Religious Beliefs in Pre-lslamic Poetry

The subject of this study is how pre-Islamic poets viewed religious beliefs and how the Arabs dealt with such beliefs in the period that preceded the emergence of Islam, known as the/ahiliyya. The study discusses Arab religious beliefs and rites, which were filled with mythical elements such as idol worship, treating some animals as sacred, and worship of the sun, plants, certain inanimate objects and birds. It describes the various stages through which these beliefs passed, from sanctification of trees and caves, through the worship of the sun and the stars, to idol worship and more. The study then proceeds to inquire into the traces of mythology to be found in Arabic poetry. It shows how humans did not only inherit their forefathers＇ beliefs, but also their ideas, and explains how poets were able to embody reality by means of artistic symbols that reflected such elements of their lives as emotions and objective mental states. Subsequently the study discusses the sanctity which the Arabs ascribed to some animals, and which they worshipped in the hope of obtaining a blessing, maintaining an intimacy with the animal or averting evil. Many Arabs in those days believed in the sanctity of animals, the sun, the moon and Venus, thought that trees and other p｜ants possessed a spirit, and considered some animals to be deities with extraordinary powers, among them the viper, the crocodile, the bull, the gazelle and the goat. Finally, the study shows how pre-lslamic Arabic poetry can serve as a reliable document that reflects the society of the times, and how even the restricted amount of verse that has survived from those times can provide considerable information about mythical elements that go back to the remotest times.

“宗教—信仰”维度视野下的藏族民居研究

针对民居研究中普遍存在物质决定论的现状,从交叉学科的视野探讨藏族民居的神性特征,通过对经堂、堂屋以及的中柱、火塘、水亭等空间的宗教意义分析,探讨了藏族民居中普遍存在的"大"与"多"的非理性现象。研究表明,神圣空间与世俗空间的区分是民居研究的基本视角,宗教作为文化系统中的核心概念,在民居中具有普遍性与源远流长的持续影响,"宗教-信仰"应与"科学-理性"一样,成为民居研究中秉持的基本范式。

《想尔》之道的现象学定位

《老子想尔注》乃道教勃兴阶段的一个具有划时代意义的"事件",因为它乃"有道教"的存在性路标:作为在五斗米道宗教生活中被直接给予的教义。《想尔注》的宗教性位格,集中地在其"想尔之道"中显摆出来;经过想尔之道的生存性建构,传统的神仙信仰已不再只是一种个体的柔性"信仰"生存方式,而是进一步生成为一种刚性的社会"宗教信仰"生存方式。

Ways of Destructive Cults to Steal Religious Affections

Religious affection is a kind of emotional experience that religious believers have to the gods after they have participated in religious activities and experienced religious rituals. Religious experience is what connects individuals and the gods. It can lead people to believe in religion and strengthen people＇s religious beliefs and is the basis of the establishment, dissemination and consolidation of religions. This article reveals that extreme cults create illusions for believers by conducting information and time control, making them exhausted physically and mentally and using ＂social hypnosis＂ and that they have stolen traditional religious affection and religious experience for their own usage by inducing believers religious affection through self-praise, intimidation and deception and wide insinuation.

The Psychological Causes and Identification of the Destructive Cult Belief

It is a worldwide problem to let the destructive cult believers detached from the destructive cult. The most difficult point is that it is difficult to change the destructive cult belief. The reason why the destructive cult faith is difficult to change is because that the destructive cults embezzled the basic concepts and doctrines of many legitimate religions in the construction of the destructive cult faith, which make the destructive cults and religious beliefs have many similarities in psychology, including the tenacity and stability of faith. The believers tend to believe it as a orthodox legitimate religion. The article points out the similarity that makes destructive cult beliefs hard to change and lists the ways to identify heretical beliefs.

Jan Haicksz Steen＇s Woman at Her Toilet： ＂Provocative Innuendos＂

Jan Haicksz Steen （1626-1679）, a Dutch actor, poet and painter, engaged the viewer with various innuendos and double entendres in his paintings about Woman at Her Toilet. Decoding the conceits introduces the viewer to Dutch artistic astuteness and popular culture. Steen drew the observer into his picture plane through a series of emblematic vignettes. Although he raised questions about cultural mores, morality, and religiosity, none are judgmental. On the contrary, it is the viewer who might or might not articulate a moral judgment according to personal experiences. For Steen, the imagery, filled with complex conceits, is an artistic visual representation to delight the eyes, tantalize the senses, and maybe even spark the intellect.

