Attributional Style,Self-Esteem,and Celebrity Worship

Two studies were carried out to investigate the relationship between attributional style (Study 1), self-esteem (Study 2), and different forms of celebrity worship. Entertainment social celebrity worship (the most normal form considered) was unrelated to attributional style or self-esteem; intense personal celebrity worship was related positively to self-esteem but also to a propensity toward stable and global attributions; and borderline pathological celebrity worship (the most negative form considered) was related to external, stable, and global attributions. These results were independent of whether participants were located in Europe or North America, and are discussed in terms of whether celebrity worship should be regarded as positive or negative and as a unitary concept.     

The Perceived Prayers of Others,Stress, and Change in Depressive Symptoms Over Time

The purpose of this study was to see if believing that others are praying for them reduces the noxious effect of living in a rundown neighborhood on change in depressive symptoms among older people. Findings from a longitudinal nationwide survey of older adults reveal that the deleterious effect of living in a dilapidated neighborhood on depressive symptoms is significantly reduced for older individuals who believe others often pray for them. Further analyses suggest that the stress-buffering properties of beliefs about being prayed for by others remain virtually unchanged after emotional support from family members and close friends is taken into account. The findings have potentially important implications for studying church-based prayer groups as well as assessing the ways in which individuals might support each other during difficult times.     

咒语的本源、演变、基本特征以及与祷词、神谕的区别

巫术与神灵崇拜仪式中出现的仪式语言有咒语、祷词与神谕。在现代社会尚存的以民俗信仰为主的中国本土传统的宗教仪式中,三种仪式语言往往连用或混杂在一起,而咒语的情况最为复杂。原始形态的咒语源自巫术活动中的语言灵力崇拜,而在后世有各种与神灵崇拜相结合的形态。依照咒语形成的原理和基本特征,可以判别具体仪式中咒语的灵力构成形态。根据三种仪式语言的性质、特征的差异,以及所用词句的不同,可以将三者加以比较细致的区分,借此可以明了特定仪式的超自然力崇拜的具体状况。     

Prayers, spiritual support, and positive attitudes in coping with the September 11 national crisis

This study was designed to help fill gaps in faith-related and positive psychology research. Psychologists have called for precise assessment of effective faith factors inherent within spiritual experiences that may explain their beneficial effects. Positive psychologists suggest the need to examine social and faith-related origins of optimism. Based on previous research, we redefined spiritual support and developed a new assessment. The study is a survey of 453 graduate and undergraduate students 3 months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The results showed that participants, who believed in diverse spiritual entities, used various types of prayer for coping. A structural equation model showed that a linkage of spiritual support and positive attitudes mediated the effect of faith-based and secular factors on post-September 11 distress. Higher levels of initial negative emotional response were associated with the use of prayer for coping, which was, in turn, related to less distress through the pathway of the above linkage.     

Orthodox Worship

Abstract

This article attempts to convey both the riches of the experience of Orthodox Christian worship and the wealth of materials used in the liturgical celebration. There will be a discussion of the setting, the temple, and the modes of participation in the worship experience. The place of the senses in the experience will be noted, along with a sampling of the texts used. The article also contains a full discussion of the many liturgical texts required. An annotated bibliography of books and list of websites, together with a select glossary, are included.     

The Missional Shape of Worship in Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Abstract : Mission stands out as an orienting concept in ELW unlike its predecessors. ELW has a missional theological framework as well as a practical missional orientation, a situation in which worship and mission are understood and practiced in relation to one another. It is possible that ELW will help congregations claim the missional character of worship.     

哈尼族祖先崇拜丧葬习俗及调适作用探讨

本文在实际调查和广泛收集资料的基础上,运用民俗学、社会学、民族学、文化人类学等学科理论梳理和分析了哈尼族祖先崇拜在丧葬期间和节假日中的不同礼仪分类及其特点,探讨了哈尼族祖先崇拜在道德评价、行为约束、情感凝聚等三方面的调适作用。     

Intergenerational Living and Worship:

There are several conceptual and relational shifts requircd when "intergenerational," the dynamics of intentional community and liturgy, as the work of the people, are brought together. The Caring Community Project is a training resource to assist congregations in forming intentional, intergenerational communities. Shared power, authority, and responsibility expressed through the discipline of the steps of the liturgy, as described briefly in this paper, unfold a dynamic transforming process of change. Older persons are key advocates for this ministry and major beneficiaries of its care and development.     

Why a Believer Could Believe that God Answers Prayers

In a previous issue of this journal Michael Veber argued that God could not answer certain prayers because doing so would be immoral. In this article I attempt to demonstrate that Veber’s argument is simply the logical problem of evil applied to a possible world. Because of this, his argument is susceptible to a Plantinga-style defense.     

Worship and Theology: Lancelot Andrewes in Durham,Easter 1617

Abstract

On Easter Day 1617, Lancelot Andrewes, one of the foremost preachers in England in the first quarter of the 17th century, preached before King James I in Durham Cathedral. This article sets the sermon in its historical and liturgical context, including the choice of an unusual text with nautical imagery – the allegory of the ‘sign of Jonah’ (Matthew 12.39–40). The preacher is shown to move subtly through the book of Jonah, his flight from God, the storm in the sea, the three days in the whale's belly, his escape to dry land, and the repentance of the people of Nineveh, applying each episode to growth in the Easter faith. The ‘three days’ in particular are seen as the ‘Sacred Three Days’ (‘Triduum Sacrum’) of patristic tradition, which point to a journey of faith that includes repentance and forgiveness, and participation not only in the sacrament of the Eucharist, but in the great sacrament of Easter as well. Andrewes emerges from this sermon as an imaginative thinker, with an original way of handling Scripture and tradition.     

Poverty, stressful life events, and coping strategies

It was hypothesized that individuals of low socioeconomic status are exposed to a greater number of stressful events and therefore have a higher incidence of psychological disorders. However, the way they interpret, evaluate and cope with these stressful situations may either cause them to maintain, intensify or eliminate their overall stress. Past research indicates that the poorest individuals tend most frequently to falsely minimize or avoid stressful situations, which lowers the probability of resolving their problems. The objective of this study is to discover and compare the situations that have produced a high level of stress in subjects of three different socioeconomic groups over the last three months, as well as the strategies they used to cope, and their perceived effectiveness. The sample included 900 subjects of both sexes living in Mexico City. Among them, 346 were extremely poor, 260 were moderately poor and 312 were not poor. The results indicate that socioeconomic status is related to the frequency with which subjects report certain kinds of stressful situations. It was also found that non-poor subjects use problem-focused coping methods more than the other groups, while the poor use more emotionally-focused coping strategies, This article analyzes the strategies used by each group in each type of stressful situation reported.