This is a study of risk perception in relation to New Age (NA) beliefs, including traditional folk superstition and belief in paranormal phenomena, as well as use of alternative healing practices. Data were also obtained on trust dimensions and on personality and psychopathology variables, as well as religious involvement. It was found that four factors accounted for the investigated NA beliefs...

We used longitudinal data (N = 155) to investigate the relation between religiousness and fear of death and dying in late adulthood. We found no linear relations between religiousness and fear of death and dying. Individuals who were moderately religious feared death more than individuals who scored high or low on religiousness. Fear of death also characterized participants who lacked congruenc...

This paper addresses Mark Silk’s theory of “unsecular media” through a case study of a visit the Dalai Lama made to the United States. Silk contends the themes (what he calls “topoi”) media use to cover religion are derived from Western faiths. Thus, according to Silk, when Western religious principles are used to write about Western religious practices, those practices are generally evaluated ...

The religious lives of young adults have generally been investigated by examining what young people believe and their self-reported religious practices. Far less is known about young adults’ organizational involvement and its impact on religious identities and ideas about religious commitment. Using data from site visit observations of religious congregations and organizations, and individual a...

The present article deals with the question of emergence of new religious movements in contemporary Russia. Although sociological approach to the study of new religious movements proceeds usually from the theories of secularization, the author claims that the appearance of these movements should be viewed also in various contexts of national and historical peculiarities of different cultures. H...

This study compares the knowledge and attitudes of nursing professors and students concerning the interface between spirituality, religiosity and health. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 30 nursing professors and 118 students. The results reveal that more than 95% of the participants had some religious affiliation, 96% believed that spirituality considerably influences patients' healt...

Taking the case of ‘spiritual gardening’ as a starting point, this paper reflects on praxis as the object of practical theology. Praxis is understood as the domain of lived religion and focuses on what people do rather than on official institutionalized religious traditions. Praxis refers to fields of practices like care or community building and to the patterned configurations of action, exper...

How much accommodation does your practice have to make for employees' religious beliefs? Recent court decisions offer guidance.

There is belief in South Indian villages that epidemics are due to evil spirits surrounding the villages. The propitiating of Gods and Goddesses to get rid of diseases in these villages are discussed. The Christian and Muslin traditions to cure the diseases by practising religion are also discussed.