Religious History

This paper argues that Joseph Smith's plural marriage system did not emerge in isolation but belongs to a longer American lineage of perfectionist and prophet-controlled marital experimentation, in which charismatic leaders claimed authority to override civil marriage and assign or reassign spiritual unions. A variety of influences combined in early America to create religious environments that allowed a gradual modification of the traditional Christian ideal of monogamous marriage.

Paper presented at the Mormon History Association Conference, Las Vegas, June 2026.

In this historical study, with a particular focus on religious history, I compare the lasting effects of original, pre-monotheistic elements of belief in the Armenian Highlands, especially among the Indo-European peoples of the Armenians and Kurds. Little is known about pre-Christian Armenian mythology and religious beliefs, which were apparently highly syncretistic and shaped by the veneration of nature and its elements. Being of Indo-European origin, they were later strongly influenced by Mazdaism (e.g., the deities' beliefs of Aramazd, Mit(h)ra/Mihr, and Anahit) and Assyrian traditions. Urartian, Mesopotamian, and Greek deities were also adopted. Monotheism first reached the Armenian settlement area from Iran in the form of Zoroastrianism (Zarathustrianism), or Mazdaism (also Parsism). This religion, which is named after its founder Zarathustra is based on very ancient Indo-Iranian traditions and lore, originating between 1800 and 600 BCE. Its origins are disputed. It spread from around the 7th to the 4th century BCE in the Iranian cultural area (from eastern Asia Minor and Mesopotamia to Persia and Central Asia).

When in 1415 the rector of Prague University and religious reformer Jan Hus was burnt at stake in Constanz, Bohemia's attempt to religious reform evolved in the Hussite wars. 1 Their settlement in 1436 at the Council of Basel legalised the existence of the Hussite non-Catholic enclave within Western Christianity. The Basel Accord, sealed in 1436, created the legal framework for the existence of the semi-independent Bohemian Utraquist Church (sub utraque speciedistribution of lay chalice). The Bohemian Utraquist (Calixtine) church, as the Hussite offspring came to be called later, and its splint-offs, was viewed with a great suspicion from outside Bohemia as the Bohemian heretical church.

This study shows that charity played a key role in shaping medieval society. It helped bring people together, supported religious life, and maintained existing social classes. By examining how giving to charity supported essential values such as religious duty, community unity, and social order across different regions, the study argues that charity met social needs while maintaining the same power structures. For example, religious beliefs led wealthy people to establish hospitals and schools, and charity groups became necessary for both social order and community identity. Drawing on many sources, this study argues that, regardless of region, the main effect of medieval charity was its ability to meet immediate needs while preserving existing systems. Understanding this dual role is essential for seeing where modern charity comes from and how private giving and public assistance remain connected.

In today's increasingly globalized world, church leaders must navigate cultural diversity to foster unity and effective ministry. This study examines the impact of the Society of African Missions (SMA) Charter of Formation on shaping intercultural competence within Catholic Church leadership, particularly within the Society of African Missions (SMA). Intercultural competence, defined as the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries, is essential for church leaders who serve diverse congregations. However, a research gap exists in understanding how church training programs, especially within the Catholic Church, integrate intercultural competence to equip ministers for culturally diverse settings. This research examines the impact of the SMA Charter, a key formation tool, on preparing ministers to address such challenges. Using a correlational research methodology, the study examines the SMA Charter's approach to intercultural training, focusing on its integration of language acquisition, cultural immersion, and understanding of social context. The key findings reveal that SMA's holistic approach enables ministers to engage deeply with the cultural and spiritual needs of diverse communities. The SMA Charter emphasizes cultural appreciation, social science integration, and interreligious dialogue, offering a comprehensive training framework that prepares ministers for multicultural ministry. It is recommended that multicultural Catholic Dioceses incorporate the intercultural elements of SMA's formation into their training programmes to better equip seminarians for multicultural ministry. By doing so, it will foster more inclusive, compassionate, and effective church leadership capable of bridging cultural divides and addressing the needs of all community members.

