Consensus, Convergence, and COVID-19: The Ethical Role of Religious Reasons in Leaders’ Response to COVID-19

Focusing on current efforts to persuade the public to comply with COVID-19 best practices, this essay examines what role appeals to religious reasons should (or should not) play in leaders’ attempts to secure followers’ acceptance of group policies in contexts of religious and moral pluralism. While appeals to followers’ religious commitments can be helpful in promoting desirable public health outcomes, they also raise moral concerns when made in the contexts of secular institutions with religiously diverse participants. In these contexts, leaders who appeal to religious reasons as bases of justification for imposing COVID policies may seem to fail to show respect for the autonomy of those who lack the relevant religious commitments, and—especially when a leader herself rejects the religious commitments she makes reference to to persuade others—her appeals to religious reasons may seem to constitute ethically problematic exercises of manipulation. This essay draws on the resources of contemporary political philosophy to analyze and respond to these concerns and concludes that they are not sufficiently well-founded. To the contrary, it contends that there are good moral grounds for leaders to appeal to religious reasons as (partial) bases of justification for why followers should accept COVID policies. In the course of the argument, this essay also highlights how contemporary political theory can enrich discussions about the distinctions between coercion, manipulation, and leadership. It thereby give insight not only into the ethics of leadership but also—at least by the lights of central theories of leadership like that of James MacGregor Burns (1978)—into whether and how appeals to religious reasons can figure into genuine exercises of leadership, in contrast with mere instances of the wielding of social power

Between Mysticism and Philosophical Rationality: Al-Ghazālī on the Reasons of the Heart

In his seminal Orientalism and Religion (1999), Richard King argues that Western scholars of religion have constructed a conceptual dichotomy between “mysticism” and “rationality” that has caused them to systematically distort the claims and arguments of Eastern thinkers. While King focuses primarily on Western scholarship on the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, this essay shows that his argument can also be extended to apply to Western scholarship on al-Ghazālī, whose sympathy for Sufism and apparent rejection of Greek philosophy has often earned him the reputation of being a champion of Islamic mysticism. I argue that al-Ghazālī transcends the dueling categories of ‘rationality’ and ‘mysticism’ that have been imposed on him by offering a conception of experiential knowledge that retains its roots in the ‘mystical’ Sufi tradition, even while also highlighting the rational merits of experientially-grounded modes of knowing. In particular, I argue that al-Ghazālī shows us how experiential knowledge is both important to providing motivation for rational action and also critical to underwriting persons’ genuine understanding of the evaluative properties of that which is known

The unfolding of God’s revelation in Hebrews 1:1–2a

In the introduction to his sermon, the writer of Hebrews suggests that God’s revelation unfolded from his so-called ‘Old Testament’ revelation to his ‘New Testament’ revelation in his Son (Heb. 1:1–2a). By doing a thorough exegesis of Hebrews 1:1–2a, the author’s view of such an unfolding revelation is confirmed.From this conclusion, certain hermeneutical implications of the unfolding of God’s revelation are drawn for believers and scholars today. Among others, it is determined that God’s revelation is progressive, that his revelation in his Son is superior, climactic and final, and that God’s final revelation in his Son can only be understood within the context of his Old Testament revelation, and vice versa

Long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in a broad-leaf savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-139).Fire with herbivory, climate, and soil properties including nutrients are said to be important in regulating the structure and function of savanna ecosystems. Frequent fire is often held responsible for a decrease in nitrogen pools and availability and the maintenance of low fertility conditions. However, previous research in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and elsewhere found conflicting results for the effects of fire on nitrogen pools and transformation rates. The main aim of this study was to gain a better understanding ofthe long-term effects of fire on nitrogen cycling in the KNP. The KNP provided an ideal opportunity for this study because of the initiation of a fire experiment in 1954. The Experimental Bum Plot (EBP) experiment was initiated in four representative landscapes of the KNP to determine the effects of fire on vegetation structure. I tested the effect of burning on nitrogen cycling and productivity in four fire treatments situated in Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld (broad-leaf savanna). The fire treatments included a late winter, annual bum (August), late winter and summer triennial bums (August and February) and a fire exclusion treatment. Total soil nitrogen, available nitrogen, woody biomass and herbaceous production were measured. 1 hypothesized that vegetation adapted to low N conditions with low N foliage would be expected to dominate in frequently burnt areas if fire was to decrease N pools and fluxes

Op pad na optimale ondersteuning vir akademiese geletterdhede: Die strewe na beter belyning tussen teorie en praktyk

