Ecclesiastical nationalism and primacy in world Orthodoxy: the case of the Serbian Church at the pan-Orthodox Council in Crete

ABSTRACT

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (2016) was supposed to be, above all, a demonstration of Orthodox unity. However, four autocephalous Orthodox churches were absent and others were split internally over their stances towards the Council. Ethnophyletism (ecclesiastical nationalism) and disagreements between the Orthodox churches over universal primacy have often been emphasised as the factors which eventually prevented the display of full pan-Orthodox conciliarity. By analysing official documents of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and the statements of Serbian hierarchs, I assess the role of ethnophyletism and primacy in the SOC’s positioning regarding the Council. I conclude that ethnophyletism and a lack of consensus over primacy were overshadowed by the cleavage between progressive and conservative tendencies within the SOC as well as beyond autocephalous frontiers. The study may thus contribute to a better understanding of the current challenges to pan-Orthodox conciliarity in general.     

Reinforcement or compensation? The effects of parents' work and financial conditions on adolescents' work values during the Great Recession

The Great Recession brought many changes to the work and financial lives of American families. Little is known, however, about how changes in parental work conditions in recessionary times influence children's vocational development. Drawing on data from the Youth Development Study, we examine whether parents' recessionary experiences shape adolescents' work values. The findings indicate that adolescents' work values are shaped through a cross-generational reinforcement model; both extrinsic and intrinsic values are stronger when parental work conditions are more rewarding. In an exception to this pattern, unemployment among parents with low levels of education (high school degrees or less) is positively associated with children's extrinsic and intrinsic orientations, more consistent with a compensation model.     

Making the Best of a Bad Situation: Career Counseling Young Adults in the Aftermath of the Great Recession

Because of the changes in the economy hastened by the Great Recession, recent college graduates face unprecedented challenges finding employment in the current labor market. In this new economic era, Krumboltz's (2009) happenstance learning theory provides college career counselors with a practical framework for helping students learn how to engage in proactive career behaviors, evaluate opportunities as they arise, and initiate actions to benefit from them. A 6‐component framework is provided to guide college career counselors working with this population.     

Standing up to be counted: understanding Pagan responses to the 2011 British censuses

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, Paganism as a religious identification has grown in Britain and Pagan groups have begun to enter the mainstream of public religious life. The numbers identifying as Pagan increased between the 2001 and 2011 British censuses, but despite Paganism's increased public profile not all Pagans feel willing or confident about openly declaring their Paganism. Census numbers fall well below estimates from other sources. In May 2013, a questionnaire was distributed to Pagans in Britain exploring how they completed the religion question in the 2011 censuses. Some 1700 responded, the largest survey so far of the Pagan community in Britain. This paper discusses Pagans' motivations for identifying or not identifying as Pagan in the censuses and the implications of their responses for the development of Paganism in Britain. More widely, it provides a case study for those seeking to understand the increasing phenomenon in contemporary societies of religious and spiritual communities that are unstructured, amorphous and post-institutional. It demonstrates that censuses and large-scale surveys can become social and community events that shape as well as measure those who participate in them.     

METANOIA AND HEALING: TOWARD A GREAT PLAINS LAND ETHIC

A Great Plains land ethic is shaped by an intimate knowledge of and appreciation for the evolution, ecology, and aesthetics of the plains landscape. The landscape evokes a sense of wonder and mystery suggested by the word "sacrament." The biblical concept of "covenant" points to God as a community-forming power, a creative process that has evolved into the earth community to which we humans belong. In contrast to an anthropocentric ethic which emphasizes human dominion over nature, a Theo-centric land ethic seeks a balance, reflected in Genesis 1–3, between humans who are members of the earth community and moral agents accountable to God for the earth. A land ethic identifies concrete practices of metanoia and healing: agricultural practices to address the loss and degradation of soil; conservation and protection of water sources; utilization of wind and solar energy; and prescribed burning to restore processes vital to the prairie ecosystem. The concept of subsidiarity suggests that practices of metanoia and healing are a combination of wise public policy balanced by personal, family, church, business, and community responsibility.     

Cross-Sectional Survey on Burnout and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Greek and Cypriot Occupational Therapists

Abstract

Background: Occupational therapy is a physically, psychologically and cognitively demanding job. This study aims to explore the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries, mental issues, and burnout in occupational therapy practitioners in Greece and Cyprus.

Method: A survey was conducted, including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.

Results: Out of 247 respondents, 70% reported severe lower back pain, 9.7% of Greek occupational therapists were in the moderate and high PHQ-9 scale, while disengagement and exhaustion were found 2.026 (±0.54) and 2.592 (±0.533) respectively.

Conclusion: High rates of burnout, correlated with psychological and musculoskeletal disorders were identified in both countries. Work-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders may be more evident in countries hit by recession.