Digital Commons Network^™

Semantics Of The Symbol "Z" In The Religious Ideology Of The Russian Federation, Ivan Ostashchuk, Volodymyr Litkevych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes for the first time the identification and content of Russian military symbols and their use in Russian Orthodoxy. At the linguistic level, it was found that such word formation Z-Orthodoxy was taken from the publications and public speeches of Archimandrite Kyrylo Govorun. Our study focuses on the proposal to use the neologism Z-Orthodoxy to demonstrate some semantic interpretations in the context of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the entire democratic world. As a result of the analysis of the military symbols of the Russian Federation, Russian Orthodoxy found that after February 24, …

Media Coverage Of The Peacekeeping Activities Of Pope Francis' Support Of Ukraine In The Russian-Ukrainian Full-Scale War, Bogdan Synchak, Mariia Ovchar, Valentyn Shevchuk, Eleanora Tsurina

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relevance of the study is due to the significance of the influence of Pope Francis’ peacekeeping activities as the head of the Catholic Church on global geopolitics. This influence is being actively implemented within the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Thus, the study of the international diplomatic activity of the pontiff in the context of supporting Ukraine is aimed at establishing the features of the peacekeeping work of the Holy See. The study presents an analysis of news coverage on the stated issues in popular Ukrainian and foreign publications from December 2021 to October 2022. The Washington Post, Politico, …

The Nature And Motives Of Religiosity In An Atheistic State (On The Example Of Scientific Research Conducted In Soviet Ukraine), Tetiana Havryliuk, Vladyslav Diatlov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes methods for studying the nature and motives of religiosity of the population in the context of ideologically tinged academic science. The academic scientific approach to the studied branch, in this case, the religiosity of the population, ensured a large array of empirical material and the possibility to classify and structure it. This enriched the science of religion with new facts. The idea that religiosity could be overcome with the help of fundamental educational and scientific propaganda was refuted by data on the development of religiosity in the territory of Soviet Ukraine. The shortcoming of dominance of ideology …

Brief Observation Of The General Trajectory Of Western Media Coverage Of The Religious Situation In Ukraine, Petro Livak, Daniil Palij

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article attempts to analyze the general trajectory of Western media coverage of the religious environment in Ukraine. Recently, the religious situation in Ukraine has become one of the strategic issues of national security, since it is relevant and important in the light of not only the religious, but also the political context of Ukraine. The study examines the journalistic activity of Western publications about the religious transformations of Ukraine from 2019 to 2023. This encompasses the intensity of the rapid confessional changes in Ukraine, the style of the journalistic text under study, the intensity of their media representation, and …

The Position Of Ukrainian Protestants Regarding The War In Ukraine: Rebuttal Of False Accusations Of Eurasianism, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the position of Ukrainian Protestants in relation to the issue of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The position of Professor Pavlo Pavlenko was taken as a basis, who, in most of his publications, claims that the Protestants of Ukraine are pro-Russian, pro-Eurasian, and take a position that is contrary to the national interests of Ukraine. It is proven by the example of the analysis of publications and statements of Ukrainian Protestants that the protection of the national interests of Ukraine after 2014 has become part of their religious culture. The article shows on the example of …

Tibetan Buddhism And The Tibetan Autonomous Region, Sean Butler

Masters Essays

This paper explores the uncertain future of Tibetan Buddhism within the TAR based on historical and contemporary indicators. This paper demonstrates that Tibet and China are at a critical juncture that, if mishandled, will result in disastrous effects for Tibetan Buddhism. This paper is not seeking to predict the future of Tibetan-Chinese relations but uses available evidence to gauge the most likely outcome for Tibetan Buddhism inside the TAR. In doing so, it becomes evident that in the next decade, Tibetan Buddhism within the TAR will likely experience heightened oppression, a crackdown on any dissent towards the CCP, and a …

A Study Of The Multi-Faceted Impact Of The Second Vatican Council Upon Catholicism And Beyond, Constantin Valentin Popescu

