Agora: Interdisciplinary Journal of Religion, Ethics, and Society
Agora: Interdisciplinary Journal of Religion, Ethics, and Society is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal published by Kalam Practica Media. The journal is dedicated to advancing scholarly inquiry at the intersection of religion, ethics, and society by providing a rigorous platform for researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers to disseminate original and impactful contributions. Agora promotes critical and constructive dialogue on how religious traditions, moral reasoning, and social realities interact in historical and contemporary contexts. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary approaches that examine the role of religion and ethics in shaping individuals, communities, institutions, and public life. It encourages scholarship that is theoretically grounded, methodologically sound, and socially relevant, particularly in addressing ethical challenges, cultural transformation, justice, human dignity, and the dynamics of plural societies. The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, conceptual papers, and case-based studies that contribute to the development of knowledge in religion, ethics, and society. By fostering conversations across disciplinary boundaries, Agora seeks to strengthen academic reflection and practical engagement on issues of belief, morality, and social change. The journal is published two times a year, in June and December. Focus and Scope Agora: Interdisciplinary Journal of Religion, Ethics, and Society welcomes manuscripts on topics including, but not limited to: Theology, religious studies, and contemporary interpretation of religious traditions Philosophy of religion, moral philosophy, and normative ethics Applied ethics, including bioethics, environmental ethics, business ethics, and professional ethics Religion and society, including social transformation, citizenship, community life, and public morality Interfaith dialogue, religious pluralism, tolerance, and peacebuilding Religion, law, human rights, and justice Ethics of governance, leadership, and public responsibility Religion and culture, including identity, ritual, tradition, and local wisdom Religion, media, communication, and digital society Gender, family, and social inclusion from religious and ethical perspectives Ecology, sustainability, and socio-religious responses to environmental crises Education, character formation, and ethics in formal and informal learning contexts Religion, conflict, reconciliation, and social cohesion Comparative and interdisciplinary studies connecting religion and ethics with sociology, anthropology, philosophy, politics, law, history, and cultural studies Agora accepts a range of manuscript types, including original research articles, literature reviews, conceptual papers, and case studies. The journal particularly encourages contributions that offer interdisciplinary insight, critical engagement with contemporary issues, and clear relevance to the development of ethical reflection and social understanding in diverse contexts.
Resonance of the Fiqhu Tarbiyatil Abna Values ​​of Syaikh. Dr. Imad Bin Yunus Bin Abdul Karim As-Sawa'ir in Facing the Child-Grooming Phenomenon on Social Media regarding the Tabligh Akbar Study at the Muadz Bin Jabal Mosque in Bojong Kulur
The widespread phenomenon of child grooming on social media poses a severe threat to the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety of children in the digital age. This study aims to analyze the resonance of Fiqhu Tarbiyatil Abna values by Shaykh Dr. Imad bin Yunus bin Abdul Karim As-Sawa'ir in responding to and preventing child grooming practices in cyberspace. Employing a qualitative approach grounded in library research, this study explores the integration between Sharia-based child education concepts and cybercrime prevention strategies. The results indicate that the core principles of Fiqhu Tarbiyatil Abna comprising early monotheistic education, internalizing modesty and social ethics ('iffah), protecting private body parts, establishing privacy boundaries (isti'dzan), and continuous parental oversight (muraqabah) hold strategic relevance in countering the manipulative tactics of child grooming. The perpetrator's stages of psychological manipulation, rapport building, and intimidation can be neutralized through strengthening the child's internal moral control alongside family-based vigilance and techno-prevention tools. Consequently, reconstructing Fiqhu Tarbiyatil Abna values offers a comprehensive preventive framework to protect children from digital sexual exploitation, harmonizing moral-spiritual resilience with digital literacy awareness across family and educational environments.