Mitt Romney, Mormonism, and Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election

This study examined the impact of Mormonism on the 2008 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. Romney faced a situation that reminded observers of John F. Kennedy＇s 1960 campaign. In 1960, Kennedy faced doubts about his Catholicism while Ronmey faced questions about the Mormon religion. Kennedy faced those doubts directly with a speech in Houston, Texas late in the campaign. Romney tried to do the same thing with a speech on his religious beliefs early in the primary campaigns. Kennedy＇s speech was effective, and he went on to win the presidential election. Romney＇s speech was not effective, and he was out of the race within two months. Kennedy＇s speech directly addressed the public＇s questions about Catholicism, while Romney＇s speech was an appeal for religious tolerance. The speech is examined in terms of the Pharisee Effect, a hypothesis which argues that religious appeals in politics failure if they are over used. Some voters were turned off by the negative image of his religion--a response consistent with the fanaticism backlash of the Pharisee Effect. Others may have reacted negatively to his perceived inauthentic attempts to reach out to evangelicals--a move that is consistent with the intentionality dimension of the Pharisee Effect. The Mormon issue did not become an issue in the 2012 election; Romney avoided it by simply not talking about his religion.

Twin Cities A Matter of Identity and Belonging

The term ＂twin cities＂ refers to a program in which cities from different places in the world form a ＂twinning＂ alliance that serves as a setting for educational, cultural, political, and social collaborations （Grosspietsch 2009）. The purpose of the program is to promote the twin cities in all aspects of life （Jayne, Hubbard, and Bell 2013） and facilitate a feeling of belonging and identity among their residents （Ogawa 2012）. In the current study, the cities of Beer Sheva and Nahariya were taken as case studies for examining the contribution of the program to promoting residents＇ feeling of belonging to their Jewish identity. Specifically, the current study attempted to examine the effect of town of residence and age group on feeling of belonging, and whether familiarity with the Twin Cities program affected the feeling of belonging to Jewish identity, in the assumption that residents familiar with the program would report a stronger feeling of belonging than residents not familiar with it. The study included 147 participants aged 17-64, of them 80 residents of Beer Sheva and 67 of Nahariya. All the participants were recruited to the study voluntarily and were requested to complete an online self-report questionnaire examining feeling of belonging to Jewish identity. Moreover, an interview was conducted with the representative of the delegations at the Amal school in Nahariya, to reaffirm the findings. The research findings refuted the main research assumption that the Twin Cities program would influence the feeling of belonging. In fact, the current study indicates that no correlation was found between feeling of belonging and any of the research measures, aside from religiosity. Furthermore, and in contrast to the hypothesis, the research findings indicate that participants who were not familiar with the program reported a stronger feeling of belonging than participants who were familiar with it. Due to the surprising findings, the current study raises the possibility that the Twin Cities program is undergoing a process of change and thus promotes individual values more than collective values. This contention changes the essential purpose of the program and this is the significance of the current study.

Vampire Essentiality Derivation From Religious Beliefs

This paper detracts vampires＇ traits from definitions by famous biblical exegetists and alike. Based on accounts of vampire-synonymous species from the Holy Bible （2000）, The Vampire Book （2010）, Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology （2010）, etc., it attempts an analysis of essential vampire features derivation from religious beliefs with the aim to amply apprecitate vampire culture and paint evidentially-built vampire portraits as against totally self-imagined traits.

Organizational Leadership in a Postmodern World： Practical Implications for Contemporary Religious Leaders

We live in an increasingly postmodern society. American Christianity, however, is imbued in a modem---even pre-modern--paradigm. As a result, many contemporary religious leaders find it difficult to communicate with their postmodern constituents, as evidenced by declining attendance rates and religious affiliation. The present study explores this dilemma by offering potential implications for contemporary religious leaders to communicate more effectively with emerging/emergent generation（s）. The author begins this exploration, first, by outlining the philosophical tenants of postmodemism： its epistemological, ontological, and axiological assumptions. Second, the author delineates several key characteristics of postmodern religious communication. Next, the author offers three practical implications for organizational leaders： （1） increased use of personal narrative, （2） removal of hierarchal boundary structures, and （3） increased awareness and appreciation for divergent perspectives. The author concludes this study with directions for future research.

