The Journal Religious Dialogue and Cooperation is published by the Centrе for Intercultural Studies and Research at the Faculty of Philosophy at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, which is conceived as an international scientific journal for all areas of religion. The journal publishes original scientific papers (statements from original empirical research on religion) and reviewed scientific papers (systematic reviews, analyses, processes, and interpretations of research findings and theoretical knowledge from a particular area of religion).
Center for Intercultural Studies and Research, Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje
GLOBALIZERS TENDENCIES OF RELIGIOUS INTEGRALISM TO CIVILIZATIONS
This year’s paper for the Conference on “Religion and Globalization” has the theme: religion as a globalizer. The subject of the research is narrowed to the Problematic Question: How do integrist and integralist elements in major world religions stimulate globalization processes, and how is the globalization of national cultures into large civilizational wholes implemented through religious-integralist tendencies? The aim of the research is to point out the strong connection between religious integrism, cultural-political integralism and the globalization of national cultures into unique spiritual civilizations. The methods that will be used in the research are: observation method, cross-cultural method, comparative approach, content analysis... Practical contributions: in the area of interreligious tolerance, interfaith cooperation and intercultural dialogue. Scientific contribution: understanding the significance of the social background of religious integralism, researching the globalization of local and national cultures, deepening cognitive insights into the relationship: religion → culture → globalization. Social significance, primarily, in the advancement of scientific disciplines: sociology of religion, civilization studies and cultural studies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zoran Milosavljević https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
PEACE INSPIRED BY CONSCIENCE: PRAYER, MARTIAL ARTS, AND QIGONG AS CULTURAL PRACTICES IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD
Globalization has accelerated cultural exchange but also intensified competition, fueling wars, climate crises, disasters, and cyber threats that heighten global anxiety. In response, this paper explores conscience-centered peace practices rooted in Tai Ji Men, a qigong and martial arts Menpai with a long tradition of spiritual cultivation. Drawing from over two decades of personal practice, the study highlights how prayer, martial arts, and qigong can foster inner calmness, moral action, and collective resilience. Special attention is given to the Bell of World Peace and Love, a global cultural initiative through which world leaders have pledged to uphold conscience and harmony. The paper also examines the Tai Ji Men case, a prolonged legal and human rights controversy in Taiwan, as a litmus test for freedom of belief and cultural diversity. Through analysis of lived experience, international engagement, and the broader human rights discourse, the study argues that conscience awakening and cultural-spiritual practices can generate nonviolent, resilient forces for peace. Ultimately, resolving structural injustices such as the Tai Ji Men case is essential not only for Taiwan’s democratic development but also for strengthening global solidarity and advancing sustainable peace.”
Copyright (c) 2025 Ting-Yu Li https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ENERGY-ORIENTED GROUPS AND THEIR OPPONENTS: TWO CASE STUDIES
The paper explores the popularity of spiritual movements that draw on Eastern energy concepts: Ki in the case of Reiki and Tantric ideas about erotic energy in Western groups inspired by Tantrism. The focus is also on their opponents and critics, especially in the second case study.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rosita Šorytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
RESEARCH ON THE ATTITUDES OF YOUTH TOWARD RELIGION, ETHICS, AND EVERYDAY CHALLENGES
This paper presents the findings of an original sociological survey conducted among 193 young respondents from five educational institutions in Skopje, North Macedonia, examining the relationship between religion, ethics, and everyday challenges. The study was implemented across secondary and higher education institutions, including Orthodox and Islamic theological schools as well as the Faculty of Philosophy. It aimed to capture how young people perceive religiosity, ethics, and moral values in the context of their daily lives and psychosocial difficulties. Results demonstrate that 81% of respondents believe ethics in religion significantly influence their daily behavior, with the dominant understanding of religiosity grounded not in ritual, but in applied moral values and belief in God. Statistical analysis reveals strong positive correlations between religiosity and coping mechanisms: those who consider themselves more religious report that faith helps them to overcome stress, anxiety, and ethical dilemmas. Conversely, a strong negative correlation (r ≈ –0.98) was observed between age and psychosocial problems, showing acute vulnerability among adolescents aged 15–18. Furthermore, a notable majority support the introduction of ethics and religion into formal education, arguing that religious knowledge enhances coexistence and tolerance in a multicultural society. The findings highlight the dual role of religion as both a personal resource for resilience and a communal mechanism for fostering interethnic and interfaith harmony. This research contributes to broader debates on the role of religion in education, ethics, and youth well-being, positioning Macedonia as a case study of a multiethnic, multiconfessional society grappling with contemporary global challenges.
