Pub Date : 2023-08-29DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231147
Jan-Hendrik Herbst
In the public debate, it is often argued that RE is important because it promotes social cohesion. In the academic debate, however, this position is controversial because, firstly, this goal is associated with a politicization of RE and, secondly, empirical evidence on whether or how RE causes this effect seems to be lacking. In this article, I argue first that cohesion is an adequate subgoal of RE, assuming a social rather than a state-political understanding of cohesion. Second, I refer to international studies on teaching controversial issues (CIs), which show that students can learn participation, tolerance, and common good orientation through high-quality exploration of CIs in class. However, due to methodological difficulties and negative side effects, the discussion of CIs in RE cannot be assumed to be a magic bullet for achieving cohesion. For instance, uncertainties and ambiguities accompany forms of dissent in the classroom, which may lead to authoritarian dispositions and political intolerance. In addition, there are particular challenges for inclusive and especially denominational RE in terms of teachers, issues, students, and external factors.
{"title":"Is Discussing Controversial Issues in RE a Magic Bullet to Promote Social Cohesion? Mapping Opportunities and Challenges Based on Previous Research","authors":"Jan-Hendrik Herbst","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231147","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In the public debate, it is often argued that RE is important because it promotes social cohesion. In the academic debate, however, this position is controversial because, firstly, this goal is associated with a politicization of RE and, secondly, empirical evidence on whether or how RE causes this effect seems to be lacking. In this article, I argue first that cohesion is an adequate subgoal of RE, assuming a social rather than a state-political understanding of cohesion. Second, I refer to international studies on teaching controversial issues (CIs), which show that students can learn participation, tolerance, and common good orientation through high-quality exploration of CIs in class. However, due to methodological difficulties and negative side effects, the discussion of CIs in RE cannot be assumed to be a magic bullet for achieving cohesion. For instance, uncertainties and ambiguities accompany forms of dissent in the classroom, which may lead to authoritarian dispositions and political intolerance. In addition, there are particular challenges for inclusive and especially denominational RE in terms of teachers, issues, students, and external factors.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46950149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-29DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231162
Marjukka Laiho
This study asks: “How do young adults theologise?” It explores creative processes of navigating a gap or a wound experienced by Finnish young adults’ between their personal beliefs and values and the Lutheran religious tradition. The dramatic religious decline and change among young adults has been shown in many studies. Here, the situation is explored through co-theologising with young adults. Based on narrative-discursive analysis of reflexive interviews, the study depicts three modes of theologising: 1) Cognitive theologising explores faith expressed in words, 2) Affective theologising focuses on the power of sensing and feeling, and 3) Practical theologising looks at the human potential and capacity to act. The aim of these modes is not to bridge the gap or heal the wound but to describe and understand it. In the end, these ‘acts of theologising’ are put together, pointing to novel methodological approaches embracing uncertainty and doubt, such as holistic theologising.
{"title":"Young Adults Doing Lived Theology: Three Modes of Theologising","authors":"Marjukka Laiho","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231162","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This study asks: “How do young adults theologise?” It explores creative processes of navigating a gap or a wound experienced by Finnish young adults’ between their personal beliefs and values and the Lutheran religious tradition. The dramatic religious decline and change among young adults has been shown in many studies. Here, the situation is explored through co-theologising with young adults. Based on narrative-discursive analysis of reflexive interviews, the study depicts three modes of theologising: 1) Cognitive theologising explores faith expressed in words, 2) Affective theologising focuses on the power of sensing and feeling, and 3) Practical theologising looks at the human potential and capacity to act. The aim of these modes is not to bridge the gap or heal the wound but to describe and understand it. In the end, these ‘acts of theologising’ are put together, pointing to novel methodological approaches embracing uncertainty and doubt, such as holistic theologising.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48696010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-31DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231156
Ine Bratsvedal
Like the rest of Norwegian society, Norwegian kindergartens are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of religion. This is also reflected in the governing documents of kindergartens, which state that they should work with religion. This article explores to what extent Christmas in kindergartens is adapted to include Muslim children in the group. The article is based on interviews with six kindergarten teachers conducted between 2020 and 2022. Perspectives related to inclusion, freedom of religion, and previous research are used as a starting point to discuss the findings. The article highlights that adaptations of Christmas traditions are largely focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in activities without being seen as practicing a specific religion. There is minimal focus on adapting the content to better suit a multireligious group of children.
