ABSTRACT
Mosque is a non-profit community organization, where the purpose of its establishment is not to seek profit, so this objective makes it different from commercial organizations. "Takmir" (manager of a mosque)as a manager, has the responsibility and trust of the congregation. This was explanatory research with a quantitative approach. The level of a good trust can be improved by consinously improving the quality of variabels so that the mosque organization managed can run properly and correctly and the congregation's trust can be achived. When the good mosque governance concept with the principles, internal control and services are used properly, it will be able to improve organization performance. Congregation's trust in the takmir to improve the performance of the mosque's organization can be achieved by increasing the ability, kindness and integrity of the takmir. The congregation's trust in the takmir will affect its intensity in participating in activities organized by the mosque, in which it will directly affect the performance of the mosque's organization. For Next research, it is recommended to add a variable of the concept of leadership from organizational managers. The participation variable from the congregation and the community, and professional variables, Professional someone will have a positive and significant impact on the quality of work.
ABSTRACT
The article reveals the peculiarities and specifics of the implementation of the social mission of key domestic Orthodox denominations in the context of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The key aspects of providing assistance and support to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (hereafter OCU) and Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Hereafter UOC) for both the military and the civilian population were analyzed. Differences in the provision of aid between the Orthodox churches were revealed: if the former helps through volunteers by providing and purchasing weapons, the latter is limited to the purchase of transport, the provision of basic necessities and food and clothing. The areas of activity and the common and distinctive features of the work of both Orthodox churches regarding the support of the population of Ukraine are revealed: to people who survived the occupation or intense fighting (lost loved ones, property), to citizens who, as of the end of summer, are still in the territories where the fiercest fighting is going on battles.
ABSTRACT
Connectivism is a learning theory first proposed by Siemens and Downes (2005, 2009) as a learning theory for the digital age. This theory proposes that learning may occur external to the learner and teacher;it exists in the multiple complex networks with which the learner associates. In 2020, Corbett and Spinello followed up on Siemen's work to move connectivism from a learning theory to a leadership theory. Connectivism is a leadership theory that specifically works in modern churches. This theory emphasizes the connectedness of all knowledge and the mutuality of those connections, becoming a tool used to build better teams in the local church, especially in this dispersed environment.
ABSTRACT
Worship service gatherings will be smaller. 4. Thom Rainer concludes the final chapter by articulating that "the postquarantine era may prove to be one of the most challenging seasons for churches and their leaders. Thom Rainer finalizes by imagining how the first-century Christians felt as they were trying to reach a world that needed to hear the good news of the resurrected Savior.
ABSTRACT
Kevin Hall kicks off the Feature Article section of this issue with a piece entitled, "Leadership Modeling: Christian Leadership Development Through Mentoring as Informed by Social Learning Theory." The purpose of their study was to fill a gap in pastoral health literature by determining the predictive factors that contribute to the sustainability and well-being of leaders. [...]Kimon Nicolaides gets us thinking with an article entitled, "Aspects of Leadership and their Effects on the Growth and Vitality of North American Churches."
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to examine the critical discourse on responses to worship regulations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Diverse responses emanated from the media, religious leaders, and civil society organizations in the Indonesian context. The wide range of responses to worship regulations is reflected in continuous debate, demonstrating two primary groups, one in support of the government regulations and the other opposed to limitations on congregational worship activities. This shows the need for the proper messaging of content and dissemination to promote behavioral changes relative to relevant health issues. In order to achieve the main objective, we employed a qualitative method involving a discourse analysis of several leading online news sources' viewpoints, religious leaders' viewpoints, and religious organizations' public statements. This study found two main factors associated with the response to worship regulations in the pandemic era. The main finding involved supportive and contradictive orientations. The supportive path indicated a supportive response, referring to the enhancement of the proper analysis of public worship regulations, while the contradictive one referred to the continuation of life as normal, free of restrictions and regulations. This study suggests that clear details on the reasons for restrictions and regulations are required on all forms of social media in order to provide all parties with a better understanding of the need for these measures.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented suffering and death among the people of South Africa. The epidemic is associated with great fear experienced by the infected, affected and the general population. This article focuses on the role played by South African transnational churches in response to the COVID-19 crises and measures taken by the government. The article is anchored on Foucault's theory of biopolitics in which he explains the emergence ofnew political strategies implemented to regulate the lives of the species being. Foucault's account as applied to the context of this article serves as an overture to his depiction of panopticism as a system of governance. In South Africa, the haunting memory of COVID-19 and the chaos associated with it has paved the way for 'biopolitics' as a system of constant surveillance to citizens and transnational churches. Stringent lockdown regulations have been implemented in this regard after COVID-19 was declared a national disaster. A qualitative research method and an interpretivist research paradigm were adopted. Data was collected using telephone interviews with 5 transnational churches located in Durban. Key findings show that transnational churches in Durban have adhered to lockdown regulations in multifarious ways. They have continued with the theology of ministry in an attempt to replace the message of fear with the message of hope. Many have recommended their congregants to stay at home and attend church services via radio and online live streaming. It recommends religion be accommodated and coexistence with scientific knowledge systems in fighting the pandemic. Science, biomedical and clinical approach is not enough to explain the behavior and illness of human beings.
