DOCSLIB.ORG

Janne Kontala – EMERGING NON-RELIGIOUS WORLDVIEW PROTOTYPES

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Janne Kontala | Emerging Non-religious Worldview Prototypes | 2016 Prototypes Worldview Non-religious Janne Kontala | Emerging Janne Kontala Emerging Non-religious Worldview Prototypes A Faith Q-sort-study on Finnish Group-affiliates 9 789517 658386 ISBN 978-951-765-838-6 Åbo Akademis förlag Domkyrkotorget 3, FI-20500 Åbo, Finland Tfn +358 (0)2 215 4793 E-post: forlaget@abo. Försäljning och distribution: Åbo Akademis bibliotek Domkyrkogatan 2-4, FI-20500 Åbo, Finland Tfn +358 (0)2 215 4190 E-post: publikationer@abo. EMERGING NON-RELIGIOUS WORLDVIEW PROTOTYPES Emerging Non-religious Worldview Prototypes A Faith Q-sort-study on Finnish Group-affiliates Janne Kontala Åbo Akademis förlag | Åbo Akademi University Press Åbo, Finland, 2016 CIP Cataloguing in Publication Kontala, Janne. Emerging non-religious worldview prototypes : a faith q-sort-study on Finnish group-affiliates / Janne Kontala. - Åbo : Åbo Akademi University Press, 2016. Diss.: Åbo Akademi University. ISBN 978-951-765-838-6 ISBN 978-951-765-838-6 ISBN 978-951-765-839-3(digital) Painosalama Oy Åbo 2016 ABSTRACT This thesis contributes to the growing body of research on non-religion by examining shared and differentiating patterns in the worldviews of Finnish non-religious group-affiliates. The organisa- tions represented in this study consist of the Union of Freethinkers, Finland’s Humanist Association, Finnish Sceptical Society, Prometheus Camps Support Federation and Capitol Area Atheists. 77 non-randomly selected individuals participated in the study, where their worldviews were analysed with Faith Q-sort, a Q-methodological application designed to assess subjectivity in the worldview domain. FQS was augmented with interviews to gain additional information about the emerging worldview prototypes. Three distinct worldview prototypes, or interpersonally shared preferences, could be discerned. These prototypes differ from each other along three dimensions: attitudes towards religion and spir- ituality, social and societal orientation, and emotional-experiential life. The Content Altruists have societal concerns, reject religion and spirituality moderately, and are emotionally stable and content. The Experientially Spiritual are more individualistic, reject traditional religion but are open to spir- ituality, and appreciate deep and nourishing experiences. The Communally Irreligious favour like- minded association, reject firmly and consistently both religion and spirituality, and are emotionally content, despite some signs of awareness for negative experiences. The results point to the multidimensionality of non-religion. Since FQS is able to assess both a vari- ety of different worldviews, and to discern variation internal to a specific worldview constellation, it is concluded to represent a methodological advancement in religious studies in general, and in non-religious studies in particular. Keywords: worldview, FQS, Faith Q-sort, Q-method, non-religion, irreligion, atheism, secularity, secular, freethinkers, humanists, Protu, Skepsis, Finland v ABSTRAKT Denna avhandling bidrar till forskning kring icke-religion genom att undersöka gemensamma och differentierande särdrag i världsbilder bland individer anknutna till icke-religiösa organisationer i Finland. Organisationer representerade i denna studie består av Fritänkarnas förbund, Finlands hu- manistförbund, Skepsis, Prometheus-lägrets stöd och Huvudstadsregionens ateister. 77 icke- slumpmässigt utvalda personer deltog i studien, där deras världsbilder analyserades med Faith Q- sort (FQS), en Q-metodologiskt forskningsinstrument som är avsedd för att uppskatta subjektivitet inom världsbilder. FQS kompletterades med intervjuer för att få ytterligare information om de framträdande världsbild prototyperna, eller preferenser delade mellan respondenterna . Tre olika världsbild prototyper kunde urskiljas. Dessa prototyper skiljer sig från varandra utefter tre dimensioner: attityder gentemot religion och andlighet, social och samhällelig orientering samt emotioner och upplevelser. De Belåtna Altruisterna har samhälleliga bekymmer, avvisar religion och andlighet måttligt, och är känslomässigt stabila och belåtna. De Upplevelsemässigt Andliga är mer individualistiska, förkastar traditionell religion medan de är öppna för andlighet, och de uppskattar djupa och närande erfarenheter. De Kollektivt Icke-religiösa föredrar likasinnad sällskap, avvisar bestämt och konsekvent både religion och andlighet, och är känslomässigt belåtna, trots vissa tecken på att vara medvetna om negativa erfarenheter. Resultaten pekar på att icke-religion är ett mångdimensionellt fenomen. Eftersom FQS kan både uppskatta olika världsbilder, och urskilja variation internt till en viss världsbild konstellation, dras slutsatsen att metoden representerar ett framsteg inom religionsvetenskap i allmänhet, och i icke- religiösa studier i synnerhet. Nyckelord: världsbild, FQS, Faith Q-sort, Q-metod, icke-religion, ateism, sekulär, sekularitet, fritänkare, humanister, Protu, Skepsis, Finland vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................x 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 The Scope of This Study ....................