Despite the increase of secularism, implicit religious and spiritual (jointly termed “supernatural”) reasoning persists even in individuals who identify as nonbelievers; however, previous studies...Show moreDespite the increase of secularism, implicit religious and spiritual (jointly termed “supernatural”) reasoning persists even in individuals who identify as nonbelievers; however, previous studies have used behavioral implicit measures to examine differences between implicit and explicit belief. The aim of this research was to investigate these differences in atheist and spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) individuals using event-related potentials, and explore the N400-effect as an implicit marker of (un)belief. We conducted two studies: Study 1A (N = 101) examined supernatural attitudes and study 1B (N = 109) examined supernatural beliefs. Participants were presented with positive/negative (1A) and belief/disbelief (1B) religious, spiritual, and control statements, and were asked to provide their explicit evaluation (i.e., agree/disagree) of the statements while ERPs were being recorded. The results showed inconclusive evidence of the utility of the N400 as an implicit measure of belief. Specifically, we did not find significant differences between atheists and SBNR individuals in the N400- amplitude between positive and negative (1A), or belief and disbelief (1B) religious, spiritual, and control statements. In light of the lack of statistically significant results, exploratory analyses were performed, and implications and limitations of our study, as well as suggestions for future research, were discussed.Show less
With the slogan ‘unity in diversity’, the EU has been striving to promote a European identity that EU citizens can identify with next to their national identity, and to stimulate cohesion between...Show moreWith the slogan ‘unity in diversity’, the EU has been striving to promote a European identity that EU citizens can identify with next to their national identity, and to stimulate cohesion between the European member states. This motto expresses an “imagined cultural community of Europe”, which uses history and heritage as a collective identity marker. In the twentieth century, the cultural heritage of Christianity has been viewed to descend as an identity marker. This is due to the increased secularization in Europe. However, secularism in Western European countries and the EU have been contested by other European countries in several cases. Hence, Christianity has reclaimed a critical role in the debates on the European identity. This thesis will study how Christianity, as a cultural and historical characteristic of Europe, plays a role in the debates on the collective European identity in the EU. A close analysis will be done on speeches and statements from EU political actors about the EU Constitutional Treaty and the refugee crisis.Show less
Contemporary notions of the Pilgrims, the English Separatists resident in Leiden from 1609-1620 before sailing on the Mayflower to Virginia, have been continually shaped and prodded by heritage...Show moreContemporary notions of the Pilgrims, the English Separatists resident in Leiden from 1609-1620 before sailing on the Mayflower to Virginia, have been continually shaped and prodded by heritage discourses. In this dissertation, two predominate forces are identified as refashioning heritages of the Pilgrims by selectively recording history to meet present-day concerns: independent nonconformist churches, in particular Congregationalists, and modern nation-states. With anxieties of losing tradition, these actors in conjunction have utilised historical narratives of the religious émigrés to reinforce and redefine social identities - creating an overly-simplistic and easy to follow religious past. Through this claims-making, the sense that the Pilgrims were insular and removed during their stay in Leiden has emerged. By pinpointing how these discourses came to be formed in the 19th and 20th centuries, and where from, this work attempts to cast the Pilgrims in a more interconnected light. Returning to the well-known writings of key individuals, as well as archival materials, a reinterpreted open dialogue between the Pilgrims’ leadership and other religious communities in the city will be identified.Show less
In this thesis, I take up Kierkegaard’s religious theory and, more specifically, his notion of religiousness. I argue that this notion, along with his overall system, carries significant value for...Show moreIn this thesis, I take up Kierkegaard’s religious theory and, more specifically, his notion of religiousness. I argue that this notion, along with his overall system, carries significant value for non-religious individuals. In Kierkegaardian scholarship, there are two series of interpreters. Firstly, there are those who treat his work in a strictly religious fashion and who judge its concepts strictly for their content. Secondly, there are those scholars who pursue less strict theological readings and argue for the revival of its broader existential relevance. It is to this school of thought this thesis wishes to contribute. In the first chapter, I aim to show that Kierkegaard’s understanding of religiousness can hardly be grasped if we do not highlight his commitments to subjectivity. Religiousness, in the Climacus writings, is in the first place a highly subjective affair. In the second chapter, I continue by exploring the category of religiousness to see where – despite building upon – it differs from mere subjectivity. In this way, the first two chapters are more descriptive than argumentative. In a final chapter, I consider the works of Michael O’neill Burns and Andrew Torrance, who both pertain to the series of scholars who treat Kierkegaardian philosophy in a strict religious fashion. I counter both of their claims in order to substantiate my own reading of Kierkegaardian thought, stressing its secular validity. For this, I draw upon the work of Merold Westphal and Mariana Alessandri, as well as my own reading of the Postscript, to argue that Kierkegaard’s system, despite having deeply theological grounds, offers an extraordinary foundation for all human beings to build their life-attitude on.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acquired power in 2014 many pro-Hindu regulations have been gone into a fast track. One of these regulations is a...Show moreEver since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acquired power in 2014 many pro-Hindu regulations have been gone into a fast track. One of these regulations is a ban on the consumption and possession of beef, which is a legal offence. This ban on beef is viewed as an attack on the citizenship of India’s largest of minority groups; the Dalits and Muslims. This thesis questions how a ban like this contradicts with the secular identity of India. The citizenship of the minority groups will be examined by having an historical overview of their struggles to reach equality within a society with changing interpretations of secularism. Why has there occurred discrepancies in the theory and practice in Indian secularism? And how does this weaken the citizenship of the minorities? Can India , with the expansion of the beef ban explain the development of the large beef export industry on the grounds of secularism? This thesis develops an understanding that pluralistic societies use their secular identity only when it fits their political agenda.Show less
