Faith development theory has evolved as a prominent theoretical perspective during the past three decades to explain different ways of relating to religious beliefs and worldviews. Recent revisions of the theory have elaborated on these characteristic ways as religious styles namely the fundamentalist, mutual, individuative-systemic, and dialogical. The present study developed an Urdu version of its principal measure, i.e., Faith Development Interview, to analyze twelve cases of Muslims of various religious affiliations within Islam in Pakistan. Four case studies representative of (...) each faith style are presented in detail. The cases are compared to analyze Islamic faith in terms of faith development theory and to understand fundamentalism in a Muslim context. The findings support faith development theory as a comprehensive paradigm to address the varieties of faith orientations in Islam. Implications for future research with larger samples in highly religious and collectivistic cultures are discussed. (shrink)

In A Treatise of Human Nature, Hume argues that morality pertains primarily to character, and that actions have moral content only to the extent that they signal good or bad character. I formalize his signalling theory of moral/immoral actions using simple game-theoretic models. Conditions exist under which there is a separating equilibrium in which actions do indeed credibly signal character, but conditions also exist in which there is only a pooling or semi-separating equilibrium. A tradeoff is identified between the signalling (...) value of actions, and the consequentialist goal of incentivizing all character types to choose beneficial actions. (shrink)

Formal analyses of Pascal’s Wager have almost all been decision-theoretic, with a human as the sole decision-maker. This paper analyses Pascal’s Wager in a game-theoretic setting in which the deity whose existence the human is considering wagering on is also a decision-maker. There is an equilibrium in which the human chooses to wager that the deity exists and Pascal’s Wager thus operates, but also one in which the human does not wager. Thus, in a game-theoretic setting, Pascal’s Wager is indeterminate: (...) wagering and not wagering are both consistent with equilibrium behaviour. (shrink)

The positive role of religion in reducing prejudice has remained a neglected theme in Psychology of religion, concerning itself mostly with prejudice and fundamentalism. Recently, noting the absence of a positive antithesis to prejudice and fundamentalism, faith development theory presents xenosophia as going beyond mere tolerance to a creative engagement with other religious faiths to develop new insights and broaden one’s own worldview. The current research undertakes a study of Muslim faith contents to get insights into how these beliefs shape (...) construction of self in relation to other faith communities. Conducting inductive thematic analysis of faith development interviews from 12 Muslim participants from three major religious affiliations in Pakistan in an earlier research, the research analyzes a range of xenological patterns from xenophobia to xenosophia with associated potentials for inter-faith dialogue. Focusing on residents of a country with a dense Muslim population, the study carries implications for religious socialization and religious education in a globalized world. (shrink)

O autor propõe algumas considerações sobre a TdL na celebração de seus 40 anos de existência. Num primeiro momento, ele destaca três características que justificam a pretensão avançada pela TdL latino-americana de se apresentar como “uma nova maneira de fazer teologia”: 1) nova relação para com a práxis; 2) nova perspectiva a partir da qual discernir os desafios postos pela práxis; 3) nova metodologia capaz de unir espiritualidade e método teológico. Num segundo momento, a TdL é reconhecida e apresentada como (...) uma autêntica theologia crucis . Isto significa que a cruz de Jesus é acolhida pela TdL em um tríplice modo: eixo gnosiológico, princípio epistemológico e critério formal. Por fim, o autor salienta o círculo virtuoso testemunhado pela TdL entre o local e o global. Epistemologicamente, a TdL é materialmente global e formalmente particular. Historicamente, ao longo de seus quarenta anos, a TdL tem se revelado como uma verdadeira teologia glocal , testemunhando um relação circular entre particular e universal. Palavras-chave: Teologia da Libertação. Práxis. Theologia crucis. Epistemologia teológica. Teologica glocal.The author proposes some considerations about Liberation Theology in celebration of its 40 years of existence. At first, he highlights three features that justify the claim put forth by Latin-American Liberation Theology of presenting itself as "a new way of doing theology": 1) new relationship vis-à-vis the Praxis; 2) new perspective from which we can discern the challenges posed by the Praxis; 3) new methodology able to unite spirituality and theological method. In a second moment, Liberation Theology is recognized and presented as an authentic theologia crucis . This means that the cross of Jesus is accepted by Liberation Theology in a threefold manner: agnostical axis, epistemological principle and formal criteria. Finally, the author stresses the virtuous circle witnessed by Liberation Theology between the local and the global. Epistemologically, Liberation Theology is materially global and formally private. Historically, throughout its forty years, Liberation Theology has been revealed as a true “ glocal” theology , witnessing a circular relationship between the particular and the universal. Keywords: Theology of Liberation. Praxis. Theologia crucis. Theological epistemology. “Glocal” (global + local) theology. (shrink)

Vivemos, hoje, sob a hegemonia do paradigma tecnocêntrico, mercadológico e midiático. A Tecnociência, o Mercado e a Mídia se constituem em autênticos horizontes no interior dos quais se desvelam todos os âmbitos da experiência humana. Isso posto, o que o ser humano e a religião se tornam nessa nova situação epocal? A Tecnociência tornou-se horizonte de compreensão do ser humano em relação ao mundo e si próprio. Não apenas nossos estilos de vida, nosso modo de trabalhar e viver, são condicionados (...) pela técnica, mas também nossa identidade mais profunda é dada pela diferença técnica. Somos ainda vítimas da “absolutização do Mercado”: uma autêntica mercantilização da vida e, portanto, também da cultura e da religião. O mercado vai se impondo como único cenário de nossa trama civilizacional atual. Nossos fluxos vitais e também os valores e símbolos culturais e religiosos se tornam mercadoria de consumo e de descarte. Em tal contexto, a religião corre o risco de ser acometida por um duplo reducionismo. Esse tem sido o preço que a religião decidiu pagar em troca do direito de cidadania em um mundo dominado pela Tecnociência, pelo Mercado e pela Mídia. Palavras-Chave : Tecnociência. Mercado. Mídia. Religião. Mercantilização da vida. Absolutização do Mercado.We live, today, under the hegemony of a techno-centric, market-based and mediatic paradigm. Techno-science, the Market and the Mass Media are authentic horizons, in the interior of which are uncovered all of the scopes of the human experience. Having said that, what does human kind and religion become in this new era? Techno-science has become a horizon of comprehension of man regarding the world and of himself. Not only our lifestyles and our way of life and work are conditioned by technology, but also our deeper identity is lost by the technical difference. We are still victims of the “absolutization of the market”: an authentic mercantilization of life and, therefore, culture and religion. The market presents itself as the only setting of our present civilization’s story line. Our vital fluctuations, as well as the values and religious and cultural symbols become merchandise to consume and discard. In such a context, religion runs the risk of being attacked by a double reductionism. This has been the price that religion decided to pay in exchange for the right of citizenship in a world dominated by techno-science, by the market and by the Mass Media. Keywords : Techno-science. Market. Mass Media. Religion. Mercantilization of life. Absolutization of the market. (shrink)