This paper reflects, from a sociological perspective, on the nature of authority in the Church and on the modes of governance and character of the internal self-organisation of the institution of Roman Catholicism. Historically there are no restrictions to democratisation of the Catholic church. On the other hand, at the time of a credibility crisis the necessity for accountability strengthens the trend towards wider forms of democracy. The efficiency and integrity of Catholicism demand transparency of structures and accountability of leaders, who have frequently, especially in Ireland, failed in their supervision by mishandling and covering up abuse cases.

Mystical Cosmophysiology in Vaishnava Sahajiya tradition

The main theme of the article is the conviction that there is no single pan-Indian concept of the subtle or mystical body. All these phenomena are closely connected with the local ecosystem and culture, and appear as an effect of the collective influence of the religions active in a particular region. There is no doubt that some differences appear because of the varieties of individual vision experiences. This paper is a presentation of the doctrine of the body in the tradition of Vaishnava Sahajiya. This doctrine is the effect of synthesis of different elements which reflect the complex and various cultural landscape of Bengal (Vaishnava, Siddhas, Tantric Buddhism, Śaktism). Generally we can distinguish yogic and mythological elements (the Vaishnava tradition of Caitanya). The system of the subtle body centres (vessels –sarovara) and the net of internal channels (nadi) is in agreement rather with the Buddhist (sahajiya) scheme of four chakras than with the Hindu Tantric model of six chakras.

Megalithic remnants have been the subject of numerous studies and constitute one of the most controversial subjects in archaeology. The problem of their function is still a point of disagrement among scholars. Archaeologists are usually very careful or critical about any interpretations concerning their religious, social or ritual meanings. The same scientific caution has generally led to ignoring of practices and beliefs found in modern folklore, let alone the biblical text. This is unfortunate, because the Bible is one of the very rare written sources informing us directly about prehistoric or proto-historical periods. Biblical references to the constructions and functions of megalithic monuments are numerous, and if authors have sometimes mentioned them, this has been merely as a simple list of verses without further comment or analysis. But in many places the Bible mentions the construction of megalithic monuments and gives precious information regarding their functions. Why not take them into consideration? The semantic contexts may also lead to further interpretations. I do not need to confess that the presentation only proposes a first approach to the problem, and quotations of the text will most unfortunately have to be reduced drastically.

Male versus Female or Male in Female and Female in Male? Th e Issue of Sex Relations in Australian Myths

The social structure and gender relations in Aboriginal societies clearly indicate that the male domain is favoured in contact with the sacred. Nevertheless, male-female relations are not as unequivocally established as they are thought to be within Aboriginal mythology. The sex of sacred characters such as the Rainbow Serpent or Cannibal Monster is extremely flexible even within the same version of a myth. The general character of male/female relations tends to be one of exchange, where male sacred power is a derivative of the female power of fertility. The most sacred values, belonging to the sacred-secret realm, are established by the tension between male and female principles, marked by moving those elements that belong to one gender to the domain of the other. This construct also establishes the threat of desacralisation, connected with moving the object back to the domain it came from.

Sallekhana as an Example of a Socially Imprinted Death

Socially imprinted death is a concept introduced by Marcel Mauss and related to many different phenomena, one of which is the ritual death by fasting still present in contemporary Jainism. Sallekhana is a traditional ritual once performed by chiefs, kings, brave warriors and holy monks, and is therefore linked to bravery, strength, salvation, and makes the person who performs it a hero. On the other hand, by the letter of the law sallekhana is merely suicide, extreme violence against the self, and as it requires the professional guidance of a monk and is performed mostly by elderly people it is often seen as an act of euthanasia. Both of these acts are forbidden by Indian law and should be perceived as something far from heroic. This article explains various layers of the paradox of sallekhana, as a phenomenon having opposite meanings at the same time –like being violent and being against all violence, and dealing with many obstacles when it comes to social practice. It also investigates several ways such a death is embedded in and accepted by both the society and religion, and how it interprets and pushes to its limits the general rules and the complex ideology of Jainism.