The study examines the funeral traditions and concepts of death among the Hamar people of Southern Ethiopia, demonstrating the resilience of ritual practices. Comparing contemporary field data with materials from Marcello Ricci’s 1930s expedition and the extensive ethnographic work of Jane Lydall and Ivo Strecker in the 1970s reveals that key elements of burial rites have remained largely unchanged despite significant socio-economic transformations in the region. The research analyzes the Hamar funeral tradition, consisting of two separate stages: initial burial and a subsequent farewell ritual (duki bula). This practice reflects a complex understanding of death as a gradual transition to the world of the dead, affecting both the physical body and the social persona of the deceased. The interval between the two ceremonies serves as an adaptation period for both the deceased’s soul and the community. The concept of the afterlife, located beyond the Omo River, demonstrates a horizontal model of the universe where the world of the dead is perceived as a mirror image of the living world. This concept strengthens the connection between the worlds, manifested in regular but mediated interactions between the living and ancestral spirits (meshi). Of particular interest is the burial ritual of chiefs (bitta), illustrating how the social status of the deceased influences funeral traditions. The case of the unburied bitta Elto shows how society can adapt traditional practices to maintain social stability in the face of challenges. The study contributes to understanding the connections between funeral traditions, cosmology, social structure, and adaptation mechanisms to change in traditional societies.

The article examines the main directions of non-cult activities of Christian organizations in frontier regions, using South Omo zone (the South Ethiopia Regional State) as an example. The research is based on indepth interviews with religious leaders conducted during field research in Hamar Woreda. There are 35 types of non-cult work implemented primarily by large churches that have a long-term presence in the region. Projects in the fields of education and enlightenment, social support, peacekeeping and conflict resolution were identified as priorities. Religious leaders share different approaches to non-cult activities. Some see it as a blessing and consider it essential for Christianization, while others view this approach critically and prioritize religious teachings. The non-cult activities of Christian churches in the region meets not only their own goals, but also the needs of the state, which sees them as important partners for integrating this peripheral region into Ethiopian society and the economy. It is shown that the high level of engagement of these organizations poses risks associated primarily with sociocultural transformations in local communities.

This article explores the phenomenon of “errawak” – the favorite animal in the culture of the Hamar, a pastoral people of southwestern Ethiopia. It examines the process of selecting and ritually transforming the errawak, its role in shaping the shepherd’s identity and social connections within the community. The study analyzes cultural practices associated with errawak, including composing songs and conducting ceremonies. The article shows how key aspects of the Hamar worldview, their aesthetic preferences, and spiritual values are reflected through relationships with errawak. Additionally, the research reveals the ritualistic aspects of errawak care, the symbolic significance of physical modifications made to the animal, and the impact of these practices on Hamar social structure. The paper also explores the linguistic aspects of naming errawak and how these names become an integral part of the owner’s identity. By analyzing the errawak tradition, in contrast to simplified notions of human-animal relationships in traditional cultures, the article raises questions about the complex interaction between human and animal worlds in pastoral societies, extending beyond purely economic relations. The errawak phenomenon is considered in the context of modern anthrozoological studies examining the role of animals in shaping human identity. Parallels are drawn between the attitude towards errawak among the Hamar and the perception of pets in Western culture. The article contributes to understanding the diversity of forms of human-animal interaction across different cultures.

The article presents the author’s approach to the collection and analysis of material on the cultural specificity of the ethnic group. Field material was collected from the Hamar people living in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The research is based on the structure of an art album designed to facilitate the adaptation of migrant children in the host country. The approach to the collection and compilation of the received material was based on the idea that adaptation methods using art therapy are suitable not only for children of migrants from countries of near abroad, but also for children whose type of native culture differs significantly from the host culture. The article presents the first stage of collection and systematization of field material. The main goal is to reveal the cardinal differences in the two types of cultures through the consideration of everyday life and folklore. As a result of the field study, some categories of Hamar culture were identified, which allowed to describe and analyze its distinctive typological features. The focus is on the nutritional characteristics of the Hamar household, the division of gender and age roles, and the elements of folklore used in the upbringing of children that are relevant to the daily life of the tribe. In the end, conclusions were made about the specificity of Hamar culture and its presentation for the purpose of adaptation. The design of the study, the structure of the material, the methods of analysis are primarily of a research nature, aimed at clarifying information on the culture of hamars. The results can be seen also as a contribution to the development of intercultural competence and sensitivity.

