Contemporary Influences
Asynchronous Session
Featured The "Absolutization" of Autonomy : The Stance of Christian Bioethics View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Angelos Mavropoulos
According to Beauchamp and Childress, in their extremely influential work, The Principles of Biomedical Ethics, the four principles of bioethics are autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. The first principle, autonomy, is the right of individuals to self-determination and self-government, that is, one’s right to make informed decisions about their life and health without any external interference, which leaves no room for any kind of paternalism. For Christian theology, the creation of humans in the image and likeness of God, reveals their superiority within the rest of creation as well as the human person's unassailable dignity, because of which, human life is considered sacred. Furthermore, according to Christian ethics, within Creation, only human nature is associated with reason and free will and this is what justifies the inalienable human rights and our undeniable right to decide autonomously for ourselves. Therefore, Christian bioethics firmly respects human autonomy. On the other hand, Christian theology does not conform to the “absolutization” of autonomy and the excessive emphasis given to it by modern bioethics, since the eschatological salvation of the soul is of much higher importance. For several Christian theologians and thinkers, this absolutization, instead of bringing people together, isolates and separates them, while, on the moral level, leading to incoherence and confusion. So, where exactly does Christian bioethics stand between these two poles of absolutization and repudiation of autonomy? This question is considered in this paper.
Mulajadi Nabolon : From Indigenous Religious Practice to Contemporary Society in Public Sphere View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Halim Wiryadinata
Mulajadi Nabolon is a tribal religious concept that departs and develops from within the culture of the Batak tribe in Indonesia. Its images and teachings are not only limited to epistemological constructions of religion that persist in dogmatic beliefs but become instructions, norms, ways of life, and behavioral control that are integrated into the social life of modern society in the technological era. Even this concept rests on the harmony that humans are part of nature and vice versa, so the two should not destroy each other. The idea of Mulajadi Nabolon assumes that Debata as the creator of the universe and its contents. This concept bequeaths knowledge and instructions to the Batak people in building social behavior from generation to generation. This research tries to answer why the Mulajadi Nabolon concept persists in contemporary Batak society in this all-digital era. This research will be devoted to how Mulajadi Na Bulon as a religious practice influences society and continues to emerge as a social norm in the modern era. The research's systematics is the construction of the concept of Mulajadi Nabolon; the second is an implementation of the Mulajadi Na Bulon concept in society, and the third is how Mulajadi Nabolon, as the indigenous belief system, sustains and impacts the contemporary society. This research is based on consulting books, articles, and the old manuscripts of Mulajadi Nabolon. The problem statement of this research is discussed with the critical thinking method and qualitative approach.
Addressing the Divine in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism : Who Is Solicited with What Intention? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Marta Magyar
One of the unique characteristics of the Kṛṣṇa-bhakti tradition is its diversity of prayers. My research objective was to study the scriptures of its Gauḍīya branch and define their purpose in prayer, collect quantitative and qualitative data of their content and specifically their subject: to whom do Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas turn with prayers. Thus, I hope to contribute to the field of Religious Studies by offering a clear and structured categorization of the entreaties. My textual analysis focused on the central text of the tradition, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and later sacred texts like the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and prayer books of the Gauḍīya disciplic succession with the method of close reading. Having read over a thousand prayers I identify eleven intentions or aspirations they express, and nine categories of subjects addressed with entreaty, among them God and his different expansions, saints, holy places, scripture or even the mind. My study reflects that the tradition of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism deserves the attention of scholars in the field of Religious Studies focusing on prayer for a deeper understanding of the possible connections with Divinity beyond prayer to God.
John Paul II on the Spirituality of Youth View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lorna Lagumbay
The study examines the integration of St John Paul Spirituality in the existing Youth Ministry Program of the Diocese as well as the youth ministry programs implemented by the vicariates The following were also explored in this study: the elements of the core spirituality as reflected in his catechesis during the World youth Day celebration, lived experience of the youth in the light of St. John Paul’s II spirituality including the issues and concerns related to the sustainability of the youth ministry. Using the Documentary Analysis, the following are the five elements of JP II: Witnessing faith, Valuing Humanities, Fostering Unity, and Aspiring Happiness. The survey method reveals that the top three youth ministry programs implemented in the different vicariates are Parish Youth Program, Diocesan Youth Day and Diocesan Youth Assembly. The most common issues and concerns related to the sustainability of the youth ministry include the problem of commitment (33%) and the relationship with others (32%). Through FGD, the lived experiences of the youth are characterized by the following themes such as respect for self and others, service in the church and community, family as pillar of faith, prayer as source of strength and courage, school as a means of formation, and problems encountered in life. The result of the study implies that through the implemented youth ministry programs it becomes an opportunity for the youth to grow in terms of their knowledge, relationship and commitment with the Lord. These programs have also offered venues for self-discovery and self-development.
