Category Archives: Original Articles

Judaism, Original Articles, Prof. Gideon Aran

Gideon Aran: measure of religiosity on a certain dimension

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Analysis of the findings of studies that measure the different dimensions of religiosity promotes our understanding of the nature of religion but shows that the measurability itself is a complicated task.

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran

Thus, a measure of religiosity on a certain dimension is not necessarily correlated with the measure on another dimension. This increases the difficulty to compare the religiosity of two individuals or groups in an attempt to determine which one is more religious. Continue reading Gideon Aran: measure of religiosity on a certain dimension →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Prof. Gideon Aran

Prof Gideon Aran: Social Scientific Study of Religion Literature

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The social scientific study of religion literature seems to acknowledge the significance of the issue, but its treatment is mainly implicit, partial and dated. A noteworthy exception which is highly relevant to the present argument is the Stark & Glock School of sociology of religion (Glock and Stark 1965).

Written By Professor Gideon Aran

Its foundations go back to the 1960s and it arrived at the zenith of its influence during the 1970-80s when many such studies were based on analyzing the National Survey data, while in the 1990s basically one work, impressive in itself, represented this productive research legacy. Continue reading Prof Gideon Aran: Social Scientific Study of Religion Literature →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Professor Gideon Aran

Gideon Aran: Research on Religious Variation

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The psychology of religion has been dominated by issues of measurement. Not only have psychologists of religion long recognized the importance of good measurement and have placed a high pioity on it.

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran

But in the 1980s a leading specialist in the field pronounced measurement to be the current hegemonic paradigm, that is, the foremost perspective or concern of psychologists of religion (Gorsuch 1984). Continue reading Gideon Aran: Research on Religious Variation →

 
Gideon Aran, Judaism, Original Articles

Prof. Gideon Aran: Analysis of religiosity as a characteristic

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Analysis of religiosity as a characteristic which may manifest in different degrees, higher or lower, relates both to the question of the very empirical existence of the phenomenon, i.e.

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran

The actual application of religiosity indexes among the religious, as well as to the question of the theoretical value and methodological validity–that is, the heuristic functionality–of analyzing the measurability of religiosity. Continue reading Prof. Gideon Aran: Analysis of religiosity as a characteristic →

 
Gideon Aran, Jewish Ultra-Orthodox, Judaism, Original Articles

The groups that unwavering endeavor to increase their religiosity

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Our examination will be limited to the three major monotheistic faiths.

Written By Gideon Aran

Similar to the Ultra-Orthodox Jews are their parallel-competitors in Israel, the right-wing nationalist Orthodox (known by the acronym Hardal), as well as the Muslim Brotherhood in the Sunni countries of the Middle East (e.g., Mitchell 1993; Kepel 2003), the Protestant Bible Believers Evangelists in the United States, Holland, and Germany (e.g., Ammerman 1997), and Catholic groups such as the Italian Communion e Liberazione (Zadra 1994). Continue reading The groups that unwavering endeavor to increase their religiosity →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Prof. Gideon Aran

Prof. Gideon Aran: Discussions about religiosity levels

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Discussions about religiosity levels take place in a variety of religious subcultures. 

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran

Formulations such as “more” or “less” religious are likely to hide widespread experiences among the religious, a basic need of sorts, perhaps a religious instinct, manifestations of which–despite their general repudiation–are both evident and intriguing. Continue reading Prof. Gideon Aran: Discussions about religiosity levels →

 
Gideon Aran, Judaism, Original Articles

Inter and Intra Religious Competitions

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Inter- and intra-religious competitions are recognized phenomena. Generally speaking, they are seen as antagonisms revolving around religious “truth,” monopolization of the claim to the original message, possession of the fundamentals (as well as struggles for control over sacred sites and offices.)

Written By Gideon Aran

At times these conflicts escalate to Holy Wars, Religious Wars, Crusades. Jihad, etc. In our case, though, we are speaking of competition between partners who might share a religious doctrine, who do not necessarily have exegetical disagreements or overt rivalries over privileges and positions of prestige and authority. Continue reading Inter and Intra Religious Competitions →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Professor Gideon Aran

What Is The Meaning Of “More” Or “Less” Religious?

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What is the meaning of “more” or “less” religious, or “very” religious? Is religiosity indeed a variable which may assume various quantifiable values and be compared to values of other religiosities, with the possibility of competition between them?

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran

Is it possible that in addition to horizontal differentiation between types of religiosity according to various criteria (e.g. church – sect), there also exists vertical differentiation based on degree? And what happens when within one social group alternative scales of religiosity evolve? What is the purpose of or motive for distinguishing between superior and inferior levels of religiosity? Continue reading What Is The Meaning Of “More” Or “Less” Religious? →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Professor Gideon Aran

Levels of Religiosity In The Ultra-Orthodox World

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There is explicit discourse in the Ultra-Orthodox world regarding levels of religiosity (madregot), including informal distinctions between high, low, and intermediate degrees (benoniyyim). One’s level of religiosity is regarded throughout the Ultra-Orthodox community as intertwined with one’s professional-scholarly career.

Written By Prof. Gideon Aran 

Those who excel at studying Jewish texts and take on Torah study as Continue reading Levels of Religiosity In The Ultra-Orthodox World →

 
Judaism, Original Articles, Professor Gideon Aran

kashrut Certification and Ritual Slaughter

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Ultra-Orthodox culture embraces elaborate, high-resolution scales of religiosity. A prominent example is the hierarchy among those institutions which issue kashrut certification, particularly when it comes to the certification of ritual slaughter.

Written By Professor Gideon Aran 

First, there exists a fundamental distinction between “regular” Continue reading kashrut Certification and Ritual Slaughter →