Religion Commons^™

Churches And Religious Communities In The Macedonian Constitution: Competing Visions Of Recognition And Equality, 1991-2001, Aleksandar Spasenovski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines competing constitutional visions concerning churches and religious communities at two defining moments in the Macedonian constitutional order: the adoption of the 1991 Constitution and the amendments of 2001. Through a legal-historical analysis of constitutional provisions, proposed amendments, and parliamentary debates, it reconstructs four competing proposals from 1991: the designation of Orthodox Christianity as the official religion, special constitutional status for the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the joint recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and the Islamic Religious Community, and a general separation-and-equality clause without naming particular religious organizations. The analysis relates these proposals to the political orientations of …

Mechanisms For Preventing Online Religious Discord: A Comparative Analysis Of Kazakhstani Experience And International Models For Regulating Religious Hate Speech, Kalmakhan Yerzhan, Lyazzat Kalybekova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The ever-increasing speed at which information spreads on the internet is giving rise to several serious challenges alongside its undeniable positive trends. This is especially clear in the increasing threat of online publications and comments that insult religious beliefs and incite discord, posing a risk of victimisation. Western researchers are conducting extensive studies on the definition and application of hate speech, its taxonomy, targeting, and prevention through artificial intelligence tools; studies grounded in the religious dimension are especially notable for highlighting the high relevance of these issues in today's complex geopolitical environment. Nevertheless, the majority of researchers argue that religion-based …

The Religious Field In Poland Under The Pressure Of Ukrainian Migration, Oleksandr Dobroier

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of the transformation of the religious field in Poland between 2014 and 2024 in light of Ukrainian wartime migration. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the religious field as its conceptual framework, the study explores the redistribution of symbolic capital, the evolution of religious habitus, and the emergence of new actors within the field. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and evangelical communities. The study reveals a weakening of the RCC’s monopoly and an expansion of symbolic legitimacy among previously peripheral …

Reconciling Faith And Modernity: The Sociocultural Dynamics Of Jadidism As An Islamic Reformist Movement In The Russian Empire, Meltem Akıncı, Zhanerke Nyshanbay

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the Jadidist movement as a fundamental sociocultural and religious- reformist phenomenon that redefined the intellectual, spiritual, and educational landscape of the Turkic-Muslim populations within the Russian Empire and Central Asia. Moving beyond traditional historical narratives, this article analyzes Jadidism through the lens of sociological theories of modernization, cultural identity, and transnational intellectual exchange, placing special emphasis on its Islamic reformist core. By integrating Western secular pedagogical models with indigenous Islamic renewal discourse, Jadidists attempted to navigate the delicate tension between religious tradition and modern demands. The research investigates the institutional development of "Usul-i Jadid" schools, the role …

Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 4), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Theological Foundations And Regional Adaptation Of Jihadist Ideology In Russia: Case Of The North Caucasus, Tilekkabyl Amangeldi, Gulzhan Rasheva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The growth of jihadist movements in the post-Soviet space has generated significant scholarly interest in the ideological and theological mechanisms that sustain militant mobilization. Russia, particularly the North Caucasus, represents an important regional context where global jihadist doctrines intersect with local political conflicts and historical narratives of resistance. This article examines the theological foundations of Russian jihadist movements in order to understand how militant actors reinterpret Islamic doctrines to legitimize violence and construct ideological authority. The study aims to analyze the key theological concepts that shape jihadist discourse in Russia and to explore how global Salafi-jihadist ideology has been adapted …

The Symbolic Language Of Militarized Orthodoxy In Patriarchal Sermons, Architecture, And Pseudo-Historical Memory, Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to a comprehensive cultural and religious analysis of the processes of militarization of religious worldview in modern Russia using the example of public speeches of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, as well as the symbolic space of the Main Temple of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the study of the mechanisms of sacralization of war through the integration of historical memory, Orthodox rhetoric and the state ideology of the “Russian world”. The study analyzes the peculiarities of the interpretation of World War II as the sacred foundation of modern Russian …

