Faith communities and their assets for health promotion: the views from health professionals and faith leaders in Dundee, in Scotland

Within the European Union, as well as in Canada and the United States (US), health promoters employ a number of strategies to encourage community-based health improvements. This involves the creation of innovative health promotion partnerships to support and enable people to choose and engage in healthy living practices. Compared to the US, in other Western countries, such as the United Kingdom, faith communities have largely been ignored in health promotion partnerships. This study established existing evidence about health promotion in faith communities in Scotland by examining the perceptions and attitudes concerning health promotion among faith leaders and health promotion professionals. We conducted 33 semi-structured interviews with health promotion professionals (n = 9) and representatives of Christian and non-Christian faith communities (n = 24). The majority of participants expressed an interest in the concept of health promotion in a faith community and could readily envision its application in their area of work. Both groups identified multiple physical assets, as well as social supports within faith communities that could be directed towards healthy living activities. Faith groups and church organisations may constitute potential partners and new settings to increase community capacity for health promotion. Further research and funding for demonstration projects may be particularly helpful to provide evidence of the strengths and limitations of faith-based health promotion in Scotland, which in turn could inform health promotion practice and policy.

Revitalizing faith: an inquiry into political Sufism and religious continuity in contemporary Kazakhstan

The article embarks upon a study of political Sufism in contemporary Kazakhstan and patterns of religious continuity through an examination of Islamic manifestations that stretch back centuries, juxtaposed with the current state religious policy. It examines the role of the Muftiate's "official Islam" in shaping the life of religious communities, exploring the intricate interplay between religious identity, secularism, and public perception in the post-Soviet landscape. The author employed a multi-faceted research approach, integrating historical analysis, policy examination, and an ethnographic study of contemporary religious dynamics in the country. The historical analysis provides a foundation of the religious landscape, while policy analysis examines the state's contemporary role in shaping religious practices. Ethnography, focusing on groups such as the Jahriyya, Naqshbandiyya, and the Suhba, involves respondents from diverse regions of Kazakhstan, offering firsthand insights into the experiences and perceptions of Sufi communities at the grassroots level, which enriches the study with a contextual perspective. Notably, fieldwork surveys, where the author engaged with respondents, provide valuable insights into the diverse experiences shaping the dynamics of political Sufism and religious continuity. They involved a diverse group of respondents, including religious leaders, community members, and secular intellectuals, from multiple regions of Kazakhstan at both urban and rural levels. The article is of scientific and practical significance as it enhances understanding of religious dynamics in the country, offering policymakers, scholars, and practitioners valuable perspectives for informed decision-making and policy development. The research's limitations include its focus on specific Sufi groups within Kazakhstan, which may not represent the full spectrum of Islamic practices across the region. The recommendations emphasize the need for further analysis of how prioritizing doctrinal adherence over individual freedoms contributes to the erosion of authentic religious institutions and the politicization of Islam. It also recommends to investigate the roles of Sufi groups in filling spiritual and social vacuums, their potential for politicization, and how this interplay affects religious freedom and national identity in Kazakhstan. This is particularly significant given the state's efforts to appropriate Islamic traditions for ideological purposes, which has led to a separation between Islamic doctrine and its lived expressions. Finally, it emphasizes the need for further comparative research on Sufi movements across Central Asia to better understand how different state policies impact religious communities.

Uncovering Resilience Disparities among Religious Groups in Israel's Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Drive: Lessons Learned to the Post-COVID Era

The aim of the current study was to examine the emotional resilience, satisfaction with life, social support, and anxiety during the vaccination process of the Israeli population after the end of the third lockdown, according to religiosity degree. We hypothesized that a higher degree of religiosity (ultra-Orthodox and religious participants) would be associated with higher levels of resilience and with lower levels of anxiety than in secular individuals. In addition, it was hypothesized that satisfaction with life, social support, anxiety, and religiosity will predict resilience and anxiety. Nine hundred and ninety-three native Jewish Hebrew-speaking respondents representing ultra-Orthodox, religious, observant, and secular Jews participated in this study. Ultra-Orthodox participants showed higher resilience and satisfaction with life than other groups, and lower levels of anxiety. Satisfaction with life and social support predicted higher resilience. It is suggested that religious faith as well as satisfaction with life may provide a source of strength and resilience in stressful life events.

Similarity-attraction across ethnic, religious, and political groups: does celebrating differences or similarities make a difference?

Extensive research supports a positive association between similarity and attraction at the inter-personal level; the very limited research at the intergroup level is also supportive. In the context of increasing diversity in major societies, alternative diversity management approaches give priority to celebrating differences versus celebrating similarities. We tested to see if similarity-attraction at the intergroup level remains robust in conditions of celebrating differences versus similarities in four studies with ethnic (Study 1, N = 231; Study 2, N = 823), religious (Study 3, N = 1,004), and political (Study 4, N = 606) groups. Study 1 confirmed that participants wanted closer contact with others who they see as more similar. Studies 2, 3, and 4 largely replicated this pattern and found no differences across conditions celebrating differences or similarities between groups. In line with similarity-attraction theory, most group members preferred contact with similar others, both when intergroup differences and similarities were celebrated. The findings are discussed in the context of debates about diversity management policies.