Authors:Emine BATTAL Abstract: After the Coronavirus started to spread, the epidemic has been evaluated in terms of social, economic, political, and religious perspectives. How different belief systems view such diseases came to the fore. The New Religious Movements, which started to emerge after the second half of the 20th century and became an essential part of the world's belief map, also took their place in the discussions on the subject.Firstly, this article has been discussed how New Religious Movements interpret the epidemics. Then their reactions to the restrictions within the scope of Covid-19 measures or their solution to the crisis has been tried to determine. Finally, attitudes and behaviors towards the application of vaccines developed to protect individual and public health have been examined. Many New Religious Movements or the diversity of perspectives and approaches towards the epidemics make it very difficult to talk about their thoughts and practical applications. For this reason, the movements that come to the fore with their discourses and actions during the epidemic period are discussed in the article. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
Authors:Nevfel AKYAR Abstract: In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such prominent figures as Helena Blavatsky, MacGregor Mathers, Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardie, and Dion Fortune shaped Western occultism and esotericism. Blavatsky's reshaping of the esoteric perspective of his predecessors by giving priority to oriental elements is accepted as the beginning of the modern period. After him, although they did not reject Blavatsky's teaching, they were applying their experiences to new fraternities by changing them to some degree. With her famous pseudonym, Dion Fortune has become a distinct personality among the people who steered the twentieth-century Western esoteric movements with her strong pen, unique style and new acceptances. Her work is related to many modern Western esoteric societies. She studied many modern Western esoteric societies, took lessons from influential occultists, and eventually established her community. These show her undeniable contributions to the field. This study focuses on Fortune's method and a new perspective while examining Blavatsky and later Western Esotericism in its general terms. It aims to convey and interpret the contribution in question from a comparative perspective. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
Authors:Sema Nur UZUN Abstract: The Covid-19 epidemic that broke out in China at the end of 2019 has spread worldwide in early 2020. In the struggle with pandemia, many countries imposed quarantines on carriers of the disease and even on entire civilian populations. At the end of 2020, Covid 19 vaccines have been started to administer worldwide. These developments have led to the emergence of discussions about the methods to be followed in the fight against the disease and the vaccines approved in a short time in Jewish communities as well as all over the world. This study offers religious approaches in Judaism to preserve the public’s health in general, particularly in the presence of the Covid-19 epidemic. Hereof, the preservation of health and the sanctity of human life have taken place as a basic tenet in Jewish thought from the Tanakh period to the present day. Since the time of the Tanakh, Judaism has viewed the maintenance of health as a religious tenet. For centuries, rabbis have considered it necessary to isolate the diseased person and other individuals who are at the risk of catching the disease, as is the case in the coronavirus epidemic that the world is experiencing now. They have issued orders for the suspension of religious observances to prevent the spread of disease. In addition, they have accepted a religious obligation to comply with health authorities’ recommendations against epidemics and be vaccinated by their recommendations. Nevertheless, although they are few, there are groups within Judaism who are opposed to the methods and practices in question. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
Authors:Yasin MERAL Abstract: In the 16th century, in response to the Reform movements, the Catholic Church emphasized banning and censoring books deemed objectionable in Christianity. In this framework, banned books were announced with lists called Index; on the other hand, censorship commissions were established, offensive statements in the books were removed before they were printed, and the printed ones were scratched out with ink. In censorship commissions in different cities of Italy, the employees were generally Jews who converted to Christianity. The main reason for this is their knowledge of Hebrew and their familiarity with Jewish religious literature. Domenico Yerushalmi is one of these censors. Born in Jerusalem in 1555, Domenico lived in Istanbul between the years 1578/9-1588/9. He served as Sultan Murad's private physician. Domenico, who went to Italy from Istanbul, converted to Christianity in Venice in 1593. He both prepared a censorship book and translated the New Testament into Hebrew. The most significant work of Domenico is Sefer ha-Zikuk, prepared as a censorship handbook. This work, which he prepared while he was on the censorship commission in Mantua in 1596, is one of the most interesting examples in the history of censorship. In the introduction to this work, Domenico lists the principles for censors. These principles specify the deletion or modification of insulting statements against Christianity. In addition, thoughts considered heretical for the Church, such as reincarnation, are also included in this list. In this work, Domenico gives the names of hundreds of Hebrew works and the places they were printed, indicating which word on which page and which line will be deleted. Some works have been repeated considering different publication places. Many works that include Domenico's signature as a censor have survived. When these works are examined, it is seen that Domenico was not meticulous in complying with the principles set by himself. Giving information about the life story of Domenico and his conversion to Christianity, this article examines the content of Sefer ha-Zikuk. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
Authors:Emine MEYDAN; Ahmet GÜÇ Abstract: Interdict is the deprivation of people, communities, or a country from the church or the services provided by the church, such as baptism, marriage, and burial according to religious procedures, by the pope or the clergy authorized by the pope. These prohibitions may remain for a certain period or continue for many years. The interdict was initially seen as a reforming effort and was later used as an authoritarian power. The practice of interdict, seen as a kind of mitigation of the punishment of excommunication, started in the 10th century. It is seen that the practice became established with this name in the XII century. Medieval -especially the 12th and 13th centuries- is when the interdict was developed and used extensively by popes. The interdiction punishments to England and Leon in 1198, Normandy and France in 1199, France in 1200, and England in 1208 took place in the history books. This article gives information about interdict, a relatively neglected subject in the History of Religions in Turkey. Thus, it deals with the definition of the interdict, its distinction from excommunication, its development, and its use by popes. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
Authors:Rumeysa BEKTAŞ Abstract: People considered heretical in faith were named by various terms in Jewish literature. Jewish scholars, especially Maimonides (d. 1204), categorized heretics according to the kind of heresy. Later, they included Jews who had similar thoughts and behaviors in the same category and warned them about God’s punishments for heretics. One of the standard terms used in Jewish literature for heretics is apikoros. The term apikoros was derived from the Greek philosopher Epicurus (d. 270 BC). Although it was a proper name at first, it gradually turned into a common name denoting people who were unbelievers or imperfect in their faith. Having thoughts that contradicted the basic principles of the Jewish faith, the apikorsim became a group against which the Jewish clergy sided. Because of the fact that they misled Jews from the right path, many discussions arose in Jewish literature, such as how to struggle apikoros. This article discusses the origin of the term of the apikoros, the mindset of the apikoros, their effects on the Jews, their position in the Jewish society, and the punishments they will receive in the hereafter. PubDate: Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +030
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