Copyright (c) 2026 Agora: Interdisciplinary Journal of Religion, Ethics, and Society
Religious Beliefs and End-of-Life Ethical Decision-Making among Healthcare Professionals in Chile: A Mixed-Methods Study
This study evaluated the influence of personal religious beliefs on end-of-life clinical decision-making among healthcare professionals in Chilean public and private hospitals, identifying the socio-legal and psychological mechanisms guiding clinical choices. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was implemented. Quantitative survey data were gathered from 412 intensive care, oncology, and palliative care clinicians across six metropolitan healthcare facilities using the Duke University Religion Index alongside standardized end-of-life clinical scenarios. Concurrently, qualitative data were collected via semi-structured depth interviews with 28 clinicians and processed using structural text analysis. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that high intrinsic religiosity significantly predicted clinical resistance to withdrawing mechanical ventilation (Odds Ratio = 3.42, 95% Confidence Interval [2.15, 5.44], <!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>p</m:r><m:r><.001</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:37.2pt; height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> ) and withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration (Odds Ratio = 4.18, 95% Confidence Interval [2.62, 6.68], <!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>p</m:r><m:r><.001</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:37.2pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> ). The qualitative analysis identified three central thematic concepts: the moral weight of divine sovereignty over life, the persistent influence of historical medical paternalism, and the cognitive dissonance experienced when navigating Chilean Law 20.584 on patient rights. Personal religious frameworks remain a primary factor shaping end-of-life clinical practice in Chile, often creating conflicts with contemporary legal mandates designed to protect patient autonomy. To bridge this gap, healthcare networks must implement standardized bioethical training and strengthen the role of institutional ethics committees to ensure objective, patient-centered care.
Negotiating Religious Identity among International Students in Multicultural Universities: A Phenomenological Study in New Zealand
This study investigated the lived experiences of international students in New Zealand as they negotiate their religious identities, exploring how institutional secularism, peer interactions, and spatial availability influence their spiritual continuity. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design was utilized to examine the experiences of 36 international students from diverse religious backgrounds across four major universities in New Zealand. Data collection involved in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which were processed using NVivo software to execute thematic reduction and calculate code density distributions. The qualitative reduction produced three primary themes: spatial navigation of religious practice, interpersonal friction within secular campus environments, and spiritual hybridization as an adaptive coping strategy. Quantitized coding distributions showed that institutional spatial constraints accounted for 41.5% of the identity negotiation discourse, while peer interactions accounted for 36.3%. The analysis demonstrated that participants experienced significant cognitive dissonance when adjusting to hyper-secular university norms, frequently using localized religious student associations to maintain psychological well-being. Religious identity negotiation constitutes a central yet under-addressed aspect of the international student acculturation process. Universities must look beyond general pastoral care frameworks to provide dedicated spiritual infrastructure and inclusive interfaith accommodations, which are vital for supporting international student retention and well-being.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Ethical Leadership and Volunteer Commitment in Faith-Based Nonprofit Organizations: A Multiple Case Study from Kenya
This study investigated how the ethical leadership dimensions of moral person and moral manager affect the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of volunteers in faith-based non-governmental organizations in Kenya. A qualitative multiple case study design was utilized, focusing on three prominent faith-based non-profit organizations in Nairobi. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and internal document reviews, yielding a combined dataset from 48 primary participants. The qualitative text was systematically processed using structural and thematic coding within Nvivo 14 software, supplemented by quantitative code-frequency analysis and inter-rater reliability metrics. The thematic processing revealed that leaders who consistently model transparent stewardship, equitable resource allocation, and value-aligned decision-making generate high levels of affective and normative commitment. Quantitative distribution metrics showed that explicit moral management behaviors accounted for 42.4% of all leadership-related coding units, demonstrating a strong link to volunteer retention. Conversely, inconsistencies between stated spiritual values and managerial actions directly led to volunteer attrition. Ethical leadership within faith-based organizations functions as a primary driver of volunteer retention by creating high socio-emotional benefits that offset the lack of material compensation. Organizations must implement structured ethical accountability frameworks and leadership development programs to maintain volunteer engagement and secure operational stability.
Religious Literacy, Moral Reasoning, and Civic Engagement among Malaysian University Students: A Qualitative PRISMA Review
This review synthesized evidence on how religious literacy shapes moral reasoning and how both relate to civic engagement among university students in Malaysia. A qualitative systematic review was designed using PRISMA 2020 reporting logic. Searches were conducted across major academic databases and complementary sources using combinations of terms related to religious literacy, moral reasoning, civic engagement, higher education, and Malaysia. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2026 were screened against inclusion criteria focused on university and youth populations, explicit conceptual relevance, and sufficient methodological detail. The final corpus comprised 38 studies, which were coded thematically. The literature converged on three patterns. First, religious literacy was consistently framed as comparative, critical, and dialogic competence rather than mere doctrinal recall. Second, moral reasoning appeared as the mediating mechanism that translated religious understanding into ethical judgment. Third, civic engagement emerged most strongly where institutions created deliberative spaces, community partnerships, and digitally literate participation channels. Malaysian studies emphasized ethnic unity, civic participation, and ethical formation in multicultural higher education settings. Religious literacy does not operate as a purely private religious trait; it functions as civic infrastructure when it cultivates perspective taking, moral deliberation, and public responsibility. Universities in Malaysia can strengthen this pathway by embedding comparative religious literacy, reflective ethics, and service-oriented civic learning into general education curricula.
