [...] Read more.
The importance of dialogical space and its various forms, useful in philosophical counseling, has been emphasized in recent discourse. The discourse primarily focuses on various aspects of the exchange between the counselee and the counselor in the form of external dialogue. This paper, drawing insights from Hubert Hermans, broadens the discourse into the domain of Agentive Reason, which includes the internal dialogue of the counselee, comprising various I-positions. By engaging with the associated network of the counselee’s “I-positions,” the counselor expands the counselee’s internal domain, thereby facilitating the counseling process. This paper aims to show that this process is best served when the counselor is able to cultivate his/her dialogical relationship with the counselee towards forming a metaposition from where the organization of existing and new I-positions can be seen, questioned, restructured, and most importantly, acted upon. This paper seeks to demonstrate this prospect through a symbolic exploration of Bhagavad Gītā in the form of a dialogical space. It examines how Arjuna’s agentive crisis, echoed in his internal dialogical tension of many maladaptive I-positions, is addressed by extending his dialogical self to Kṛṣṇa’s positions and counter-positions, leading the interaction to a dialogical metaposition in Arjuna’s external domain. The goal is not to establish Kṛṣṇa as a philosophical counselor or to present his discourse with Arjuna as a treatise on philosophical counseling. Rather, the intent is to encourage exploration of the symbolic representation underlying the Gītā, which helps us decipher various dialogical metapositions in the external domain that may correspond with the positions, needs, and emotions in the counselee’s internal domain. This has a threefold purpose: first, to recognize the open boundaries of the dialogical self; second, to examine the instrumental role of the counselor in negotiating these boundaries when they are closed in self-defense; and third, to introduce the concepts of Informed Ignorance and Agentive Reason. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences)
16 pages, 228 KiB  
Article
Faith, Bioethics, and Sustainable Development: A Christian Perspective on Bioethics of Care and the Challenges of Sustainability Transitions
by Jim Lynch, John Arnold, Peter Williams, David Parmiter and Ian Christie
Religions 2025, 16(3), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030347 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 148
Abstract
The complex interwoven crises of climate disruption and biodiversity loss demand not only rapid technological innovation for sustainable development but also major shifts in consumption and behaviour, implying a need for responses rooted in ethical values and a reorientation of attitudes towards the [...] Read more.
The complex interwoven crises of climate disruption and biodiversity loss demand not only rapid technological innovation for sustainable development but also major shifts in consumption and behaviour, implying a need for responses rooted in ethical values and a reorientation of attitudes towards the more-than-human world. In this context, given the global significance of faith communities and institutions as motivators and moral authorities, it is important that faith leaders state the challenges for sustainable development and suggest pathways forward to protect the environment and people that live in it. Building on his landmark encyclical of 2015, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis issued Laudate Deum, an apostolic exhortation on the climate crisis, and followed this up with a message to COP 28 for leaders to show leadership in facing up to the climate challenge. We argue that the interventions of Pope Francis point to the crucial importance of an approach to sustainable development that can integrate faith perspectives on social and ecological ethics with the knowledge generated by the natural sciences and by environmental systems science. The interdependence revealed by the emerging scientific understanding of human, animal, and ecosystem life implies the bioethics of care and stewardship, which have the potential to bring people together across religious and disciplinary divides. Unlike other analyses, we argue that it is important to understand how life was created if we are to care for it effectively and sustainably. We also put forward the case for more sustainable land use and the production of more sustainable foods. This article is written from the perspective of the Catholic Church, including its approach to moral theology, but we argue that the implications of the analysis are relevant to all faith communities and religious institutions seeking to promote sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Faith and Sustainable Development: Exploring Practice, Progress and Challenges among Faith Communities and Institutions)
12 pages, 184 KiB  
Article
Human Consciousness and the ‘Anthropological Turn’: Theological Perspectives on Evolutionary Anthropology
by Martin Breul
Religions 2025, 16(3), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030346 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 150
Abstract
Recent discussions between evolutionary and theological anthropology have intensified, particularly through the work of Michael Tomasello. As a key figure in evolutionary anthropology, Tomasello synthesizes extensive empirical research into an accessible ‘natural history’ of core human abilities. He posits that a unique human [...] Read more.
