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The problem of the distribution of evil and a fluctuating maximal god
By William Patterson, Independent Scholar
With the goal of explaining the maldistribution of evil in the world, Asha Lancaster-Thomas has recently (2023) expounded upon the idea of a fluctuating maximal God (FMG) that she and others developed (Jeffrey et al. (2020)) from the idea of a maximal God originally proposed by Yujin Nagasawa (2017). Lancaster-Thomas uses this model to answer what I and my co-author, Daniel Linford, have called the problem of geography (Linford and Patterson (2015)). The problem of geography points to the geographically unequal distribution of suffering in the world and argues that this aggravates the original problem of evil (POE) and undermines the primary theodicies offered as solutions to it. I subsequently (2021) added to this problem by pointing out that evil is also maldistributed across race, gender and time. This larger problem may be referred to as the problem of the distribution of evil (PODE). Lancaster-Thomas argues that the FMG, especially under her modified version, is not susceptible to the problem of geography or to temporal inequalities of well-being. In this article I will demonstrate how the FMG, even on Lancaster-Thomas? updated model, fails to undermine either the problem of geography or the more broadly conceived PODE.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-024-09920-6
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Tags: #Religion #God #Evil #PoE
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Robots in Religious Practices: A Review
By Jonas Simmerlein, University of Vienna; Max Tretter, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
A growing number of robots perform religious practices. Consequently, a lot of research is already done on robots and religion. What has been missing from the current research landscape is a complete overview of current religious robots. The goal of this contribution is to provide such an overview through a review of the current literature. We searched several databases to identify 18 different religious robots deployed in various religious contexts. After presenting those, we briefly address issues related to robots in different religions, the embodiment and reception of these robots, and when a robot can be considered “religious.”
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2024.2351639
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Tags: #Religion #Spirituality #AI
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Spinoza on the parts of God
By Kay Malte Bischof, University of Notre Dame
I defend Spinoza's claim that extension is an attribute that an indivisible substance, such as God, could have. However, in order to explain why, we must abandon two long held orthodoxies in Spinoza scholarship. First, Spinoza acknowledges only parts that do not depend on their whole. Second, God, considered as natuara naturans, has no parts of any kind. Against these orthodoxies, I show that having parts which depend on their whole, for Spinoza, does not entail divisibility and that God, considered as natuara naturans, must have such parts in order to be extended. Along the way, we will have a closer look at Spinoza’s mereology and address apparently conflicting statements that Spinoza makes about the relation of part and whole that have long vexed commentators.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2024.2362363
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Tags: #Religion #God #Spinoza
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Carceral Fiqh and the Battle of the Empty Stomachs: Debates on the Permissibility of Hunger Strikes
By Walaa Quisay, University of Edinburgh
This article employs an ethnographic approach—including legal ethnography and prison narratives—to examine the question of the permissibility of hunger strikes in Islam. In doing so, it assumes a dual source of authority, that of religious scholars on the one hand and the experiential authority of hunger strikers on the other. The article first introduces the metaphysics of confinement in which the prison imam acts as a technician of power in a larger system of coercion. Both prisoners and prison authorities use fatwā production as a means of forging legitimacy. The article then explores the religious justifications scholars provide to deem hunger strikes permissible or impermissible. This includes scriptural evidence (particularly debates around Qurʾan 2:195), the use of precedent and qiyās(deductive analogy), maqāṣid al-sharīʿa (objectives of Islamic law), and the larger context of the carceral system.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1086/730393
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Tags: #Islam #Quran #Fiqh #IslamicLaw #Shariah
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On the Actuality of Integrative Intellect-Mystical Asceticism as Self-Realization in View of Nicolaus de Cusa, Ibn Sīnā, and Others
By David Bartosch, Beijing Normal University
I argue for a transformative revival or actualization of the very core of an integrative, methodologically secured form of intellect-mystical asceticism. This approach draws on traditional sources that are re-examined from a systematic—synthetic and transcultural—philosophical perspective and in light of the multi-civilizational global environment of the 21st century. The main traditional points of reference in this paper are provided by Nicolaus de Cusa and Ibn Sīnā, and I refer to a few others, such as Attar of Nishapur, in passing. In the beginning, I develop a basic concept of intellect-mystical asceticism. It is distinguished from mystification, science, scientism, and modes of everyday communication and cognition. After that, I make the case for an updated, transcultural approach to intellect-mysticism that can foster the internal (social) and external (environmental) reintegration of the human noosphere and technosphere in future planetary development. In this context, a modern intellect-mystical philosophical notion of “knowing non-knowing” (wissendes Nichtwissen, docta ignorantia) is developed. It is inspired by Nicolaus de Cusa and contextualized from a systematic transcultural angle at the same time. Finally, I discuss the problem of the practical, or rather, ascetic realization of the related possibilities of intellect-mystical self-enfolding. Here, the preceding steps of the reflection are mapped onto an outline regarding distinct developmental stages of such a transformative intellect-mystical practice in Ibn Sīnā’s Remarks and Admonitions (al-Ishārāt wat-Tanbīhāt).