Religious Values, Environmental Concern, and Sustainable Consumption among Generation Z in Vietnam
This study investigates the structural relationships between religious values, environmental concern, and sustainable consumption behavior among Generation Z consumers in Vietnam, examining the mediating role of ecological awareness within an integrated behavioral framework. A quantitative survey design captured responses from 542 Generation Z individuals across major Vietnamese urban centers. Structural Equation Modeling via Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) facilitated the assessment of the measurement model and structural paths, evaluating direct and indirect effects among the latent constructs. Empirical findings reveal that intrinsic religious values exert a highly significant positive effect on environmental concern (<!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>β</m:r><m:r>=0.482</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:43.8pt; height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> , <!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>p</m:r><m:r><0.001</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:43.2pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> ) and a direct positive effect on sustainable consumption behavior (<!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>β</m:r><m:r>=0.215</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:43.8pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> , <!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>p</m:r><m:r><0.01</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:37.2pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image007.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> ). Environmental concern strongly predicts sustainable consumption actions (<!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>β</m:r><m:r>=0.536</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:43.8pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image009.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> , <!-- [if gte msEquation 12]><m:oMath><m:r>p</m:r><m:r><0.001</m:r></m:oMath><![endif]--> <!-- [if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:43.2pt;height:12pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/IRFANN~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.png" o:title="" chromakey="white"/> </v:shape><![endif]--> ) and acts as a potent partial mediator, channeling the influence of spiritual ethics into tangible ecological purchasing decisions. Spiritual frameworks deeply embedded in Vietnamese society, notably Buddhist and Confucian tenets of moderation and interconnectedness, serve as vital psychological precursors to environmental stewardship. Policymakers and green marketers must integrate socio-religious narratives into sustainability campaigns to effectively mobilize young consumer cohorts toward circular consumption patterns.
Religion, Gender Equality, and Social Inclusion: A Qualitative Systematic Literature Review of Contemporary Ethical Debates in Mexico
This review synthesized contemporary scholarship to identify how religion is framed in debates over gender equality and social inclusion in Mexico, and to clarify which ethical patterns recur across exclusionary, ambivalent, and inclusive positions. A qualitative systematic literature review guided by PRISMA 2020 was conducted on 44 documents published between 2005 and 2025, with emphasis on recent studies from 2019 onward. The corpus included peer-reviewed articles, chapters, institutional reports, and movement documents. The material was coded thematically using a three-stage interpretive process focused on normative claims, social inclusion mechanisms, and institutional conflict. Four themes dominated the corpus: anti-gender mobilization, reproductive justice, inclusive Catholic and feminist reinterpretation, and the tension between secular constitutionalism and religious influence. The literature shows that exclusionary religious discourse often relies on family protection, religious freedom, and moral panic, while inclusive religious actors frame gender equality through dignity, care, conscience, and social justice. Mexico appears as a highly contested secular public sphere in which religion remains influential but not monolithic. Religion in Mexico is neither simply an obstacle nor an automatic resource for gender equality. Its ethical significance depends on whether religious actors reinforce hierarchy or reinterpret tradition in ways that expand inclusion. The review offers a comparative framework for scholars and policymakers working on gender justice in religiously plural societies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Agora: Interdisciplinary Journal of Religion, Ethics, and Society
Interfaith Dialogue and Social Cohesion in South Africa: A Qualitative Thematic Review of Peacebuilding Practices Across Multicultural Communities
This article synthesizes qualitative scholarship on interfaith dialogue and social cohesion in South Africa to clarify how peacebuilding practices are constructed, what conditions strengthen them, and where their limits lie. A qualitative thematic review was conducted on a corpus of 42 documents drawn from peer-reviewed scholarship, policy reports, and major institutional texts published between 2009 and 2025, with emphasis on South Africa and comparative multicultural societies. The material was coded through reflexive thematic analysis and organized into a conceptual matrix covering dialogical form, relational mechanism, and social outcome. Results: Four recurring patterns emerged. First, interfaith dialogue works best when it is embedded in concrete social practice, such as youth work, community mediation, or civic partnership, rather than staged as symbolic encounter alone. Second, trust grows when dialogue is linked to justice claims, especially around inclusion, participation, and recognition. Third, faith communities contribute most consistently when they act as bridging institutions rather than closed moral enclaves. Fourth, dialogue loses effectiveness when it is detached from structural repair and reduced to elite-level ceremonial consensus. In South Africa, interfaith dialogue is not merely a communication technique. It is a relational governance practice that can support reconciliation only when linked to justice, shared public purpose, and durable institutional collaboration. The review offers a qualitative framework for researchers and practitioners working on peacebuilding in multicultural societies.