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Previous Research on Non-Religion ..................................................................................... 4 1.3 Organised Non-religion in Finland ..................................................................................... 14 2. TERMINOLOGY OF NON-RELIGION ................................................................................ 17 2.1 Atheism ............................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Secular Humanism .............................................................................................................. 18 2.3 Scepticism ........................................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Freethought ......................................................................................................................... 20 2.5 Parent-category ................................................................................................................... 20 2.6 This-worldly and Bright ...................................................................................................... 21 2.7 Secular ................................................................................................................................ 21 2.8 Non-religion and Irreligion ................................................................................................. 23 3. WORLDVIEW THEORY ......................................................................................................... 30 3.1 Etymology of Worldview ................................................................................................... 33 3.2 Theoretical Perspectives to Worldview .............................................................................. 35 3.2.1 Individual-Social-Dimension in Worldview Theory ............................................... 37 3.2.2 Intuitive-Theoretical-Dimension in Worldview Theory.......................................... 40 3.2.3 Functions of Worldview .......................................................................................... 42 3.2.4 Contents of Worldview ............................................................................................ 43 3.3 Summary: Salient Aspects of Worldview for the Present Study ........................................ 49 3.3.1 Working Definition of Worldview .......................................................................... 50 4. METHODS FOR WORLDVIEW ASSESSMENT ................................................................. 52 4.1 How Worldviews are Expressed ......................................................................................... 52 4.1.1 Non-linguistic Physical Expressions ....................................................................... 53 4.1.2 Layered Model of Worldview and Language .......................................................... 55 4.1.3 Challenges with Studying Linguistic Expressions .................................................. 60 4.2 Methods of Assessing Linguistic Worldview Expressions ................................................. 61 4.2.1 Scales Measuring Religious Orientation ................................................................. 62 4.2.2 Conclusions about Religious-orientation scales ...................................................... 64 4.2.3 Q-method: Giving Voice to Subjective Viewpoints ................................................ 65 4.2.4 Q-methodological Research on Worldviews ........................................................... 66 4.3 Introducing Faith Q-sort ..................................................................................................... 67 4.3.1 Design ...................................................................................................................... 68 4.3.2 Domain ...................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Treating Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm with Combined Therapy