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070819
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Tags: #Avicenna #Sufism #Islam
Philosophical Inquisition Online Research Seminar
Seminar Number: 02
Seminar Date: Thursday 25th July 2024
Seminar Time: 18:30 - 20:30 (UK time)
Session Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Contact Us: philosophicalinquisition@gmail.com
Delivered by: Shaykh Dr Rafāqat Rashid
Title
Exploring Tawaqquf in Islamic Theology: Navigating Belief Obligations, Adamic Exceptionalism, And Application Challenges
Abstract
This essay rigorously examines the theological concept of tawaqquf, or non-commitment, within the framework of Islamic theology, with a specific focus on its implications for Adamic exceptionalism. By scrutinising the indiscriminate utilisation of tawaqquf, it elucidates its inappropriate application when addressing pivotal theological inquiries. Through detailed analysis of Qur’anic verses, scholarly consensus, and the doctrinal tenets upheld by Ahl al-Sunnah w’al-Jamāʿah, the essay interrogates the legitimacy of maintaining a non-committal stance concerning critical issues such as the lineage of Prophet Ādam’s (as) descendants. By meticulously dissecting the multifaceted dimensions of tawaqquf and delving into the intricate nuances of theological interpretation, it aims to disentangle the conflicting implications of Adamic exceptionalism within Islamic theological discourse, as ratified by orthodoxy and consensus. Moreover, the essay underscores the imperative of deeply engaging with classical scholarly texts to establish consensus positions, which may not be explicitly stated but hold authoritative sway within the theological framework of Ahl al-Sunnah w’al-Jamāʿah, while cautioning against the potential pitfalls of deviating into theological innovation when entertaining alternative perspectives grounded in rare or rejected opinions.
Please note that this seminar will be based on Shaykh Dr Rafāqat Rashid's recent paper, which can be accessed here:
https://www.albalaghacademy.org/blog/exploring-tawaqquf-in-islamic-theology/
For those interested in participating, kindly complete and submit the online registration form via the following link:
https://forms.gle/hH9qqsygE3DqYr7ZA
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The fine-tuning argument against the multiverse
By Kenneth Boyce, University of Missouri; Philip Swenson, College of William and Mary
It is commonly argued that the fact that our universe is fine-tuned for life favors both a design hypothesis as well as a non-teleological multiverse hypothesis. The claim that the fine-tuning of this universe supports a non-teleological multiverse hypothesis has been forcefully challenged however by Ian Hacking and Roger White. In this paper we take this challenge even further by arguing that if it succeeds, then not only does the fine-tuning of this universe fail to support a multiverse hypothesis, but it tends to favor a single-universe hypothesis instead.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/pq/pqae068
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Tags: #God #Metaphysics #FineTuning
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Modern religion as vestigial structure: an evolutionary account of secularisation
By Konrad Talmont-Kaminski, University of Bialystok; F. LeRon Shults, University of Agder
This article offers a new solution to a theoretical problem facing scholars attempting to interpret religion and secularisation in light of biological evolution. Some scholars argue that the diversity of religious beliefs and rituals in contemporary societies is compatible with secularisation or even facilitates it by weakening the plausibility structures of any one religion. Other scholars argue that religious diversity is not evidence of a decrease in interest in religion but rather shows the ingenuity of religious entrepreneurs. Here we extend the former school of thought by outlining a theory of the vestigilisation of religion. We describe three key characteristics of vestigial structures (increasing variability, decreasing costliness and the appearance of novel functions) and identify shifts in these characteristics in some religious traits. We argue that this supports the idea that religious diversity is a predictable effect of secularisation.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/0048721X.2023.2289421
