This study analyzes the convergences and divergences between Christian principles, Andean cosmovision, ethics of care, and Dasbien Theory regarding social well-being. It is a scoping review conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search in five academic databases, using controlled terms in Spanish and English, identified 1,804 records; after removing duplicates and screening by title, abstract, and full text, forty documents were included. Comparative thematic analysis with source triangulation was employed. The three ethical traditions—Christian (love of neighbor, caritas), Andean (ayni, minka, sumaq kawsay), and ethics of care (contextual attention, situated responsibility)—and the contemporary framework of balanced interaction (Dasbien) predominantly converge in emphasizing duties over rights, reciprocity validated by the recipient, and mutual learning as a condition of relational sustainability. Divergences lie in the ontology of the subject of care: Christian universalism, Andean cosmic holism, the relational pragmatism of the ethics of care, and the systemic operativity of the balanced interaction framework. The study integrates epistemic traditions that are usually isolated into an operative comparative model, contributing an intercultural framework that transcends the methodological individualism of dominant positive psychology and proposes evaluable indicators of relational well-being. As a scoping review, its findings are hermeneutical interpretations of documentary sources rather than verifiable statistical correlations. The search was limited to Spanish and English sources, excluding literature in Quechua, Aymara, or other indigenous languages, and the operative proposal requires independent empirical validation.
Cultural nationalism is a form of nationalism that prioritizes religion, language, tradition, and cultural heritage as pillars of national identity. In the Balkans, where Orthodoxy has been the main carrier of literacy, education, and collective memory for centuries, Orthodox churches played a key role in shaping national consciousness. The Serbian, Bulgarian, and Romanian Orthodox Churches represent three specific examples in which religious and national identity are intertwined. While the Serbs based their cultural nationalism on historical myths and memory (Kosovo, the Nemanjić ruling family), the Bulgarians built it through the language-liturgical struggle and liberation from the Fanars. However, the Romanians built it through the idea of continuity with Daco-Romanian origins and the integration of Orthodoxy into the state ideology. Based on the method of analysis and comparison, the work highlights the diversity of cultural elements while also revealing similarities in the influence, function, and significance of Orthodox churches in the former communist societies of Eastern Europe. The aim of the article is to compare these three churches using a comparative method and to show how cultural nationalism shaped their role in society. Then the similarities and differences in the strategies that connected religion and nation are explained.
This study aimed to systematize and validate a conflict resolution framework for Thai Sunni Muslims, particularly the Salaf, based on Muhammad Rashid Rida’s principle of “seeking common ground while respecting differences.” The framework was first constructed through normative systematization based on qualitative analysis of primary Islamic sources—the Qurʾān, Ḥadīth, and Rida’s works—alongside historical and contemporary scholarly texts, ensuring alignment with the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaʿah. To test its practicality, five public online conflicts involving Thai Salafi scholars on social media and television were examined through the framework. Findings from the case studies were subjected to expert validation, which was conducted through in-depth interviews with four purposively selected expert Thai Salafi scholars, each with over twenty-five years of teaching and leadership experience. While suggesting conditions for its application, the experts confirmed the framework’s relevance and applicability to solve issues of permissible disagreement among the Salafi community. Overall, the study illustrates a double validation process through practical cases and expert validation and shows that Rida’s principle, though often considered modern, is consistent with classical Sunni methodology distinguishing core beliefs from secondary issues, as well as consensus from interpretive reasoning.
This research qualitatively examines the potential of totemic spirituality, a fundamental principle of Shona Indigenous knowledge, to mitigate ecological deterioration in Zimbabwe. Using a conceptual qualitative analysis based on secondary literature and the Shona Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS), this article integrates anthropological, theological, and ecological knowledge to assert that totemism provides a culturally consistent framework for sustainable relational care and covenantal custodianship. In the Shona cosmology, humans, animals, and landscapes coexist in a balance mediated through ancestral covenants and zviera [clan-based taboos]. The article claims that mitupo [totems] offer a spiritual, holy link and connection between clans and nature. The findings show that zviera, ancestral reverence, and mythological stories encapsulate ecological principles that emphasize interdependence rather than exploitation. Accordingly, this article concludes that a decolonial approach grounded in the Shona cosmology can be used to analyze anthropocentric environmental and ecological challenges and proffer management methods and strategies in Africa.
This study examines student perceptions of faith-based learning within the Religious Experience and Spirituality Course (REEXECO) at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde and its relation to civic awareness and moral reflection. Despite the growing interest in religious education and values formation, limited research has specifically explored REEXECO within Philippine higher education and how students experience its structured pedagogical components. A mixed-methods design was employed, integrating quantitative survey-based satisfaction ratings and qualitative reflection responses. A total of 141 college students aged 16–25 years participated during the second term of Academic Year (AY) 2024–2025. Quantitative data were analyzed using SmartSurvey™, while qualitative responses were interpreted through Packer’s interpretive methodology. The quantitative results represent self-reported satisfaction and perceived learning outcomes. Findings indicate high levels of student-reported satisfaction with faith-based learning experiences, particularly in religious understanding (94.68%), moral reflection (93.09%), civic engagement (90.25%), structured dialogue and reflection activities (93.26%), and collaborative learning practices (89.36%). These results reflect perceived learning outcomes rather than objectively measured competency gains. The study highlights that students generally view faith-based pedagogy as supportive of reflective thinking and civic awareness within a socially fragmented and digitally mediated context. The study contributes to the discussion on faith-based education in higher education by providing context-specific evidence from REEXECO. It suggests implications for curriculum enhancement and the professional development of Religious Educators in fostering reflective and civically aware learners.