Religious Norms In The Mechanisms Of Legal Regulation Of Freedom Of Conscience In Modern States, Mykola Lahodych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article is devoted to role of religious norms in the legal regulation of freedom of conscience, with a special focus on the institutional interaction in modern democratic societies between religious organizations and the state, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The extant scholarly literature has addressed first and foremost the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and church autonomy. However, less attention has been devoted to the institutional mechanisms through which religious norms operate within public administration. The study utilizes comparative legal analysis, institutional analysis, discourse analysis of official church documents and qualitative analysis of 28 judicial and institutional cases …

Saint Sophia Of Kyiv As A Sacred Space Of Religious Memory And National Identity, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Olha Hordiichuk, Viktoriia Omelchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines Saint Sophia of Kyiv as a sacred space where religious memory, Christian symbolism, sacred geography, and national identity intersect. Using historical, hermeneutic, cultural-studies, and discourse approaches, it analyzes the cathedral’s architecture and iconography, particularly the Virgin Orans, the “Unshakable Wall,” and the concepts of Kyiv as the Second and New Jerusalem. The study demonstrates how medieval Christian meanings have been preserved, transformed, and reactivated within cultural and religious memory. It argues that, particularly during Russia’s war against Ukraine, Saint Sophia functions as a dynamic symbolic space where sacred meanings interact with contemporary national identity, historical continuity, and …

The Bureaucratization Of Faith: Appointed Clerics And The Limits Of Tsarist Administrative Control In The Kazakh Steppe, Zharas Akhan, Kanat Uskembaev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the religious policy of the Russian Empire in the Kazakh Steppe during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, focusing on the state's institutional efforts to co-opt and instrumentalize the Islamic clergy for colonial governance. Drawing on administrative and archival data, the study examines how Tsarist authorities leveraged imperial religious frameworks to deploy state-appointed Tatar mullahs into Kazakh society and formalize the middle-tier religious office of the akhund. Taking the Bukei Horde under Jangir Khan as a critical case study, the author illustrates how religious titles were integrated into the imperial bureaucratic apparatus to enforce political loyalty and …

Daily Religious Life Of Muslims In Kazakhstan And Central Asia During The Soviet Period: Controlled Institutions, Unofficial Islam, And Atheist Policy, Adiyet Kairken, Kuralay Aubakirova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The core focus of this study is the dialectic between the anti-religious policies enforced by the Soviet totalitarian regime in Central Asia and Kazakhstan and the resilience of Muslim communities in preserving their spiritual and cultural identity. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the daily religious lives of Muslims under Soviet rule, examining the constraints placed on religious obligations and the functions of state-controlled religious institutions. The research investigates the mechanisms of the state apparatus, including atheist propaganda techniques, educational campaigns targeting the youth, and the role of official religious directorates. Furthermore, the study identifies the significance of underground …

The Crisis Of Theodicy In Wartime Ukraine: From Gottverlassenheit To The Anthropodical Shift, Tetiana Havryliuk, Yuriy Chornomorets, Svitlana Shkil

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the crisis of classical theodicy in the context of contemporary warfare, with particular attention to the experience of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The problem of innocent suffering can no longer be approached solely through speculative attempts to justify the world order or reconcile radical evil with divine providence. Methodologically, the study combines hermeneutic, phenomenological, and comparative-conceptual analysis. It reconstructs a selective genealogy of Gottverlassenheit from Martin Luther’s Theologia Crucis through Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Jürgen Moltmann, brings this tradition into dialogue with contemporary moral anti-theodicy, and examines Ukrainian philosophical and religious reflections shaped by wartime experience. The article’s …

Patterns, Pressures, And Pathways : An Ethnographic Study Of Discipleship In Nepali-Speaking Immigrant Churches In The United States, Ram Kumar Budhathoki

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Another Voyage Into Paul's Climactic Journey : Acts 27:9-44 From Literary And Historical Vantage Points, Matthew R. Peterson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Twenty-Eight Years A Slave. Or The Story Of My Llfb In Three Continents, Thomas L. Johnson

