Volume 18 (2022)

IJRR's "Book Talks" are comparable to traditional book reviews. However, instead of a unidirectional “evaluation,” this is a space for constructive and collegial dialogue between scholars with similar expertise. In each Book Talk, a reviewer responds to a recently-published book, providing a brief synopsis along with a set of critical/collaborative questions or comments, much like a letter between colleagues. Unlike most book reviews, the book's author has a chance to reply.

This article analyses the usage of methods from Digital Humanities within Theology and tries to find synergies and limitations. (1) We propose a fourfold characterization schema for methods within DH. Understanding the different perception of methods from DH used in Theology and Religious Studies we propose the term “Digital Humanities in Theology” as best match to describe the research within Theology using methods from DH. (2) Since DH always include a methodological transfer of a scientific domain to computer science which includes the representation of domain data with data points and data records even before applying methods from DH in Theology we have a step of interpretation. We support the idea of a double act of interpretation but see the need to extend this process with feedback towards Theology as a re- interpretation step. This suggests three steps of knowledge representation and data re-interpretation and supports the requirement of basic knowledge within three domains: Theology, a humanity and Computer Science. (3) We discuss some interdisciplinary ideas from the field of Data and Computer Science underlining the need for further research within the field of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data management, open source software and open science approaches within DH and Theology. These research questions on the interdisciplinary field within Theology, Humanities, and Computer Science lead to new perspectives on the interdisciplinary research between Theology and Humanities.

In this cross-sectional study, we examined sociodemographic predictors of engagement in Buddhist religious practices among Thai adolescents and young adults aged 15-32 years old. The nationally representative sample was drawn from the 2018 dataset of the survey on Social Conditions, Culture and Mental Health conducted by the National Statistical Office of Thailand (NSO). Results indicate that individual (age, gender, educational attainment, occupation), family (relationship to household head), and community contextual (urbanicity, region) variables were significantly associated with Buddhist religiosity. Overall, the findings suggest that these sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining to what extent Thai youth and young adults adhere to Buddhist practices. Given the growing evidence base for the beneficial health effects of Buddhist practices, further examination of sociodemographic predictors in an effort to promote Buddhist religiosity among Thai young adults is warranted.

IJRR's "Book Talks" are comparable to traditional book reviews. However, instead of a unidirectional “evaluation,” this is a space for constructive and collegial dialogue between scholars with similar expertise. In each Book Talk, a reviewer responds to a recently-published book, providing a brief synopsis along with a set of critical/collaborative questions or comments, much like a letter between colleagues. Unlike most book reviews, the book's author has a chance to reply.

This paper contributes to the comparative analysis of religious language through an analysis of specific linguistic features in corpora of contemporary Evangelical Christian and Zen Buddhist texts. Based on a force dynamics framework from cognitive linguistics, this corpus-based study highlights and discusses some important differences between the linguistic patterns in the discourse of these two traditions, specifically in the use of modals. The results show that Evangelical language, with one noteworthy exception, generally makes more frequent use of modals based on positive compulsion. Will is also used more often to mark eschatological concerns and predictions about what Christians will experience and how they will respond. In contrast, the Zen Corpus exhibits greater use of modals associated with contingency and use of distal modal forms such as might and would. The fact that these are often used to hedge statements suggests the Zen authors have a greater tendency to avoid emphatic language. The linguistic patterns can be attributed largely to the texts’ discourse contexts and aims: Zen discourse is primarily focused on offering teachings grounded in realizations drawn from the author’s practice with only a secondary focus on interpreting and presenting the teachings of authoritative figures within the tradition. The abundance of hedging also reflects Zen authors’ suspicions of teachings that put forth a priori claims of absolute truth. In contrast, the focus of Evangelical writers is often on conveying what they regard as the unequivocal truth of the Bible, whether by means of direct quotes, paraphrasing, or interpretative application. The relative avoidance of hedging and preference for modals of strong positive compulsion in the Evangelical texts thus reflect firm convictions regarding the divine authority of Christian scripture. This study demonstrates how corpus-based analysis and cognitive linguistic frameworks can be effectively combined in the study of religious language.