This chapter explores ethnicity, culture, honour, communication, and the misunderstandings that arise when outsiders fail to understand the implicit messages of cultural practices. In these situations, differences can polarize. Difference and identity may be both familiar and unexamined.
Here, a practice of personal storytelling mediates communication in ways that honour one another in the midst of our difference. These stories are a reminder that we all need to grow our cultural knowledge - whether new migrants, or those we assume we know (established ethnicities in multi-ethnic societies).

Prostate cancer is one of the most common and lethal cancers in the world. The incidence of prostate cancer has been increasing in recent years. Beliefs and awareness towards prostate cancer screening among men is very crucial for early detection and management of the condition. In Nigeria, it is the most common male cancer and maybe as high as that seen in African Americans in the united states.
This paper examines the knowledge, belief and attitudes of men in Nigeria towards prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening for the peaceful existence in our society

Nationalism creates a sense of belonging among individuals and groups by emphasizing  shared  characteristics  that,  over  time,  form  a  broader collective identity.The constructed identity also forms a set of obligations for the people and groups to integrate a designed behavior to recurrently validate their sense of belonging with the respective group, tribe,or state,etc.  The  state  discourses  and  policies  often  regularize  certain  acts, gestures, and beliefs as a part of the assertion of nationalism in an attempt to preserve the identity of the state. In authoritarian states,due to a lack of democratic traditions and practices, once the  core  beliefs of nationalism are established,  these  are  hardly  debated,  challenged,or  discussed. Religious  nationalism  generates  an  unyielding  form  of  authority  while requiring  people  to  submit  without  any  spaces  for  social,  political,and religious dissent. Pakistan,nevertheless,is a federal democracy, conceived as  an  independent  state  on  the  basis  of  its  religious  identity.  The nationalism in Pakistan is perceived as ‘Pakistaniyat’;however, over the years,this idea,at least through state discourses,has remained subjected to  Islamization  of  state  and  society  with varyingintensity  while  creating categories of citizens. The study focuses on how the idea of nationalism has evolved  in  Pakistan  before  and  after  independence.  This  paper  also explicates  how,over  the  period  of  time,  the  notion  of  Pakistaniyat  has evolved.  This  research  also  explains  what  Pakistaniyat  means  in  its  real essence  and  how  it  is  interpreted.Additionally,  how are the  religious minorities and their relationship with the state and society affected by these ideas  of  Pakistani  nationalism?  Does  Pakistaniyat  provoke  strong religious  othering  and the politics  of  exclusion  of  religious  minorities  in Pakistan? This research is primarily exploratory in nature and concludes that religious nationalism alone cannot help in the process of integration and harmony,as it diminishes the spaces for other forms of identity. There is a need to encourage intellectual debate on civic nationalism in Pakistan to explore what may legitimately constitute Pakistaniyat.

Il volume affronta la cerimonialità pontificia nel delicato passaggio dall’Antico
Regime al mondo restaurato, occupandosi dei pontificati di Pio VI, Pio VII e
Leone XII. Si tratta di una fase storica in cui le tradizioni delle cerimonie papali
furono sottoposte alla dura prova del fenomeno rivoluzionario e napoleonico,
che condusse alla forzata mancanza da Roma dei papi Braschi e Chiaramonti.
A cavallo tra XVIII e XIX secolo, lo svolgimento dei conclavi in tre luoghi diversi
(Vaticano-Venezia-Quirinale) imporrà ai cerimonieri pontifici e al Collegio dei
cardinali tutta una serie di riflessioni sulla permanenza e sull’adattabilità degli
elementi tradizionali del cerimoniale e delle consuetudini pontificie.
Quelle molteplici cerimonie che descrivono la relazione del papa con i sovrani,
i principi e i loro rappresentanti costituiscono un terreno di dialogo e di confronto acceso, dove emergono compromessi, cessioni, riduzioni e una rielaborazione dell’immagine del pontefice più marcatamente spirituale.
Indagando la mens cerimoniale romana, affiorano le preoccupazioni ma anche
le possibilità per la rappresentazione del Papato in una delle epoche più travagliate della sua storia.