Copyright (c) 2025 Olivera Trajkovska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ANTI-CULT ACCUSATIONS OF POLITICAL SUBVERSION AND SEXUAL ABUSE: TWO CASE STUDIES
This paper explores two facets of anti-cult criticism of groups labeled subversive or deviant in China and the West. The methodology is based on an examination of available scholarly literature, media reports, and court decisions analyzed through theories of social control. The first case study concerns labeling as xie jiao and banning Qigong-based movements in China. The second discusses accusations of sexual abuse targeting religious and esoteric groups in various Western countries.
Copyright (c) 2025 Massimo Introvigne https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
HORIZONS OF EXPECTATION AND RELIGIOUS INTERACTION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY OTTOMAN MACEDONIA: A GADAMERIAN PERSPECTIVE
This paper dives into how different religious groups got along in Ottoman Macedonia during the first half of the 19th century. Our main goal is to figure out how people’s long-held beliefs and their hopes for the future shaped relationships between Orthodox Christians and Muslims, and also the tensions that popped up among Christian groups themselves (like Greeks and Slavs). We’re looking at this through the ideas of Hans-Georg Gadamer, especially his concept of “fusion of horizons”—which helps us see how past experiences and present understandings blend together. We’re also bringing in Reinhart Koselleck’s idea of a “horizon of expectation” to show how future dreams actually influenced how these communities interacted day-to-day. The study starts by explaining Gadamer’s way of thinking about understanding, where conversations mix old and new viewpoints. Then, it explores the historical setting, describing the millet system that allowed for different religions to coexist, how people lived side-by-side, and even shared holy places. We also look at the growing friction between the powerful Greek Orthodox Church and the rising Slavic Orthodox communities. We’ll dig into specific historical moments – like Muslims and Christians together honoring the Orthodox Monastery of Saint Naum, and the mid-19th- century Tanzimat reforms that promised everyone equal rights – using this particular way of looking at things. Our main point is that these religious interactions weren’t fixed; they were more like ongoing conversations, full of both understanding and misunderstanding, all driven by each community’s unique past and their hopes for what was to come. Ultimately, using Gadamer’s perspective helps us get a richer, more detailed understanding of inter-religious relations in 19th-century Ottoman Macedonia, moving past simple stories to see the complex ways different views were handled and sometimes even brought together.
Copyright (c) 2025 Martin Tasevski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE PRACTICE AND VISION OF CONSCIENCE CULTURE: A GLOBAL CIVILIZATIONAL OPPORTUNITY THROUGH MULTILATERAL COLLABORATION
In today’s era of rapid globalization and change, humanity enjoys unprecedented convenience and connectivity, yet faces value conflicts, social injustice, and cultural homogenization that threaten global peace and coexistence. Confronted with this global moral crisis, Conscience Culture is emerging as a vital pathway for building consensus and restoring a shared ethical and value-based foundation. As a universal value that transcends religions, cultures, and ideologies, conscience serves not only as an inner moral compass for individuals but also as a crucial driver of practical action, international cooperation, and mutual trust. This paper draws on the Ti-Yong (Essence- Function) concept of Tai Ji Yin-Yang Philosophy, positioning conscience as the core essence (體, ti) of culture and morality, while its external expression (用, yong) is realized through moral intuition (良知, liangzhi) and moral capability (良能, liangneng). Together, these guide individual action and institutional design, achieving an organic integration of inner awareness and the practice of justice. Using Tai Ji Men’s global conscience and peace initiatives as examples, this paper demonstrates how the cultural resilience of Conscience Culture—flexible yet firmly rooted—can help resolve the tensions and challenges posed by contemporary globalization. It further shows how Conscience Culture can guide humanity toward peace, fairness, and the moral renewal of humankind, opening new horizons for “global civilization.”
Copyright (c) 2025 Jason Cherng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN OR THE KINGDOM ON EARTH – RELIGION AND THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION
This paper explores the phenomena arising from the complex interplay and multifaceted relationships between religion and the process of globalization. In comparative - descriptive manner we examines the mutual impact and relational dynamics between religion and globalization, analyzing the accompanying societal challenges: syncretism, secularization, homogenization, “world religion”, versus the genuine freedom of being, the spiritual aspiration toward Truth, and the authentic values that foster mutual human recognition of diversity, love, and cooperation. In doing so, the study offers insight into the position of religion, with the accent on Christian antropologie, within the process of globalization and how contemporary global trends influence the collective value system, shape traditional practices, form identity, and contribute to the emergence of current social anomalies and religious doctrines.