    Treating Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm with Combined Therapy

    group, Vol. 37, No. 4, Winter 2013 Thou Shalt Not: Treating Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm With Combined Therapy Alyson M. Stone1,2 That religion can be a source of harm and trauma is something most clinicians know well, yet this fact is underreported in the literature. Indeed, most of the existing research indicates a positive link between religion and mental health. There is likewise little information on spirituality’s impact on mental health when it is used to bypass prob- lems, feelings, and needs. This article addresses this deficit by exploring the potentially harmful effects of religion and spirituality. It highlights the role of secure attachment and the combination of individual and group therapy to treat religious trauma and spiritual struggles. KEYWORDS: Religion; religious trauma; spirituality; spiritual bypassing. The psychological impact of religion has long been ignored by academic psychol- ogy (Belzen, 2000; Paloutzian & Park, 2005). Change is afoot, however, and the last several decades have seen a surge of research in this area, which generally shows a positive relationship between religion and mental health (Seybold & Hill, 2001). By contrast, there are relatively few references to religion’s negative impact and virtually no references to religious trauma. In fact, a search for articles on “religious trauma” yields studies on the use of religion to recover from trauma rather than religion as a source of trauma. Popular literature, conversely, contains many books on spiritual and religious abuse and manipulation, religious addiction, and toxic faith (Plante, 2004; Purcell, 2008; Winell, 1993; Wright, 2001). This disparity suggests that the professional literature does not yet accurately reflect the potentially harmful im- pact of religion and spirituality or the abundance of concerns people have in these 1 The author would like to thank Ronnie Levine, Jeff Hudson, and Stacy Nakell for their generous feedback and support.
  • Suffering of Life After Religious Disaffiliation: a Caring Science Study

    Suffering of Life After Religious Disaffiliation: a Caring Science Study

    International Journal of Caring Sciences January-April 2021 Volume 14 | Issue 1| Page 1 Original Article Suffering of Life after Religious Disaffiliation: A Caring Science Study Björkmark, Maria, MHS, PhD candidate Senior Lecturer, Department of Caring Science, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa and Centria University of Applied Sciences, Kokkola, Finland Camilla Koskinen, PhD Professor Department of Caring and Ethics, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway Peter Nynäs, PhD Dean and Professor, Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland Linda Nyholm, PhD Associate Professor Department of Caring Science, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland Corresponding Author: Björkmark, Maria, Åbo Akademi University, Department of Caring Science Strandgatan 2, 65100, Vaasa, Finland e-mail address: [email protected] Abstract Background and aim: There are many circumstances where an individual, either voluntarily or involuntarily, may leave part of their life behind. Religious disaffiliation, the focus in this study, has become increasingly common and may under certain circumstances have a profound impact on a human being’s life, health and well- being. The aim of this caring science study was to gain a deeper understanding of the suffering that human beings may endure after religious disaffiliation. Participants and methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 participants who had left various religious communities in Finland. The data material was analyzed through a qualitative thematic analysis according to Clarke and Braun. Results and conclusion: The results show that life after religious disaffiliation entails different forms of suffering of life. Suffering of life was expressed as: Pain and sorrow over being rejected, Overwhelmed by guilt and shame, Living in constant fear of both life and death and Humiliated as a human being.
  • Leaving Religion: Deconversion

    Leaving Religion: Deconversion

    Leaving Religion: Deconversion Heinz Streib Bielefeld University, Germany [email protected] Postal address: Bregenzer Str. 13, D-88131 Lindau, Germany For print version see: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.09.007 Abstract Religious change was an important theme in the psychology of religion from its beginning with a focus on conversion, but with the emergence of new religious movements and the recent growth of religious unaffiliation, religious exiting and deconversion received growing attention. This review evaluates recent progress in deconversion research by the inclusion of key psychological constructs, such as personality, values, attachment, prosociality, well-being, religious socialization and development, and by an engagement in longitudinal investigation. The Outlook calls for exploring more psychological constructs, focusing decisively on longitudinal assessment, accounting for cultural and religious differences, and keeping the balance and complementarity between nomothetic and idiothetic approaches in order to account for the varieties of biographical changes that are denoted by ‘deconversion.’ Keywords Deconversion; leaving religion; disaffiliation; religious nones; atheists; spirituality; religious development Leaving Religion: Deconversion 1 1 Introduction Leaving religion is used here as synonymous with deconversion. This is a reminder, especially when we focus our review mainly on quantitative studies, that it is a process of biographical change that parallels conversion and involves multiple dimensions [1-3], which may include, finally, the termination of membership in a religious community, but it may also involve the loss of religious experience, intellectual doubt or denial regarding religious beliefs, criticisms of the morality and the values of the religious community, and emotional suffering or crises [2,4,5].
  • What Is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism? Academy for Lifelong Learning Fall 2019 Course Leader: David Eller