Статья посвящена истории участия старообрядцев в Великой Отечественной вой не и освящает малоизученный вопрос -дезертирство по религиозным мотивам. Статья написана на материалах полевых исследований, проведенных участниками экспедиции Архива РАН и Археографической лаборатории Исторического факультета МГУ им. М. В. Ломоносова среди старообрядцев-беспоповцев в поселке Килинск. Источниковой базой послужили аудиозаписи интервью, собранных в ходе полевых исследований в 2003-2015 гг., фокусирующихся на изучении повседневной религиозности. В статье анализируется случай Митрофана Кондратьевича Козлова -строгого наставника общины старообрядцев-беспоповцев часовенного согласия из Кемеровской области. Всю свою жизнь и жизнь своей семьи Митрофан Кондратьевич выстраивал в соответствии с собственным пониманием христианских правил и строгих запретов. Ключевые слова: Митрофан Кондратьевич Козлов, старообрядцы-беспоповцы, часовенное согласие, биография. Отношения и деятельность: не оказывают влияния на представленный материал.

Testo trascritto e rielaborato del Seminario didattico-scientifico tenuto dall’autore agli studenti dell’Università di Siena, Corso di Epistemologia generale, il 31 marzo 2026.
Con Savonarola l'autore esplora gli ultimi decenni del Quattrocento, per osservare le origini profonde di quel processo che avrebbe segnato il tramonto dell’età di mezzo e l’avvento della modernità. Ci troviamo in un momento di straordinaria transizione, nel quale si manifestano mutamenti destinati a trasformare radicalmente gli assetti religiosi, politici e culturali dell’Europa. In questo scenario emerge la figura, per molti aspetti anomala, di Girolamo Savonarola. Il frate domenicano si collocò infatti su una linea di aperto contrasto con il proprio tempo e divenne interprete di una critica radicale ai processi di trasformazione che stavano investendo la cristianità occidentale.

This study outlines the evolution of the figurative representation of the protomartyr Saint Torpes from the late 6th century to the 21st century. Through the analysis of more than twenty works-ranging from early medieval paintings of Nero di Nello to major Mannerist and Baroque paintings by Aurelio Lomi, Francesco Vanni, Rutilio Manetti, Salvator Rosa and Orazio Riminaldi, as well as the silver reliquary bust from Pisa (1667) and the polychrome wooden bust from Saint-Tropez (c. 1690), up to contemporary interpretations by Graça Morais and António Caetano-the text examines how the saint's iconography mirrored the historical, artistic and devotional transformations of Christian Europe. Special emphasis is given to the rivalry between Lucca and Pisa over the patronage of the martyr. This competition turned Saint Torpes into a symbol of civic and religious identity, reflecting the political struggles for hegemony in medieval Tuscany. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the Catholic Reformation, particularly the influence of Cardinal Baronio, in strengthening the cult of the martyr as a tool of civic identity, visual theology and faith consolidation. The hagiographic narrative of this maritime saint, whose body was carried by sea from Pisa to Provence and Portugal, emerges as a central element in the sacralization of territory and the connection between Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic Hispanic shores.

El siguiente artículo trata de sacar a la luz importante documentación llegada a la Corona de Felipe II, a comienzos del año 1594, que se refiere a hechos sucedidos en 1593 y que afecta a algunos de los principales rivales del monarca, como eran D. António, Prior de Crato y Antonio Pérez, con el hilo conductor de un personaje llamado Diogo Botelho. En primer lugar, se lleva a cabo un análisis de las trayectorias de los dos fidalgos portugueses llamados Diogo Botelho, la de «o moço», quien fuera gobernador general del Estado de Brasil y la de su primo, quien acompañó al Prior de Crato hasta el final de sus días para acabar con el problema de homonimia que, en ocasiones, ha caracterizado a la historiografía escrita sobre ambos. La imposibilidad de conocer de manera fehaciente a cuál de los dos Diogo Botelho que estuvieron en el entorno tanto de Felipe II como del Prior de Crato se refiere la documentación hace necesario que, a través de un diálogo con las fuentes primarias y secundarias pertinentes, se extraigan una serie de hipótesis sobre esta cuestión. Por tanto, se intenta esclarecer la actuación de estos individuos y conocer qué importancia tuvieron en las décadas de 1580-1590 para, en último término, demostrar cómo uno de ellos sirvió de espía a la Corona de Felipe II.