Copyright (c) 2025 Naum Ilievski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS ON THE POLITICAL ATTITUDES AND GOVERNANCE PRACTICES OF MUSLIMS IN MACEDONIA: A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
This research investigates the influence of Islamic teachings on the political attitudes and governance-related practices of Muslims in North Macedonia. Focusing on the intersection of religion and politics, the study examines how Islamic principles shape perspectives on democracy, participation in elections, voting behavior, and engagement in political life. Using survey data collected from Muslim communities, the research explores the extent to which religious beliefs inform decisions to participate in or abstain from political processes, as well as perceptions of governance within the framework of Islamic values. By narrowing its focus to the sociological institution of politics and governance, this study provides valuable insights into the role of religion in shaping political behavior and attitudes in a diverse and multi-religious society.
Copyright (c) 2025 Enis F. Muarem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL PARTY VMRO DPMNE TOWARDS ITS MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM FAITH
Macedonia is living the fourth decade of its independence, building a new political system, different from the previous one. The new political system rests on democratic values, in an age of neoliberal pluralism. The new political system builds а mosaic of multi-ethnicity and multi-confessionalism. Political parties are the key factor within the political system, in which citizens organize and articulate their political participation. It is easier for the Macedonian left, represented by the political party SDSM, to accommodate the new situation as former communists and atheists and to nurture contemporary multiconfessionalism. The challenge is for the right, represented by the VMRO DPMNE political party, which from its establishment to the last Congress of 2021, its first ideological determinant was Christian democracy. Given that Macedonia is a multiethnic and multiconfessional environment, the parties are striving for their representativeness. Election analysis shows that the right is present in environments with Muslim faith. Further in the composition of the parliamentary caucus or mayors, the establishment of citizens with Muslim faith in the VMRO DPMNE party may be observed. It can be assumed that the Christian Democrats have Muslim members. A real sociological challenge is to investigate the attitude of this party towards its members of the Muslim faith, how it approaches and mobilizes them. As well as analyzing Muslim members’ attachment to the party, what their motives for membership are, how they are organized within the party, what common beliefs or values they share. An examination of this interrelation may provide the answer, why this party after 30 years of its existence and profiling as a Christian democratic party, at the last Congress in 2021, adopted a doctrine in which it profiled itself as a people’s party.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emil Dimitriev https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
DEEP INSIDE OF A PARALLEL UNIVERSE: RELIGIOUS ELEMENTS SURROUNDING THE STUDENT MOVEMENT IN SERBIA
Following the collapse of the concrete canopy at the newly reconstructed train station in Novi Sad, which killed sixteen people, Serbia has been witnessing the largest student movement in Europe since 1968. Students of diverse ideological, political, and religious backgrounds have come together to demand justice and accountability from a corrupt political establishment. This paper will strive to explore the religious and quasi-religious elements of the movement – rituals of silence, pilgrimage, ascetic endurance, and communal feasting – interpreted through a functional and anthropological approach to religion inspired by Durkheim. The study combines qualitative media discourse analysis of secular and religious communications (November 2024 to June 2025) with the author’s direct anthropological observation of protest events. This dual perspective enables an examination of how collective rituals and moral symbols emerged both in representation and in practice. The protests drew strong reactions from Serbian Orthodox Church dignitaries and other public voices, which will be examined through critical discourse analysis, focusing on how churchstate relations and religious or ideological divisions were framed. The question of various collective subjects fulfilling the usual societal functions of religion will be posed.