    What Is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism? Academy for Lifelong Learning Fall 2019 Course Leader: David Eller

    What is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism? Academy for Lifelong Learning Fall 2019 Course leader: David Eller Course Syllabus Week One: 1. Talking about Theism and Atheism: Getting the Terms Right 2. Arguments for and Against God(s) Week Two: 1. A History of Irreligion and Freethought 2. Varieties of Atheism and Secularism: Non-Belief Across Cultures Week Three: 1. Religion, Non-religion, and Morality: On Being Good without God(s) 2. Explaining Religion Scientifically: Cognitive Evolutionary Theory Week Four: 1. Separation of Church and State in the United States 2. Atheist/Secularist/Humanist Organization and Community Today Suggested Reading List David Eller, Natural Atheism (American Atheist Press, 2004) David Eller, Atheism Advanced (American Atheist Press, 2007) Other noteworthy readings on atheism, secularism, and humanism: George M. Smith Atheism: The Case Against God Richard Dawkins The God Delusion Christopher Hitchens God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything Daniel Dennett Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Victor Stenger God: The Failed Hypothesis Sam Harris The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Religion Michael Martin Atheism: A Philosophical Justification Kerry Walters Atheism: A Guide for the Perplexed Michel Onfray In Defense of Atheism: The Case against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam John M. Robertson A Short History of Freethought Ancient and Modern William Lane Craig and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist Phil Zuckerman and John R. Shook, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Secularism Janet R. Jakobsen and Ann Pellegrini, eds. Secularisms Callum G. Brown The Death of Christian Britain: Understanding Secularisation 1800-2000 Talal Asad Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity Lori G.
  • Visualizing the Transition out of High-Demand Religions

    Visualizing the Transition out of High-Demand Religions

    LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations Spring April 2017 Visualizing the Transition Out of High-Demand Religions Summer Anne Myers Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd Part of the Art and Design Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Myers, Summer Anne, "Visualizing the Transition Out of High-Demand Religions" (2017). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 321. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/321 This Research Projects is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running Head: VISUALIZING RELIGIOUS TRANSITIONS Visualizing the Transition out of High Demand Religions by Summer Myers A research paper presented to the Faculty of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy Loyola Marymount University In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Marital and Family Therapy May 9, 2017 VISUALIZING RELIGIOUS TRANSITIONS i Signature Page VISUALIZING RELIGIOUS TRANSITIONS i Abstract This research uses a questionnaire and a bridge drawing directive to explore the lived experience of transitioning out of a high-demand religion. Subjects include disaffiliated Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Fundamentalist Protestants who were recruited through a dedicated website via limited promotion in online communities for disaffiliates. Visual and textual responses are analyzed through qualitative coding, with additional analysis performed on the artwork using Hays and Lyons’ (1981) bridge drawing criteria.
  • Introduction: the Emerging Alliance of World Religions and Ecology

    Introduction: the Emerging Alliance of World Religions and Ecology

    Emerging Alliance of World Religions and Ecology 1 Mary Evelyn Tucker and John A. Grim Introduction: The Emerging Alliance of World Religions and Ecology HIS ISSUE OF DÆDALUS brings together for the first time diverse perspectives from the world’s religious traditions T regarding attitudes toward nature with reflections from the fields of science, public policy, and ethics. The scholars of religion in this volume identify symbolic, scriptural, and ethical dimensions within particular religions in their relations with the natural world. They examine these dimensions both historically and in response to contemporary environmental problems. Our Dædalus planning conference in October of 1999 fo- cused on climate change as a planetary environmental con- cern.1 As Bill McKibben alerted us more than a decade ago, global warming may well be signaling “the end of nature” as we have come to know it.2 It may prove to be one of our most challenging issues in the century ahead, certainly one that will need the involvement of the world’s religions in addressing its causes and alleviating its symptoms. The State of the World 2000 report cites climate change (along with population) as the critical challenge of the new century. It notes that in solving this problem, “all of society’s institutions—from organized re- ligion to corporations—have a role to play.”3 That religions have a role to play along with other institutions and academic disciplines is also the premise of this issue of Dædalus. The call for the involvement of religion begins with the lead essays by a scientist, a policy expert, and an ethicist.
  • A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications

    A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications

    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2020 A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications Jolive R. Chavez Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Chavez, Jolive R., "A Study of Nones in Brazil and the USA in Light of Secularization Theory with Missiological Implications" (2020). Dissertations. 1745. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1745 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS by Jolive R. Chaves Adviser: Gorden R. Doss ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological SeMinary Title: A STUDY OF NONES IN BRAZIL AND THE USA IN LIGHT OF SECULARIZATION THEORY, WITH MISSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS NaMe of researcher: Jolivê R. Chaves NaMe and degree of faculty adviser: Gorden R. Doss, PhD Date completed: NoveMber 2020 The growth of those who declare theMselves to be Nones, or religiously unaffiliated, in Brazil and the USA has been continuously higher than that of the general population. In Brazil, they are the third-largest group in the religious field, behind only Catholics, and Pentecostal evangelicals. In the USA, they are the second largest group, after Protestants as a whole.
  • Is "Nontheist Quakerism" a Contradiction of Terms?

    Is "Nontheist Quakerism" a Contradiction of Terms?

    Quaker Religious Thought Volume 118 Article 2 1-1-2012 Is "Nontheist Quakerism" a Contradiction of Terms? Paul Anderson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/qrt Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Paul (2012) "Is "Nontheist Quakerism" a Contradiction of Terms?," Quaker Religious Thought: Vol. 118 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/qrt/vol118/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Quaker Religious Thought by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IS “NONTHEIST QUAKERISM” A CONTRADICTION OF TERMS? Paul anderson s the term “Nontheist Friends” a contradiction of terms? On one Ihand, Friends have been free-thinking and open theologically, so liberal Friends have tended to welcome almost any nonconventional trend among their members. As a result, atheists and nontheists have felt a welcome among them, and some Friends in Britain and Friends General Conference have recently explored alternatives to theism. On the other hand, what does it mean to be a “Quaker”—even among liberal Friends? Can an atheist claim with integrity to be a “birthright Friend” if one has abandoned faith in the God, when the historic heart and soul of the Quaker movement has diminished all else in service to a dynamic relationship with the Living God? And, can a true nontheist claim to be a “convinced Friend” if one declares being unconvinced of God’s truth? On the surface it appears that one cannot have it both ways.
  • USCIRF's 2021 Annual Report

    USCIRF's 2021 Annual Report

    UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ANNUAL REPORT 2021 WWW.USCIRF.GOV ANNUAL REPORT OF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COMMISSIONERS Gayle Manchin Chair Tony Perkins Anurima Bhargava Vice Chairs Gary L. Bauer James W. Carr Frederick A. Davie Nadine Maenza Johnnie Moore Nury Turkel Erin D. Singshinsuk Executive Director April 2021 PROFESSIONAL STAFF Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy Elizabeth K. Cassidy, Director of Research and Policy Roy Haskins, Director of Finance and Operations Thomas Kraemer, Director of Human Resources Danielle Ashbahian, Senior Communications Specialist Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst Jamie Staley, Senior Congressional Relations Specialist Scott Weiner, Supervisory Policy Analyst Kurt Werthmuller, Supervisory Policy Analyst Keely Bakken, Senior Policy Analyst Mingzhi Chen, Policy Analyst Patrick Greenwalt, Policy Analyst Gabrielle Hasenstab, Communications Specialist Niala Mohammad, Senior Policy Analyst Jason Morton, Senior Policy Analyst Mohyeldin Omer, Policy Analyst Zachary Udin, Researcher Nina Ullom, Congressional Relations Specialist Madeline Vellturo, Policy Analyst U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite A714 Washington, DC 20401 (P) 202–523–3240 www.uscirf.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Overview ..................................................1 About this Report ...........................................................1 Standards for CPC, SWL, and EPC Recommendations ...................................1
  • DEMOGRAPHY of UNBELIEF 243