Recent discussions between evolutionary and theological anthropology have intensified, particularly through the work of Michael Tomasello. As a key figure in evolutionary anthropology, Tomasello synthesizes extensive empirical research into an accessible ‘natural history’ of core human abilities. He posits that a unique human trait distinguishing us from our closest relatives is the capacity for “collective intentionality”, a concept he adapts from the philosophy of action. In this article, I show that Tomasello’s insights carry significant implications for philosophical and theological debates. Philosophically, his evolutionary framework invites a new understanding of the mind–brain problem, promoting a non-reductive view of human consciousness which questions the basic metaphysical assumptions of the debate by taking a genealogical perspective. Theologically, his work supports a “practical metaphysics”, suggesting that although morality is autonomous, it can lead to theistic interpretations of human existence. This supports the Kantian idea that religion does not precede morality but that religious views of the world are interpretations of human moral life. At the same time, religion is not just an add-on to morality but an interpretation of a human form of life as such. Both discourses exemplify the importance of a genealogical perspective in philosophy and theology, especially reinforcing the necessity of considering the ‘natural history’ of consciousness, free will or religiosity in anthropology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consciousness between Science and Religion)
14 pages, 248 KiB  
Article
Toward Grassroots Interfaith Dialogue: The Role of a Faith-Based Movement
by Jeff Clyde G. Corpuz
Religions 2025, 16(3), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030345 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 198
Abstract
Over the past decades, interfaith dialogue has emerged as a key strategy for peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas, particularly in Mindanao, Philippines. This study examines the role of a faith-based movement in fostering interfaith dialogue and promoting peace in the region. Drawing from contemporary [...] Read more.
Over the past decades, interfaith dialogue has emerged as a key strategy for peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas, particularly in Mindanao, Philippines. This study examines the role of a faith-based movement in fostering interfaith dialogue and promoting peace in the region. Drawing from contemporary theological models of religion, this study explores how different approaches to dialogue shape interfaith engagement. Using a single case study methodology, the research highlights the contributions, challenges, and best practices of an interfaith movement actively working towards peacebuilding. The findings suggest that faith-based movements serve as crucial mediators in interfaith relations by fostering mutual understanding, facilitating community-led peace initiatives, and addressing sociopolitical challenges. This study concludes by offering insights into the future of interfaith dialogue in the Philippines, emphasizing the need for sustained collaboration among religious communities, policymakers, and civil society actors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)
12 pages, 3132 KiB  
Article
Blending Pilgrimage and Learning or the Literary Genres of Riḥla and Muʿjam: Al-Tujībī’s Travelogue to Egypt and Ḥijāz
by Muhammet Enes Midilli
Religions 2025, 16(3), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030344 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 206
Abstract
From the early centuries of Muslim history, one of the most popular pilgrimage routes for the Andalusian and Maghribī pilgrims involved traveling through Alexandria to Cairo, then onward to Upper Egypt, followed by a sea journey to Jidda and finally reaching Makka. In [...] Read more.
From the early centuries of Muslim history, one of the most popular pilgrimage routes for the Andalusian and Maghribī pilgrims involved traveling through Alexandria to Cairo, then onward to Upper Egypt, followed by a sea journey to Jidda and finally reaching Makka. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, several Maghribī scholars followed this route, combining the pilgrimage journey with scholarly pursuits. Among them, al-Qāsim b. Yūsuf al-Tujībī (d. 730/1329) compiled a travelogue titled Mustafād al-Riḥla wa-l-Ightirāb (The Benefits of Travel and Being Abroad), in which he blended the literary genres of riḥla (travelogue) and muʿjam al-shuyūkh (biographical dictionary of one’s teachers). This article spatializes al-Tujībī’s journey, as depicted in Mustafād al-Riḥla, by employing geographical information systems software to map the locations and routes described in his travelogue. Additionally, the paper examines the structure and style of the travelogue, which blends the riḥla and muʿjam genres, highlighting the combination and hybridization of literary forms. This analysis considers al-Tujībī’s engagement with encyclopedic compilations in Mamluk Cairo and the influence of this intellectual environment on his work. Finally, by highlighting the scholarly network that al-Tujībī established in Egypt and Ḥijāẓ, the paper explores the role of pilgrimage journeys in merging religious duty with scholarly pursuits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pilgrimage: Diversity, Past and Present of Sacred Routes)
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16 pages, 385 KiB  
Article
What Was a Monk in Joseon Korea?: Competing Monastic Identities According to the State, a Monastic Biographer, and a Confucian Literatus
by Sung-Eun Thomas Kim
Religions 2025, 16(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030343 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 91
Abstract
The question, what was a monastic? is a complex issue, whether in the context of China, Korea or even in the homeland of Buddhism, India. Nonetheless, this is especially so in the case of Joseon Korea due to the dramatic historical changes that [...] Read more.
