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When Prayer Goes Wrong:A Negative Theology of Prayer
No full textIn this article I think through a particularly problematic problem in the theology of prayer. Problems in the theology of prayer usually have to do with concerns around the relation between divine and human agency in prayer, the effects of prayer (on God, the pray-er, both or none) and difficulties in the practice of prayer itself. When prayer is not the problem, it is often taken to be the solution to all manner of things -- as we shall see below. The particular problem I want to explore in this article, however, is more fundamental than the usual problems in prayer discourse and focuses specifically on the need for a more realistic theory of prayer than one that views prayer as the solution to everything. What I am alluding to has been recently theorised as not only a problem, but a danger: the ever-present danger of prayer going wrong, and so inflicting damage and distress. After a description of the broad shape of the danger argument I turn to the writings on prayer by Karl Barth as representative of the prayer-as-the-solution-to-everything trope and show that the prayer-sections are especially vulnerable to the dangers problem. Then, in the final section of this article, I reach beyond the prayer-sections of the Church Dogmatics to present Barth’s idea of the Schattenseite (‘shadow-side’) of creation as a way of encouraging more disciplined thinking about prayer -- one that is self-critical, alert to and realistic about the dangers of prayer and yet not without hope in the promise of prayer’s remaking. I call this way of thinking about prayer a ‘negative’ theology of prayer
Streambed migration frequency drives ecology and biogeochemistry across spatial scales
No full textThe bed of fluvial ecosystems plays a major role in global biogeochemical cycles. Although all fluvial sediments migrate and although responses of reports on aquatic organisms to such movements have been recorded were published, there is no theoretical framework on how the frequency of sediment movement affects streambed ecology and biogeochemistry. We here developed a theoretical framework describing how the moving-resting frequencies of fine-grained sediments constrain streambed communities across spatial scales. Specifically, we suggest that the most drastic impact on benthic and hyporheic communities will exist when ecological and biogeochemical processes are at the same temporal scale as the sediment moving-resting frequency. Moreover, we propose that the simultaneous occurrence of streambed patches differing in morphodynamics should be considered as an important driver of metacommunity dynamics. We surmise that the frequency of patch transition will add new dimensions to the understanding of biogeochemical cycling and metacommunities from micro-habitat to segment scales. This theoretical framework is important for fluvial ecosystems with frequent sediment movement, yet it could be applied to any other dynamic habitat
A Metaphysics of Spiritual Experience
No full textA discussion of the metaphysics of spiritual experience requires that we are clear about the nature of metaphysics, and I am going to take as my starting-point the ‘transcendent metaphysics’ described and supposedly eliminated by A.J. Ayer. Most analytic philosophers agree with Ayer (and Kant) that transcendent metaphysics in the relevant sense is deeply problematic, and they associate it with platonism, theism, and religious thinking more generally. Assuming then that spiritual experience takes us into religious territory, and this territory is forbidden, a metaphysics of spiritual experience is going to involve transcendent metaphysics, and it will be similarly problematic. Ayer’s conception of transcendent reality is itself deeply problematic, and I shall argue that his metaphysical framework helps to motivate atheistic spirituality by ruling out the possibility of an empirically grounded and hence defensible religious alternative. I shall challenge this framework, set out an alternative with the help of Arthur Schopenhauer, and spell out the implications for a metaphysics of spiritual experience
Caregiver Worry of Infection and Family Co-existence Difficulty and Association With Change in Children’s Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms During the Initial COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK and Turkey.
No full textHow do institutional forces affect firm agility through organisational justice? Differences between Chinese and foreign firms in China
Get PDF© 2023, Taylor & Francis. The attached document (embargoed until 08/02/2024) is an author produced version of a paper published in The Management of Operations uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it
Relationships, technology and the role of living arrangements during social lockdown related to COVID-19
Get PDF© 2023,Bristol University Press. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Families, Relationships and Societies uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it. COVID-19-related social lockdowns had profound consequences in all aspects of social life, yet the role of technology to mediate relationships during lockdown has received little attention. Drawing on a survey of 565 young adults in the UK, we used mixed methods to explore differences in technology use by people in serious romantic relationships (co-habiting vs. living apart together), casual relationships, or single and (b) how COVID-19 influenced long-term, serious relationships. For participants in a serious relationship, technology was used as a strategy to facilitate ongoing communication, enabling partners to achieve “intimacy from afar.” Qualitative analysis revealed five reasons (e.g., more free time, navigating lockdown restrictions, greater boredom, desire for love, miscellaneous) for changes in online dating profile usage. People in serious relationships perceived deeper intimate bonds, boundary issues, less physical intimacy, difficulty with lockdown separation, and greater negative impact as a result of COVID-19. Limitations and implications are discussed
Adaptation, Innovation and Co-Production: Meeting the Mental Wellbeing Needs of a Digital Generation
No full textIn the aftermath of a global health pandemic, youth mental health is a public-health emergency. The acceleration of digital technologies, catalysed by COVID-19, has seen the growing significance of online support and social media for promoting health behaviours. This exploratory study utilised a participatory-action research (PAR) design to investigate adolescents’ (N = 10;16–18 year old) perceptions and experiences of social media with respect to mental-wellbeing content. Data were collected using a focus-group method. Young people (YP) also evaluated digital resources adapted from the Super Skills for Life (SSL-A) intervention. Thematic analysis elicited three thematic categories: young people’s relationship with social media, perceptions and experiences of supportpathways, and cultivating mental-health and wellbeing provision for a digital generation. Findings revealed that YP were discerning digital citizens and willing to use technologies for support. Although exposure to social-media images and videos can convey social norms and shape normative perceptions of healthy wellbeing, mental-health literacy was a critical factor prompting change.Future co-production research is needed to design, develop, and evaluate digital resources adapted from evidence-based programmes to contribute to hybrid models of mental-wellbeing provision that can offer YP timely and appropriate support and a choice of delivery modalities.<br/
An Updated Overview of the Role of CYP450 during Xenobiotic Metabolization in Regulating the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Microenvironment
No full textOxidative stress is associated with several acute and chronic disorders, including hematological malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, the most prevalent acute leukemia in adults. Xenobiotics are usually harmless compounds that may be detrimental, such as pharmaceuticals, environmental pollutants, cosmetics, and even food additives. The storage of xenobiotics can serve as a defense mechanism or a means of bioaccumulation, leading to adverse effects. During the absorption, metabolism, and cellular excretion of xenobiotics, three steps may be distinguished: (i) inflow by transporter enzymes, (ii) phases I and II, and (iii) phase III. Phase I enzymes, such as those in the cytochrome P450 superfamily, catalyze the conversion of xenobiotics into more polar compounds, contributing to an elevated acute myeloid leukemia risk. Furthermore, genetic polymorphism influences the variability and susceptibility of related myeloid neoplasms, infant leukemias associated with mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements, and a subset of de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Recent research has shown a sustained interest in determining the regulators of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily E, member 1 (CYP2E1) expression and activity as an emerging field that requires further investigation in acute myeloid leukemia evolution. Therefore, this review suggests that CYP2E1 and its mutations can be a therapeutic or diagnostic target in acute myeloid leukemia