Personal contacts and connections for the mission in the Southern Ethiopia are key, and building relationships with village elders is a priority for missionaries. If the Ethiopian Church and Catholics take a rather wait-and-see position then Protestants strive for an active mission. Protestants’ appeal to people of low status in the tribes led to the perception of Christianity as a social stigma. Currently, missionaries are trying to direct their efforts to people of authority in the tribes. Christian missionaries, in addition to providing new meaning to life, offer converts the means to survive and the opportunity to integrate into modern society, primarily through education. Educational projects are the most successful initiative for missionaries and the most productive way to build relationships with elders. Churches engaged in mission can implement joint projects and interact but there is more conflict between churches than unity. The Christian mission in the South Ethiopia that has undoubted successes and achievements faces a number of serious problems, primarily related to the clash of different ideological paradigms that gives rise to conflicts and tensions. Protestantism that has the potential of a “supraethnic” project hasn’t yet realized this possibility.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis (hereafter Passio), in many respects a unique monument of early Christianity. It considers the theological and mystical aspects of Passio against the background of other early Passions, especially the Martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna, the Epistles of the Martyrs Lugundus and Vienne, and the Martyrdoms of Carpus, Papylus and Agathonica, but also the Acts of Justin the Philosopher, the Passion of Potamiaena and Basilides and the earliest Christian texts on martyrdom—the description of the killing of the first martyr Stephen in Acts and the Epistle to the Romans by Ignatius of Antioch—are taken into account. The authors do not discuss the problems of influence and borrowing and other important parameters of the study of Christian antiquities. Following the course of PseudoCyprian of Carthage’s ‘Praise of Martyrdom’—we seek to identify what are the common features of the ancient Passion, and in what Passio is quite distinctive. The authors conclude that some features of the martyrdoms outlined in other texts become full and complete in Passio, while others appear in the studied text for the first time and constitute the originality of its theology.

The article attempts to trace the evolution of circumcision as it depicted in the Tanakh, from the narrative of Zipporah circumcising her son (Exodus 4:24–26) to the story of God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10–14). Through the analysis of multiple biblical texts and the semantics of the phrase “blood groom,” it is suggested that circumcision, in its original form, was a part of the wedding ceremony, a rite of passage into a new lineage and social status. Being an integral part of the life-cycle rituals of an archaic society, circumcision couldn’t simply be forgotten or entirely replaced by Jewish tradition after the spread and establishment of monotheistic beliefs. Thus, it remained in cultural memory but underwent a reinterpretation, becoming an obligatory ritual for men entering the covenant.

The article analyzes the impact of tourism infrastructure on religious communities. As an example, two Old Believer communities located in the Russian North-West are considered. By becoming a point on the map of tourist routes, these communities receive an additional impulse for development. On the other hand, demonstrating faith and attracting a large number of tourists to the community environment conflicts with the conservative attitudes of the Old Believers and a number of ritual instructions. Thanks to this a unique new understanding of the entertainment industry is being developed among community leaders and religious activists as a mechanism for the revival of traditions and preaching of faith. The examples given in the article prove the direct interdependence between the growth of tourism and religious infrastructure itself, including prayer buildings, revered objects, guest houses, etc.

This article examines the problem of accepting proselytes (“neophytes”) and their role in the modern Old Believers. The relationship between “hereditary” and newly arrived members of the community is not always clear in the Old Believer environment, and who can be designated by the term “neophyte” is a very controversial issue. The lexical meaning of this word has undergone some metamorphoses among the followers of the old faith and is endowed with negative connotations. The study was based on a survey of informants living in different regions and belonging to different denominations; the method of participant observation and literary sources was also used. The author analyzes different types of Old Believer proselytes, based on the classification of E. E. Dutchak. Along with this, the reasons for changing the confession and choosing in favor of the Old Believers are considered, for which a “new theory” was used within the framework of the market concept of religion.

The article explores how the tradition of considering the existence of God in the famous ontological proof of Anselm of Canterbury was reflected in the work of two seemingly ideologically opposite thinkers: Bernhard Welte and Karl Barth. The question of the existence of God in Catholic theology within the framework of an ontological argument is considered by the example of the theology of B. Welte. In Protestant theology – on the example of the main work of K. Barth’s theology “Fides Quaerens Intellectum”. A comparative analysis will demonstrate the revival of traditional metaphysics in Catholic thought, on the one hand, and the polemic against it in Protestant theology, on the other hand (however, the work chosen by K. Barth will, among other things, show a softening of Barth’s position on Catholic dogmatics compared with the views expressed, for example, in his “Epistle to to the Romans”). One of the goals of the article is to try to find common ground between the positions of the two theologians. Consideration of the traditional ontological proof will serve as the point of intersection at which it is possible to consider not only the difference between the positions of Welte and Barth, but also what can be found in common in their theological thought. Considering the ontological argument, both chosen theologians do not seek to prove it anew (and in this they are close to the tradition of Anselm himself) but rather, consider it within the framework of his contemporary philosophical theology, responding to the challenges of the time, which is especially evident in Welte’s work.

Karl Barth is one of the most famous Protestant theologians of the twentieth century, whose work belongs to the current of dialectical theology and Protestant neo-orthodoxy. Ontological proof has become one of the key issues for Barth’s thought. Bernhard Welte is a twentieth-century Catholic theologian and phenomenologist. His work is characterized by the so-called “renewal” of traditional Catholic theology, which gives it the opportunity to enter into an open dialogue with contemporary philosophical thought.

The tasks of comparing the role of the ontological argument in the work of selected thinkers will allow us to build a holistic view of the revival of Anselm’s argument in the Western theological tradition of the twentieth century.