Master's Theses

The Topic

The research analyzes the development of Catholicism in the 20th century. After the First Vatican Council (1868-1870) and the promulgation of the dogma of papal infallibility and papal primacy, the Roman Catholic Church lost much credibility and influence with Christianity, becoming increasingly isolated from the developing modern world. In this situation, Catholicism needs a revival, a reconfirmation of its long-lost authority. On the other hand, knowing that the Roman Catholic Church fulfills a very important role in biblical prophecies, we will observe, in this study, an adaptation of Catholicism to the modern world precisely to regain its credibility. …

Kirtan In The Americas: Music And Spirituality In A Transcultural Whirlpool, Gustavo Moura

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Kirtan (Sanskrit: कीर्तन; IAST: Kīrtana) is a broad term referring to various forms of devotional singing commonly done in South Asian traditions. It is a core practice in the Hindu and Sikh faiths that is becoming increasingly popular around the world among people of all ethnicities. Beyond its expected propagation within Hindu and Sikh diasporas, kirtan is also spreading among members of new religious movements such as ISKCON and the 3HO/Sikh Dharma, who may engage in this practice as part of their daily cultivation. Even more broadly, a form of what has been called “neokirtan” has been gaining popularity in …

Politics & Religion In Comparative Perspective: Papal Pastoral Visits To Mexico In 1990 & 1993, Kiara Catherine Black

Theses

This research examines the multi-layered agency of Pope John Paul II and the diplomatic relationship between the Holy See and the United States of Mexico from 1990-1993. Specifically, the research aims to examine Pope John Paul II’s pastoral visits to Mexico in 1990 and 1993 and how his activities are shaped by religious mission and statecraft. The pastoral visits of Pope John Paul II to Mexico in 1990 and 1993 are major inflections as the diplomatic relationship changed from one of cold hostility to normalised, and even congenial, in 1992. The research project is established via a detailed description of …

Volume 36, Full Contents, Jhcs Staff

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

No abstract provided.

Viewpoint: Ritual Engagements In The Context Of Rāmcaritmānas Research: Challenges And Learning, Anil D’Almeida

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Mark Russ, Quaker Shaped Christianity: How The Jesus Story And The Quaker Way Fit Together (Winchester, Uk, And Washington, Dc: Christian Alternative/Quaker Quicks, 2022), Mike Huber

Quaker Religious Thought

Mark Russ longs for a spiritual community where he can be fully present. He could not find that kind of connection in a Christian church. As a gay man, he writes, “I couldn’t praise God in a community where I wasn’t fully embraced” (30). While Mark eventually found a spiritual home with Quakers in Britain, these Friends often seem uncomfortable with his devotion to Jesus; among British Friends, that part of him does not feel entirely welcome.

As someone standing in-between communities, the author hopes to open a couple of doors. First, he wants to make the story of Jesus …

The Resurrection And Recovering From Disillusionment, Jan J. Martin

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

An anonymous tract, printed in London in the 1800s begins, Good Friday—How comes it that this one day in all the year should be called ‘good?’ We are not apt to mark the anniversaries of the deaths of our friends in this way—yet this day would not be observed at all, except it were in memory of the death of one Who was more than a friend to every one of us. . . . Without all doubt the death of Jesus Christ was the very best thing that ever happened for us. . . . The resurrection could not …

The Canonization Of The New Testament, Daniel Becerra

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

By the end of the first century AD, all of the twenty-seven documents that now constitute the New Testament were written and had begun to circulate among early Christians. However, it was not until centuries later that these texts were collectively named as part of the authoritative body of Christian scripture. The process by which this occurred is called “canonization.” The term canon comes from the Greek word kanōn, meaning “measuring rod” or “measuring stick,” and was frequently applied in the ancient church to the collection of texts that informed the beliefs and practices of the Christians who read them.[1] …