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Tags: #Religion #Secularism #Evolution
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Religion, spirituality, and responding to guilt among Muslim women
By Nada Eltaiba, German Jordanian University
Commitment to culturally sensitive practice is an ethical obligation that requires knowledge and skills specific to the practice context. Research shows that incorporating religion and spirituality into mental health practice is central to working effectively with Muslim communities. Practitioners need to consider the unique positionality and intersectionality when promoting mental health among Muslim women living in Western countries. This paper explores the trauma-informed, counseling approach and the integration of spirituality and religion when working with Muslim women living in Western Australia. Using the critical reflection approach, the research focuses on the concept of guilt about mental health and summarizes the main points considered in the counseling framework such as the centrality of spirituality and religion in perceiving guilt. The paper presents some practical strategies to incorporate cultural, religious, and spiritual concepts into the counseling relationship.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2024.2363309
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Tags: #Religion #Islam #Muslim #Sociology
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What is wrong with exclusivism? Religious exclusivism between epistemic overconfidence and epistemic humility
By Dirk-Martin Grube, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
I compare the discussion on exclusivism in religion to the discussion on exclusivism in general. With defenders of religious exclusivism, such as Plantinga, I argue that it is a subset of general exclusivism and is as little blameworthy as the latter is. This explains why defenders of religious exclusivism are right in assuming that the burden of proof is on the shoulders of the critics of exclusivism. Yet, this answer solves only part of the problem. It answers only the first order question of whether it is legitimate to hold exclusivist truth claims in religion. It does not answer the second order question of how, in what spirit, they should be held. I argue that there are contexts in which exclusivist truth claims should be held in a humble fashion, for example contexts in which (cognitive) ambiguity reigns. If they are held in those contexts in an overconfident fashion, they are epistemically and/or morally blameworthy. Since religion is characterized by a measure of (cognitive) ambiguity, exclusivist religious truth claims should be held in a humble fashion. They are thus blameworthy if held in an overconfident fashion. Yet, if held in a modest spirit, there is nothing wrong with religious exclusivism.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-024-09917-1
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Tags: #Religion #God #Plantinga
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Vacuum Genesis and Spontaneous Emergence of the Universe from Nothing in Reference to the Classical Notion of Causality and Creation ex nihilo
By Mariusz Tabaczek, Pontifical University
The article addresses philosophical and theological reflections inspired by the cosmological models of the origin of the universe from the quantum vacuum (through quantum tunneling) and through a spontaneous emergence from an a-temporal initial state of non-being. A thesis about the possibility of cosmogenesis ex nihilo without the need of God the creator—inspired by these models—is put into question. Its philosophical and theological presuppositions are verified in reference to the classical thought of Aristotle and Aquinas and the categories of potency and act, causality and chance, and metaphysically defined nothingness.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2024.2359189
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Tags: #Aquinas #Aristotle #God #Cosmology
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Can Quantum Contextuality Help to Understand the Contextuality of Theology?
