International and Area Studies Commons^™

Hungary: Amended Church Law Remains At Variance With Osce Standards And The European Convention On Human Rights, Aaron Rhodes, H David Baer

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The statement was submitted by FOREF (Forum for Religious Freedom Europe) at the 2015 OSCE Human Dimension Implementation meeting held this past September in Warsaw, Poland. The statement calls attention to continuing concerns with the state of religious freedom in Hungary. As readers of OPREE will most likely recall, Hungary's anti-liberal government, led by Viktor Orbán, introduced a law on the "legal status of churches" in 2011 which, among other things, stripped numerous minority religious groups of legal status. In 2014 the European Court of Human Rights found that, in implementing this new law, Hungary had violated the right of …

Multi-Dimensional Cross-Confessional Approach To The Study Of Religiosity In Belarus: Need And Conceptualization, Svetlana Karassyova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Construction of a cross-confessional model for studying religiosity is proposed based on a widened definition of religion and its interpretation as a two-part phenomenon including experience (inner part) and a system of presentation of the experience (outer part). The system of religion is understood as a three-dimensional unity of beliefs, activity, and institutions; religiosity as involvement into the system of the named dimensions. Each dimension of involvement is marked with empirical features. Each feature is scaled in a range from formal (outer) involvement to transforming (inner). The combination of involvement into each dimension (set by the features) gives a degree …

Saint Jovan Bigorski - A Macedonian Orthodox Cultic Place, Ruzica Cacanoska, Maya Angelovska-Panova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The subject matter of this paper is the socio-historical analysis of the cult1 life of the Saint Jovan (John) Bigorski Monastery. This subject matter will be elaborated by developing a historical frame wherewith the sociological research element will be merged; this element will specifically emphasize the impact of the miraculous icon on the promotion and cultic life of the Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery.

The Genesis Of 'Hungarism': Bishop Ottokár Prohászka And The Extremist Right In 1920s Hungary, Csaba Fazekas

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Ottokár Prohászka (1858–1927) was a famous and well-known Hungarian Catholic cleric, starting from 1905, when he became bishop of Székesfehérvár. His life and works often got into the center of discussions, not only among historians and ecclesiastical circles, but also among politicians. At the beginning of the 20th century, Prohászka was also extremely popular with liberals, as his activities represented a promise to renew and modernize Catholicism. Prohászka imagined this modernization on the basis of the social principles of Catholicism, and considered the spread of a “Jewish” mentality, alien to the Hungarian nation, as the fundamental problem.

Contemporary Daoist Tangki Practice, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since 1979, China has seen a renaissance of indigenous belief systems, including Daoist tangki spirit-medium practice. Tangki traditions have Neolithic roots. The founding myth is of a man who magically battled flood demons to save China. In imperial times, ordinary people, disenfranchised by the state religion and pawns of dynastic wars, created a soteriology of self-empowerment. Ordinary people would transform through spirit pos-session into warrior gods who would save the community. Millennia-old tangki traditions have diffused into the modern Chinese quotidian. With a remote Central Committee of the Communist Party recalling distant emperors, village temples, many led by tangkis, have …

Religious Diversity And The Macedonian Model Of Secularism, Aleksandar Spasenovski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The geographical position of the Republic of Macedonia continues to shape its religious landscape as dramatically as in the times of Byzantium or communism. Taking into account the aforementioned, this paper will encompass the legal, political and sociological aspects of the Macedonian model of secularism. In this respect, the content of the constitutional provisions suggests that Republic of Macedonia most broadly defines the right to equality, guaranteeing the same rights, independently from the religious determination of its citizens, among other things. The state also guarantees the freedom of religion, allowing its citizens to freely practice their religion either alone or …

Seeds Of Peace: Visible Cooperation Between Jews And Muslims In Morocco, Namratha Somayajula

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A carrefour in various contexts, Morocco stands in a unique position between the Arab world and Israel for several reasons. The country is unique due to the historical presence of Judaism in the region that, over the years, became a Muslim-majority Islamic kingdom. The members of Morocco’s Muslim and Jewish communities coexisted for centuries, albeit with minor hurdles, as did the Muslims and Jews of Palestine. However, political events around the world in the twentieth century led to the rapid departure of Jews from their Moroccan homeland. Today, with so few remaining in Morocco, “Jew” often becomes synonymous with “Israel,” …

Theravada Buddhism, Identity, And Cultural Continuity In Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, James H. Granderson