No trabalho seguinte tentaremos investigar o papel dos governadores na América portuguesa (Brasil) na altura em que pertencia à Monarquia Hispânica (1580-1640). Será feita uma tentativa de analisar a importância destes governadores gerais de um ponto de vista pessoal, político e social. Por outro lado, estudaremos as repercussões que estes governadores tiveram no desenvolvimento político que se verificou no território durante o período da Monarquia Hispânica em todas as suas facetas: Fazenda, Justiça e Guerra. É importante investigar o papel desempenhado neste processo pela principal figura política enviada para a América portuguesa para governar o território. O cargo de Governador-geral foi fundamental, pois foi ele o elo de ligação entre Madrid/Lisboa e os territórios coloniais, uma vez que foi ele o responsável pela combinação das orientações políticas e estratégias militares que emanavam do centro político, bem como pela direção, qualificação e mesmo o envolvimento no projeto reformista que estava a ser tentado. Estamos, portanto, a falar do principal agente imperial da Monarquia na América portuguesa, e estudaremos as trajetórias que levaram cada um deles a ser nomeado Governador-geral do Estado do Brasil. Em suma, procuraremos identificar o papel desta figura política no seio de uma rede burocrática que estava a sofrer extensas mudanças neste período.

The article introduces key concepts related to research into the historical notions of privacy, provides a brief historiographical overview, and discusses methodological tools that allow the researcher to examine privacy in primary sources. The second part discusses examples of the Jewish lived experience in the early modern period that were not only shaped by Jewish legal discourses but by the specific living conditions of an ethno-religious minority. The article offers some suggestions as to how privacy could have been understood in early modern Jewish communities and how individuals may have negotiated it in regards to the concepts of home, intimacy, gender, and notions of secrecy.

Privacy is a concept that gained its legal existence relatively recently, in 1890, in an article by Warren and Brandeis “The Right for Privacy”.  They define it as the “right to be let alone”. This supposedly makes any attempt to look for privacy in the early modern period anachronistic, because, as one may suggest, it is impossible to look for something that did not exist at the time. While the modern concept of privacy was established only in 1890, this does not mean that people of the past did not have an understanding of their privacy, a claim that has been refuted in recent scholarship.

La Collezione Fluss rappresenta un insieme di reperti di straordinario valore storico e artistico. Il suo trasferimento al “Georges Vallet” non è solo un’operazione museale, ma un vero e proprio atto di restituzione culturale al territorio. I pezzi della collezione, che spaziano dalla ceramica antica alla statuaria, offrono una preziosa testimonianza degli scambi e della vita quotidiana nelle epoche che hanno plasmato il Mediterraneo.

Nous vivons une époque où la capacité à penser par soi-même et la rationalité sont en régression. Ce n’est pas la première fois que cela se produit dans l’histoire de l’humanité.
Mais ce genre de régression a souvent conduit à des catastrophes. Ainsi, le terme « identité » apparait fréquemment dans les textes et les proclamations de certains extrémistes politiques.  Or il peut recouvrir des notions très différentes. Notre capacité à penser librement suppose que nous soyons capables de bien identifier les valeurs portées par les mots et de ne pas confondre les mots et les idées.
Cet article essaie de faire le point sur la notion d'identité et sur les manipulations qui pourraient s'en servir pour désamorcer l'esprit critique.

We are living in an age where the ability to think for oneself and rationality are in decline. This is not the first time this has happened in human history. But this kind of decline has often led to disasters.
Thus, the term ‘identity’ appears frequently in the writings and proclamations of certain political extremists. Yet, it can encompass very different concepts. Our ability to think freely depends on our capacity to clearly identify the values conveyed by words and not to confuse words with ideas.
This article attempts to examine the concept of identity and to flush out the manipulations which might use it to undermine critical thinking.