By Wojciech P. Grygiel, Pontifical University
The precise formal account of the contextuality of the quantum measurement provided by the Kochen-Specker theorem allows for a unique insight into the nature of the contextuality of theological language. The conceptual analysis carried out in this paper has demonstrated that despite of the methodological difficulties in juxtaposing theoretical physics and theology, legitimate bridges can be established between them whereby quantum contextuality may serve as a model of contextuality in theology. A structural factor in the form of a richer logic proper to the Divine nature has been identified as the possible source of contextuality of theological discourse.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2024.2359194
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Tags: #Theology #Science #Religion
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The extended evolutionary synthesis: An integrated historical and philosophical examination
By Yafeng Shan, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Among biologists and philosophers, there is an ongoing debate over the Modern Synthesis and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis. Some argue that our current evolutionary biology is in need of (at least) some substantial revision or nontrivial extension, while others maintain that the Modern Synthesis remains the foundational framework for evolutionary biology. It has been widely debated whether the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis provides a more promising framework than the Modern Synthesis. The nature and methodological implications of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis were also examined. This paper offers an integrated historical and philosophical examination of the debate over the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis. It reviews the development of evolutionary biology of the twentieth century. It argues that there are substantial conceptual and theoretical differences between the Modern Synthesis and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, but they are not incommensurable paradigms in the Kuhnian sense. It also argues for a functional approach to the debate over these two frameworks of evolutionary theory.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.13002
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Tags: #Science #Evolution #Philosophy
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Representations of Disability in Qur’anic Narratives
By Akbar Ali & Geraldene Codina,
University of Derby
In some Muslim cultures disabled people are ridiculed, abused and face social injustice. Whilst there are texts which examine the representations of disabled people in a range of legal, social, religious, and cultural Muslim documents, there is a paucity of literature which analyzes the representations of disabled people in the Qur’an. Applying critical discourse analysis, this study interprets two well-known Qur’anic stories. Through the application of thematic analysis, the phrases, clauses and sentences of these two stories are analyzed in order to present patterns of meaning which challenge ableism from a scriptural Islamic perspective.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/23312521.2024.2353603
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Tags: #Quran #Islam #Religion
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Perceptual transformation in Ibn ‘Arabī’s philosophy: The night journey (isrā’) and ascension (mi‘rāj) of Prophet Muḥammad
By Ismail Lala, Gulf University for Science and Technology
The night journey (isrā’) and ascension (mi‘rāj) represent arguably the most significant and unique events in the life of Prophet Muḥammad. However, the influential Sufi thinker Muḥyī al-Dīn ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638/1240) argues that the Prophet had thirty-four night journeys of which only one was physical. This physical night journey, and the ascension that took place with it, was the one in which he was given the five daily prayers. Ibn ‘Arabī thus employs the secondary night journeys and ascensions of Prophet Muḥammad to delineate a point of emulation between the Prophet’s spiritual experience and those of his nation. Muslims can also have their own ascensions, but their journeys cannot be physical, and, analogously, cannot have autonomous legislative authority. They can, nevertheless, cause a change in their perception that allows them to see the world as it truly is: a manifestation of the divine Names.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/09552367.2024.2366044
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Tags: #God #Prophet #Islam #IbnArabi
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Religion as a social determinant of health in old age?
By Ellen Idler, Emory University
This paper will argue that religion has a special meaning for older adults beyond the findings in the research literature on religion’s effects on health outcomes. Research on religious involvement and health from the past several decades shows a strongly beneficial relationship for persons of all ages, and one that is heightened in old age. Given the pace of secularization, however, the future is uncertain and coming cohorts of older persons may not have the same life course experiences to draw on in late life.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2024.2374493
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Tags: #Religion #Sociology #Secularism
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The past and future of the study of Islamic esotericism
By Liana Saif, University of Amsterdam
The study of Islamic esotericism, particularly the concept of al-bāṭiniyya, remains fragmented. While often studied under various labels like “mysticism” and “occultism,” it is widely equated to Sufism. Scholars still hesitate to use the term al-bāṭiniyyadue to its historical pejorative connotations, linking it to extremist adherence to esotericism and sectarian views. Furthermore, al-bāṭiniyya has faced marginalization because of its association with narratives of Islamic civilization's decline. Even when the decline narrative is challenged, esotericism is often depicted as an “intellectual defect.” This article examines the ways the “esoteric” and “esotericism” have been studied, particularly in relation to the study of Shīʿī esotericism and Sufism. It also highlights developments in the scholarship on Islam and esotericism, aiming to draw a picture of an emerging coherence in the study of “Islamic esotericism.” This is explored against the backdrop of twentieth-century Islamic discourses that grappled with the place of esotericism within Islamic knowledge and pedagogy. Here, the focus is on the “Islamization of Knowledge” project and its key figures: Ismāʿīl al-Fārūqī, Syed Naquib al-Attas, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec3.12494
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Tags: #Religion #Islam #Sufism
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Religion- and Spirituality-Based Effects on Health-Related Components with Special Reference to Physical Activity: A Systematic Review
By Joanna Kruk, University of Szczecin; Basil Hassan Aboul-Enein, Johnson & Wales University
The positive effects of religion and/or spirituality through faith-based interventions on health and promoting health programs have been well documented over the last two decades. Research indicates that faith-related programs can motivate increased physical activity, among other behaviors. This review summarizes the literature on how religion and spirituality beliefs and practices support physical, mental, and psychosocial health, focusing primarily on physical activity. A literature search was conducted using databases (Medline/PubMed, Science Direct) and Google Scholar, with search terms like “religion”, “spirituality”, “physical activity”, “physical exercise”, and “health” to identify relevant studies from 2017 to 2023. Thirteen studies were selected, including seven cross-sectional designs, four randomized controlled trials, and two cohort studies. Eleven of these studies reported positive effects of religious faith, religiosity, and spirituality interventions on increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behavior. These findings confirm that greater religious commitment is positively associated with better health outcomes, including increased physical activity. This research suggests that further studies are needed to identify specific religiosity/spirituality variables in the context of physical activity association and to clarify the underlying mechanisms. Such insights may inform the development of intervention programs aimed at promoting physical activity and strengthening health associations.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070835
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Tags: #Religion #Sociology #Spirituality
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Is the Muslim Brotherhood a Sect?