Torture Museums： What Has Changed Today？

Torture has always been regarded as a tool for confession and applied throughout history. In cases when requesting and convincing do not work, threatening or torturing has been considered to be a ＂right＂ to do. Torture was used in Ancient Rome, in Europe in Medieval Age, and in England even though it was against unwritten law, and applied in USA secretly today. Since ancient times, people have been used to torturing for similar purposes. Today, torture is put into practice again for similar purposes such as forcing people to live according to religious beliefs and looking after the benefits of the government. Torture museums found in many European countries make visitors confused as these museums display terrifying tools applied to the Christian community in Medieval Age and then used by Christians to torture ＂Deviants＂.

Beyond the Concepts of the Secular and the Religious

The U.S. Supreme Court gave the privately owned company Hobby Lobby the authority to deny healthcare coverage to its employees, a decision by a secular authority involving the owner＇s religious beliefs. In France, the first issue released by the secular magazine Charlie Hebdo after the terrorist attack depicted a religious figure declaring, ＂All is forgiven.＂ In each instance the boundaries between the ＂secular＂ and ＂religious＂ were transgressed. In the academic study of religion, an additional direction methodology needs to take involves the lens formed by academic concepts and categories as shaped by the historical development of the university＇s discourses and lines of inquiry. The university is an epistemological project and we look ＂out there＂ through concepts and categories formed ＂in here＂, inside of the history of ＂the university＂. It is another dimension to the problem of the insider/outsider. This paper will use the characteristics of interdisciplinarity to historicize how the university as an epistemological project has developed the concepts of ＂religion＂, the ＂secular＂, and the binary they form, in order to suggest directions for their use to interpret events in the 21 st century through the academic study of religion.

Teacher Spiritualism： The Vocation Within

Ancient civilizations adopted an early education system that included religion as an integral part of its focus. For this reason, priests, monks, and other people of faith, were trusted with the important task of educating their community and instructing them in the values, beliefs, and norms of their society. As time passed, public education continued to evolve to keep up with the societal demands to the point that education and religion were not longer connected. Simultaneously, professionals in the education field have also changed and educators are no longer required to be people of faith. However, considering that the mission of education has remained the same, it would be unrealistic to consider teachers as unspiritual individuals regardless of their religious beliefs and affiliations. This paper explores the idea that educators are innate spiritual individuals who strive to perpetuate the norms, values and virtues of their society. In addition, this article presents the concept of teacher spiritualism as a contemporary reality of our teachers and our educational system.

Social Causes of Arab Youth Radicalizing

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of macro social factors （states, religion, region, Arab spring, terrorism, unrest （Shoe index）, democracy, corruption （GPI）, Human development （HDI）, low self-control, life stress events （LSE）, youth unemployment, religiosity, feeling （fear and anger）, youth unemployment and total unemployment） on Arab youth＇s radicalization. A sample of 6,730 Arab youth age 15-24 years was selected from Kuwait, UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza and Palestine and Syrian refuges in Jordan. A questionnaire of 43 items to measure radicalization was developed based on the literature review. A construct validity of the scale was estimated by calculating the correlation between radicalization scale and Low self-control scale and found a positive significant relationship （0.680, a = 0.000）, a sign of validity of the scale. A Reliability of the scale is strong and was estimated by Cronbach＇s alpha and was 0.947. An average of 46.6% of the participants was categorized as radicals with standard deviation of 12. Macro social factors explained 64% of the variance on radicalization. It has a significant impact on radicalization （F = 807.6, a = 0.000）. Each single variable has a significant impact. The analysis revealed three groups of macro determinants of youth radicalization were identified： （1） Geographic factors： state, region, and Arab spring; （2） Social factors： religion, religiously, feelings, LSE and LSC; （3） Human security： unrest, terrorism, democracy, corruption, human development, youth unemployment and employment rate. To alleviate the consequences of radicalization, prevention policies should take in account youth concerns as partners and victims of radicalization. Policies need to focus on radicalization pull and push factors on micro-meso-macro level.