War A Good Warfare Understanding Agency In The Plan Of Salvation, Grant Arnold

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

John Calvin (1509–1564) is credited with expanding the concept of predestination. In the third book of his Institutio Christianae Religionis (Institutes of the Christian religion), he claimed that “all are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.”[1] Although Calvin was opining on salvation, his words, of necessity, affected free will. Specifically, if salvation is ordained, then our choices are meaningless because God has already predetermined …

"One Like The Son Of Man Came With The Clouds Of Heaven" The Context And Influence Of The Son Of Man Prophecy In Daniel 7, Jared W. Ludlow

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The title Jesus preferred to use for himself more than any other in the New Testament Gospels was “Son of Man.”[1] Although this phrase can be used in scripture as a simple description of anyone, the equivalent of “human” or “man,” it is also occasionally used as a more specialized title similar to how it is used by Jesus in the Gospels. But why would this simple descriptor be chosen as a majestic title of the Lord? The roots for this title as an exceptional figure seem to be found in a prophecy in Daniel 7, where “one like the …

Training Teachers And Learning To Lead Church Higher Education And The Establishment Of The Church College Of Hawaii, 1957 1961, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In early 1921 Elder David O. McKay, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, embarked on a world tour of the foreign missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints to ascertain the educational needs of the Church. One of his stops in early February was in Hawaii, where he asked local Church leaders what they thought the greatest need of the Hawaiian Mission was. These leaders replied that a Church school was the biggest need. Samuel H. Hurst, a missionary, recorded in his diary that Elder McKay indicated to these leaders that “he would …

Alma’S Cry For Salvation, Matthew L. Bowen

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Arguably the single greatest textual discovery in the Book of Mormon is John W. Welch’s discovery of a chiasm—a literary and rhetorical figure in which words and concepts are presented in a certain order and then presented again in reverse order—spanning the entirety of Alma 36.[1] Although alternative models of this chapter and refinements for Welch’s chiastic model have been proposed,[2] these still see Alma’s remembering and crying out to Jesus Christ as the χ (chi), or structural turning point, of the chiasm: And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed …

Learning From People Of Other Faiths, Joshua M. Sears

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Among all the religions in the world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unique in providing Restoration scripture, apostolic leadership, priesthood keys, the covenants and ordinances constituting the new and everlasting covenant, and a distinctive understanding of the plan of salvation.[1] However, when the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles released the bicentennial proclamation “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” in April 2020, their affirmation of the unique gifts of the Restoration opened by declaring that “God loves His children in every nation of the world.”[2] Implicit in this declaration …

The Family Proclamation The Secular And Spiritual Context, Michael A. Goodman, W. Justin Dyer

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Within the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” is arguably one of the most influential documents produced in the last hundred years. Since it was given in 1995, it has been cited more than 250 times in general conference, hangs on the walls of many Latter-day Saint homes, and is presented to leaders throughout the world. Indeed, in the first-ever meeting between a Pope and a President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson presented Pope Francis with two items: a Christus statue and a copy of the …

Seership And World Conferences The Divine Origin And Inception Of The Family Proclamation, Byran B. Korth

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In recent years, some of the surviving original authors of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (namely, President Russell M. Nelson and President Dallin H. Oaks) have felt the need to disclose important details about the line-upon-line revelatory process of the writing and announcement of this historic document.[1] The coming forth of the family proclamation includes the important details regarding not only its writing and announcement [2] but its origin (where it came or originated from) and inception (what initiated the conception and writing). An understanding of this revelatory process is further complemented by an awareness of significant details …

The Promise Of Prosperity Its Meaning And Relevance, Devon Cook

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

As religious educators, we have a responsibility to teach the doctrine “not so plainly that [students] can just understand, but [we] must teach the doctrines of the Church so plainly that no one can misunderstand.”[1] The concept of prosperity in the Book of Mormon is one of those doctrines that must be taught to youth and young adults in a way they don’t misunderstand what it means. Religious educators can help expand students’ understanding of prosperity lest they inadvertently reduce prosperity to mere financial success. If students always equate prosperity in the Book of Mormon with financial blessings, it could …

