Protestantism

Why so few witches were executed in Wales in the middle ages

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

While there were an estimated 500 executions in England, and between 3,000 and 4,000 killings in Scotland, only five people were hanged for witchcraft in Wales.

Key Points:

While there were an estimated 500 executions in England, and between 3,000 and 4,000 killings in Scotland, only five people were hanged for witchcraft in Wales.
Early modern Wales was unique in its outlook on witchcraft.
Distinct elements of Welsh culture, including superstition and religion, halted the witch trials seen across the rest of Britain and Europe.

Accusations of witchcraft

We know from those trial records that suspicions and verbal accusations of witchcraft like those seen across the rest of Britain and Europe were common in Wales.
They also happened under similar circumstances where accusations often followed an argument, or a request for charity which was denied.
Their accusers were neighbours, relatives and in many cases, people with financial and personal reasons to make accusations.
This left juries in early modern Wales in serious doubt about how sensible witch accusations were.

Religion

The people of Wales were not without religion, but they preferred prayer to doctrine.
Generally, Welsh people could not read or understand the Bible, which was not fully translated into Welsh until the late 1500s.
There is evidence that many people continued to seek the aid of charmers instead of the church.
This sort of formal cursing was often phrased as a petitionary prayer to God, emphasising the overlap between witchcraft and religion in Wales.

Mari Ellis Dunning does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

English language groups host discussion on the future vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking community

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

ELAN, FLQ, Protestantism, Poverty, Research, Employment, PERT

Montreal, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The English Language Arts Network (ELAN) and the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) are hosting a discussion on the topic of economic vitality for Quebec’s English-speaking community.

Key Points:

Montreal, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The English Language Arts Network (ELAN) and the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) are hosting a discussion on the topic of economic vitality for Quebec’s English-speaking community.
In a moment characterized by decreased economic vitality for Québec’s English speakers, the discussion will be an opportunity to focus on the resilience of Quebec’s English-speaking community.
Nicholas Salter, Executive Director of PERT, emphasized the importance of addressing the challenges faced by English speakers in Quebec.
“We believe that it is important to facilitate a discussion that acknowledges the current challenges for English speakers in our province.

‘Tarry awhile’: how the Black spiritual tradition of waiting expectantly could enrich your approach to Lent

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Love, Catholic Church, Archbishop, Mindfulness, Gospel, Life, Attention, Bible, Death, Fasting, Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Society, Black church

For the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, observers devote themselves to fasting, prayer and acts of generous giving.

Key Points:

For the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, observers devote themselves to fasting, prayer and acts of generous giving.
Entitled Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for People of Faith, this selection speaks to the growing salience of Black spirituality globally, especially in regards to Christianity.
The Archbishop’s Lenten book choice cordially redirects religious literary attention to the influence of Black spirituality in Anglican thought.

“To tarry” is to linger in anticipation – be that of a person or an occurrence.
In a Christian context, it is about waiting on God, expectantly.

Tarrying in the Christian tradition

Overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he asks his disciples to, “tarry here and watch with me”.
In biblical literature, tarrying refers to an individual or community patiently, longingly waiting in one setting or state for something.
The concept of tarrying surfaces in the historical development of academic Christian theology.

In Black Christian spirituality, the concept of tarrying exists as a familiar, mature spiritual ritual that practically manifests in a variety of ways.
Like meditating, tarrying prioritises mindfulness over negligence or indifference.
Within the Pentecostal tradition, specifically, tarrying is seen as a spiritual discipline.
Religiously, tarrying means replacing the attention seeking anxieties of everyday life with a focus on the spiritual, the social and the relational.

Dr Christopher Wadibia receives funding from a postdoctoral research fellowship specialising in race, theology, and religious studies based at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.

How religion and politics will mix in 2024 – three trends to track

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election – much as it did in previous years.

Key Points:

Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election – much as it did in previous years.
Despite an overall shift away from participation in organized religion in the U.S. populace, religious rhetoric in the political arena has intensified.
In the 2016 race, evangelical voters contributed, in part, to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s victory.
Historical evidence can help identify trends that will likely influence the mix of religion and politics in the year ahead.

1. End-times rhetoric

End-times rhetoric has long played a prominent role in American politics.
Ever since Puritan John Winthrop first called America a “city on the hill” – meaning a shining example for the world to follow – the threat of losing that divinely appointed status has consistently been employed by presidential candidates.
John F. Kennedy employed that exact image of the “city on the hill” in a 1961 speech on the cusp of his inauguration, claiming that – with “God’s help” – valor, integrity, dedication and wisdom would define his administration.