By Mustafa Menshawy, University of Lancaster
This article proposes the novel understanding of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as a sect, going against the grain of the existing literature, which posits it as a political group, a social movement, or a religious movement (or some combination of all of the above). The sectarianisation occurs within the group via ideological build-up, organisational tactics, and internal socialisation of behaviour. The group is also a sect by constituting its unique identity in opposition to external actors. To make the argument, the analysis draws on the statements of key figures within the movement’s history, such as its founder Hasan al-Banna, as well as a range of interviews with current and ex-members. My argument has two main consequences for our understanding of sectarianism in general and the Brotherhood in particular. First, sectarianism is a process of sectarianisation that operates beyond the state and at lower levels, such as groups and individuals. Second, the Brotherhood is not a mere victim of the sectarianising practices of the state. Its sectarianisation is partly of its own making.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070805
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Tags: #Islam #Muslims #Religion
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An Ethics without God That Is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution
By James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame
Building on my recent argument that an all-good, all-powerful God is logically incompatible with all the evil in the world, I explore what grounding ethics can have without the God of traditional theism. While theists have argued that ethics is grounded either in God’s commands and/or in his nature, I show that no such adequate grounding exists, even if my argument—showing that the God of traditional theism is logically incompatible with all the evil in the world—were shown to be unsuccessful, and I further show that such a grounding is impossible, given that my argument is successful. I then go on to provide an account of the norms on which an ethics without God can be appropriately grounded and show how an ethics, so grounded, can be appropriately related to our biological and cultural past, present, and future, as understood through Darwinian evolutionary theory. In this way, I hope to undercut a recent attempt to use Darwinian evolutionary theory to debunk ethics.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070781
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Tags: #God #Evolution #Ethics #Theism
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Expanding logical space; making room for Islamic theological contradictions
By Abbas Ahsan, University of Birmingham
Islamic theological contradictions are metaphysical contradictions as opposed to logical and semantic ones. I shall demonstrate that if these theological contradictions are tolerable on the theoretical account of metaphysical dialetheism, then logical space, despite being the space of all possibilities, does not accommodate them in virtue of Chalmers’s ‘deep epistemic possibility’. To resolve this issue, I offer a recalibration of the modal concept of possibility. Doing so would redraw a demarcation between what is possible and what is not. Consequently, we can expand logical space, so it is properly inclusive of all possibilities, including metaphysical dialetheism. Expanding logical space in this way would repudiate Chalmers’s ‘deep epistemic possibility’ and make room for Islamic theological contradictions.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/11663081.2024.2366757
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Tags: #God #Metaphysics #Islam #Logic
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Is God Sustainable?