Student Publications

This ethnographic field study focuses upon the relationship between the urban Jinghong and surrounding rural Dai population of lay people, as well as a few individuals from other ethnic groups, and Theravada Buddhism. Specifically, I observed how Theravada Buddhism and Dai ethnic culture are continued through the monastic system and the lay community that supports that system. I also observed how individuals balance living modern and urban lifestyles while also incorporating Theravada Buddhism into their daily lives. Both of these involved observing the relationship between Theravada monastics in city and rural temples and common people in daily life, as well …

Introduction: A Legacy Of Raised Expectations, Leif Stenberg, Christa Salamandra

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Power, Corruption And Dissent: Varieties Of Contemporary Croatian Political Catholicism, Vjekoslav Perica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"Two decades after the major Balkan war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina 1991-1995, the dynamic of feuding ethnic nationalisms has shifted from the initially strongest Serbian to the currently dominant Croatian nationalism. The two strongest nationalisms of the (post)Yugoslav region are comparable to each other in many respects including the ethno-confessional nationalistic ideology amalgamated with religion and crucial roles for the churches as national institutions allied with nationalistic parties. The relative advantage for Croatian Catholicism is the outcome of several factors such as the following:..."

Both Insiders And Outsiders: Identity And Interreligious Dialogue In The Discourse Of Islamic Communities In Croatia And Serbia Concerning European Integration, Angela Ilić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"The European Union has been hit hard by the international financial crisis, which has con-tributed to weakening the already precarious economies of member states such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Concurrently, the Union has been experiencing an identity crisis, with lack of clarity and consensus about which shared values hold the diverse states of Europe together beyond the common economic and political interests. Both processes have led to increased Euroskepticism across the continent.2 Parallel to these developments an alarming upsurge in re-ligiously and racially intolerant rhetoric and even acts of violence have occurred.

This essay presents, within the complex European …

Djurić-Milovanović'S "Double Minorities In Serbia: Distinctive Aspects Of The Religion And Ethnicity Of The Romanians In Vojvodina"- Book Review, Danijela Kracun

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"Dr. Aleksandra Djurić -Milovanović's new book, Double Minorities in Serbia, refers to that population which is both Romanian and belonging to a religious minority within the borders of Serbia’s province of Vojvodina."

Frontmatter - Volume 35 Issue 4, Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Main Stages And Facts In The History Of State-Church Relations In Bulgaria, Nonka Bogomilova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

State-Church relations in Bulgaria are multidimensional phenomena, bearing changes and dynamic transformations in the course of historical processes. The purpose of this paper is to map out the main stages and developments of church-state relations from Bulgaria’s acceptance of Christianity to the present.

Gustavo GutiéRrez – Liberation Theology & Marxism, Todd Cameron Swathwood Jr

The Kabod

Since 1968, liberation theology has emerged as a prominent feature of religion and politics, particularly in South America. Originally stemming from the writings of Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez, this at-once theological and overtly political ideology decries the institutionalized violence of the world’s capitalist society on the poor and oppressed, and argues that God is particularly concerned with the plight of the suffering masses. Christians should therefore make assistance of these poor souls their highest priority, and advocate for any and all methods of alleviating suffering, especially those that work from the premise that society must be toppled and rebuilt for …

Frontmatter - Volume 35 Issue 3, Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Religion And National Identity In Borderlands: Greek Catholics And Hungarian Reformed In Transylvania, Beth Admiraal

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Faith Community Nurse Education: A Conceptual Model, Cristy Marie Daffron

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

As a specialty practice, faith community nursing embodies knowledge that is unique to the practice and requires both generic and specialty training. Scarce research has been conducted on the effectiveness of basic faith community nurse curricula. As the landscape of education continues to be refined in the faith community nurse specialty practice, coupled with limited available research for the evaluation of effectiveness, a conceptual model for faith community nurse education is needed. Faith Community Nurse Education Conceptual Model incorporates both internal and external factors that impact the environment in which education occurs and acknowledges God as the author and finisher …

The Development Of A Faith Community Nursing Intervention To Promote Health Across The Life Span, Donna M. Callaghan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Purpose: To report the development of a faith community nursing intervention to promote health across the life span. Studies by Callaghan (2003, 2005, 2006), that investigated the relationships among self-care agency, self-care self-efficacy, and health-promoting self-care behaviors, support the importance of spiritual growth on older adults’, adults’, and adolescents’ initiative and responsibility for self-care. This report will focus on applying these results and the research evidence that supports the integration of these concepts in the development of a health promotion intervention.