The question, what was a monastic? is a complex issue, whether in the context of China, Korea or even in the homeland of Buddhism, India. Nonetheless, this is especially so in the case of Joseon Korea due to the dramatic historical changes that took place with the Imjin War. This obviously brought about shifts not only in the social status but also in the societal role of the monastics. The most substantive factors in the late-Joseon period (1600–1910) was the loss of state patronage and no longer being under the auspices of the state. Simply put, the discussed materials in this paper evince diverse images and roles of monks that range from being state officials, laborers, soldier-monks, and Seon meditators, to thieving bandits. A single descriptor would be unable to capture the diverse identities of the late-Joseon monks. Moreover, the monastics also presented themselves as highly organized with organizational aims, no different from an organization existing inescapably in everyday socio-economic and political conditions. The shared goal of the Buddhist community, by way of presenting certain images, was to regain social recognition and legitimation, to a position of power and privilege perhaps similar to what it once had during the Goryeo period (918–1392). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un-glossing East Asian Buddhism: Gender, Sangha and the State in the Early-Modern Era)
17 pages, 4448 KiB  
Article
The Kenotic Dimension in the Work of Frida Kahlo: Contributions to Latin American Theology
by Andreia Cristina Serrato and Jaci de Fátima Candiotto
Religions 2025, 16(3), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030342 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 243
Abstract
The colonization of Latin America generated a legacy of suffering and irreparable loss, subjugating peoples and cultures and perpetuating structures of oppression. This article investigates how Frida Kahlo’s life and work can be thought of from the neo-Testamentary category of “kenosis”, in the [...] Read more.
The colonization of Latin America generated a legacy of suffering and irreparable loss, subjugating peoples and cultures and perpetuating structures of oppression. This article investigates how Frida Kahlo’s life and work can be thought of from the neo-Testamentary category of “kenosis”, in the sense of self-emptying that leads to resistance and openness to transcendence. The Mexican painter’s art reflects not only her personal pain but also social marginalization, gender inequality, and the impact of colonization, becoming a visual testimony to the kenosis experienced by the Latin American people. The aim of the study is to analyze how Frida Kahlo’s art resignifies pain and suffering, transforming them into an instrument of denunciation, resistance, and reinvention of herself in the face of colonial oppression and social marginalization. Methodologically, the following paintings were selected: Unos cuantos piquetitos, Las dos Fridas, El abrazo del amor del universo, la tierra (México), Diego, yo y el señor Xólotl, La columna rota, and Diego Rivera y Frida. The theoretical approach privileges voices from the continent but also includes contributions from international scholars. The results point to Frida Kahlo’s art as a visual testimony of the kenotic experience lived by the Latin American people, a space of encounter with the divine where suffering is transformed into resistance, revelation, and hope. Her work represents a path of overcoming, breaking with the invisibility imposed by colonization and offering possibilities for liberation and affirmation of cultural and spiritual identity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latin American Theology of Liberation in the 21st Century)
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22 pages, 456 KiB  
Article
Transformative Tears: Genesis’s Joseph and Mengzi’s Shun
by Moritz Kuhlmann
Religions 2025, 16(3), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030341 - 9 Mar 2025
Viewed by 192
Abstract
By comparing two significant characters in a Biblical and a Confucian story, respectively, this article examines how the two traditions referred to share a common understanding of what “reconciliation” is meant to be. I compare Joseph in Genesis and Shun in the Mencius [...] Read more.