By March 2023, at the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference, he predicted that “if they [Democrats] win, we no longer have a country.” Biden has likewise drawn on the image of final battles.
In a speech at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall on Sept. 1, 2022, he said that he and his supporters are in “a battle for the soul of this nation.”

2. Divine mandate

Since the establishment of the republic, many U.S. political leaders have claimed a divine mandate.
Scholars have long documented how those in power employ claims of divine authority to legitimize their role in a host of different countries.
Recently, some U.S. politicians and public commentators have shifted to claiming divine authority for anti-democratic actions.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 election, the switch from historical claims of divine authority for democracy to divine authority to challenge democracy is already obvious and apparent.

3. White supremacy and Christian nationalism

Likewise, the unapologetically white supremacist “alt-right movement” that coalesced in 2010 around the philosophies of biological racism and the belief in the superiority of white peoples around the world have likewise mixed overt white supremacy with religious doctrines.
This close connection between religious claims and white supremacy among overtly racist organizations has shown up in mainline political arenas as well.
Evangelical leaders have consistently failed to condemn or disassociate themselves from leaders with overt white supremacy connections.
In spring of 2023, 26 members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee refused to sign a letter denouncing white supremacy.

Tobin Miller Shearer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Chat with God Offers AI-Powered Spiritual Guidance

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

SAN, Islam, Hope, Protestantism, Love, History, Catholic Church, Spirituality, Judaism, Judgement, AI, SMS, Pro, Daily, Mobile phone

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to expand access to spiritual guidance to seekers from all religious backgrounds, the launch of ChatwithGod.ai comes at a pivotal moment in history to help those seeking spiritual guidance within their own lives and to find common ground with others. This innovative AI-powered platform enables users to engage in conversation, receiving personalized religious verses and comfort. The platform also offers the opportunity to explore for those who identify as agnostic or atheist.

Key Points:

ChatwithGod.ai was founded as a response to the turbulent times we are living in—a digital sanctuary where spiritual well-being is nurtured.
As questions evolve, Chat with God responds in turn and scales so that it can share resources in real time around the globe.
Over 50 languages are available on Chat with God including English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Hindu, German, French, Korean, and Vietnamese.
The free version offers unlimited conversations and dialogue with Chat with God.

Fuller Seminary Receives $1.25M Gift as part of Compelling Preaching Initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Retrieved on:

Monday, October 30, 2023

The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative.

Key Points:

The program is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative.
Specifically, the Fuller team seeks to document compelling preaching both across and within these four ethnic traditions.
"We are deeply grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for their unwavering commitment to the art of compelling preaching,” said Fuller President David Emmanuel Goatley.
Fuller is one of 81 organizations receiving grants through this competitive round of the Compelling Preaching Initiative.

Five witchcraft myths debunked by an expert

Retrieved on:

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, an estimated 50,000 people, mostly women, were executed for witchcraft across Europe.

Key Points:

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, an estimated 50,000 people, mostly women, were executed for witchcraft across Europe.
They were accused of devil-worship, heresy and harming their neighbours by using witchcraft.

1. Witchcraft is a medieval idea

The Christian church was sceptical about the reality of witchcraft until the 15th century.
Before that there were very few witchcraft trials, because acts of witchcraft were believed to be an illusion caused by the Devil with the permission of God.

2. Witchcraft trials occurred everywhere

Most witchcraft trials happened in central, western, or northern Europe.
In places like Iceland and Wales, there were very few witchcraft trials at all.
It seems that local beliefs about magic and witchcraft, alongside the attitudes of clergymen and judges, may be the reasons for this.

3. The Inquisition tried and executed most witches

They have become notorious for their rigour in rooting out opposition to Catholic orthodoxy.
Across the whole of the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, the inquisitions executed fewer suspects than were hanged in England.

4. Only women were tried for witchcraft

It’s true that 80% of those tried and executed for witchcraft were women.
In England, women on the margins of society were more vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft when things went wrong for their neighbours, such as inexplicable deaths or harm.
The suspects’ networks were founded on their sex; women named women and the few male suspects named men.

5. Witches were really the followers of a pagan fertility cult

This new religion was founded by Gerald Gardner who revived what he believed to be ancient pagan witchcraft in the 1930s.
Most witches were ordinary Christian women who found themselves accused of witchcraft by their neighbours, or denounced by other suspects under torture.

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Jonathan Durrant does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Wesleyan Impact Partners Receives $1.25 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Lilly Endowment Inc., a philanthropic foundation committed to supporting causes of community development, education, and religion, granted Wesleyan Impact Partners $1.25 million to fund the Phygital Preaching Fellows initiative as part of Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative.