What role did widows play in medieval society?

This article contributes to research on women and religion in the Middle Ages.

It analyses expectations toward widows based on the teachings of medieval preachers, showing how their lives were shaped by moral and religious norms.

Keywords: history of widows, history of women in medieval society, history of medieval religion, history of moral norms, history of family.

See also my other publications on women’s roles and religious teaching in medieval society.

Relevant for researchers interested in medieval religion and women’s history.

Drawing on the teachings of two medieval preachers, Bernardino of Siena and Gilbert of Tournai, the author of the article presents the duties, virtues and vices of widows of the period. The author demonstrates which of their behaviours were accepted or criticized by medieval society. As it turns out, every widow, regardless of her social status, was expected to be devout, modest, diligent and capable of overcoming all weakness. The most
popular examples to follow were the biblical Anna and Judith, who emerged victorious from every, even the most difficult, trial. When it came to remarrying, the preachers urged widows not to think about remarriage, but to devote themselves to prayer, caring for children or grandchildren, work and helping their neighbours. Moreover, they recommended that widows
lead a regularised lifestyle, like nuns enclosed within the walls of a monastery, even if they remained in the world. The vices most frequently criticized by the preachers included laziness, curiosity, debauchery and lust. However, according to the preachers, all these weaknes sescould be overcome by prayer, fasting and penance.

This article traces a continuous institutional and theological lineage from the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) to a contemporary Dutch public intellectual project-the 2025-2026 NRC Handelsblad column series on the four cardinal virtues co-authored by historian Beatrice de Graaf (Utrecht University) and philosopher Rik Peels (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). The argument is structural rather than evaluative. The suppression of Remonstrant theology by Prince Maurice of Orange in 1619 established a specific configuration of virtue, community, and authority that was subsequently formalized in Abraham Kuyper's neo-Calvinist doctrine of sphere sovereignty, institutionalized in the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and its theological research infrastructure, transmitted into contemporary analytical philosophy through Reformed Epistemology (Plantinga, Peels), and remains traceable in the communitarian virtue framework of the De Graaf-Peels column series.

This paper argues that the New Testament emerged within a Hellenized Mediterranean ecosystem in which Jewish scripture, Second Temple theology, Greco-Roman biography, rhetorical education, holy-man traditions, and Second Sophistic literary conventions had been interacting for centuries before the first Gospel was written. Rather than positioning the New Testament as either pure history or pure mythology, this study proposes that it belongs to a specific literary genre typical of the ancient world: the theological biography of a holy man, shaped simultaneously by Jewish scriptural tradition and the literary conventions of Greco-Roman culture.
The paper proceeds through ten interconnected areas of inquiry: the definition and scope of the Second Sophistic as a cultural movement; the role of Jewish Hellenism, particularly through figures such as Philo of Alexandria, as the critical bridge between Jewish scriptural tradition and Greco-Roman literary culture; the relationship between the Gospels and ancient Greco-Roman biography; the phenomenon of literary mimesis within early Christian texts; the typological construction of Jesus as fulfillment of earlier scriptural models; the place of miracle traditions within a wider Mediterranean culture of wonder-working; the literary conventions of martyrdom that shaped the passion narratives; the Book of Acts as the New Testament text most visibly operating within Hellenistic literary and rhetorical conventions; the insights of modern memory studies for understanding community transmission of tradition; and a formal engagement with the five major objections scholars are likely to raise against this thesis.
A concluding synthetic model distinguishes four analytical layers within the New Testament: a historical core, community memory, Jewish scriptural reinterpretation, and Second Sophistic literary embellishment. A dedicated section on the implications of the model addresses what changes for New Testament scholarship, historical Jesus research, the mythicism debate, and the broader understanding of Christianity as a civilizational synthesis, if the argument is accepted. This paper does not argue that the Second Sophistic caused the New Testament's literary character. It argues that the New Testament was produced within a cultural environment in which Second Sophistic literary norms were pervasive, and that this environment shaped the texts in ways that were normal, expected, and meaningful within their original context.
 