Een van die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) Taalsentrum se waardevolste bydraes sedert die ontstaan daarvan is ’n verbeterde belyning tussen teorie en praktyk vir die fasilitering van akademiese geletterdhede (AG). ’n Dekade gelede het die taalmatige ondersteuning wat die US aan veral eerstejaars verleen het, nog uit generiese modules bestaan waarvolgens studente tekste gelees en geproduseer het na gelang van dosentevoorkeur. Sedertdien het die literatuur ’n aansienlike verskuiwing in die rigting van ingebedde modules teweeg gebring. In hierdie sin beteken ingebed dat studente in elke vakgebied slegs met temas, tekste en genres te doen kry wat op die spesifieke vakgebied van toepassing is. Alhoewel  Taalsentrumpersoneel aanvanklik traag was om hierdie verskuiwing te aktualiseer, meestal weens die ekonomie van skaal, het hulle die afgelope paar jaar  vakspesifieke en pasklaar kursusse vir studente in die meeste US-fakulteite  ontwikkel en gefasiliteer. Hierdie soort herkurrikulering word nie altyd na waarde geskat nie aangesien die verskil in impak moeilik is om kwantitatief te meet. In die meeste gevalle moet Taalsentrumpersoneel ook met personeel van US-fakulteite saamwerk wat neig om vaardighede in AG in ’n laerstatuskategorie (sagte vaardighede) as wetenskapvaardighede (harde vaardighede) te plaas. Hierdie studie ondersoek een so ’n geval van samewerking tussen die Taalsentrum en die Departement Chemie en Polimeerwetenskap aan die US, die sogenaamde Pet Ionic Compound (PIC)-projek. Innovasiefondssteun is verkry ten einde die uitkomste van AG en dié van die Departement Chemie en Polimeerwetenskap in die vakgebied chemie op so ’n manier te integreer dat optimale sukses vir studente in die verlengde graadprogram nagestreef kon word. Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor die impak van sodanige samewerking vir die afgelope drie iterasies van die projek en poog om ’n bydrae te lewer tot die literatuur oor die uitwerking van teoretiese begronding op die praktyk van AG. Verskillende studente- en dosentetekste is deur middel van oop kodering ontleed om die impak van hierdie projek op studente se waargenome kennis van chemie, asook hulle ontwikkeling met betrekking tot AG kwalitatief te meet. Die artikel probeer verder ekspliseer dat alhoewel hierdie soort samewerking tyd en inspanning verg, dit die moeite werd geag behoort te word indien studente- en dosentesukses daardeur geoptimaliseer kan word.Trefwoorde: akademiese geletterdhede, chemie, ingebed, samewerking, teoretiese ontwikkelin

The Regulatory Roots of the 2007 Financial Crisis

ABSTRACT The rate of home ownership in the US had remained around 65% since the end of the Second World War. Between 1994 and 2006 the rate of home ownership climbed to 69%. In 2006, the combined assets of the top 5 bank holding companies were $6 trillion. Between 2007 and 2009 almost$2 trillion of bank assets evaporated as widespread mortgage defaults triggered a crisis. The pressing question is why were so many bad loans originated in the first place and what induced firms and investors to hold them? The primary mortgage market is intensely regulated and the secondary market is dominated by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). Therefore it is important to examine the regulatory incentives to originate risky mortgages. This dissertation looks at influence of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA, 1977) and the GSEs to originate and hold different kinds of mortgages. Chapter One looks at the how the patterns of origination change for institutions subject to the CRA at the time of a merger. Chapter Three estimates the propensity of lenders to retain or sell their mortgages to GSEs and private institutions. Chapter Two links Chapters One and Three by examining the effect of the CRA on securitization. The research shows that institutions subject to the CRA lower their rates of denial and securitize more assets when they plan to merge and are under community group pressure. The research also reveals that the GSEs faced more competition after 2003 and as a result may have lowered their lending standards by accepting loans with higher ratios of loan amount to annual income. Chapter Two shows that investors accepted loans originated in response to CRA pressure without requiring a higher proportion of credit guarantees. This means that market participants may not have been fully cognizant of how the riskiness of mortgages changed in response to CRA pressure. While many questions about the roots of the financial crisis are still to be answered, the results presented in this paper indicate that regulation played a significant role in altering the patterns and extent of origination

Nasionalisme as wesensfaktor by die bepaling van onderwysstelsels*

Die negentiende eeu is meermale die eeu van die nasio- nalisme genoem, en die katastrofale wêreldbotsings van die twintigste eeu word vandag reeds deur die geskiedskrywing as die gevolg van ’n oordrewe nasionalisme of sieklike chauve- nisme gesien. Met die vordering van die natuurwetenskap en die gevaar wat kernkrag vir die voortbestaan van die menslike beslcawing inhou, gryp die bedreigde volke na die enigste gewaande waarborg van die wêreldvrede, naamlik interna- sionale samewerking. Die twintigste-eeuse poging van die Volkebond om wêreldvrede te verseker het hom egter in 1939 teen die opstuwende nasionalisme van die Sentraal-Europese volke en die Japannese volk in die Vere-Ooste te pletter geloop