ABSTRACT
This article follows the actor-centered approach in studies on deep mediatization and religion in the aim of introducing the concept of 'media settlers', which refers to how churches, being corporate actors, actively use digital media and respond to the trends and consequences of deep mediatization. In so doing, churches undertake actions defined as strategies intended to both expand and maintain community – and assert authority. The article draws on the results of qualitative analyses of the media ensembles of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and Orthodox Churches in Poland and the UK, along with interviews with media professionals from these churches. The conclusion is that the media settlers concept expands and develops our grasp of the religious-social shaping of technology [Campbell, Heidi A. 2010. When Religion Meets New Media. London: Routledge] by investigating how religious organizations actively shape their media to attain institutional goals, and in consequence transform their media ensembles. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Religion is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
The ongoing digital transformation (DT) in our world has not only brought change to secular systems but also to how things are done in the mission and ministry of the Christian faith. Although before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some churches were interacting with DT, the post COVID-19 experience has shown that many more Christian organisations, especially, the African Neo-Pentecostal Churches (ANPC), have carved their niche in the digital space. With South Africa and Nigeria in view, this article investigated how the ANPC interacts with DT to improve missional work and the possible implications of doing so in the last 15 years. In the process, three strategies were applied. Firstly, a literature review and some online investigations were undertaken to articulate how the ANPC have engaged with DT in the past. Secondly, as a primary source, a quantitative empirical survey was conducted through data collection from 109 Neo-Pentecostal leaders to assess the current development in the use of digital technology (DTECH) by the ANPC. Thirdly, the article applied Albert Humphrey's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) framework to analyse the implications of the interaction. The outcome showed that the strengths and opportunities of digital interaction such as the wider and easier reach of audience, online training, online giving, improved sound and light technology and advertisements among others are helpful in missional assignments. Nevertheless, some observed Weaknesses and Threats need attention. Most importantly, the lesson from the findings is that ‘techno church' practices come with gains;however, interaction with DT is not sufficient for missional services. Contribution: Aligning with HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies's focus and scope, this article contributed to an interdisciplinary religious aspect of research as it brought forward the interactions of African Pentecostalism, Historical Theology and Information Technology.
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This dissertation analyzes police legitimacy within a Jewish religious minority community in Israel, the Haredim. Informed by theories of procedural justice, social capital, integrative enclave, and community-society, the study explores the overarching theme of religion in police legitimacy. The chapters are organized into three distinct yet inter-related case studies and implement various research designs. In these chapters, I discuss possible mechanisms that have contributed to the surprising improvement in police legitimacy within this community. In the first article, I describe the Israeli-Haredi societal situation over the last twenty years and identify forces of modernization that have contributed to higher acceptance and Haredi participation with the police, namely increased trust and cooperation. I suggest that police legitimacy has gradually developed in a dialogical manner between the community and the police. The second article discusses brokerage with the police and demonstrates how, during the first wave of COVID-19, the community shifted its communication channels with the police, leaning more heavily on professional knowledge brokers rather than traditional religious brokers. This article discusses the potential for long-term improvement of police legitimacy within the community as a result of this shift in social capital. The third article focuses on organizations as socialization mechanisms that provide a safe space for Haredim to explore the Israeli public sphere and vice versa. Organizations that assist the police in various matters, and include Haredi volunteers, provide this religious minority with the opportunity to enhance communication with the police while keeping intact religious observance. In conclusion, the dissertation provides insight into the role of religion in policing and police legitimacy, offering an important view of religion as a unique factor. Theoretically, the dissertation contributes to the understanding of (1) how police legitimacy develops over time and how religion interacts with this process;(2) how social capital access, and hence communication channels with the police, may shift under certain circumstances within religious communities;and (3) how religious organizations with ties to the police working with integrative enclaves serve as agents of socialization. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed in all three articles, as well as in the conclusion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
"Today, our world is experiencing a tragic famine of hope. How much pain is all around us, how much emptiness, how much inconsolable grief. Let us, then, become messengers of the comfort bestowed by the Spirit. Let us radiate hope, and the Lord will open new paths as we journey toward the future.” These challenging and uplifting words by His Holiness Pope Francis were part of an ecumenical service with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Coptic Archbishop of London this year. Preaching during the impact of COVID-19 worldwide, Pope Francis' message also frames the challenges and hopes of Anglican/Episcopal-Roman Catholic dialogue in the twenty-five years since Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint (UUS), "That They May Be One.”