By Eugene Halton, University of Notre Dame
This essay approaches the “God is dead” theme by offering a new philosophical history addressing what would make belief in divinity, in God, sustainable and unsustainable. I claim that the death of nature and the death of God in the modern era are manifestations of a progressive distancing from a religious philosophy of the Earth that guided human development until the beginnings of civilization. I outline within the space limitations here a new way of looking at the rise of civilization and the modern era by re-evaluating large-scale epochal beliefs and assumptions of progress within a context of sustainable ends and what I have termed sustainable wisdom. From an original evolved outlook I call animate mind, rooted in a religious philosophy of the living Earth, succeeding contractions of anthropocentric mind and machine-centric mind have regressively disconnected from the community of life. This trajectory courses the disconnect from the livingness of things as defining cosmos, to that of machine-centric mind in the modern era, a devolutionary elevation of the feelingless machine, of deadness, of what Erich Fromm described as cultural necrophilia. I propose rebalancing these later contractions of anthropocentric and machine-centric mind with that deeper reality of animate mind, forged as the human evolutionary legacy still present in the human body-mind today. The renewed legacy of animate mind provides a key to what a sustainable God might mean.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies9040093
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Tags: #Religion #God #Philosophy
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On Worshipping the Same God
By T. J. Mawson, University of Oxford
In this paper, I argue that if any one of Judaism, Christianity or Islam is true, then the adherents of each worship the same God as one another. The issue is primarily one of reference and on any plausible account of how “God” and what I call “cognate names” of God work, all refer to God if any refers to God. Thus, anyone who directs worship to what they suppose they refer with these names directs worship to God if there is a God. There is (perhaps surprising) scope for those with radically misguided views of the nature of God to nevertheless refer to Him and to worship Him should He exist.
Link: https://doi.org/10.69574/aejpr.v1i1.22900
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Tags: #Religion #God #Islam #Judaism #Christianity
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Defending the “Backward Civilization”: The Resurrection of a Forgotten 17th Century Text in 20th Century Intellectual Discourse on Islam
By Mahmut Cihat İzgi, Sakarya University; Enes Ensar Erbay, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University
It is an irony of history that since texts transcend the intentions and purposes of their authors, their meaning and significance are often contested anew as they enter new historical contexts; even historical texts are thus subject to reading and criticism over time. This article discusses the posthumous fate of Henry Stubbe’s own text on Islamic history, The Rise and Progress of Mahometanism—seen by some to represent a Copernican revolution in the study of Islam. The fate of this work is a clear example of the critical contingencies and fluctuating fortunes experienced by a corpus of texts. The continuing existence of a text as an object open to reconfiguration and re-evaluation is termed its after-history (Nachgeschichte) or afterlife (Nachleben). This notion of the afterlife of an object as a period of critical appreciation and political appropriation aptly defines the fate and fame of The Rise and Progress of Mahometanism. The present study seeks to explore the narrative surrounding a publication authored by Stubbe in the 17th century and finally published by Hafiz Mahmud Khan Shairani, with the critical support of Ottoman intellectual Halil Halid Bey, nearly two centuries later. Its objective is to investigate how the life and contributions of a figure whose work has transcended generations was resurrected within the political backdrop of the 20th century, as evidenced in the columns of Ottoman newspapers.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-024-09917-1
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Tags: #Religion #Islam #Prophet #History
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Theology and Theories of Metaphor: How We Talk When We Talk about God
By Kerilyn Harkaway-Krieger, Gordon College
In theology, how language about God communicates is inseparable from what is being communicated, and the form that theological discourse takes must be part of what is considered when it is interpreted. Although analogy has been given pride of place in theology, more recent interest in metaphor, from theologians, philosophers, and linguists, reveals new debates over how deeply embedded metaphor is in language, how metaphor shapes our cognition and perception, and metaphor's role in theological understanding. This article provides an overview of the relevance for theology of two recent approaches to metaphor—those of the philosopher Paul Ricoeur and the cognitive linguistic approach—and ultimately argues that the most fitting understanding of how metaphor operates theologically is to say that it is mystical, because it contains both affirmations of identity and acknowledgement of difference (between the divine and the human, the spiritual and the material).