By comparing two significant characters in a Biblical and a Confucian story, respectively, this article examines how the two traditions referred to share a common understanding of what “reconciliation” is meant to be. I compare Joseph in Genesis and Shun in the Mencius, focusing on how their crying contributes to familial reconciliation. The comparison raises anthropological commonalities between these narratives concerning structures of violence and the process of personal transformation leading to interpersonal reconciliation. There is particular emphasis on the significance of emotions: the way in which tearful emotions are expressed and perceived functions either as cause (Shun) or effect (Joseph) of the aggressor’s transformation, thus triggering the reconciliatory process. Following the suggested interpretation of these narratives as historic encounters between cultures of different provenance, the commonalities found in both approaches to reconciliation can potentially serve as a source of inspiration for present-day relations between religions and civilizations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious and Theological Interactions in East Asia: Issues, Channels and Impact)
26 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
Deriving the Spiritual from the Material: A Speculatively Realist Perspective
by Ian McLaughlin
Religions 2025, 16(3), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030340 - 9 Mar 2025
Viewed by 293
Abstract
The existence of the spiritual can be deduced from knowledge of the material. There is an inherent affinity between speculation and spirituality: an embrace of gaps in knowledge. Speculative Realisms’ rejection of both existential anthropocentrism and correlationism in favor of more empathetic, a-, [...] Read more.
The existence of the spiritual can be deduced from knowledge of the material. There is an inherent affinity between speculation and spirituality: an embrace of gaps in knowledge. Speculative Realisms’ rejection of both existential anthropocentrism and correlationism in favor of more empathetic, a-, pan-, or metacentric perspectives, allows for a flat ontology where all objects equally exist and allow us to describe how the spiritual exists outside of thought. This perspective allows us to derive the existence of the spiritual via the examination of interactions between material objects. By showing how all objects, whether material or abstract, have a spiritual aspect, this paper advocates for a holistic understanding of reality that recognizes the interconnectedness of all objects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)
20 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
A Spiritual Theology of Pastoral Supervision and Spiritual Direction: Incarnational and Redemptive Ministries of Love in Truth
by Glenn Morrison
Religions 2025, 16(3), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030339 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 158
Abstract
Pastoral supervision and spiritual direction are inherently personal in nature. They reveal a transformative life of spiritual and soul care demanding the formation of theological reflection, healing, guidance, and discernment. Whilst pastoral supervision serves to guide theological reflection on service and mission, spiritual [...] Read more.
Pastoral supervision and spiritual direction are inherently personal in nature. They reveal a transformative life of spiritual and soul care demanding the formation of theological reflection, healing, guidance, and discernment. Whilst pastoral supervision serves to guide theological reflection on service and mission, spiritual direction facilitates the moments of awakening to the presence and narrative of God’s grace and work in the depths of the soul. Under the light of Catholic Social Teaching, the notions of solidarity and subsidiarity will be pressed into service to unveil a common spiritual–theological foundation animating the roots of both these ministries. To understand the common dynamics of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction, the article develops a spiritual theology to reveal that both ministries, however distinct in practice, share the same incarnational (creative) and redemptive (re-creative) qualities. In other words, they both share the same source, root, origin, or existence in God’s word and grace. This comes to light by learning to pronounce love in truth, a prophetical work of solidarity and subsidiarity, of friendship and sharing orienting integral human development to listen and respond to God’s movement. The actions of solidarity and subsidiarity are rooted in the beatitude of righteousness revealing the little goodness, a work of possibility and responsibility. Such actions serve to transform the time of ministry into spaces of blessing and mystery, of appreciating the sacredness and unknowability of the other with boldness, curiosity and gentleness. The article concludes by showing how both ministries of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction share the spiritual-pastoral appeal to form communities witnessing the little goodness of love in truth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Philosophy and Catholic Theology)
16 pages, 336 KiB  
Article
Beyond Doubt—A Comparative Study of Divinatory Theories and Practices in Republican Rome and Ancient China
by Guoqiu Lü
Religions 2025, 16(3), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030338 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 214
Abstract
Cicero’s seminal treatise, De Divinatione, demonstrates a nuanced approach that concurrently affirms and questions the significance and suitableness of divinatory practices. This dialectical perspective finds a parallel when looking at two ancient Confucian scholars, Dong Zhongshu and Xunzi, each of them offering [...] Read more.