Digital Religion in Contemporary Society: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Online Worship, Community, and Religious Identity in Thailand
This review synthesized qualitative scholarship on digital religion to explain how virtual worship, online community, and religious identity are produced, stabilized, and contested in contemporary Thai digital spaces. A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis were conducted across recent literature on digital religion, mediatized worship, online fellowship, and identity formation, with special attention to Thailand and comparable Southeast Asian settings. The analysis organized the literature into recurring themes and compared them across traditions, platforms, and community types. Results: Three patterns dominated the corpus. First, online worship functions as an extension of religious practice, not merely a substitute for physical gathering. Second, digital communities create forms of intimacy, authority, and participation that differ from face-to-face congregations because platform design shapes visibility, interaction, and ritual pacing. Third, religious identity in digital settings becomes more performative, curated, and negotiated, especially among younger users who move fluidly between devotion, entertainment, and social networking. Digital religion in Thailand is best understood as an adaptive sociological formation in which worship, community, and identity are reconfigured by media logic. The literature suggests that religious institutions should treat digital practice as a durable domain of pastoral care, not as an auxiliary channel.
Faith-Based Environmental Stewardship and Climate Justice: A Systematic Literature Review of Religious Contributions to Sustainability
This review synthesized global scholarship on faith-based environmental stewardship and climate justice to identify the ethical principles, institutional roles, and implementation gaps associated with religious contributions to sustainability. A systematic literature review guided by PRISMA 2020 was conducted on a curated corpus of 46 sources, including peer-reviewed articles, review papers, and official institutional documents published mainly between 2019 and 2025. The corpus was coded thematically across three analytic layers: normative claims, organizational mechanisms, and sustainability outcomes. The review identified six recurring themes: stewardship, climate justice, moral responsibility, ecological interdependence, community mobilization, and institutional translation. Religious actors contributed to sustainability through preaching, education, advocacy, material transitions, and grassroots activism. Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, and comparative sources converged on the moral urgency of ecological care, but they diverged in how they articulated authority, agency, and accountability. The largest gap concerned implementation, because many texts expressed strong moral commitments without specifying governance mechanisms, monitoring practices, or equity safeguards. Faith-based environmental stewardship is a substantive ethical resource for climate justice, yet its sustainability impact depends on institutional translation from moral language into durable practice. The review offers a comparative framework for scholars and policymakers seeking to align religious ethics with sustainability transitions.
Artificial Intelligence, Religious Ethics, and Human Responsibility: A Systematic Literature Review of Global Theological Perspectives
This review synthesized global theological perspectives on artificial intelligence and clarified how major religious traditions frame human responsibility in the governance and use of AI. A PRISMA 2020 guided systematic literature review was conducted across peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes, and official religious and intergovernmental documents published between 2019 and 2025, with foundational pre-2019 texts included when conceptually necessary. The final corpus comprised 46 documents that were coded thematically through a three-layer framework covering normative principles, anthropological assumptions, and governance implications. The literature converged on six dominant ethical anchors: human dignity, stewardship, justice, non-maleficence, truthfulness, and relational accountability. Christian sources emphasized imago Dei, pastoral discernment, and the irreducibility of human personhood. Islamic sources foregrounded maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, public welfare, and epistemic restraint. Buddhist sources stressed compassion, non-attachment to technological fascination, and caution toward anthropomorphic projections. Jewish sources emphasized responsibility, legal discernment, and the moral limits of delegation to machines. Across traditions, the strongest gap concerned implementation, since many texts articulated principles more clearly than institutional procedures. Global theological discourse does not reject AI; it demands that AI remain accountable to human flourishing, moral agency, and social justice. The review offers a comparative framework for scholars and policymakers seeking ethically defensible AI governance.