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.14330
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Tags: #Theology #God #Metaphysics
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Religious and Spiritual Diversity in Multiple Modernities: A Decolonial Perspective Focusing on Peripheral Religious Expressions
By Cristián Parker, Universidad de Santiago de Chile
This paper challenges the World Religion Paradigm (WRP) dominating religious studies, advocating for a decolonial approach that focuses on diverse and often marginalized religious expressions. The approach that prioritizes world religions over the rich diversity of religious expressions in multiple modernities turns out to be insufficient and biased. Through theoretical research, this paper explores the implications of multiple modernities for the religious landscape. Drawing on Eisenstadt’s theory of multiple modernities, the analysis critiques linear notions of modernization and secularization, and it highlights the complex interplay between religious centers and peripheries. It develops a critical examination of how the theory of the Axial Age, by prioritizing elites and centers in the historical genesis of world religions, generates a preconception that overlooks the religious and spiritual productivity of the peripheries, which persists within current interpretative frameworks. To emphasize the dynamic between center and periphery as a key factor in understanding religious diversity, the text proposes some theoretical theses. By embracing a diversity paradigm and decolonizing frameworks, this paper offers a more inclusive understanding of religious phenomena, contributing to a broader discourse on religion and spirituality beyond Eurocentric perspectives.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060726
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Tags: #Spirituality #Sociology #Religion
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Can Scientists Become Prophets? Christian and Islamic Eco-Theology
By Ted Peters, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Who would have expected to hear God's word spoken by Amos (760–755 BCE)? Amos was no prophet by profession. He was a sheep herder near Tekoa, in Judah, the southern kingdom. Amos wandered north to the kingdom of …
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2024.2359186
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Tags: #God #Science #ConflictThesis
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The Effectiveness of Islamic Spiritual Therapy on the Perception of Pain Intensity and Catastrophic Pain in Female Patients with Chronic Pain
By Faride Ensafdaran, Maryam Jalali, Mahmoud Nejabat & AbdolReza Mahmoudi, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Chronic pain is an important medical problem that is associated with significant negative effects in many aspects of life. Based on prior studies, certain religious behaviors and having religion-based beliefs help coping with chronic diseases. this research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Islamic spiritual therapy on the perception of pain intensity and catastrophizing of pain in patients with pain.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/23312521.2024.2361869
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Tags: #Spirituality #Islam #Religion #Sociology
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Supernatural Attributions for Extraordinary Events: Examining Cognitive and Contextual Predictors
By Joshua A. Wilt, Julie J. Exline & Nick Stauner, Case Western Reserve University
Why do people make supernatural attributions (SA) for events? This article focused on five possible predictors: stressfulness, unusual events, religiousness, seeing a supernatural explanation as meaningful, and seeing supernatural entities as powerful. We also predicted that people would be more likely to adopt supernatural explanations seen as highly accessible, motivating, and plausible. We focused primarily on SA in general and secondarily on specific entities. We tested preregistered hypotheses using survey data in two samples of undergraduates: one reporting life-changing events (N = 594) and another reporting on an event with a supernatural air, or supernaturally perceived events (N = 475). Results supported all proposed predictors except for stressfulness. Path analyses revealed that, in both samples, predictors were linked with seeing supernatural explanations as accessible, plausible, and motivating; these ratings, in turn, had positive associations with SA. These results begin to integrate previous theory and research on individual predictors of SA.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12933
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Tags: #Psychology #Miracles #Religion
Philosophical Inquisition Online Research Seminar
Thursday 27th June 2024 | 18:30-20:00 (GMT)
Islamic Legal (Ifta) Training in the UK:
An Empirical Study of the Applied Pedagogical Methods in British Ifta Training Programs from Teachers’ and Students’ Experiences
To be delivered by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Abstract
The ifta course is a rigorous and systematic legal training program offered to passionate alimiyyah alumni wanting to advance their knowledge of theory and practice in Islamic law. Whilst there is a plethora of research studies exploring Islamic pedagogy in higher Islamic seminaries, literatures exploring ifta pedagogy in the UK setting are scarce. This presentation seeks to discuss my thesis submitted as a Masters dissertation at the University of Warwick (in August 2023) which empirically investigates the applied pedagogical practices in British ifta training programs. This research is the first of its kind within the field of Islamic education and pedagogy.
Literatures on classical tarbiyah legal training pedagogy were reviewed to infer specific pedagogical principles and then examine their correlation with the current ifta teaching practices. It adopts a qualitative methodology approach and uses a semi-structured interview, focus group and structured observation as data collection tools to collate participants’ subjective experiences. A deductive thematic analysis method was used to analyse and interpret our findings. The research findings of the current ifta pedagogy revealed that participants overall demonstrated a positive experience of the ifta training program and it fostered essential skills such as critical thinking, comprehension and research skills in advanced classical law manuals. The ifta program comprises of mixed pedagogical strategies namely instructional and dialogical approaches to combine the theoretical knowledge with the application of law. The study identified major gaps in the current ifta programs such as the need for incorporating advanced structured research modules to produce extensive and well-researched works and the inclusion of contemporary legal topics in the curriculum for wider exposure on modern issues.
For those interested in participating, kindly complete and submit the online registration form via the following link:
https://forms.gle/dSxvYREzNrdkP3TU8