This capstone project reflects on the intellectual, spiritual, and theological development achieved throughout the Master of Theological Studies program. The study integrates insights from spirituality, biblical exegesis, hermeneutics, church history, Christian thought, and world religions to demonstrate how theological education shapes both personal faith and practical ministry. Drawing from coursework in MRS 622, MRS 633, foundational biblical studies, and advanced theological courses, the paper explores the formation of a spiritually grounded worldview that integrates faith, reason, ethics, and Christian discipleship.

The project examines the value of spiritual maturity as a lifelong process of transformation into the image of Christ through prayer, Scripture meditation, ethical living, and community engagement. It further analyzes the disciplined process of biblical exegesis using the social-historical-grammatical approach, emphasizing the importance of authorial intent, contextual interpretation, and responsible application of Scripture. Particular attention is given to Paul’s metaphor of the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10–18, demonstrating how Old Testament imagery, Jewish literature, and interpretive assumptions influence theological understanding.

Additionally, the study investigates the historical development of Christian doctrine and church leadership, distinguishing between biblical teachings rooted in the original context of Scripture and later theological interpretations shaped by cultural and philosophical influences. The final section engages Islam as a major world religion, exploring its historical background, theological foundations, and contemporary global influence while presenting a respectful and theologically informed Christian response.

Overall, this capstone demonstrates that theological education is not merely the acquisition of academic knowledge but a transformative process that deepens spiritual maturity, strengthens biblical interpretation, and equips believers for faithful ministry and constructive engagement with diverse worldviews.

Dear all,

I am pleased to inform you that the fifth issue of the New ICOHTEC Newsletter (ISSN 2070-8548) for 2026 is now available on the ICOHTEC website:

https://www.icohtec.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/icohtec_newsletter_231_May2026.pdf



This issue features a wide range of content, including:

- Interview with Martin Meiske (ICOHTEC Executive Committee Member).

- James Williams: Obituary written by Stefan Poser.

- Turriano ICOHTEC Prize 2026: deadline fast approaching!

-ICOHTEC 53rd Annual Meeting: Early bird registration is closing soon!

- New Book: Media Change: Contemporary Cases, Consequences, and Conceptualizations by Neil Thurman.

-ICOHTEC Newsletter: Cover page archival item and a glimpse into ICOHTEC history through past issues.

-A curated list of recent publications, as well as upcoming calls, events and news of interest.

Thank you.

12h30-12h40 -Questions 12h40 -Déjeuner 14h00-15h Table ronde #1 -La recherche sur le terrain : quelles directions prendre ? Animateur Philippe Barral, université de Franche-Comté François Dumoulin, SRA -Rappel du cadre, historique (séminaire de 2019), étapes à venir (publications)

Generally religious activities concern human beings, which continues to play various roles in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), particularly as it concerns the South East Zone of Nigeria. In the South East of Nigeria, Christianity continues to play important spiritual, social and economic roles in many Police formations in the region. Drawing information from primary and secondary sources, obtained from various Police commands in the region. The study argues that religion has contributed to the spiritual development of numerous police officers and families in many dimensions. The establishment of Chaplaincy Department in the Nigeria Police Force contributed in the shaping of the social and the spiritual life of police officers. The department in the formation contributed numerically, spiritually 1 DIJAH

In 2013, Stefano Villani conducted the following interview with Philip Soergel at the request of Maria Crăciun for Colloquia, a Romanian academic journal devoted to the history of religions and to interdisciplinary discussion in the humanities, published under the auspices of the Department of History and Philosophy of Religions at Babeș-Bolyai University. The interview was part of a broader project devoted to conversations with leading scholars in the field of religious history. Although it was completed and submitted for publication, it never appeared in print. Shortly afterward, Maria Crăciun was no longer able to oversee the journal's activities, and Colloquia eventually ceased publication. The interview therefore remained unpublished for more than a decade. Following Philip Soergel's death in early 2026, it is now being made available here for the first time, both as a tribute to his scholarship and as a record of his reflections on historiography, religion, intellectual history, and the craft of writing history.