Key Points:

Lilly Endowment Inc., a philanthropic foundation committed to supporting causes of community development, education, and religion, granted Wesleyan Impact Partners $1.25 million to fund the Phygital Preaching Fellows initiative as part of Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative.
“Wesleyan Impact Partners works to empower the church to achieve its mission through an ecosystem of congregations, clergy, and spiritual entrepreneurs.
"We are honored to receive this grant from Lilly Endowment and support their distinguished mission of helping individuals, families, and communities thrive and flourish,” said Dr. Maggie Jackson, Wesleyan Impact Partners Board Chair.
Wesleyan Impact Partners Learning and Innovation initiative began with a Lilly Endowment grant awarded in 2003 to the Texas Methodist Foundation.

This Christian text you've never heard of, The Shepherd of Hermas, barely mentions Jesus − but it was a favorite of early Christians far and wide

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Writings that didn’t make it into the Bible, on the other hand, are often called “apocrypha,” a Greek term that refers to hidden or secret things.

Key Points:

Writings that didn’t make it into the Bible, on the other hand, are often called “apocrypha,” a Greek term that refers to hidden or secret things.
There are hundreds of apocryphal Jewish and Christian texts that, for one reason or another, were not included in different versions of the Bible.
Just because a text was deemed apocryphal, however, does not mean that it was unpopular or lacked influence.

Enslaved to God

The Shepherd urges self-control and fear of God, trying to instill obedience and avoid allowing emotions like fear or doubt to overcome believers.
My own research on the Shepherd focuses on how the text depicts believers as enslaved to God, as is true of some other early Christian literature as well.
The writer imagines that God’s holy spirit is able to enter loyal believers’ bodies and possess them, urging them to do what God wills.
Instead, readers find a story about an otherwise unknown enslaved man named Hermas experiencing visions and talking with divine beings in the Italian countryside.

‘Useful for the soul’

The Shepherd became one of the most popular texts among Christians for the first five centuries C.E.
The Shepherd is even included in what scholars consider one of the oldest and most complete Bibles in the world.
The Codex Sinaiticus, however, a fourth- or fifth-century manuscript now held at the British Library, ends with the Shepherd.
Even figures who did not include the Shepherd among New Testament texts thought it was too important to be discarded.

An open Bible

As the Shepherd helps demonstrate, whether a religious text is included or excluded from the Bible is not necessarily an indicator of its popularity or significance.
While scholars often lament that the Shepherd is boring, pedantic or too long, its style likely made it ideal teaching material for early Christians.
In religious communities, the idea of “canonical texts” can be especially limiting, determining what believers can or can’t read or believe.

How this summer's hit 'Rich Men North of Richmond' was appropriated by both the right and left

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Rich Men North of Richmond by Oliver Anthony, which appeared on YouTube just a few weeks ago, is the No.

Key Points:

Rich Men North of Richmond by Oliver Anthony, which appeared on YouTube just a few weeks ago, is the No.
Sociologically speaking, although its content is essentially libertarian, the song muddies the waters between the American populist left and the right.
His hit is clearly on the right of the political spectrum and lauded by Republicans.
As researchers working in the field of political sociology, we are interested in representations of those within nationalist and populist movements.

Two visions of the “people”

Each sees the political field as divided between the people (seen as organic, authentic and moral) and elites (which are considered disconnected, strategic, inauthentic and above all, immoral).
In their view it is characterized by its high capital of autochthony, of “local people,” as opposed to immigrants or elites.

Work valued, work despised

From this perspective, Anthony’s evocation of the situation of miners activates solidarity among the people who do this kind of work.
In this way, they reconfigure their identity by responding to the contempt in which their occupation is held.
Finally, assiduous religious practice is often associated with adherence to a populist conception of politics.

A class discourse with a libertarian dimension

However, what sets Anthony’s song apart from the usual populist right-wing discourse is that it formulates a class opposition based on socioeconomic income.
This goes further than the vague evocation of an opposition between common people and elites.
This type of occupational retraining will attenuate the anxiety generated by the “New World” Anthony evokes in his song.

Inflation and ‘peripheral regions’

Firstly, there’s the widespread perception that the left has abandoned the blue-collar workers to whom Rich Men is de facto addressed.
Part of this segment of the population feels scorned by “elites” who monopolize symbolic, educational and cultural capital.
Inhabitants of the rural areas tend not to feel represented by elected representatives and the media.

Polarization benefits populists

But there are some sociological lessons to be learned about polarization.
To defuse the polarization that feeds the populist right, its opponents must stop appealing to them as a “basket of deplorables,” to cite Hilary Clinton’s elitist phrase.
Opponents of the populist right must also stop pathologizing them, as is often the case in psychological approaches to political radicalization.
Rather than defusing the framing and polarization that benefit populist politicians, these approaches reinforce them.