{"title":"Christmas in Norwegian Kindergartens: How Are Muslim Children Included?","authors":"Ine Bratsvedal","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231156","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Like the rest of Norwegian society, Norwegian kindergartens are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of religion. This is also reflected in the governing documents of kindergartens, which state that they should work with religion. This article explores to what extent Christmas in kindergartens is adapted to include Muslim children in the group. The article is based on interviews with six kindergarten teachers conducted between 2020 and 2022. Perspectives related to inclusion, freedom of religion, and previous research are used as a starting point to discuss the findings. The article highlights that adaptations of Christmas traditions are largely focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in activities without being seen as practicing a specific religion. There is minimal focus on adapting the content to better suit a multireligious group of children.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42490740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-27DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231158
E. Kuusisto, I. de Groot, I. Schutte, I. Rissanen
Given the increasing interest in academic citizenship in higher education, this study examines the civic purposes of higher education students in two European countries, namely the Netherlands and Finland, and relations between students’ worldviews and their civic purposes. The majority of students was categorized as so-called disengaged or dreamers, respectively either not civically interested or active or then visioning but not actualizing civic interests. Students with a purposeful profile referring to high civic interest, action, and identity, were most prevalent among Dutch students with a humanistic worldview and Finnish students reporting religions other than Christianity. Students from both countries not identifying with any organized worldviews were more likely to be allocated to the disengaged profile. Possible explanations for differences in student profiles are discussed.
{"title":"Civic Purpose among Higher Education Students – A Study of Four Dutch and Finnish Institutions","authors":"E. Kuusisto, I. de Groot, I. Schutte, I. Rissanen","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231158","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Given the increasing interest in academic citizenship in higher education, this study examines the civic purposes of higher education students in two European countries, namely the Netherlands and Finland, and relations between students’ worldviews and their civic purposes. The majority of students was categorized as so-called disengaged or dreamers, respectively either not civically interested or active or then visioning but not actualizing civic interests. Students with a purposeful profile referring to high civic interest, action, and identity, were most prevalent among Dutch students with a humanistic worldview and Finnish students reporting religions other than Christianity. Students from both countries not identifying with any organized worldviews were more likely to be allocated to the disengaged profile. Possible explanations for differences in student profiles are discussed.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47575140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-13DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231143
H. Schilderman, J. Kregting, Michael Scherer-Rath, Ulrich Riegel, Alexander Unser
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is studied among Dutch and German university students and staff, at the inception of the pandemic in April 2020. The effects of conditions of study and work are studied on mental health, while taking into account the adaptive function of meaning and controlling for relevant demographic characteristics. Results indicate that negative experiences of study and work affect various dimensions of mental health and differ for Dutch and German university contexts. Meaning acts as a resource for mental health, especially regarding dimensions of meaningfulness and trust. Programs for university care are called for in which the insights of this study are taken into account.