As coleções têxteis de cariz religioso, amplamente representadas nos acervos museológicos nacionais, têm sido, em termos gerais, alvo de desinteresse e negligência por parte de conservadores e investigadores da área da história da arte, sendo escassos os especialistas dedicados a este domínio do conhecimento. Todavia, estes testemunhos materiais constituem fontes valiosas de informação para a compreensão das dinâmicas sociais e culturais das épocas em que foram produzidos e utilizados.
O presente artigo tem como objetivo contribuir para o desenvolvimento desta área de investigação, com particular enfoque na paramentaria barroca, mediante o estudo e análise de um dos conjuntos têxteis mais significativos da coleção do Museu de Aveiro/Santa Joana -  os paramentos festivos da Princesa Santa Joana -  contextualizando este espólio no quadro religioso e socioeconómico do período em que se insere.

As coleções têxteis de cariz religioso, amplamente representadas nos acervos museológicos nacionais, têm sido, em termos gerais, alvo de desinteresse e negligência por parte de conservadores e investigadores da área da história da arte, sendo escassos os especialistas dedicados a este domínio do conhecimento. Todavia, estes testemunhos materiais constituem fontes valiosas de informação para a compreensão das dinâmicas sociais e culturais das épocas em que foram produzidos e utilizados.
O presente artigo tem como objetivo contribuir para o desenvolvimento desta área de investigação, com particular enfoque na paramentaria barroca, mediante o estudo e análise de um dos conjuntos têxteis mais significativos da coleção do Museu de Aveiro/Santa Joana -  os paramentos festivos da Princesa Santa Joana -  contextualizando este espólio no quadro religioso e socioeconómico do período em que se insere.

В данной работе исследуется феномен мировых религий как важнейшего социокультурного фактора развития человечества. Раскрывается содержание понятия «мировая религия» и анализируется её роль в структуре современного общества. Основное внимание уделяется трем крупнейшим религиозным системам: христианству, исламу и буддизму, а также их сравнению с национально-региональными верованиями, такими как индуизм и синтоизм. Автор проводит сравнительный анализ догматических и обрядовых особенностей различных конфессий, выявляя их общие черты и принципиальные различия. В заключении рассматривается актуальное значение религиозного фактора в условиях глобализации и его влияние на международные отношения и морально-этические нормы современного мира. Ключевые слова: Мировые религии (христианство, ислам, буддизм), национальные религии (индуизм, синтоизм), религиоведение, социальная роль религии, конфессия, вероучение, культовая практика, межрелигиозный диалог, глобализма.

This article examines the ecclesiastical judicial system of the Old Believer Church of the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, using specific court cases involving clergy as examples. The article focuses on the decision-making mechanisms of the ecclesiastical court and the functioning of the ecclesiastical governance system. Specific examples (the cases of Archdeacon Tavrion Demidov, Bishop Mikhail Semenov, and other clergy) are used to analyze the work of the Holy Council as the highest organ of ecclesiastical justice. The research source base consists of documents from the collections of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the Manuscript Department of the Russian State Library, and the archive of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus’ of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. The materials cover the period 1892–1916 and include investigative proceedings, Council resolutions, petitions, and reports. Particular attention is given to the analysis of specific court cases, the procedure for their consideration, and the adoption of final decisions. The study demonstrates that the church court acted consistently and independently, strictly adhering to canons and church legislation. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential use of the findings for studying the history of the Old Believers, church law, and the church administration system of the period under review. The study’s findings may be useful in reconstructing specific trials and studying the biographies of clergy.

