How Do We Explain the Quiet Demise of Graeco-Roman Religion? An Essay

Until now, the relatively quiet transition from traditional Graeco-Roman religion to Christianity has gone unexplained. In dialogue with James Rives and Jörg Rüpke, I argue that Christianity made better use than its religious competition of long-term trends in the Roman Empire, such as expanding literacy, the rejection of sacrifice, the movement toward monotheism, and the closing of the distance between gods and their faithful. The growing skepticism within the city elites regarding the credibility of its traditional religion, the decrease in investments in its material side, and the strength of the Christian organizations were additional factors together with contingent events, such as Constantine’s victory and his long rule.

Social service of non-Orthodox Christian religious organizations of the Far East in the 1990 s..

Incontrol. At present, the formation of a model of social partnership between the state and religious associations to help the most vulnerable segments of the Russian population is of particular importance. The study of the activities of non-Orthodox Christian organizations allows us to take into account historical experience for the development of optimal forms and methods of work not only religious, but also public associations in the social sphere. The methodology chosen by the authors for this study includes a comparative analysis that highlights the most significant problems in each of the studied aspects of the activi-ties of non-Orthodox Christian organizations in the Far East of Russia, as well as an ap-peal to qualitative (rather than quantitative) methods of study with a corresponding dynamic approach to the description of the subject. As a result of the study, forms of social assistance, groups of the population to which it was directed and the peculiarities of its organization by religious associations of the region are allocated. It has been proven that the social service of non-Orthodox Christian organizations was missionary in nature. It is emphasized that the authorities considered religious education as equal partners in solving social problems in the subjects of the Far East. There is considerable assistance from foreign missionaries in implementing social programs.

Миграционный кризис в Европе и христианское милосердие: история одного прихода

В статье на примере Италии анализируется социальная работа католических организаций, адресованная беженцам и иммигрантам. Работа написана с использованием полевого материала автора, собранного в одном из католических приходов Болоньи. Цель статьи – проанализировать отношение к миграционной ситуации в Европе ее крупнейшей конфессии – Римско-католической церкви – и изучить формы социального служения католических организаций среди беженцев и иммигрантов. Актуальность темы определяется тем, что задача адаптации беженцев и иммигрантов и их интеграции в принимающее общество остро стоит в настоящее время во многих европейских странах. Государства ищут приемлемые для себя пути этой интеграции. Законы, регулирующие иммиграцию и определяющие статус беженца и иммигранта, часто становятся предметом жарких политических споров. От светского дискурса о миграционном кризисе и мигрантах, зачастую подчеркивающего прежде всего права той или иной стороны, отличается дискурс религиозный. Позиция христианских организаций Европы заключается прежде всего в сострадании к беженцам и мигрантам и стремлении улучшить их долю. Миграционный кризис в Европе сделал европейские христианские организации более заметными и способствовал деприватизации религии в сильно секуляризованном обществе. Христианские организации, и в частности приходы и благотворительные структуры Римско-католической церкви стали важными акторами в выстраивании отношений с мигрантами и их интеграции в европейское общество. Ключевые слова: Миграция, Европа, Италия, Римско-католическая церковь, социальное служение. The article, using Italy as an example, analyzes the social work of Catholic organizations, addressed to refugees and immigrants. It is based on the author's field material, collected in one of the Catholic parishes of Bologna. The goal of the article is to analyze the attitudes to the migration situation in Europe from the part of its largest denomination – the Roman Catholic Church – and to study forms of social service of Catholic organizations among refugees and immigrants. The significance of the topic is determined by the fact that now many European states face the challenge of adaptation of refugees and immigrants and their integration into the host society. They are looking for acceptable ways of this integration. The laws that regulate immigration and stipulate the status of a refugee and an immigrant often provoke heated political debates. The secular discourse about the migration crisis, which usually emphasizes the rights of one of the sides, differs from the religious discourse. The position of Christian organizations of Europe consists first of all in the compassion to refugees and migrants and in the hope to possibly improve their fate. The migration crisis in Europe made European Christian organizations more visible and contributed to deprivatization of religion in a highly secular society. Christian organizations in general and Roman Catholic parishes and charity structures in particular became important actors in building relations with migrants and integrating them into the European society. Key Words Migration, Europe, Italy, Roman Catholic Church, social service.