Cicero’s seminal treatise, De Divinatione, demonstrates a nuanced approach that concurrently affirms and questions the significance and suitableness of divinatory practices. This dialectical perspective finds a parallel when looking at two ancient Confucian scholars, Dong Zhongshu and Xunzi, each of them offering a version of the conundrum highlighted by Cicero’s treatise. A comparative examination of Stoic philosophy, as expounded by Cicero, and of Dong Zhongshu’s The Interactions between Heaven and Humankind underscores the fact that both traditions assert that some form of interconnection between natural and supranatural phenomena is to be found. In parallel the comparison between Cicero and Xunzi (both exponents of classical rationalism) reveals their shared rejection of divinatory speculations, albeit with an acknowledgment of the political and cultural necessity of maintaining and supporting the associated ritualistic practices. Our dual comparison reveals the complex tension that was at play between speculative constructs and practical rationality in the ancient Chinese and Greco-Latin intellectual traditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious and Theological Interactions in East Asia: Issues, Channels and Impact)
19 pages, 2381 KiB  
Article
Fact, Fiction, and Legend: Writing Urban History and Identity in Medieval and Renaissance Siena
by Ming Yin
Religions 2025, 16(3), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030337 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 171
Abstract
Beginning in the 13th century, rivalry among Italian city-states intensified, transforming cultural competition into a strategic tool for asserting identity. Roman heritage was often contested, with cities emphasising their claims as the true heirs of Rome. Siena has faced criticism for its lack [...] Read more.
Beginning in the 13th century, rivalry among Italian city-states intensified, transforming cultural competition into a strategic tool for asserting identity. Roman heritage was often contested, with cities emphasising their claims as the true heirs of Rome. Siena has faced criticism for its lack of major historical sites. In response, its municipal authorities and citizens developed the legends of the “she-wolf” and Saint Ansanus. These legends reinforced Siena’s urban identity through historical narratives and public art. During the Renaissance, Siena redefined its history to assert its legitimacy by drawing on classical culture. This re-articulation of identity addressed historical rivalries and revealed the enduring complexity of local identity formation in Italy. This study examines historical legends and uses historical materials, such as city archives and artworks, to research the Italian city of Siena during the Renaissance and to investigate the origins of urban legends, their controversies, and how Siena created the legends of the “she-wolf” and Saint Ansanus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disseminating Christian Beliefs Through Word and Image in Medieval and Renaissance Times)
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10 pages, 180 KiB  
Article
Self-Sacrifice and the Sacred: Edith Stein on Phenomenology, Christianity, and Mysticism
by Anna Jani
Religions 2025, 16(3), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030336 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 176
Abstract
In Edith Stein’s thinking, there is a gradual transition from the discovery of Christianity in her phenomenological studies to the mystical realization of her own role as a Christian. The present paper explores the historical, cultural, and personal circumstances of Stein’s approach to [...] Read more.
In Edith Stein’s thinking, there is a gradual transition from the discovery of Christianity in her phenomenological studies to the mystical realization of her own role as a Christian. The present paper explores the historical, cultural, and personal circumstances of Stein’s approach to Christianity and reveals how philosophical insights contributed to her Christian commitment and supported her receptivity to mysticism. My thesis is that Stein’s philosophical reflection and the deepening of her personal religiosity are mutually evolving. The thesis of this paper is based on a letter written by Edith Stein to Roman Ingarden in 1927, at a time when she had not yet entered the Carmelite Order in Cologne but was already living as a monk. In this sense, the letter represents a zigzag reflection between past and present events, describing events in the apocalyptic horizon of eternity. Through recurrent reflection on the letter, I argue for the parallel development of mystical insights and philosophical achievements in Stein’s life, and finally, I show that the two are inextricably linked and contribute to a philosophical understanding of her own holocaust. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)
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