Abstract
Pietro da Verona è stato domenicano e “Inquisitore” duecentesco degli eretici lombardi che, nel 1252, ne ordirono l’assassinio. Venne rapidamente santificato e nel 1290 i frati domenicani iniziarono ad erigerli una grande basilica che però fu consacrata solo nel 1471. Negli stessi decenni fu eletto compatrono di Verona. Frequentando fin da bambino questa grande chiesa, mi ha sempre incuriosito che sia popolarmente conosciuta come Santa Anastasia, nome a cui era probabilmente intitolata una precedente chiesetta, forse eretta in età teodoriciana.  Mi sono spesso chiesto quali fossero le origini di questa insolita “damnatio memoriae” popolare: il suo ruolo di Inquisitore potrebbe esserne la causa remota?
Peter of Verona was a Dominican and a thirteenth-century “Inquisitor” of the Lombard heretics who, in 1252, plotted his assassination. He was quickly canonized, and in 1290 the Dominican friars began building a large basilica for his honor, but it was not consecrated until 1471. During the same decades, he was elected co-patron of Verona. Having frequented this large church since childhood, I have always been intrigued by its popular name of Santa Anastasia, which probably identified by a previous, local small church, perhaps built during the Theodoric era. I have often wondered about the origins of this unusual popular "damnatio memoriae": could have been the memory of his Inquisitor role the remote cause?
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_da_Verona

What does the establishment
of the Zadok Centre in Canberra tell us about the
response of Australian Evangelicals to the social, cultural
and political changes within Australian society during
the 1960s and 70s? While I have sketched out the
institutional and governance issues, I have given priority
to the publications and the theological activities that
developed during this period.

It is commonly thought that there was no indigenous reforming movement in France during the early phase of the Protestant Reformation and that the growth of the Reformed movement in France from the 1550s onward was essentially due to the vision and theological insights John Calvin and his fellow reformers in French-speaking Switzerland.

This view has been recently challenged by new research arguing for the existence of an organised and self-conscious reforming movement in France around the figure of Marguerite de Navarre.

In this thesis I argue that this organised reforming movement had not only a coherent reforming program but also benefitted from the distinctive theological insights of the humanist and theologian Jacques Lefèvre d’Etaples. Lefèvre’s theological views were clearly evangelical, in the early sixteenth century sense of the word, although they were not as far-reaching as the French reformers exiled in Switzerland would have liked.

I argue this through an analysis of a series of homilies and other theological documents published in France in 1520s and 1530s by Lefèvre and his circle of clerics and humanists working together in the diocese of Meaux.

I conclude by arguing that this original evangelical theology was motivated not so much by fear or philosophical presuppositions but by a clear strategic choice.

The subject of this article is religious freedom, which is one of the basic and most important values from the point of view of an individual. The scope of this freedom is subject to constitutional and international protection, as well as provided for in acts of internal law. Religious freedom is also protected on the basis of ultima ratio by means of criminal and civil law. This study focuses on the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, as they exerted the greatest influence on the jurisprudence of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal. The study includes an analysis of the provisions of the constitution of April 2, 1997 relating to the issue of religious freedom in the individual and institutional aspect. Moreover, an attempt was made to answer the question whether the guarantees of religious freedom are adequately secured under international and national law.

This article develops a canonical biblical theology of alcohol through close exegesis of twenty key passages-ten presenting wine as a genuine gift of God and ten presenting it with sustained caution or prohibition. Drawing on evangelical Old and New Testament commentaries, the study argues that Scripture holds both witnesses in irreducible tension: wine is a creation gift designed to gladden the human heart, commanded in Israel's worship, and featured at the eschatological banquet; it is simultaneously subject to prophetic woe, apostolic prohibition, and eschatological warning. A third movement surveys the Church's historical engagement with alcohol from the Apostolic Fathers through the twentieth century, demonstrating that the prohibitionist positionoften presented as the conservative Christian norm-is in fact a modern novelty arising from the specific social crisis of nineteenth-century industrialization, and that the dominant historic consensus across nearly every era and tradition is moderation rather than abstinence. Neither blanket prohibition nor unchecked liberty reflects the canonical or historical witness. The governing framework proposed-wisdom, love, and doxology-is grounded in the Pauline principle of 1 Corinthians 10:31 and yields six practical principles for drinking to the glory of God.