Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Boesak's "Dare We Speak Of Hope? Searching For A Language Of Life In Faith And Politics" (Critical Book Review), Andrew C. Stout

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Librarians As Professionals, Carol K. Reid

The Christian Librarian

What can librarians do to earn or enhance their roles as trusted professionals both inside and outside of the library? Nine practical action steps are suggested, including continued learning, participation in professional organizations, upholding the ethical boundaries of the profession, marketing professional credentials, dealing with stereotypes, giving attention to communication and appearances, and protecting margins for self-care.

And Our Neighbors As Ourselves? Serving Unaffiliated Patrons In Christian Library Consortium Libraries, Julie E. Sweeney

The Christian Librarian

While the primary responsibility of academic libraries is to support the students, staff, and faculty of the college or university that hosts them, most academic libraries offer access and services to patrons without official ties to the campus. Academic librarians often experience the tension between a professional desire to provide full access and services to all information seekers and the reality of limited time and resources. Previous studies have described services offered by academic libraries to unaffiliated patrons, but no study has focused exclusively on academic libraries whose host institutions are faith-based. This paper describes unaffiliated patron policies from Christian …

All Victims Matter. Reconciliation Of The Balkan Faiths And Peoples: An Assessment Of Recent Progress, Vjekoslav Perica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Overall, the recent progress toward reconciliation of the peoples and faiths in the Balkans is good news. The moderates within ruling nationalists’ ranks marginalized the extremists domestically and found support abroad, notably in the European Union, which is interested in fostering greater stability in the troubled southeastern periphery, as well as from the Vatican, both during the pontificate of John Paul II and under Pope Francis, with his ambitious ecumenical agenda concerning the Eastern Orthodox sister church."

The Serbian Orthodox Church In The Ecumenical Movement: An Overview, Radivoje Simić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "In the family of Orthodox Churches, the SOC is considered an open and ecumenically engaged Church. This can be seen most notably through its commitment to various ecumenical interreligious gatherings, and in its Inter-Orthodox preparatory meetings. It would not be possible to imagine the Orthodox church engaging in the ecumenical movement apart from the participation of the SOC."

Book Review: Rachmil Bryks, May God Avenge Their Blood: A Holocaust Memoir Triptych, Brian Horowitz

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "For the many readers who have never heard of Bryks, I beseech you to get this volume. You are likely to feel as I do, that here is a rare thing, a genuine writer who is ours, writes in Yiddish, although the material belongs to all humanity."

Journal Review: Illuminatio/Svjetionik/Almanar, Vol. 2, Year 1 (Fall 2020), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Under the enlightened leadership of its editor-in-chief, retired Grand Mufti of the Bosniak Muslim community, Dr. Mustafa Cerić, the journal Illuminatio splendidly succeeds to implement its espoused aims to be “a journal of new ideas that enlighten the human spirit and mind about the condition of the human past, present, and future.” The journal aims to be a “cultural broker” of universal values with new ideas. Its sources are the most progressive ideas of Islam in its European context, while aiming to explore and, if suitable, to utilize other religious and secular insights. To those who might hold the …

Frontmatter (Volume 40, Issue 10), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Religious Organizations In Belarus During Protests Against The Regime Of Aleksandr Lukashenko, Petro Kraliuk, Yuriy Plyska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

After the presidential election in Belarus on August 9, 2020, which according to the official data, was won by the then President Alexander Lukashenko, mass protests against falsifications began in the country. Believers of various denominations joined these actions. Therefore, the leadership of the country’s religious organizations were faced with the question of determining their attitude toward these actions. The leadership of the largest religious organization in Belarus, the Belarusian Orthodox Church, initially expressed some dissatisfaction with the authorities’ violence. The then exarch of this church, Pavlo, despite congratulating Lukashenko on his election victory, still expressed some sympathy to the …

Gender Justice And Islam: For Male Two And For Female One Qurban. Why?, Zilka Spahić-Šiljak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "The question we have to ask today as believing Muslims is this: how is it that, in the 21st century, Muslims would rather use a hadith that prefers boys over girls than the actual practice of the Prophet Muhammad? If the Prophet treated his children equally, and showed public affection for his daughter Fatima with the specific gesture of standing up to welcome her every time she came to visit, and if he constantly warned believers to take care of their daughters, how have Muslims ended up cultivating this naming tradition that sends a clear message to daughters that …

An Appeal For The Physical Book, Amanda C.R. Clark

The Christian Librarian

Librarians are confronting a shift in media that is changing the structure and the collections of libraries as well as the meaning of librarianship itself. The heart of this essay suggests that the physical book maybe considered an enduring communication vessel. If the goal of the library is to offer access to the cultural record, then physical books as a social record embodying “bookness” hold a place within the library institution as a material expression of the intimate and enduring relationship between human and book.