Streef na vrede met almal? Hebreërs 12:14 in perspektief

Strive for peace with everyone? Hebrews 12:14 in perspective. What sounds like a simple exhortation in Hebrews 12:14 has caused a great deal of discussion amongst biblical scholars. Does the writer of Hebrews command his hearers to strive for peace with everyone everywhere, or is he exhorting them to strive for peace with all the members of their faith community? Both interpretations have arguments for and against. The main arguments of both interpretations are the interpretation of the place of this exhortation in Hebrews, the meaning of the preposition μετά + genitive and the nuance of εἰρήνη within this context. This article tries to determine to whom the writer of Hebrews is referring with πάντων in 12:14 by doing thorough exegesis of this verse, and by so doing evaluating biblical scholar’s interpretation of πάντων. From this analysis certain implications are drawn for the first hearers and believers today

Ligand-induced selective signalling at the gonadotrophin releasing hormone receptor

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-202).The pituitary gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor regulates reproduction by activation of Gq/11 proteins. In contrast, GnRH receptors at extrapituitary sites induce anti-proliferative effects that do not correlate with Gq/11 activation. We propose that the two endogenous ligands, GnRH I and GnRH II, and certain antagonists selectively activate distinct signalling pathways by stabilisation of distinct active conformations of the GnRH receptor, a concept termed ligand-induced selective signalling (LiSS). This dissertation has investigated LiSS at the GnRH receptor using several approaches. The sequences of GnRH I and II differ in positions 5, 7 and 8. I investigated the interaction of position 5 of GnRH I and GnRH II with Tyr6.58 of the receptor. Compared with the Leu and Ala mutants, the Tyr6.58Phe mutant had higher affinity for native GnRHs, but not Ala5-substituted GnRHs, suggesting that Tyr5 of GnRH I and His5 of GnRH II interact with Tyr6.58 by aromatic interactions. Our molecular models show that GnRHs interact with distinct rotamer conformations of Tyr6.58. This is supported by the Tyr6.58Leu receptor, which makes compensatory interactions that improve binding affinity and receptor activation for GnRH II, but not GnRH I, compared with the Tyr6.58Ala receptor. Together these results suggest that GnRHs stabilise distinct receptor active conformations. To identify the most proximal signalling proteins that mediate GnRH receptordependent anti-proliferative effects, I established a range of [35S]GTPS binding assays. I confirmed that the GnRH receptor activates Gq/11, but in contrast to previous proposals, my results show that the GnRH receptor cannot directly activate Gi. I subsequently identified a novel GnRH receptor signalling partner, the SH2 domaincontaining phosphatase 2 (SHP-2). I propose that SHP-2 mediates the antiproliferative effects of the receptor. I show that the SHP-2 pathway is activated independently of Gq/11 and suggest that signalling occurs by a direct interaction of SHP-2 and src with the GnRH receptor. Furthermore, this pathway is activated by a classical Gq/11 antagonist or by Gq/11-uncoupled GnRH receptor mutants. My results provide convincing evidence supporting LiSS at the GnRH receptor and may facilitate development of therapeutics with increased signalling specificity at this receptor

Incidence of non-traumatic anterior knee pain among 11 - 17-years-olds

Objective. To investigate the incidence of anterior knee pain, as well as the effect of sport participation, age of onset and gender differences on the condition. Design. Questionnaires (N = 2 414), each containing 20 questions, were distributed to 10 - 17-year-old learners at 8 primary and 5 high schools in the Empangeni/Richards Bay area. The return rate was 76%. Results. Twenty-seven per cent of the respondents reported anterior knee pain. Of these, 21% experienced pain in the left knee only, 34% in the right knee only, and 45% in both knees. Furthermore, 31% had visited a medical doctor because of the knee pain, 82% reported that the pain interfered with their sport participation, and 37% had visited a physiotherapist or biokineticist, of whom 43% reported that the intervention they received was successful. Previously 37% of the subjects had taken medication for the condition. The highest incidence of anterior knee pain was reported for 12 and 13-year-old girls and 14 - 15-year-old boys, which correlates with the period of the adolescent growth spurt. The incidence of anterior knee pain was higher amongst those who participated in sport more than 3 days per week and lower amongst those who participated less than 3 days per week or not at all. Conclusions. Anterior knee pain is common amongst children between the ages of 10 and 17 years, with a peak during adolescence, especially among girls. Participation in physical activity increases the likelihood of anterior knee pain. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 19 (2) 2007: pp. 60-6