Dr. Voddie Baucham warned of fractures within the evangelical community when delivering a sermon at the 2019 Southeastern Founders’ Conference introducing a newly coined concept called “Ethnic Gnosticism.” To Baucham and other leaders, the current social justice zeitgeist, which has influenced many evangelical leaders, is ideological in nature and rooted in ideas antithetical to the gospel. In what follows, I analyze the unfolding disagreement within evangelicalism regarding social justice and the boundary work currently ensuing. Through a brief review of James Cone’s black liberation theology and its direct relationship with the religious discourse of anti-racism and social justice, evidence mounts to the formulation of a new religious orthodoxy within evangelicalism. Due to this communal disruption, I utilize Sullivan’s (1999) rhetorical exposé to describe Baucham’s translation of Ethnic Gnosticism and its contents before interlocutors to ultimately create disassociation via a scapegoat thereby purifying the community.

To examine the extent to which religious “nones” are actually not religious in their personal lives, data were analyzed from five recent U.S. population surveys—the 2018 General Social Survey, 2017 Values and Beliefs of the American Public Survey, 2012 Portrait of American Life Study, 2017-2020 World Values Survey, and 2018 Chapman Survey of American Fears. Consistent with some previous studies but contrary to widely-held assumptions, many individuals who report no religious affiliation or check “none” on surveys (as well as atheists and agnostics) display a wide variety of religious and spiritual practices and beliefs. Many attend religious services, pray, meditate, believe in God or a higher power, have religious experiences, and believe in heaven, hell, and miracles. Even though a growing proportion of people in the U.S. appear to be reporting no religious affiliation on surveys, there are many measurement-related, conceptual, and methodological reasons to question the assumption that these people are not religious, and scholars need to look more closely at the actual practices and beliefs of so-called nones. Further, use of phrases like religious none, no religion, and not religious to describe this group of individuals is inappropriate, inaccurate, and misleading since they may simply be institutionally unaffiliated or indeed affiliated but not with any of the list of categories provided. More focused research is needed before we will fully understand who the nones are, and whether religion is actually declining in the U.S., as well as around the world.

The perception of Latin as the “best” language has a long history in the West and in the United States. Many Americans view Latin as more logical and more grammatical than English. Other Americans view the study and use of Latin as elitist. When religious convictions are added to linguistic views of Latin, attitudes towards Latin take on a spiritual, and thus more spirited, edge. The present study examines sociolinguistic views about Latin’s status in the religious context of the Catholic Mass. Through a large-scale online survey, the authors examine how Latin as a language and its use in the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) are viewed by Catholics. Both quantitative and qualitative data reveal that a positive sociolinguistic view of Latin plays a role in some American Catholics’ affinity for the TLM. Proponents of the TLM support this form of the Mass primarily for religious reasons, but positive views of the Latin language undergird their support. American Catholics who prefer Mass in the vernacular often do so because they view Latin as an impediment to comprehension and participation in the Mass. In addition, they view the use of Latin as elitist and divisive, particular in the current religious climate. The data show a sharp religious divide between “conservative” and “progressive” American Catholics about the question of the use of Latin in Catholic Masses, which present a dilemma for religious leaders in establishing language policy for Masses.

ABSTRACT IJRR's "Book Talks" are comparable to traditional book reviews. However, instead of a unidirectional “evaluation,” this is a space for constructive and collegial dialogue between scholars with similar expertise. In each Book Talk, a reviewer responds to a recently-published book, providing a brief synopsis along with a set of critical/collaborative questions or comments, much like a letter between colleagues. Unlike most book reviews, the book's author has a chance to reply.

ABSTRACT IJRR's "Book Talks" are comparable to traditional book reviews. However, instead of a unidirectional “evaluation,” this is a space for constructive and collegial dialogue between scholars with similar expertise. In each Book Talk, a reviewer responds to a recently-published book, providing a brief synopsis along with a set of critical/collaborative questions or comments, much like a letter between colleagues. Unlike most book reviews, the book's author has a chance to reply.

This paper contributes to the growing interest in Muslim American women’s attitudes and behavior, by examining their views on Islamic law. Islamic law, a fundamental institution in Islam, is at the center of a contentious debate, with some arguing that it elevates women’s status and others arguing just the opposite. Based on data collected from 51 interviews, I find that while there is substantial variation in attitudes toward Islamic law, over all there is more support. Among the women interviewed, Arab heritage and affiliation with the Sunni and Shia sects are predictors of support.