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experience Of Tenders Of Community Grief Rituals, Margaret Y. Wilson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research study is to gain an understanding of the lived experience of tenders of community grief rituals, and how tenders make meaning of their experiences. This study utilized photo elicitation and a reflexive thematic analysis. Participants (N = 11) provided one to three photographs that captured their experience of grief and/or tending grief rituals. The results identified 10 themes supported by subthemes: (a) Grief Tender Wisdom About the Nature of Grief, (b) Life’s Many Experiences are Sources of Grief, (c) The Multifaceted Impacts of Grief-Body, Anger, Compassion, Empathy, Resilience, Gratitude, Joy, and Love, (d) The Nuances …

The Phenomenon Of Church Growth Through Authenticity: How African American Gen Z Christians Are Sharing The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Without The Program Structure Of The Black Baptist Church, Devin E. West

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines the perspectives of Black Generation Z Christians regarding factors within the Black Baptist church that may limit their full engagement. In this study, the Black Baptist church refers to congregations with predominantly Black membership led by Black pastors. Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is forming its religious identity within a rapidly changing cultural and institutional environment. Historically, the Black Church has served as a central institution in African American communities, functioning as a place of worship as well as a source of social support, leadership development, identity formation, and justice advocacy (Lincoln & Mamiya, 1990). …

Thirtieth Sunday In Ordinary Time - 25 October 2026, Pina Ford

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Full Journal

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of Women Who Fast During Pregnancy: Findings From The Kuwait Birth Cohort Study, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Ali H. Ziyab, Reem Al Sabah, Ahmed N. Albatineh, James Blando, Majeda S. Hammoud

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Fasting during pregnancy is a widespread practice in Muslim communities, yet its health implications remain poorly understood. A lack of conceptual frameworks and limited understanding of the characteristics of women who fast during pregnancy have hindered research in this area. This study examines the differences in several nutritional biomarkers between women who fasted and those who did not and identifies factors associated with fasting behaviour. We analysed data from the Kuwait Birth Cohort in which information on fasting, sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours was collected via structured interviews between 2017 and 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from medical …

Intergenerational Bible Study As A Means Of Discipleship At The Waukesha Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Myoung Kwon

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Waukesha Community Seventh-day Adventist Church faced a plateau in Bible study engagement. Newly baptized members were disengaging from continuing Bible study and not reproducing disciples, resulting in a spiritual growth process that was minimal and heavily dependent on the pastor.

Method

The DMin student chose action research as a method for developing, implementing, and evaluating an intergenerational Bible study strategy to revitalize discipleship. The three-phase intervention included: (1) a sermon series featuring intergenerational activities to recruit participants; (2) a workshop to equip lay members as Bible study teachers; and (3) an eight-week program with two tracks: a one-on-one …

Master Plan Of Evangelism- Kurdish Version, Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.

Master Plan Of Evangelism: Russian Version, Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.

Papers Of Amy N. Hinshaw Arc2024-009 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

This small but important collection of material connected to Amy Naomi Hinshaw documents an important part in recording the history of the mission work of the Church of the Nazarene, especially within the Woman’s Missionary Society between the dates of 1927 and 1939. This collection’s research strength is in first-hand accounts of Nazarene missions obtained and recorded by Hinshaw, as she began working on the history of Nazarene missions while it was still an active project and many of the early missionaries were still on the field. Her work often includes quotes from letters, and thus she becomes an important …

Records Of The World’S Christian Endeavor Union Arc2015-003 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of Beverly Carradine, Sub-Collection Of The Vennard College Collection Arc2026-004 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

The Papers of Beverly Carradine, a sub-collection of the Vennard College Collection, document the late writing of Beverly Francis Carradine (1848-1931), a Methodist minister, holiness movement evangelist, and prolific author on sanctification. The collection consists mostly of handwritten manuscripts, likely created between 1922 and 1931, along with photocopies that make the fragile originals easier to use. Titles include Bible studies such as Bible Characters, Women of the Bible, and Overlooked Miracles of the Bible, as well as Sermon Outlines, Poems, Boyhood Memories, and multi-volume series such as Life Sketches, Life Photos, and …

Master Plan Of Evangelism (Hebrew Version), Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.

Master Plan Of Evangelism – Kazakh Version, Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.

Master Plan Of Evangelism (Malay Version), Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.

Master Plan Of Evangelism. – Romanian Version, Robert E. Coleman

GO InterNational Books

No abstract provided.