{"title":"COVID-19, Meaning and Mental Health in Higher Education: An International Comparison","authors":"H. Schilderman, J. Kregting, Michael Scherer-Rath, Ulrich Riegel, Alexander Unser","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231143","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is studied among Dutch and German university students and staff, at the inception of the pandemic in April 2020. The effects of conditions of study and work are studied on mental health, while taking into account the adaptive function of meaning and controlling for relevant demographic characteristics. Results indicate that negative experiences of study and work affect various dimensions of mental health and differ for Dutch and German university contexts. Meaning acts as a resource for mental health, especially regarding dimensions of meaningfulness and trust. Programs for university care are called for in which the insights of this study are taken into account.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49497013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-30DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231140
Ulrich Riegel
Climate change and sustainable lifestyles are discussed intensely in civil society, again. Unlike in the the 1970s and 1980s, however, religious communities seem to play a minor role in this discussion. This raises the question of the importance of religion in regard to an ecological attitude. Based on a sample of N = 4131 (former) church members (age: 14 to 89 years – 47% females – 60% with Bachelor-degree of better), this paper analyzes the effect of centrality of religion (as personal indicator in regard of religion) and membership status (as institutional indicator in regard of religion) on values addressing ecology. The findings indicate that church members and religious individuals show a more positive ecological attitude than individuals that did have disaffiliated from church or are not religious. Highly religious respondents, however, are less concerned with ecology than religious ones. Moreover, the effect of membership status is not significant anymore when socio-demographic variables are added as well as when lifestyle is added. The paper will discuss these findings within the framework of the theoretical distinction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ style of political participation.
{"title":"Religion and Attitude towards Sustainability","authors":"Ulrich Riegel","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231140","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Climate change and sustainable lifestyles are discussed intensely in civil society, again. Unlike in the the 1970s and 1980s, however, religious communities seem to play a minor role in this discussion. This raises the question of the importance of religion in regard to an ecological attitude. Based on a sample of N = 4131 (former) church members (age: 14 to 89 years – 47% females – 60% with Bachelor-degree of better), this paper analyzes the effect of centrality of religion (as personal indicator in regard of religion) and membership status (as institutional indicator in regard of religion) on values addressing ecology. The findings indicate that church members and religious individuals show a more positive ecological attitude than individuals that did have disaffiliated from church or are not religious. Highly religious respondents, however, are less concerned with ecology than religious ones. Moreover, the effect of membership status is not significant anymore when socio-demographic variables are added as well as when lifestyle is added. The paper will discuss these findings within the framework of the theoretical distinction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ style of political participation.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48315080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-30DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231144
Laura Kallatsa, J. Spännäri, Kati Tervo-Niemelä
In this study, we analyze how do safety and closeness, or the lack of them, affect religious socialization in Finnish families. Our empirical data consist of family interviews and a large survey data. As a result, three key dimensions were found: 1) the atmosphere in families, 2) the atmosphere related to religious communities, and 3) the atmosphere related to one’s own spirituality. Our study suggests several implications both for practice in religious and other communities of existential meaning and for the study of those communities and empirical theologies. The study is part of the international research project “The transmission of religion across generations: a comparative international study of continuities and discontinuities in family socialization”, funded by Templeton Foundation.
{"title":"Safety and Closeness in Religious Socialization: A Mixed Methods Study of Finnish Families","authors":"Laura Kallatsa, J. Spännäri, Kati Tervo-Niemelä","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231144","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In this study, we analyze how do safety and closeness, or the lack of them, affect religious socialization in Finnish families. Our empirical data consist of family interviews and a large survey data. As a result, three key dimensions were found: 1) the atmosphere in families, 2) the atmosphere related to religious communities, and 3) the atmosphere related to one’s own spirituality. Our study suggests several implications both for practice in religious and other communities of existential meaning and for the study of those communities and empirical theologies. The study is part of the international research project “The transmission of religion across generations: a comparative international study of continuities and discontinuities in family socialization”, funded by Templeton Foundation.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47369374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-11DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231135
This article proposes a new perspective for theology calling for fresh studies on religion and coping, resilience, wellbeing and flourishing. These studies have grown far from theological areas and could be seen as quite strange to that tradition, its methods, and views. However, theology can learn a lot from these new studies when trying to update its message of salvation, endowing it with a more explicit content and can offer interesting points to other treaties, like Christian Anthropology and Practical Theology. To that end the article reports and briefly reviews those relevant developments, tries to address several doubts and to connect better theology with that research, after assuming a more pragmatic and empirical stance.