Da＇awah Islaamiyyah （Islamic Proselytisation） and Its Essential Components

Islam, as a religion, has always been essentially and primarily propagated through Da＇awah （proselytisation） and it would continue to be so up to the end of human existence on this planet. Due to its universal nature, appeal, and guidance, Islam would have to be continuously propagated through proselytisation to all the nooks and crannies of the world particularly in this millennium when more and more people are increasingly becoming engrossed into the worship of democracy. Hence, the need for a paper in which the essential components of Da＇awah lslaamiyyah （Islamic proselytisation）, would be expatiated so that Islamic workers around the globe will rise up to the challenge. Apart from the definition of Da＇awah, the paper will discuss the four foundations of Da＇awah, namely： Ad-Da＇awah ilaa Allah （inviting people to God）, Ad-Daa＇iyah （the proselytiser, the caller, the inviter, or the person who invites people to God）, AI-Mad＇uww [the invitee（s） or person（s） that is/are being invited to God], the AI-Wusao-il wal-Asaaleeb （the means and the methods of invitation to God）, and conclusion.

Max Weber on Religious Ethics and Life Conduct

The purpose of this paper is not to provide an overview of the contributions of Weber＇s sociology of religion, but to discuss an issue that guides his comparative studies of religions, which is to say the influence of religious beliefs on the life conduct. The principal aim is to highlight how the images of the world produced by world religions are responsible, in part, by the variability of economical conducts. In this sense, the paper discusses the explanation of Weber to the fact the capitalist system has been a singularity of the West, although in other civilizations, there has been some of the necessary conditions for its development. In the conclusion, it is said that the emphasis on the practical effects of religious beliefs, as well as the recognition of religion as a form of rationalization of the world, are the central dimensions of Weber＇s thought about religious phenomena.

Religion Conflicts in Indonesia Problems and Solutions

Religious perspectives which place religion as a source of conflict have initiated various attempts to reinterpret and accordingly find some common ground at a certain level which hopefully may reduce conflicts among religious communities due to the existence of mutual tolerance. At the exoteric level, religions are different, but at the esoteric level, religions are not similar. All religions are viewed as equally valid paths toward God. However, in many ways, the reality shows that the tension among religious communities is closely related to the factors that are beyond the scope of religion. It is important for all religious believers to keep the peace among them. As far as the record of religious conflicts in Indonesia is concerned, it shows three major patterns： conflicts among adherents of different religions, conflicts between one religion with a group accused as heretical, and internal conflicts of the same people of faith with those who have different understanding of the religion. In any point of views, however, such conditions would be so detrimental to the human race in general, and society and the state of Indonesia in particular. This paper examines intensively about the issues and attempts to uncover the nature of the root-causes underlying them.

SPECIAL ISSUE： RELIGION AND SOCIETY： CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION：Tracing Judaism in China

China is the only country in the Far East in which Jews have lived continuously for over a thousand years. Because Judaism is inseparable from the Jews, it has also continued in Chinese society for over a thousand years. Judaism refers not only to the religious beliefs of the Jews but also - maybe more importantly - to the visible shape of the daily life of Jewish people. Therefore, in order to trace and present Judaism in China, this paper will focus on two issues： the presence of the Jews in China to provide the background, and their daily life such as holiday rituals, education, dietary laws and burial customs to present evidence of the actual practice of Judaism in China. In addition, the paper addresses official Chinese attitudes toward Judaism from a historical perspective.

Cognitive Dissonance and ＂The Will to Believe＂

That we shape our beliefs to align with our actions should be of interest within philosophy of religion and philosophy generally. Cognitive dissonance, a psychological state in which an individual＇s beliefs and actions do not conform with each other, presents just such a situation. The idea that cognitive dissonance, by strict evidentialist standards, compromises our epistemic integrity since cognitive dissonance causes us to hold beliefs for which we do not have evidence, recalls the exchange between William Clifford and William James in which they discuss evidentialism, the idea that we should hold no beliefs for which we do not have evidence. In this paper I draw upon extant published research concerning cognitive dissonance theory and religion. I also survey the Clifford-James debate, applying considerations from their exchange to cognitive dissonance and （religious） belief. I conclude by showing how cognitive dissonance can have ambiguous results as concerns the justification of beliefs and that philosophy could benefit from attending to factors impacting empirical aspects of belief formation such as cognitive dissonance.