ABSTRACT
The situation in the world caused by the spread of the new coronavirus infection forced the executive authorities in many countries to issue acts that provided for strict restrictions on constitutional rights, in particular, freedom of religion. First of all, we are talking about the prohibition of worship, religious rituals and coram populo ceremonies, the use of a truncated burial format in order to protect public health. The article aims to investigate the measures taken by state authorities and religious organizations in Russia and Italy, to assess their validity and proportionality, based on the standards of the Council of Europe. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the mechanisms of interaction between the authorities of various levels and religious leaders in order to develop acceptable solutions, identified the similarities and differences of the relevant legal regulation in these states. Author of the article tries to answer the question of a fair balance of constitutional values in emergency conditions – the protection of public health and the ability to manifest one's religious beliefs through external actions (forum externum). Revealing the influence of digital technologies on the transformation of worship and religious rituals in conditions of isolation of citizens, the author draws attention to the fact that in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, "virtual faith” cannot replace Eucharistic communion in the temple, which should be taken into account when developing and applying regulatory legal acts. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion about the importance of finding compromise solutions and notes that the distortion of understanding of the norms on the autonomy of religious organizations and the fundamental provisions of the secular nature of the state leads to a disproportionate restriction of the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens: the arbitrary administrative closure of religious buildings, the involvement of believers and clergymen in criminal proceedings. and administrative responsibility. © 2022, Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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This article is based on a paper delivered to the Ecclesiastical Law Society's day conference in 2022. It is a reflection on the workings of General Synod from the perspective of an author who has been a member of Synod for around 36 years. The article examines three discrete themes: (i) the problem of authority in the Church of England, (ii) the shortcomings of Synodical government, and (iii) the urgency of mission. It examines these themes by considering, among other things, the Church of England's response to a number of contemporary issues: its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, proposed reform of its governance structures, its ability to respond to issues concerning sexuality and racial justice, and the proposals for reforming the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011, as set out in GS 2222.
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Congregations throughout the nation are often the first responders when an individual or family needs extra support and care after a traumatic experience. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, church leaders were tasked with providing extra pastoral care in a unique way that kept every individual physically safe. A survey was completed to learn more about the educational preparedness of pastors specific to trauma, frequency of conversations about trauma before and during COVID-19, competency of church leaders before and during COVID-19, and experiences of collective trauma within congregations. This article focuses on the results of that survey to bring awareness to the lived experiences of church leaders and congregants when dealing with trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The need to prevent the development of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic makes it necessary to maintain physical distance to comply with various types of sanitary standards. However, when restrictions imposed by public authorities lead to limiting the exercise of human rights and freedoms, they must be laid down in normative acts of appropriate form and content. Meanwhile, many of the restrictions introduced by the Polish authorities with a view to combatting the pandemic, which restricted the exercise of freedom of religion, did not meet the standards defined by the Polish Constitution. © 2020, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The current volume forms part of a four-part series commissioned by the Church of England Records Society to bring together and provide commentary on the sources of national prayers or special worship in the United Kingdom since the Reformation. While the Church of Scotland, which has always had a strong tradition of extemporary prayer, showed a greater willingness to engage with published forms or prayer and worship, the Church of England, which had historically placed great emphasis upon uniformity and conformity with the uses of the Book of Common Prayer, showed greater willingness to embrace diversity and initiative in the precise forms and expressions of prayers and services to be used on such occasions. In this period, then, we see the first examples of acts of national worship which involved not only the Protestant free churches, but also leaders from the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches as well as of Jewish congregational bodies. [...]even in an age of pluralism and the decline (perhaps) of Christian belief, the first half of the twentieth century witnessed acts of special national worship which were more genuinely national in character than ever before. Given the retreat from the use of legal forms, its content is not predominantly legal in character, but it has much to tell us about the evolving relationship between church, state and nation, and about the changing and evolving role of faith and religion in the life of the nation.