{"title":"Theology’s Concern for Wellbeing and Human Flourishing: A Research Program","authors":"","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231135","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This article proposes a new perspective for theology calling for fresh studies on religion and coping, resilience, wellbeing and flourishing. These studies have grown far from theological areas and could be seen as quite strange to that tradition, its methods, and views. However, theology can learn a lot from these new studies when trying to update its message of salvation, endowing it with a more explicit content and can offer interesting points to other treaties, like Christian Anthropology and Practical Theology. To that end the article reports and briefly reviews those relevant developments, tries to address several doubts and to connect better theology with that research, after assuming a more pragmatic and empirical stance.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44142644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-14DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231146
Evelyn Schnaufer, Mirjam Rutkowski, Antti Räsänen, C. Osbeck, Friedrich Schweitzer
This article makes international debates on religious literacy as well as forms of assessment in RE related to these debates its starting point by identifying the lack of an empirical basis for the respective discussions. A questionnaire for 15-year-old pupils with a focus on religious knowledge, based on prior studies and tried out in Finland, Germany and Sweden is introduced. The results, although not representative, allow for comparative evaluation, comparing the results at country level and in reference to different kinds of religion-related knowledge. Possible influences of the different curricula are identified by comparing different degrees of familiarity with certain topics or religions in relation to when the respective curriculum foresees them being treated. The article is meant to demonstrate that meaningful international research on religious knowledge as part of religious literacy is possible, that its results could inform RE and show the possible value of developing such efforts further.
{"title":"Developing a Research Tool for Investigating Religious Knowledge as Part of Religious Literacy: The Questionnaire – First Results – Possibilities for International Comparisons","authors":"Evelyn Schnaufer, Mirjam Rutkowski, Antti Räsänen, C. Osbeck, Friedrich Schweitzer","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231146","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This article makes international debates on religious literacy as well as forms of assessment in RE related to these debates its starting point by identifying the lack of an empirical basis for the respective discussions. A questionnaire for 15-year-old pupils with a focus on religious knowledge, based on prior studies and tried out in Finland, Germany and Sweden is introduced. The results, although not representative, allow for comparative evaluation, comparing the results at country level and in reference to different kinds of religion-related knowledge. Possible influences of the different curricula are identified by comparing different degrees of familiarity with certain topics or religions in relation to when the respective curriculum foresees them being treated. The article is meant to demonstrate that meaningful international research on religious knowledge as part of religious literacy is possible, that its results could inform RE and show the possible value of developing such efforts further.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44733896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-03DOI: 10.1163/15709256-20231149
Felix Roleder
The quantitative study undertakes a systematic investigation of the church-related donation practice in the context of the Protestant Church in Germany. The characteristic logics of membership and participation in this publicly regulated institutionalized church are considered as well as the multidimensionality of donation practice. Religious donations are located at the interface of the individual and the church institution. Key explanatory factors for financial giving emerge: objective and subjective costs, opportunities and occasions, institutional identification and reputation, social context, prayer practice, competition, and mediatized publics. Rational choice, generalized reciprocity, and risk and trust calculations act as guiding theories. The empirical findings are connected to a general theory of religious behavior. Implications for church fundraising, church financing, and church membership are discussed.
{"title":"Monetized Religion in the Public Church","authors":"Felix Roleder","doi":"10.1163/15709256-20231149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15709256-20231149","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The quantitative study undertakes a systematic investigation of the church-related donation practice in the context of the Protestant Church in Germany. The characteristic logics of membership and participation in this publicly regulated institutionalized church are considered as well as the multidimensionality of donation practice. Religious donations are located at the interface of the individual and the church institution. Key explanatory factors for financial giving emerge: objective and subjective costs, opportunities and occasions, institutional identification and reputation, social context, prayer practice, competition, and mediatized publics. Rational choice, generalized reciprocity, and risk and trust calculations act as guiding theories. The empirical findings are connected to a general theory of religious behavior. Implications for church fundraising, church financing, and church membership are discussed.","PeriodicalId":42786,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Empirical Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49093578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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