Copyright (c) 2025 Danica Igrutinović https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ON RELIGIOUS MORALITY AND UNIVERSAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DIALOGUE ACCORDING TO KUNG’S GLOBAL ETHICS
This paper explores the concept of universal responsibility and global ethics as essential foundations for achieving lasting peace in the modern interconnected world. It emphasizes that genuine peace cannot be established through violence or coercion but through the cultivation of ethical values, moral awareness, and interreligious dialogue. The study argues that every human action has both personal and universal dimensions, demanding responsibility not only toward oneself but also toward humanity, nature, and future generations. Within this framework, dialogue emerges as a fundamental ethical and communicative method for understanding, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence among individuals, nations, and religions. Drawing on the ideas of thinkers such as Emil Brunner, the Dalai Lama, Emmanuel Levinas, and especially Hans Küng, the paper highlights Küng’s project Global Ethics as a crucial attempt to establish a shared moral framework based on humanism and dialogue. The work underscores the necessity of interreligious understanding and the development of a universal ethical paradigm grounded in justice, compassion, tolerance, and responsibility. The conclusion calls for an ethical revolution centered on humanism and global solidarity, affirming that universal ethics should guide humanity toward building a more humane, just, and harmonious world.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dejan Donev https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From 23-27 June more than 70 scholars from 20 countries from all over the world gathered in Krushevo at the Third World Conference for Religious Dialogue and Cooperation, where we met to discuss the pressing religious conflicts of this world. Religion is often perceived as a problem. The Conference explored how to make religion a resource for international dialogue and peace. Aware that we cannot solve all problems, as scholars we believe that creating spaces of dialogue between and within religions offers valuable opportunities for promoting peace. Religion today is often misused for political purposes and for supporting wars, while secular ideologies try to exclude religion from the public sphere. Persecution and discrimination of religious minorities continue in different parts of the world. Religions are expected to act as a voice for peace, forgiveness, coexistence, tolerance, and understanding. The essence of religion is to celebrate the creation of the world, not its destruction. However, religions have produced a divided society, with divided identities, divided education, divided loyalties, divided worldviews, which may and often does lead to polarization and conflicts. Instead, religions can promote values that bind and unite, inspire flourishing interreligious relations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zoran Matevski https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
CURRENT SITUATIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN CONTEXT FROM THE ASPECT OF THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE
This study aims to analyze three key dimensions: the historical-cultural approach, theological interpretations, sociological analyses, and narratives, with a particular emphasis on the Old Testament and gender asymmetry in the creation myth, as well as the Apostle Paul’s teachings on women. The historical-cultural approach seeks to investigate the historical foundations of gender roles within Christianity and the various interpretations that have shaped societal attitudes and norms concerning gender. Additionally, this research will examine the manifestations of gender within Christian communities, particularly the status of women in the Christian tradition and the role of Christianity in shaping and reinforcing gender stereotypes. This involves an exploration of gender dynamics across different Christian denominations, highlighting both progressive and conservative perspectives. Furthermore, this study will address women’s activism and the role of feminist theology, commonly referred to as Christian feminism, within Christian communities. It will examine contemporary challenges faced by women in their efforts to resist patriarchal traditions and explore potential avenues for transforming patriarchal structures within religious institutions. Ultimately, this research aims to assess the broader impact of the Christian tradition on modern society and its influence on religious and cultural frameworks from a gendered perspective.
CHRISTIANITY OF FUNDAMENTALISM AND SECULARISM: ARE THERE HINTS OF SOCIAL TEACHING WITHIN THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH?
The scientific paper before us will question the role, scope and importance of Orthodox Christianity in social issues, especially in the case of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). The topic of the scientific work is focused on questioning the connections between the specifically Orthodox experience of religion and its place in contemporary (Serbian) society. Therefore, the views of church dignitaries of the Serbian Orthodox Church regarding the role of the Orthodox faith in social issues were selected as the subject of research. Through his research, the author has set himself the goal of predicting the possibilities of establishing and building the social teaching of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The increasingly active role of religious communities and churches in contemporary society: from culture, through politics and economy to the natural environment points to the legitimate social significance of the basic assumptions of this scientific paper. The questioning of theoretical assumptions, religious conceptions and spiritual-political phenomena: fundamentalism, integralism and secularism on the example of an isolated case study in the ideas and value positions of dignitaries and theologians of the Serbian Orthodox Church leads to an indisputable innovative contribution and scientific justification of the research. After all, the SOC has always been the foundation of the national rallying of the Serbian ethnos, and the main lever of national identity, so the overall justification of the topic is greater. In the paper, the author started from the initial assumption that the current opinion in the Serbian Orthodox Church is not favorable towards the establishment of the social teaching of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The research was based on numerous methods in social sciences, such as: observation, case study, content analysis, comparative approach...
RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS A KEY TO INTERETHNIC COOPERATION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country characterized by the interconnectedness of ethnic and religious affiliation, the country is home to three main ethnic groups (Serbs, Croats and Bosnians) who are members of three different religions (Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Islam). The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina is accompanied by deep religious and ethnic divisions and aspirations. The cause of conflict and intolerance in the country is often because of the different interest between all three religious parties. The intention of the authors of this paper is to draw attention to the importance of religious dialogue in interethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the main key for spreading a culture of peace, mutual tolerance and understanding.