The Holy Ghost In The Book Of Moroni: Possessed Of Charity, Newell D. Wright, Val Larsen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The role played by the Holy Ghost is an especially important connecting thread that runs through the Book of Moroni. The book illuminates the various ways in which the Holy Ghost transforms fallen human beings into redeemed members of the kingdom of God. Three phrases — “cleave unto charity,” “possessed of it,” and “that ye may be filled with this love” — are particularly revelatory of the role the Holy Ghost plays in our exaltation. But the positive process illuminated by these phrases has an obverse. Those who reject the Holy Ghost cleave to and are possessed of Satan. They …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Moving Beyond The Historicity Question, Or A Manifesto For Future Book Of Mormon Research, Newell D. Wright

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide by four Brigham Young University religion professors reviews the field of Book of Mormon studies from the late nineteenth century to the current day. After the historical review of the field, the authors lay out a research agenda for the twenty-first century that, by and large, moves on from the Book of Mormon historicity question that so engaged twentieth-century scholars. T his review examines the authors’ claims and demonstrates that the scope of the book is not as broad as it could or should be. Absent perspectives, blind spots, incomplete twenty-first–century research …

Names And Titles Of Heavenly Father And Jesus Christ In The Book Of Mormon, Dru Brown

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

“Good morning, brothers and sisters. We welcome you to sacrament meeting. I am Bishop Evans and will conduct this meeting. We would like to recognize President Iverson from the stake presidency, who is presiding. We will open this meeting with hymn 100; Sister Clyde will conduct the music with Brother Langford on the organ.” An introduction of this kind is a familiar, nearly weekly ritual for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, someone new to the Church might be confused by the series of labels they just heard. What is a bishop? President of what …

Front Matter

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Review: Michael Harold Paulos And Konden Smith Hansen, Eds. The Reed Smoot Hearings: The Investigation Of A Mormon Senator And The Transformation Of An American Religion. Logan: Utah State University Press, 2021., Carter Charles

Mormon Studies Review

Before the clean-shaven and impeccably dressed David Oman McKay, it was Reed Owen Smoot who embodied Latter-day Saints as modern, mainstream, and American. The Reed Smoot Hearings remind us of this pivotal role that Smoot and others, like Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints president Joseph F. Smith, senators Fred E. Dubois and Albert J. Beveridge, and US president Theodore Roosevelt played in both Latter-day Saint and US religious history. The book is a welcome addition to works by Milton Merrill, Harvard Heath, and Kathleen Flake. Michael Harold Paulos and Konden Hansen Smith, editors as well as authors, are …

Reivew: Mark S. Diamond And Andrew C. Reed, Eds. Understanding Covenants And Communities: Jews And Latter-Day Saints In Dialogue. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, In Cooperation With The Central Conference Of American Rabbis, New York, 2020., Yaakov Ariel

Mormon Studies Review

Scholars, students, and religious leaders who take interest in interfaith dialogues, and especially in the interactions between Latter- day Saints and Jews, will welcome Understanding Covenants and Communities: Jews and Latter-day Saints in Dialogue. The compilation demonstrates both a continuation of and a breakthrough in the long history of the exchanges between the two communities of faith.

Elias: Prophet Of The Restoration, Jan Francisco

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

he Prophet Elias is a puzzle, with a handful of pieces scattered through the standard works and the teachings of Joseph Smith. Rather than proving a point conclusively, this paper will put the pieces together to show a new picture of this important figure. The interpretation in this article weaves together the scriptures regarding Elias into a cohesive narrative, with the prophet Noah at the center. The pieces of the puzzle investigated here are Elias’s role as the angel Gabriel in the New Testament, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Kirtland Temple, in the Book of Revelation, and in D&C …