    DEMOGRAPHY of UNBELIEF 243

    DEMOGRAPHY of UNBELIEF 243 nations by Gallup and similar organizations. Another resource, the evangelical-authored World Christian Encyclopedia, tabulates national census data on religion, though faith communities' official membership statistics are sometimes contradicted by surveys designed to cap- ture actual opinions among church members. The twentieth century can be seen as a grand culture war, a vast, historically unique societal experiment in which agnostics, absolute atheists, and other nonreli- gious ballooned to about one billion, a sixth of the world's population. Driven largely by conversion of believers, this vast expansion in unbelief-a multi-hun- dredfold upsurge in absolute numbers, and a fiftyfold increase in percentage of population in one long life span-far outstrips the growth of any major faith in the twentieth century, and probably.in history. Current Situation. Believers in the supernatural belong to some ten thousand significant sects, most aligned within ten major organized religions. Chris- tianity's percentage of the population has remained stag- nant overall, at about one in three. Christians are divided among some thirty-four thousand denominations, one of which-Roman Catholicism-claims almost half of all Christians. Most demographic losses among Christians represent conversions to nontheism rather than to any of the other major religions. Among the ten major religions, only Islam has seen major relative growth, moving from about 12 percent of the global population in 1900 to nearly 20 percent today, largely due to population DEMOGRAPHY OF UNBELIEF. Until the twentieth cen- growth rather than conversion. The third-largest faith, tury all peoples were highly religious: supernatural Hinduism, claims about a seventh of the global popula- belief was nearly universal and pervaded daily life.
  • Working Papers

    Working Papers

    Working Papers www.mmg.mpg.de/workingpapers MMG Working Paper 17-11 ● ISSN 2192-2357 XIAOXUAN WANG Christianity and Religious Syncretism in Early Twentieth-Century China Religious and Ethnic Diversity und multiethnischer Gesellschaften Max Planck Institute for the Study of Max Planck Institute for the Study of Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser Xiaoxuan Wang Christianity and Religious Syncretism in Early Twentieth-Century China MMG Working Paper 17-11 Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity Göttingen © 2017 by the author ISSN 2192-2357 (MMG Working Papers Print) Working Papers are the work of staff members as well as visitors to the Institute’s events. The analyses and opinions presented in the papers do not reflect those of the Institute but are those of the author alone. Download: www.mmg.mpg.de/workingpapers MPI zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften MPI for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen Hermann-Föge-Weg 11, 37073 Göttingen, Germany Tel.: +49 (551) 4956 - 0 Fax: +49 (551) 4956 - 170 www.mmg.mpg.de [email protected] Abstract Christianity in China is known to have been influenced by Chinese popular religion. Yet it is less known how much Christianity has influenced other religions in China. This article examines the syncretic trend of the early years of Republican China, which aimed at reinventing Chinese religions. I argue that as early as the 1920s, fol- lowers of Chinese religious traditions were appropriating various aspects of Christi- anity – from its symbols and institutions to its values – for their own ends.
  • Muslim Social Workers' Perspectives Cheryl W

    Muslim Social Workers' Perspectives Cheryl W

    Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 1-1-2009 Personal and professional spirituality: Muslim social workers' perspectives Cheryl W. El-Amin Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Religion Commons, and the Social Work Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Cheryl El-Amin has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Jeanne Connors, Committee Chairperson, Human Services Faculty Dr. Munira Merchant, Committee Member, Human Services Faculty Dr. Victor Lofgreen, Committee Member, Human Services Faculty Chief Academic Officer Denise DeZolt, Ph.D. Walden University 2009 ABSTRACT Personal and Professional Spirituality: Muslim Social Workers‘ Perspectives by Cheryl W. El-Amin M.S.W., University of Michigan, 1988 B.A., University of Michigan, 1976 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services Walden University June 2009 ABSTRACT Research in the area of religion and spirituality in social work practice is lacking minority practitioner representation. This phenomenological study explored the questions of how American Muslim social workers define and experience the religious/spiritual, and perceive the propriety of integrating either, in practice.