SERGE RAYNAUD DE LA FERRIÈRE’S DOCTRINE READJUSTMENT: THE UGB AND THEOCRACY
Serge Raynaud de la Ferrière (1916-1962) left his native France to the Americas. He knew the predominance of America for the New Age of Aquarius that was about to begin. In 1948 he founded the Great Universal Brotherhood (UGB) in Caracas, Venezuela, a worldwide and cultural institution to re-educate humanity. After traveling the five continents, he returned to Europe in 1953. Right after he re-established communication with his disciples in America, he noted that his work and literature was being deformed. He even said that he couldn’t recognize his own foundation! Consequently, he began readjusting his work and wrote most part of his extensive literature. In this period, Ferriz, his fourth and last emblematic disciple appeared. He translated under his supervision some of his most important texts, and among other tasks he asked him to write his books’ prologue, exegesis and be his Literature’s Coordinator. In the context of the New Age, R. de la Ferrière discusses theocracy and mentioned some precursor signs for its advent. These are briefly discussed in this essay. They were misinterpreted by his other emblematic disciples – contrary to his idea of a government of wise people. They believed in absolute authority and autocratic government that in various instances they applied it in the UGB. Ferriz asserts that this was probably the seed that caused their failure to follow R. de la Ferrière’s Readjustment and created an ideological and doctrinaire difference between their beliefs and R. de la Ferrière’s thought. In 1990, to safeguard the original UGB and R. de la Ferrière’s thought, Ferriz left in Exodus the deformed UGB and created a new one.
NAVIGATING FAITH IN A SECULAR STATE: ISLAMIC LAW AND MUSLIM PRACTICES IN MACEDONIA
This study explores the multifaceted implementation of Islamic law among the Muslim community in North Macedonia, a secular country. It examines how Muslims navigate and practice various aspects of Sharia in their daily lives, despite the secular framework of the state. The research focuses on key religious practices such as religious marriage (Nikah), the giving of obligatory charity (Zakat), and the observance of fasting during Ramadan. It investigates the challenges and adaptations faced by the Muslim community in maintaining their religious obligations while complying with secular laws. This study provides insights into the dynamic interaction between Islamic law and secularism, highlighting the resilience and creativity of Muslims in preserving their religious identity. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of religious coexistence and the practical realities of implementing religious laws in a secular context.
CHRISTIANITY AND SECULARIZATION FOLLOWING THE IDEAS OF ŽELJKO MARDEŠIĆ
Following the interpretation of the famous Croatian sociologist Željko Mardešić (Jakov Jukić), this paper analyzes secularization in the context of contemporary sociology of religion. Considering various social, cultural, and religious changes, the presented secularization process is the origin of the sudden and unexpected flourishing of various forms of new religiosity and the alarming appearance of relics of the past, i.e., the increasingly present fundamentalism and integralism in major religions. According to Željko Mardešić, the secularization process consists of three levels and includes society, the Church, and – most deeply – the individual person. The individual finds themselves in a strange gap. On the one hand, secularization swallows up and annuls the sacred, while, on the other hand, the individual produces the sacred, which is not a substitute for traditional religion, but something completely new and opposed. Željko Mardešić sees the future of Christianity following in the footsteps of the Second Vatican Council, which seeks the effort of sincere questioning its state on the part of Christianity; to choose either political religiosity or authentic religiosity with no political security. It is important to note that Christianity, deprived of its many worldly roles, in the new secularization context is encouraged to focus on ritual celebration and spiritual immersion to creatively transform society and cultural life. In this context, there emerges an increasingly acceptable interpretation according to which, using Željko Mardešić’s words, secularization is seen as a happy event for historical Christianity, because it draws Christianity a little closer to the original evangelical truth and a more authentic living of the goodness of its members. This event manifests in rejecting the collectivist and ideological vision of Christianity and advocates accepting the light of goodness rather than one’s own group, supporting freedom and the free human in a group defined by the community of people who believe in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ.
A METASYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE OF CHRISTIAN PSYCHOTHERAPY IN DEFINING LEADERSHIP AND ITS CRITERIA
The purpose of this paper is a description of the concept of leadership as a key component in the Christian church community, as well as the criteria of a healthy leadership style not only in its internal framework, but in the overall social context. This paper is a qualitative-descriptive study with research on leadership, styles and personality of the leader according to Christian theology, and applying a metasystemic perspective within wider domains of society. We define criteria for healthy leadership in correlation with social deviations of the same, observed and described in the framework of Christian psychotherapy and application of the Transactional Analytical methodology in the analysis of the focused phenomena. Leadership in the Christian Church has an antinomian character and a pastoral dimension. The personality of the church leader is formed according to the criteria of the degrees of spiritual development. The presented model of church leadership with qualities of antinomy has its applicability in the social system of secular leadership, where the function of leadership paradoxically merges into a duty of service against its deviant social phenomena of identification (nation, party, state).
