In the contemporary flow of irregular migrants worldwide, the predicaments of humanitarian work have become a source of public controversy and political disputation. Situated in the discourse of religion in international relations (IR), this introductory article considers conduct available to religious actors in response to the humanitarian challenge. Drawing on the case of refugees reaching the Italian territory of Lampedusa, the article offers a consideration of Pope Francis' visit to the island in 2013 via two interpretive modes of IR postsecularism. This approach, we argue, highlights the value of postsecular IR frameworks to interpret different dimensions of religious agency and to understand the unique resources available to religious actors in humanitarian advocacy.2019-02-05T21:04:50Z DOI: 10.1558/jasr.36453 Issue No:Vol. 31, No. 2 (2019)
In contemporary Western society, meditation techniques that were previously taught within the context of Eastern religious traditions are now increasingly being practiced in secular settings. While the boundary between the secular and the religious is blurred, popular meditation techniques such as Transcendental Meditation, vipassana, and mindfulness are generally promoted as being derived from Eastern religions, but inherently non-religious, aligned with Western psychology, and suitable for a general audience. Over approximately forty years, thousands of research studies suggest that there are many psychological and physiological benefits associated with these forms of meditation; however, a small but growing literature indicates there could also be adverse effects. In Eastern religious traditions, difficulties associated with meditation are acknowledged, and are usually understood to be milestones on the path to enlightenment, the result of improper practice, or due to individual differences. However, in a Western secular context, negative effects associated with meditation have largely been overlooked. This article argues that this is in part due to the fact that in contemporary Western society the goal of meditation has shifted from enlightenment to symptom relief and personal transformation, leading to the assumption that meditation is harmless and 'good for everyone'.2019-02-05T21:17:01Z DOI: 10.1558/jasr.37053 Issue No:Vol. 31, No. 2 (2019)
Henry Abramson, Torah from the Years of Wrath 1939–1943: The Historical Context of the Aish Kodesh. S.l.: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017, pp. 294, ISBN: 9781975983727 (pbk).
Ingvild Sælid Gilhus, Siv Éllen Kraft and James R. Lewis, New Age in Norway. Sheffield, UK and Bristol, CT: Equinox, 2017, pp. xiv + 290, ISBN: 978-1-78179 417-3 (pbk).
In the last ten years there has been increasing focus on the plight of nonreligious and atheist peoples being persecuted in various countries. Some of this focus has come from cases brought to the attention of atheist/humanist organisations such as Atheist Alliance International (AAI), the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and local groups. Cases are being reported by the non-religious themselves, from within countries where their views are not acceptable, potentially ending in imprisonment or death. For example, cases have been reported within Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco and Indonesia. There have been general concerns over the status of non-religious and atheist refugees due to the wording of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UN has recently (2016) confirmed the inclusion of non-religious and atheist refugees under the 'religion' criteria, and some countries, such as the UK, Australia and Canada, have accepted refugees based on persecution due to atheism. However, atheism as a criteria is not clearly accepted by all countries of asylum. This article will look at atheist asylum cases, the need for asylum and the structural difficulties faced by atheist/non-religious asylum seekers.2018-12-18T22:14:56Z DOI: 10.1558/jasr.36227 Issue No:Vol. 31, No. 2 (2018)
This article investigates the role of faith-based organisations (FBOs) in refugee resettlement. Scholarly work on the role of FBOs in refugee resettlement remains limited and mostly focuses on FBOs' involvement in the resettlement policies of major resettling states. In contrast, this article draws on an understanding of refugee resettlement as humanitarian governance. Accordingly, refugee resettlement is an instrument of both care and control encompassing the discourses and practices of numerous governmental, intergovernmental and non-state actors at multiple levels. Approaching refugee resettlement as humanitarian governance means to unpack its power dynamics from the global to the local level. This article shows how FBOs contribute to these power dynamics. Its new perspective on the multifaceted role of FBOs in refugee resettlement aims to advance our understanding of refugee resettlement, to expand scholarship on the role of FBOs in immigration and refugee policy and to contribute to current debates on religion, policy and politics.2018-12-19T00:35:13Z DOI: 10.1558/jasr.36306 Issue No:Vol. 31, No. 2 (2018)
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