Smith's "Awaiting The King: Reforming Public Theology" (Critical Book Review), Andrew C. Stout

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Vandrunen's "Politics After Christendom: Political Theology In A Fractured World" (Critical Book Review), Andrew C. Stout

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Holmes' "Mother To Son: Letters To A Black Boy On Identity And Hope" (Book Review), Kyle D. Diroberts

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Frontmatter (Volume 40, Issue 9), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Christ’S Ethnonationalist Crucifixion: Sacralization Of Ethnonationalist Agendas Within Croatian Catholicism And Serbian Orthodoxy—Cases And Effects, Zoran Grozdanov, Branko Sekulić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In this article, the authors look into the theological background of the support that nationstates in the Western Balkans received during their formation at the end of the 20th century. Although many articles were written on the causes of the wars for national independence, and on the relationship between religious narratives and ethnic exclusion, very few were written on the theological support of the ethnic exclusion. The authors show that the roots of making ethnos and affiliation with certain nations in Eastern Europe can be found in the writings of late Pope John Paul II and Serbian Orthodox Bishop Nikolaj …

Ukraine Orthodoxy Autocephaly: Social And Value Challenges, Oleksandr Brodestkyi, Iryna Horokholinska, Mykola Lahodych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to the relevant aspects of the canonical autocephalous status acquisition process for Ukrainian Orthodoxy. The resonant events of the last two years are considered when crucial decisions had been made that led to the emergence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as autocephalous on the basis of the Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its acting Primate Patriarch Bartholomew. Sociocultural, geopolitical, and moral aspects of the corresponding processes are conceived. The national and cultural role of the functioning of Ukraine Orthodox Church is considered. The authors analyze the current religious and political …

Christian Higher Education: The Global Context And A Russian Case Study, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An account and analysis of the brief existence of Russian-American Christian University (RACU), a Christian liberal arts university in Moscow.

Architectural Features Of Protestant Churches From The 16th To The 21st Centuries In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak, Petro Kotliarov, Mykhailo Fedorenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article discusses the way the creeds of Protestants are reflected in their sacred architecture on Ukrainian lands. It investigates the evolution of the architecture of Protestant churches and religious buildings in Ukraine from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century. Three periods in the formation and development of Protestantism in Ukraine are distinguished: the magisterial reformation, the classical currents of Protestantism (Calvinism, Lutheranism), and late Protestant currents (Baptism, Pentecostalism, Adventism). The article establishes that the church architecture of Protestant denominations in each of these periods was influenced by the particular teachings of the Protestants themselves, the dominant political ideology, and …

Ukraine As A Religious Destination, Olga Borysova, Tetiana Huzik, Liudmyla Fylypovych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to the state, development, and prospects of religious tourism and religious pilgrimage in Ukraine. Based on the interesting and eventful history of this country, and the presence of many sites of spiritual and religious evolution of peoples on its territory, the authors suggest that Ukraine may become a religious destination under certain conditions. The article briefly describes the history of pilgrimage from the ancient Rus' to the modern Ukraine. After 70 years of communist bans on religion and pilgrimage, religious life as well as religious tourism has been restored significantly in independent Ukraine. But this industry …

Belarus: Religious Freedom Survey, October 2020, Olga Glace

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Before the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Belarus on 2 November, Forum 18 notes continuing violations of freedom of religion and belief and of interlinked freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. These have worsened amid widespread continuing protests against falsified results of the August 2020 presidential election, and against the regime's other serious violations of the human rights of the people it rules.