PRIDE AND PUNISHMENT: THE CHURCH, THE STATE, AND PRIDE PARADES IN SERBIA (2012-2024)
A process of desecularization, sacralizing the nation, and retraditionalizing gender roles has been ongoing in post-Yugoslav Serbia since the late 80s, but has gained new steam since 2012, when a new government of a coalition similar to the 1990s politics was formed, albeit this time with the ostensible aim of joining the EU. Against the backdrop of these processes, Serbian identity has been constructed in a particularly masculine way. And although the use of homophobia to Other the ‘Enemy within’ is not new in Serbian nationalism, a notable shift has been observed as Serbia has been pushed to accept LGBT bodies as part of its Europeanisation process, which is now further complicated by the war in Ukraine. The pride parades, which Serbia has had to endure due to its European integration process, and the tactical decision to appoint a lesbian prime minister, have contributed to the impossibility to openly rely on stereotypical homophobic means of othering. As such, the focus of the ‘enemy’ within shifted from the homosexual to other ‘Others’: Albanians, migrants traversing the Balkan route, non-maternal women, and most recently, ‘gender ideology’ in biology textbooks and gender-sensitive language. Tracing the debates in the Serbian media, especially with regard to the discursive chasm between LGBT communities/feminisms and the Serbian Orthodox Church, but also with changes in the dominant media discourse, this paper contends that nationalist othering in Serbia is consistently reshaped in order to accommodate the changing political climates. It demonstrates the moving boundaries in the construction of the nation, which constantly fluctuating representations of identities stereotypically associated with LGBT communities, masculinities and femininities, ‘Serbhood’, and Orthodoxy.
COMMUNICATION WITH SUPERNATURAL PROTECTORS AND HELPERS IN ESTONIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Estonia has been repeatedly called the least religious country in Europe or even the whole world. The Estonian mainstream media and politics mainly resonate with the identification of Estonians as a rational high-tech and science-oriented nation. Although the number of people who believe in biblical God and/or feel affiliated to any canonical religion is indeed low according to representative polls, there are numerous other forms for communicating with the numinous (e.g., in the form of protective angels, spirit animals, nature spirits, spirits of dead relatives, or pets who give spiritual guidance) observable in the Estonian society. Based on personal experience narratives from the recent decade, this article will give an overview of supernatural helpers and protectors with whom people in Estonia communicate. Answers will be sought to the following questions: Who are these beings? From which traditions do they stem? Which ways of communicating with them are practiced? What are the differences compared to older layers of religion? This paper will demonstrate a recent heterogenous pluralism, presented in the co-existence and fluctuation of – partly situational – beliefs in various supernatural figures, and try to locate these findings in the current (post)secularization debates. The author concludes that such contemporary models of religious beliefs and practices are not necessarily replacing the traditional ones but rather recycle already existing religious ideas in somewhat modified configurations that are adjusted to the contemporary needs. Despite the rather polarized view of religion and science in the mainstream media and political discourse, the empirical material shows that such vernacular beliefs and practices may build symbioses with scientific conceptions of the world.
There is almost no other common evolution of two phenomena that builds its uniqueness and specificity on overlapping and separating at the same time, like the relationship between politics and religion. The axis around which both phenomena exist is the man, or in more recent times from the aspect of their political awareness - the citizen. The specificity of the coexistence of politics and religion, among other things, is based on the complexity of individual phenomena, on their place and role in social processes. What politics and religion have in common is that their identity is based on the concrete complemented by the abstract. In other words, their scope of action moves beyond the limits of the rational and empirically verified. The key to explaining this challenge is that both phenomena have belief as spiritus movens in their essence. One of the characteristics of the historical evolution and mutual influence of politics and religion is the process of refining, i.e. building one’s own identity. In the beginning it was more difficult to make the demarcation between them to establish the special specificity and identity, today modern societies establish the distinction to the point of absolute incompatibility. Even the personification of the two phenomena was in the beginning in the same persons, i.e. in one person it had the legitimacy to communicate with God at the same time and rule the people. In the past, one person usually claimed the right to the secular and the sacred, today those roles are clearly differentiated in different persons. Taken at the national level, Macedonia throughout history has built its own specificity when it comes to the relationship between politics and religion. Its specificity is based on the historical fact that glorifies our country as the country through which Christianity was spread on European soil, and is one of the routes for the spread of Islam in Europe. Today’s contemporary reality characterizes it as a multiethnic and multiconfessional country.