Procedures: Data was merged from Callaghan’s studies (2003, 2005, 2006) in order to investigate to what extent do self-care …

Practice Matters: Screening And Monitoring Hyperlipidemia, M. Laurie Branstetter Dnp, Maria E. Main, Tonya Bragg-Underwood Dnp

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide Faith Community Nurses with current information on hyperlipidemia, a chronic disease responsible for the leading cause of death worldwide. Current guidelines for cholesterol screening and a risk calculator resource for estimating cardiovascular risk are provided. Myths and truths are presented for review with patients. Suggestions and resources for lifestyle modifications and patient education are included. Faith Community Nurses are at the center of community health and actively involved with improving health outcomes related to chronic disease.

How The Russian Orthodox Church Views The "Russian World", Thomas Bremer

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The cultural concept of a “Russian world” (Russian: “russkiy mir”) plays an increasingly important role today, and is not limited to political discourse. The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), which officially joined the “Russian World” foundation in 2009, has frequently referred to Russkiy mir in recent discourse. The term “Russian world” refers to a culture that differentiates itself from Western culture and is superior to it. Despite ROC usage of the term, understanding of Russkiy mir is diffuse. There are still some semantic constants which occur repeatedly. The most significant of these are a) the historical aspect, b) religion or religious …

Orthodox "Imagined Communities" In The Ottoman Balkans, James R. Payton Jr

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

As a young scholar being trained in Early Modern European history, I imbibed unstated assumptions along with the canons of western historiography. My teaching and research career, though, soon moved eastward, to focus on Byzantium, the Balkans, and the Eastern Christianity which permeated both. With this transition, I became uneasily aware of how little attention western scholarship has given to these fields, or to the momentous developments which took place in the eastern half of the European continent. Some of these developments challenge and undermine some hallowed scholarly perspectives; among them is the assessment commonly held among western scholars about …

Searle And Cherenkov's "A Future And A Hope: Mission, Theological Education, And The Transformation Of Post-Soviet Society" - Book Review, Walter Sawatsky

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"Anniversary reflections on developments since the end of the Soviet Union 25 years ago have started, but rare is the book attempting an assessment of what happened to post-Soviet evangelicals."

Valčo And Slivka's "Christian Churches In Post-Communist Slovakia: Current Challenges And Opportunities" - Book Review, Lubomir M. Ondrasek

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Strategic Study Abroad: A Program Proposal For Continued Faith Development Of Chi Alpha Students Studying Abroad, Erin Leonard

Capstone Collection

With around 28,000 individual participants, Chi Alpha is a diverse network of Christian students on U.S. college campuses. By regularly meeting in groups and collectively reaching out to the community, students develop their faith and build lasting relationships.

Faith development is an integral part of Chi Alpha students’ lives. Yet, because community is an important aspect in faith development, studying abroad can cause challenges. Students expressed missing accessible Christian peer support and mentorship while abroad. They further expressed disconnection from their faith and felt their spirituality had declined while studying abroad.

As study abroad participation has been increasing over the …

Fealess Friday: Kelsey Chapman, Christina L. Bassler

SURGE

Kelsey Chapman ’15 fearlessly advocates for human rights, peace, and justice, focusing on the Middle East. An economics major and Middle East and Islamic Studies (MEIS) minor, Kelsey is the house leader for the MEIS House, an Arabic PLA, and the founder of Gettysburg’s chapter of J Street U. [excerpt]

Discussion Of Iran Awakening By Shirin Ebadi, Musselman Library

Iran: Beyond the Headlines

In preparation for our book discussion on Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi for our Iran: Beyond the Headlines series, we created some of our own discussion questions about the book. Please feel free to use for your own book discussion!

Woodrow Wilson’S Ideological War: American Intervention In Russia, 1918-1920, Shane Hapner

Best Integrated Writing

Shane Hapner analyzes the effects of Woodrow Wilson’s principle of self-determination on American intervention in Russia from 1918-1920 in this essay written for the Integrated Writing course HST 4220: Soviet Union, taught by Dr. Seam Pollock at Wright State University.

Circular Thinking: An Original Analysis Of Lord Of The Flies, John Callon

Best Integrated Writing

John Callon examines traits of circular thinking and imagery in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies in this essay written for the Integrated Writing course ENG 4560: Capstone in Integrated Language Arts Curriculum, taught by Dr. Nancy Mack at Wright State University.

Are The Main Institutional Changes That Created The “Business Man” Still Relevant?, Hayden Joblin

Best Integrated Writing

Hayden Joblin examines the forces driving the evolution of the modern business man and whether those still have relevance in this essay written for the Integrated Writing course EC 3190: Institutional Economics, taught by Dr. Hee Young Shin at Wright State University.