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The study presents fundamental theoretical and methodological information on individual sacral tourism as a suitable type of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual (virtual) tourism on the example of the Koscelisko locality in Radoľa municipality (northwestern part of Slovakia) in the area of the extinct medieval sacral landscape, thanks to modern technologies, represents a relatively modern segment of the alternative - modern types of tourism. In the first step, a bibliometric method combined with content analysis of literary and archival sources was used to process the study. It was followed by a comprehensive method of historical-geographical research and field research, which generate a database of information to create a 3D model of the defunct church Koscelisko. The outputs processed in this way are available online to potential tourists via smartphones on the platform called Multimedia Guide to Geotourism (https://www.montanistika.eu).
ABSTRACT
As part of a global phenomenon, cross-cultural short-term missions (STMs) is gaining prominence in Singapore, where churches are mobilizing their members for STMs. With this surge in STMs, the trips offer both positives and negatives for the senders, sent, and receivers. While there is a body of knowledge available for sending churches to improve their STM programmes, much less is understood about the receiving communities and their perceptions of STMs. This study hopes to increase awareness about the perceptions of receiving missionaries and national church leaders, so that sending churches can better support them in their long-term work. In order to understand the perceived benefits and challenges of STMs, an online survey was conducted with 26 missionaries and national church leaders in Thailand who hosted STMs from Singapore. Follow-up semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with three selected missionaries. This paper concludes that while STMs are welcomed, there are areas where improvements should be made, especially when receiving churches and long-term missionaries in the field should be the focus for the STMs to make their work more effective. STMs should be complementing, instead of substituting or inhibiting, long-term missions to fulfill the missio Dei in the nations.
ABSTRACT
Religious Heritage Sites can benefit from adopting a marketing perspective. This paper 's objective is to develop a new model of marketing product for Religious Heritage Sites. Retrieving some peculiarities from social marketing, and more specific the religious one, and from services marketing, and more specific the touristic one, the proposed model has been illustrated through a case study for the Monastery of Hodos-Bodrog. The proposed visitors ' matrix for Religious Heritage Sites' shows different levels of consumers ' interest and engagement that should be considered when creating the product, in order to offer something of interest for each category of customers. The core product is offered through tangible and intangible components, becoming the adopted product when changes appear in the the consumer's way of thinking and behaving. Yet, the Religious product is not only goods and services, but it uses these in order to create the finality product - the salvation -, while the finality productfor Religious Heritage is the consumers' satisfaction. Adding some touristic and recreational activities, organized by third parties, to the product will create an experience that exceeds visitors' expectations. To illustrate and ensure a better understanding of the model, it has been applied to the Monastery of Hodos-Bodrog.
ABSTRACT
The shock associated with the outbreak of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the lives of everyone—and religious communities were no exception. Closed churches, bans on public worship, cancelled events, rapid changes to pastoral modes—many of these stories, quite naturally, captured media interest. This study provides an analysis of the image of Christian churches (and in particular the Catholic Church, which is the largest and most influential) as presented in the media in Central Europe, more specifically, in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Through a content analysis based on the concepts of frames and topoi, the study focuses on how the media presented the activities of the churches and the relation between church and government authorities during the pandemic. Based on a sample of 491 media texts published over the period of five months (February–June 2020) in four mainstream secular print/online media, our conclusions point to a predominantly positive image of Christian churches in the media—with the churches being perceived as cooperative, creative, and responsible, pursuing the common good and offering a prophetic interpretation of a difficult situation. On the other hand, fanaticism, fundamentalism, and non-cooperation were presented by the Slovak and Czech media as phenomena more frequently happening in other countries.