ROMAN CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS IN GREECE: INTERRELIGIOUS AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE IN A BALKAN COUNTRY
This paper is intended to analyse Islamic presence in Modern Greece especially under the perspective of interreligious dialogue between Muslim refugees and Christian majority of Greek population. In this context, many initiatives held by Roman Catholics in Greece, especially Jesuits, Franciscans, local Caritas, Sisters of Mother Theresa, are devoted to Muslim refugees and people of different migratory background. Humanitarian activity promoted by Roman Catholics favours an interactive process with immigrants but also a fight for justice with the result of establishing an interfaith dialogue with Greek Orthodox Christians. The meeting with refugees is aimed not only to give them the possibility of making an income, but also to restore the dignity of migrant people. So, for example, the Jesuit Refugee Center (JRS) and the Jesuit Welcome Center (JWC) are meant to answer the urgent needs of people from Central Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan), Northern and Sahel Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria) and other countries with Muslim majority. On the other hand, these initiatives favour a regular daily routine through work and/or learning. This goal inspired the “Pedro Arrupe Center”, a social justice and educational project, aimed to help young refugees or children of families with migratory background to better pursue their school integration process.
Implementation of the Ohrid framework agreement: Trends in tolerance among the youth in the Republic of North Macedonia
The Republic of North Macedonia is a multicultural country composed of various ethnic and religious groups. Macedonia was the only ex-Yugoslav state to gain its independence without a violent clash within the country or against other post-Yugoslav republics. However, in 2001 the two major ethnic groups, the Macedonians and Albanians fought against each other in an armed conflict, which resulted in the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and promoted minority rights in the republic. Almost two decades after the conflict, ethnic tensions have been limited to sporadic hostilities usually prompted by sporting events and political rallies. Today, promoting tolerance among ethnic groups is one of the key issues in the political agenda of the main political parties, both Macedonian and Albanian. This paper will examine tolerance in the Republic of North Macedonia by analyzing the implementation of the Framework Agreement in the area of education, languages and minority rights. Moreover, the paper will present a research on trends in tolerance among youth from urban areas in North Macedonia conducted during the autumn of 2019.
Copyright (c) 2020 Irena Avirovic Bundalevska
The human awareness of social appertaining has deep biological and social roots. The alienated individual, on his own, is of no significance and is not a human in the real sense of the word, unless he becomes a member of any group, reaches a social position and his own place within the system of relationships. In contrast to the political parties, which are a relatively new phenomenon, the religiosity represents a universal social phenomenon. Hardly any civilization of significance does not have a certain religious component incorporated within itself or has not been based on it. Evaluating the claims of the secularization story, we face several unresolved questions: 1. Is the suppression of religion limited to the area of Europe and is the narrative of secularization at the same time an attempt to present the European experience to the rest of the world. 2. Are religious beliefs being comprehensively suppressed and people becoming less religious, or are we dealing with new forms of religiosity, where new models of religious beliefs and practices are emerging that replace the old/traditional ones? 3. Has the religiosity of people not decreased and what has been achieved with the process of secularization. Is this a change in the social role of religion? Secularism is not the suppression of religion but an aspect of the weakening of religious authority.
Copyright (c) 2025 Religious dialogue and cooperation
THE RISE OF THE BAHA’I FAITH COMMUNITY IN TUNISIA
The Bahá’í faith derives from Babì movement and takes its first steps in Persia during the first half of the 19th century. Bahà’u’llàh reveals to be the new Manifestation of God in 1863. Thanks to his successors, the Bahá’í faith transcended its geographical boundaries, initially Persian and Arab, by embracing Western Countries and adapting its characteristics to those cultural contexts. Commencing from my doctoral project, the contribution aims to focus on the presence of the Bahá’í religious minority in Tunisia, which arrived in the 1920s of the 20th century. The Country, in addition to the Bahá’í one, welcomes the Shiite Muslim minority, as well as various Christians, which can be categorized as indigenous (converted Tunisians), European, Sub-Saharan, and the Jew minority. The presence of the Bahá’í community, as reported by the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA), is estimated to be around 2,000 believers, however, it appears to engage in a fluid coexistence with other religions and navigate a cold conflict within a predominantly Sunni Muslim context. The oral testimonies range from examples of “peaceful coexistence” to “fear of openly declaring oneself”. Moreover, they reveal that the number of believers ranges between 200 and 250, as many believers do not officially declare their affiliation.Prior to the Revolution in 2011, nobody dared to openly acknowledge their affiliation with the Bahá’í faith; subsequently, thanks to a newfound spirit that has animated religious, national, and ethnic minorities (including Berber and Black communities) – Bahá’í adherents have reported an increased sense of freedom of expression. However, instances of believers experiencing apprehension regarding potential acts of violence and discrimination persist.
