We are pleased to present the second issue of the journal Patria to our readers. This issue is dedicated to religion, examined not only through the lens of religious studies but also from the perspectives of cultural studies, the sociology of religion, and history.

The main research block opens with an article by Vsevolod Zolotukhin (HSE University, Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, RAS), “The Threefold Method of Studying Religion” — an outline of a potential methodological synthesis in the field of religious studies. The author proposes a model that integrates three complementary methods: cognitive religious studies, Marxist materialist historical analysis, and the history of concepts. Such a synthesis becomes feasible because cognitive religious studies describe the evolutionary-psychological predisposition of humans toward religious beliefs and movements, classical Marxism focuses on the political-economic factors influencing religion, and the history of concepts examines shifts in the humanities, which can be seen as consequences of changes in the socio-economic structure and socio-psychological transformations. The article offers an example of applying this synthesis to explain the characteristics of the philosophy of religion in German Idealism.

Alexey Appolonov (Institute of Philosophy, RAS), in his article “Does Weber Actually Live in Guatemala? Traditional Protestant Values in Contemporary Latin America” references Peter Berger’s article of a similar title. The author critiques Berger, who drew parallels between the ascetic ethic of contemporary Pentecostal communities and the Protestant ethic analyzed by Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Berger viewed the ethics of Pentecostals in Latin American countries as a driving force for a cultural revolution that would lead to accelerated economic and social development. Based on empirical data, Appolonov demonstrates that in Guatemala, where the Protestant population has nearly doubled over the past 30 years, this growth has had little impact on the country’s socio-economic processes.

Faris Nofal (Institute of Philosophy, RAS), in his article ‘“Man, Soil and Time”: the Civilizational Concept of Malek Bennabi” examines the legacy of the Algerian philosopher, public figure, writer, and journalist. The author analyzes two of Bennabi’s works, The Birth of Society and The Conditions of Renaissance, comparing them to theories of early 20th-century European cultural scholars. The article demonstrates that Bennabi, drawing on the systems of A. Toynbee and L. Lévy-Bruhl, developed his own defense of Arab-Muslim civilization. According to the ideologist of "Afro-Asianism," the Islamic world is neither genetically nor structurally distinct from European or Chinese historical cultures.

In the section “Studies of Modern Culture,” we present Arseny Platonov’s (University College London) article, “Deconstructing Western Culture: Stuart Hall’s Approach to Critical Theory.” The author explores the contributions of the renowned British thinker Stuart Hall to media studies and cultural studies, emphasizing his innovative approach to the concept of representation. This text is significant because Hall’s work remains insufficiently known in Russian academia. Platonov highlights how Hall’s integration of critical theory with media studies provided profound insights into the dynamics of culture and power in Western societies. The article critically examines Hall’s interdisciplinary application of Neo-Marxist theories to analyze contemporary media landscapes and assesses the practical implications of Hall’s theories for understanding inclusion and representation mechanisms in media.

In the “Practicum” section, we publish Oleg Glebov’s (HSE University) report, “On the Experience of Development and Implementation of the Course “History of Religions of Russia’”. The author discusses the guiding principles behind the course design, the challenges encountered by its creators, and the solutions adopted to address methodological issues related to incorporating value-based perspectives into the study of Russia’s religious traditions. The author situates his reflection on the course within the broader context of preserving traditional Russian values in a post-globalization era.

The issue concludes with Daniil Minaev’s (Institute of Philosophy, RAS) review of Pavel Nosachev’s monograph, The Enchantment of Mystery: Esotericism and Mass Culture—a book that explores not only contemporary popular culture but also the history of esotericism and its role in cultural history. The reviewer notes that studying esotericism enhances our understanding of the diversity of the world’s religious traditions. Nosachev’s perspective invites readers to consider how esotericism exemplifies the potential for contemporary reception of religious traditions.

Alexander Pavlov