Financializing the soul: Christian microfinance and economic missionization in Colombia

Microfinance is the vanguard of financialization today. This is especially true in Colombia, where microfinance rivals any other type of formal credit. Entangled with Colombia’s micro-financialization is the phenomenon of microfinance corporations in joint ventures with Christian organizations that broker their microfinance programs. These faith-based corporations temper the surge in microfinance with ascetic discipline and the infusion of an entrepreneurial spirit. Economic discipline, say the microfinanciers, is required for what is referred to as ‘financial literacy’ and ‘financial inclusion’ programs that instil a distinctly Christian corporate order. This article, based on 2 years of sustained fieldwork in Colombia, focuses on one such microfinance program run by a transnational Christian credit organization. With microfinance, souls are disciplined through debts and ideals of an ascetic prosperity. In the end, the article concludes that there is a Christian morality to financialized capitalism that is exercised at the level of the interior soul.

Revitalizing Christian Marriage

There are practical ways Christians can stimulate marriage. First, there are beautiful stories about marriage out there; tell them. Second, cultivate marriage-friendly subcultures; participation in vibrant Christian organizations can resist the emergent global “monoculture” that undermines marriage. Third, construct the home as a haven from market mentalities. Fourth, seek improvement in premarital preparation; new marriages need mentors to help them understand what to expect. Fifth, aid and support suffering marriages in your midst; there is such a thing as the “good enough” marriage. Sixth, parents need to be thoughtful about the relationship advice they give (or fail to offer) their children. Seventh, young adults should weigh the costs and benefits of living at home until they are married. Eighth, governments should consider creative ways to support marriage. They can be expensive, but it is riskier to ignore the decline of marriage than to explore new ways to revitalize it.

Islands of Influence

While some are wary of concerted attempts by well-connected evangelicals to advance a religious agenda in corporate contexts, evangelical executives demonstrate little desire to turn companies into explicitly “Christian” organizations or to transform the core values and objectives toward which businesses are oriented, or indeed much evidence that there is any shared agenda around which they might coalesce. While the Social Gospel movement of the early twentieth century—a precursor to contemporary emphases on faith at work—was concerned with structural and institutional change, this preoccupation does not characterize evangelical executives today. Even those who share core religious convictions and overriding dispositions toward business express their convictions in diverse ways. But this diversity is not simply idiosyncratic. Rather, it is conditioned by executives’ professional histories and the norms and priorities that characterize their particular occupational contexts. There is, therefore, no one evangelical approach to faith and work.

Trust and Aspiration

This chapter traces how Christian sponsorship organizations adapt secular audit culture. It begins by exploring how sponsors frame aspirations for foreign children's futures. The chapter then turns to modes of verification. Since sponsors cannot personally verify the results of their giving, they expect detailed facsimiles in the form of audits, graphs, and Better Business Bureau or Charity Navigator reports. Yet very few sponsors actually consult these documents. Instead, they and the organizations they support cultivate multifaceted modes of trust-creation using measures of success that might at first seem divergent, such as financial audits, answered prayers, and children's smiles. Sponsors also rely on aspirational talk and on affective participatory techniques. The chapter concludes with a short section about sponsors' hopes and fears for the world as a whole. Throughout, it underlines God's bridging power: U.S. Christians view the (Holy) Spirit and (divine) Love as the forces that keep Christian organizations honest, animate sponsor–child relationships, and move human beings toward successful outcomes.

Converting White Christian Congregations to Sites of Anti-racism

This paper uses the idea of the hidden curriculum to discuss how predominantly White Christian Organizations (PWCOs) teach about race. By introducing multicultural education into PWCOs, they have the potential to function as sites of combatting racism. Using a case study of a Christian conference that was focused on racial unity, I describe how Christian organizations can join in the efforts to create a more racially equitable society.