INTERRELIGIOUS COUNCIL IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND MEDIA-MEDIATED REALITY
In BiH, in 1997, a year after the constitution of the state on the basis of the Dayton Agreement and the end of the civil war, the Interreligious Council was formed on the initiative of religious leaders and it was the first one under that name in the world. The path to reconciliation among people and development of a stable society in BiH should lead through interreligious dialogue, and the Interreligious Council strives to achieve that goal, in areas where the influence of churches and religious communities is inviolable. The area of indisputable influence of the Interreligious Council should be sacred objects within which specific communication takes place between religious leaders and believers. In that space, thoughts and views were expressed by members of the Islamic Community in BiH, imam Amir Mahić and theologian Muharem Štulanović. After the prayers in the mosques, imams called the Serbian Orthodox Church a sect, its first enlightener, Saint Sava, the originator of fascism, with derogatory terms about the Serbian people. The public was informed about the events in the mosques in Kozarac and Bihać through the media, with different narratives, while the Interreligious Council failed to represent the proclaimed goals and ideas of interreligious dialogue. After more than two and a half decades of existence, there is no representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Interreligious Council in BiH, because Metropolitan Bishop of Dabar-Bosna Hrizostom resigned from the Council, and the interreligious dialogue died down. The statements and analyzes presented in this paper are based on data obtained from research conducted through in-depth interviews with members of the Interreligious Council in BiH, analysis of the content of texts published in the media about the aforementioned cases in January 2023, and comparative analysis, with the aim of elucidating the possibility of reviving interreligious dialogue, mutual understanding and the role of the media in those processes.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dejana Radovanović Šarenac
REVIEW OF THE STATUS AND POSITION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The main intention of the author of the work is to indicate the position and status of members of the Jewish community in post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of course, looking at the newly created situation is impossible without an insight into the historical conditions and circumstances in which Jews lived and worked in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will determine their existence even in the modern age. In order to obtain relevant information, we conducted an interview with connoisseurs of circumstances and historical facts related to the Jewish community in BiH, in order to obtain adequate answers to some of the questions that include the determination of cultural conflicts by religious differences in BiH from the point of view of the Jewish people; the position and status of members of the Jewish community in post-Deit Bosnia and Herzegovina; the quality and extent of social inclusion of members of the Jewish community in the socio-political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and the quality of relations and connections between members of the Jewish community and representatives of other religious groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina? We believe that with this information, we will draw attention to the current position of members of the Jewish community in our society, and demystify the decline in its numbers in our society.
Copyright (c) 2024 Biljana Milošević Šošo
THE “HOUSE OF GOD”: THE ROLE OF RELIGION AND LITURGY IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF SACRED BUILDINGS
The paper wishes to analyse the religious buildings, with special attention to the Christian ones, considering their transformation due to liturgical and religious reasons. The aim of the research relates to the needs of restoration and conservation of the buildings. The restoration and conservation work compels the understanding of all the historical construction phases of the building itself, and the reasons for them, in order to plan a good project, able to respect their real “authenticity”, according to the Nara charter, established by ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) in 1994. The Nara document is inspired by the Venice Charter, approved in 1964 and adopted by ICOMOS in 1965, where, in chapter 3, is stated that: “The intention in conserving and restoring monuments is to safeguard them no less as works of art than as historical evidence.” Restoration refers to the conservation of the historical evidence plus the historical meaning of the building. The traces, even if hidden, of the past, related to different conceiving of the building, must be transferred to the future and made available and comprehensible for everyone. The valorisation of the building, as it is defined by the Italian law of 2004 is a tool for the dissemination of culture, because the culture must be accessible to everyone. The religion and the places devoted to sharing spiritual values, in any geographical and political position and at any time, focusing on intercultural dialogue in a peaceful environment, must be accepted and the work of restoration must be connected with the transformation in order to ensure the respect of the cultural values of religious places. Starting from the re-transformation of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, from Museum to Mosque and the reception of the transformation from the history and history of art international environment, the paper has the intention to offer an overview, through different examples related to diverse times and places, of the role of the religion and liturgy in the transformation of the house of god and the connection with the cultural environment considering that the transformation has a strong connection with the restoration activities both on the decorative elements and spatial dimension of the religious buildings and their environment.
religious and Cultural Heritage Valorisation