This was originally published by Forum 18, reposted with permission. Glace, Olga (2020) "Belarus: Religious Freedom Survey, October 2020," Forum 18. Available at: http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2612

Frontmatter (Volume 40, Issue 8), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Multiple Religious Belonging: Russian Reflections, Elizabete Taivāne

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Russian experts in Religious Studies are not acquainted with the notion of multiple religious belonging. Gradually, they are becoming more aware of contact and interrelation among different cultures and religious traditions. They question whether new synthetic forms of religiosity, which combine aspects of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., are possible and what the result of such a synthesis is. A few arguments in favor of exclusivity by prominent Russian experts in religious studies are touched on in this paper. One of the most popular is the incompatibility of different cultural paradigms and anthropological patterns.

Book Review: Victoria Smolkin, A Sacred Space Is Never Empty: A History Of Soviet Atheism, Nadieszda Kizenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Everyone thinks they know about Soviet atheism. The rough outline goes something like this. With communism, atheism became the new religion. Lenin’s body in the Red Square mausoleum was the functional equivalent of the relic cult. After the fall of communism, religion came back. Atheism is over. End of story.

A Reflection On Religion And Churches In Slovakia 30 Years After The Fall Of Communism, Ján Juran, Lubomir Martin Ondrasek

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Thirty years after the fall of the communist regime in Slovakia presents an opportune time to reflect on various issues related to the broad subjects of religion and society, state-church relations, and the public ministry of the church. The aim of our paper is to offer such reflections with an emphasis on understanding the historical context and religious developments that affect Slovakia’s current reality and must be taken into account when considering present and future challenges and opportunities. The paper consists of two main parts.1 In the first, we present a brief history of Christianity in Slovakia, elucidate developments with …

Hasidism: Ukrainian Origins And The World Context, Ihor Turov, Serhii Ishchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article represents an overview of the history and specificity of the teachings of the Jewish religious movement called Hasidism. In the introductory part, the foundations of the teachings and social organization of this community are considered. The main consideration is given to the most numerous and influential Hasidic groups of the modern world. Particular attention is paid to the Ukrainian origin of Hasidism in the European context of its development. The historical originality of this movement is determined, first of all, by the specificity of its creed. The Hasidic ethos is focused on the person’s inner world. Relations with …

Financial Situation Of The Russian Orthodox Church And Its Clergy, Sergei Chapnin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Recently there has been increased talk of the severe financial state of clergy, parishes, and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), because of the Corona-virus situation. Because of this some priests have appealed to Patriarch Kirill. This article discusses the seriousness of their plight.

The Roman Catholic Church In Poland After The Fall Of Communism, Krystyna Górniak-Kocikowska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Had I written a paper about the Roman Catholic Church in Poland after the Fall of Communism in 2019, when Paul Mojzes asked me to (thank you, Paul, for your unceasing encouragement!), the writing would have been so much easier than it is now. Not easy, but easier. At that time, the situation of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, just like life in Poland in general, seemed relatively stable, much more so than throughout most of Poland’s turbulent history or even during those 30 years since the Fall of Communism. The Church, too, seemed to be on the way …

Book Review: András Máté-Tóth, Freiheit Und Populismus:Verwundete Indentitäten In Ostmitteleuropa, Paul Crego

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

András Máté-Tóth, a professor in the study of religions at the University of Szeged, in Szeged, Hungary, has written an excellent study of the interaction of religion and national identities among the various nation of East Central Europe, called Freiheit und Populismus: Verwundete Indentitäten in Ostmitteleuropa. He draws on a wide range of resources about the national identities of this geographical territory, as well as theoretical works about the developing identities of people around the world. He also draws upon works covering religious identities in relation to ethnic and national identity and discusses religious communities in the area under discussion.

Journal Review: Illuminatio/Svjetionik /Almana: The Journal For New Ideas., İbrahim Karataş

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This is a review of the first issue of the academic online journal Illuminatio (Svjetionik in Bosnian and Almanar in Arabic). It began publication in 2020, and will be published twice a year by Al-Wasatiyya Center for Dialogue based in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The journal is bilingual and appears in Bosnian and English. The Editor-in-Chief is Mustafa Cerić, who was the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2012 and holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at the University of Chicago. The other editors and the advisory board of the journal are prestigious local and international scholars of …