religion

Waiting for a Miracle: The Sociology of Replicants as Political Theology (Blade Runner 2049)

The author presents a philosophical analysis of the film “Blade Runner 2049” (2017, directed by Denis Villeneuve) — the sequel to the famous film “Blade Runner” (1982, directed by Ridley Scott). Both films are read as a political-theological statement. They feature creatures that are biologically almost indistinguishable from humans, the “replicants”. They are used to colonize distant planets and are forbidden to live on Earth.

The Benefits of the “Cultural Turn” in Slavic Studies for the Studies of the Russian Revolution

Among the huge amount of books and articles published at the Revolution’s Hundredth anniversary, the author focuses on several volumes translated from English into Russian: Yuri Slezkine’s “The House of Government”, Mark Steinberg’s “The Russian Revolution. 1905–1921”, and Martin Malia’s “History’s Locomotives.” Comparing the authors’ approaches the author draws conclusions about their scientific and political implications. The books reflect trends in the Slavic studies over the last decades.

Godbuilding and Authoritarianism: A Discussion of Bolshevism and Religion

The thesis that socialism and communism have some traits in com‑ mon with religion has often been argued for. Here we analyze the well‑known positions of A.V. Lunacharsky on religion, which he developed in close connection with Gorky’s God‑building, and A.A. Bogdanov’s critique of religion and religious language as a form of authoritarian ideology.

Perception of Islam in the Russian Society: Comparative Dimension

Unlike in Western Europe, there is no demand for exclusion of Muslims from the Russian “political market.” There are two reasons for this: the “autochthonous” nature of Islam in Russia and the specific features of the current political system. Due to these two factors, parties with an openly Islamophobic agenda are unlikely to emerge, and public articulation of negative attitudes toward Islam and Muslims is hampered. At the same time, Russia is experiencing tensions similar to those in Western European societies.

Gender Discourse Transformation within Contemporary Catholicism

This article analyzes the transformation of gender discourse within contemporary Catholicism after Vatican II Council. The author shows how numerous discussions among Catholic intellectuals and ordinary Catholics on gender equality, women’s role in the church tradition, respect to sexual minorities and other out-groups historically discriminated within the traditionalist conservative approach are being actualized at the current stage of development of Catholic thought.

Gender Strategies and Disciplinary Practices in Religious Communities. Introduction

What is the mechanism of construction and implementation of masculinity and femininity, family and sexuality in various religious communities? Strategies and disciplinary practices, especially related to gender, play a paramount role in all religious cultures. Individual piety and sin are regarded through the prism of proper sexual behavior and precise definition of the role of every gender in a theological discourse.

Religion and Russian Revolution: Explicit and Implicit Relationships. A Conference Review

The conference “Religion and Russian Revolution” was held at the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) on October 26–28, 2017. The conference included 52 papers by scholars from 11 nations and many Russian cities. The best papers will be published in this journal, in the Russian language, and in an English-language volume by one of the Western publishers.

Religious Tradition in Today’s Society: Theoretical Analysis

This article analyzes problems of preservation and reproduction of religious tradition in modern society using the example of Russian Orthodoxy. The author uses the apparatus of the phenomenological philosophy of A. Schutz to analyze the translation of «high» forms of tradition. P. Bourdieu’s concept of habitus is used to describe the mechanism of the transmission of tradition in its «popular» manifestation.

Religious Culture or Invitation to Religion: What Are the New Textbooks About?

School courses in the basics of religious cultures introduced recently into the Russian federal curriculum raise many questions: how and in what way religion can be taught in secular school; whether the course should be monoconfessional or based on comparative religious studies; what its goal should be teaching about religion or an invitation to religion; whether the course should be chosen with respect to ethnic background or whether it can be optional; whether it should be a short course or an extensive one covering the entire educational period; what the content of the

Toledo Principles and Theology in School

The teaching about religions, being a necessary part of education, needs to be supported; and the 10th anniversary of «Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools» (2007) serves as a good occasion to discuss this issue. The main pedagogical mission is to teach about the subject, not to generate values and meanings. Historically, these values and meanings were produced by religion, and the Church played a normative role, regulating the content of education and the entire life of the school.

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