Journal of Religious Studies
Year:2018 | Volume:12 | Issue:23|Papers Count:7

The activities of Mir Shams-ud-Din ‘ Iraqi, an Iranian mystic, represented a revolution in social and cultural life of the Kashmiris. He was a disciple of Sayyid Shā h Qasim Anwar. He came twice to Kashmir to promulgate the Nurbakhshi doctrines in Kashmir in Sultanate era. He received the protection of Baba Ali Najjā r who was an influential religious leader and the protection of Malik Musa Raina and Kachi Chak who were the prime ministers. Many of the Kashmiris were converted to the Islam, Shi'ite and the Nurbakhshi order through ‘ Iraqi's activities. This article tries to portrait a clear picture of Mir Shams-ud-Din and study his role and place in Kashmir.

Mantra or sacred utterance enjoys particular significance in various Indian religions and schools, especially Hinduism. However, in some of these schools, Mantras are considered to have incredible powers, and some attribute its extraordinary power to God. Significance of Mantra in Hinduism is not just due to its spiritual and supernatural impacts, rather some Mantras prove to be effective in such worldly affairs as healing the sick, overcoming the death, obtaining wealth and also defeating the enemies in battles. To obtain the required spiritual as well as worldly results, the followers of Hinduism repeat various sacred Mantras for certain times under certain conditions. However, the ultimate function of Mantra for mystics and ascetics is to reach perfect spiritual insight or Brahma jñ ā na which culminates in mokś a or absolute freedom form endless cycle of birth and death, Samsara and leads to annihilation of soul in God.

Generosity is an important moral value in Persian-Islamic tradition. According to available sources it rooted in the ancient Iranian religions and traditions. Based on Futuwwat nā mahs (treatises on generosity) there are different views about generosity: some believe that it has it root in ancient Iranian traditions and for others it flourished out of Islamic traditions. In this essay we study the roots of generosity in both ancient Iranian and Islamic traditions and try to compare the two sources. Therefore we survey two important treatises, namely Samak 'ayyā r and Futuwwat nā mah-ye Sultā ni. Finally, based on these texts, we portray the moral characteristics of a man of generosity.

John of the Cross (1542-1591) is the creator of the four great, brilliant and admirable mystical works. Using symbols of negative-allegorical theology to follow the figurative language of the Bible, and mystical concepts in a systematic way, these works try to elevate seekers to the supreme perfection. In fact, the profound impact of John of the Cross on Christian mysticism of the Middle Ages was due to, most of all, a stage in mysticism, which is called "the dark night of the sense". This stage was introduced in his masterpiece, Dark Night of the Soul, which is known for its emphasizing the place of love in mystical path. Decoding the prominent parables of Christian mysticism, John of the Cross gives a Christian image of suffering and a dynamic theory of detachment that is far from desolation and has deep connection with the submission.

Desacralizing of knowledge in the modern world and overcoming Cartesian dualism, and as a result, the alienation of man with the cosmos, led to the separation of man from the world. Despite its new name, anthropocosmic vision has a long history in religions and has attracted the attention of thinkers in various fields, including Religious Studies, in recent decades. With the harmony and correspondence between man and the world, or in other words, microcosm and macrocosm as its implications, this essentially mystical vision illuminates many doctrines of religions based on the unity of self-knowledge, cosmology, and theology. This paper, first of all, deals with the anthropocosmic vision, its definition and description, and then with its history expressed in various religious traditions, and then examines it as an approach in academic studies of religion. Achieving to a kind of ontological epistemology can be of its outcomes. Also, one can understand the conformity of the ritualistic order with the cosmic order in the religions.

By the third/ninth century, Islamic theology has developed systematically, and the Mu'tazelite thinkers have played an important role in its development. The dialogical and controversial debates between Muslims and non-Muslims were the main characteristics of the third/ninth century. By studying the writings of this era, one can assert that Muslim's attitudes and approaches toward other religions were mainly rational. Abu Isa Muhammad b. Harun b. al-Warraq is a freethinker of the aforementioned era. He has studied other religions; particularly the Christianity, only through reason and rational arguments. In the same manner, al-Warraq has also challenged and criticized the Trinitarian doctrines merely by theological and philosophical methods. Thus, his arguments were mainly based not on proof-text reasoning but on rational reasons. al-Warraq’ s trustworthiness in studying religions in general and Christianity, in particular, is another valuable aspect of his method. In other words, al-Warraq investigated Christian doctrines as he heard and understood them. Consequently, we have tried to examine his rational and theological attitudes to Christianity and to show how he has understood Christian Trinitarian doctrines.

This article deals with the social theology. It is the practical usages of the Christian faith for the promotion and establishment of the social role of the religion. Christian social theology was resulted from the problems of modernity and industrialization in the Christian communities such as grate poverty, unemployment, injustice, addiction, Racism, exploitation and so on. The second factor for social theology was development of the social sciences and socialism in the 19th century. Catholic social theology has begun and established by the encyclical of pop Leo XIII, "Rerum Novarum" and continued with some Papal and Vatican and council Documents, church statements, apostolic letters and bishop conference. Major subjects in these documents, statements and letters are social justice, dignity of labor, private possession, globalization and progress, war and peace, environment. There is also some unsuccessful effort to actualize these documents, such as democratic movements, bishop˗ labor movements, Church Pontifical Councils and mission movements.