However, the line between official and unofficial religion is sometimes difficult to draw, with unofficial leaders appearing on state-owned media and religious officials attempting to build a following through unofficial broadcasters and social media. However, none can do so in an uncontested way. You can also find multiple grant listings in books at the library or local bookstore. Lower-level courts, student bodies in state schools, and local preachers might not mechanically follow top-level guidance. Women have been admitted to the Supreme Ulama Council as well as local ulama councils. Furthermore, a fatwa from the Supreme Ulama Council stated that the Imamate is reserved for men-in other words, women cannot lead Friday prayers.12 This demonstrated the limits of reform, which has not challenged traditional interpretations of Islamic law. The declaration Nostra aetate by the Second Vatican Council officially established inter-religious dialogue between Catholics and Hindus, promoting common values between the two religions (among others). Two new departments were set up within the ministry of religious affairs: the department for mosques and the department for traditional education.

This was the result of two principal factors. And third, in recent years especially, they have shown special concern about radical groups, some of which may be transnational in nature. Indeed, the number of unofficial competitors has grown in recent years, as has their influence. In the current parlance of Western policy circles, Arab regimes view religion as a battleground to counter violent extremism and state religious institutions as a weapon they can employ. Regimes generally have three concerns in the religious realm, all related to the nature of religious space as heavily regulated yet not completely controlled by the state. Lastly, like Job, recognize that you still have a life to live. The Holy bible reminds us of the importance of looking for peace and counting on God’s plan, also when life feels unclear. It reminds listeners that they can find peace in surrendering control and trusting in something bigger than themselves. Micah reminds us that God is in heaven, and we are on Earth. When Arabs wish to pray, make pious donations, educate their children, or listen to the radio, it is often state employees and bodies that they encounter, even if there are sometimes ways to avoid them.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. They have come from all over the world, but the majority have come from Italy. In attempting to use the state’s religious presence to pursue these goals, regimes have a series of imposing-but also quite clumsy-tools. Regimes in the region have considerable sway over official religious structures. The Arab world’s large official religious structures sometimes seem ubiquitous. However, the impact of this is, at best, mixed in terms of Arab regimes’ ability to use unwieldy official religious institutions to achieve their security or policy objectives, or to bend the religious parts of the state apparatus to suit their own purposes. Arab states continue to have many means of speaking authoritatively on religion. Have you ever wondered how the historical figure known as Jesus was actually referred to in his own time and place? 1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Furthermore, the author of Matthew equates Jesus with the feminine Sophia (wisdom), when he writes, “Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” In Matthew’s mind, it seems that Jesus is the feminine Wisdom of Proverbs, who was with God from the beginning of creation.

The Islamic religion centers on the teachings of Mohammed, who lived from 570 CE to 632 CE. Senior figures in official religious institutions risk losing credibility if they tailor their teachings to suit a ruler’s whims. Top religious officials-such as ministers of religious affairs, senior religious court judges, and state muftis-as well as senior educational officials are often directly appointed by a country’s chief executive or governing structure. They can engage in administrative oversight of official religious structures, along with control over fiscal and personnel issues. This, however, can be a recipe for disaster. However, many Vedantic philosophers also argue that all individuals were united by the same impersonal, divine power in the form of the Atman. With so many religious institutions folded into state apparatuses, they are subject to control but also become constituencies and power centers in their own right. As a minister, income from your ministerial services is subject to SECA (even if you are an employee of your church for the purpose of income tax). Even when a regime undertakes a reform widely seen as successful, such as Morocco’s 2004 family law (see box 2), the motives and ramifications are complex. This reform was deemed necessary because graduates were seen as ill-equipped to manage the tasks arising in a changing social environment.