bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Multidimensional Sustainable Livelihoods Model for Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Tamgid Ahmed
Published: June 2015

This paper offers a multidimensional livelihoods asset model customized to local priorities in rural Bangladesh, and so advances the DFID’s livelihoods model. The model enables measurement of relative livelihoods asset achievements of poor men and women living in ameliorating poverty. The study is based on primary data collected from 30 villages in Bangladesh. It has been observed that women have better record in achieving social capital (such as vote casting, decision making at jobs, etc.) whereas, men are better off in gaining financial capital (such as higher savings). Significantly less achievement in the indicators of human capital (such as more sick days, and high morbidity) in the rural areas is alarming.
Leisure Tourists’ Online Buying Intentions in Malaysia
Authors: Yan Mo Ling , Li-Ming Adeline Kok
Published: June 2015

Currently most tourists booked their hotel rooms via online mediums. However, hotels are losing control of revenue in online room reservations, due to strong threats from online travel agents. In order to compete, hoteliers are required to have a solid understanding of up-to-date tourists’ online buying intentions. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to examine the antecedents of leisure tourists’ online buying intentions via hotel official websites in Malaysia. Three antecedents of buying intentions namely service quality of web site design, tourists’ past web experiences, and price have been identified in this research. Survey method was used to carry out the research. Three hypotheses were tested by using multiple regression in this research and findings showed that service quality of web site design and tourists’ past web experiences have significant relationship with tourists’ online buying intentions. Price on the other hand has no significant influence on tourists’ online buying intentions.
Microcredit Towards Achieving Women Empowerment: From the Perspective of Rural Areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Sultan Salah
Published: June 2015

Development agencies, non-government Organizations (NGOs) and government organizations around the world aim for the betterment of women in all spheres of their life, i.e. family life, social life and so on. Empowerment has been considered the main focal point towards the achievement of the wellbeing of women. Different donor agencies working in Bangladesh and the government of Bangladesh also have given priority to microcredit as a means to reach women through involving them in social and development activities. In Bangladesh, as a developing country, gender discrimination is an obstacle to its development. The neglect of women in Bangladesh has become clearer following the report of the gender gap Index of the World Economic Forum, 2007. Only 55% Women in Bangladesh, according to the report, participate in the workforce compared to men with 88%.
The Quality of Presentation and Content for Internet Business Reporting (ibr) on Malaysian Public Listed Companies (plcs)
Authors: Ilias Azleen , Razak Mohd Zulkeflee Abd , Rahman Rahida Abdul
Published: June 2015

The study is on the investigated levels of score for the quality of the internet business reporting, particularly for 212 Malaysian Public Listed Companies (PLCs). As one of the developing countries, Malaysian listed companies need to emphasize and concentrate more into providing useful information and accessible internet reporting to investors and potential investors. The current study investigated based on Internet Business Reporting Quality (IBRQ) indexes and the Investor Relation Best Practices Guidelines (April 2013). In future, the results is useful for investor relation to improve the internet business reporting by improving the content and presentation.
The Influence of Prerequisite Grades on Students’ Performance: Further Evidence from Kuwait
Authors: Alanzi Khalid A.
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study is to perform an empirical investigation of the influence of prerequisite grades on the academic performance of students studying Principles of Financial Accounting (II). This study attempts to provide comparative evidence for the harmonization of international accounting education. Correlation and linear regression analyses using a sample of 147 students who were enrolled in four sections of a Principles of Financial Accounting (II) course at the College of Business Studies in Kuwait during the 2012/2013 academic year were used to test the study’s hypotheses. The results indicate that there was a statistically significant and positive relationship between prerequisite grades and students’ performance which explained the influence of prerequisite grades on students’ performance. The study concludes by considering the implications of these findings for the administration team of the College of Business Studies, for similar institutions, and for instructors, and suggests avenues for future research.
Factors influencing engagement with higher education pathway programs
Authors: Boyle Stephen , Abdullah ABM
Published: June 2015

This study presents data collected from students commencing an enabling program at an Australian university in 2013. Students were asked to identify the three most important reasons for them undertaking the program. The responses identified focussed on four main factors: future educational and career aspirations; a desire to have new experiences; the need for new skills and knowledge; and academic and personal support needs. Results showed that younger students straight from school saw the program as an opportunity to secure entry to their degree of choice. Mature students who had a gap of some years in their education career saw the opportunity offered through the enabling program more in regard to gaining new skills and experiencing university study before embarking on their full degree program.
A Review of Smes Recruitment and Selection Dilemma: Finding a ‘Fit’
Authors: Abraham Mathew , Kaliannan Maniam , Mohan Avvari V. , Thomas Susan
Published: June 2015

This systematic review of theoretical approaches is to determine whether the recruitment and selection process in SMEs shows evidence of a strategic ‘fit’ and second, examining the extent of a structured, innovative and flexible recruitment and selection process. HR managers may be aware of Strategic Human Resource Management but their understanding of recruitment and selection process as a HR architecture linking the firm and HR strategy may be vague. Findings in literature shows that priority research tends to be non-HRM related functions. HRM practices are seen as less important. The review also shows evidence that recruitment and selection is an under researched area and no specific research papers provided insights on the concept of ‘fit’ in recruitment and selection. Although general literature presents various models of recruitment but the compatibility between the individual, job and environment – ‘fit’, as a strategic process in SMEs seems disconnected and unexplored. This suggests that the HRM functions in the Malaysian SMEs are treated and perceived as secondary, routine and an insignificant function.
Estimating the Value of Political Connection to Malaysia’s Richest Tycoon Companies
Authors: Yusoff Wan Sallha , Salleh Mohd Fairuz Md. , Ahmad Azlina , Idris Fazli
Published: June 2015

This study investigates the effect of direct political connection on the firm value of Malaysia’s top richest tycoon companies. We hypothesize that the wealthiest people are likely to hedge their political bets and are poorly related to direct political connections, which in turn conceal the direct political effect on firm value. The empirical evidence provides credence to this idea; in cases where the majority of the shares are controlled by “peripheral capitalism,” only government ownership has a positive and highly significant effect on the financial value of a firm. Meanwhile, the presence of politicians on board has a negative and low significant effect on the financial value of a firm. Results suggest the possibility of an indirect political connection among Malaysia’s top richest tycoon companies; the results also fit into the ongoing debate on estimating the value of political connection.
The Expectation of Perceived Benefit of Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL): A Case in Malaysia
Authors: Ilias Azleen , Razak Mohd Zulkeflee Abd , Rahman Rahida Abdul
Published: June 2015

The current research had explored the perceived benefits of adopting the advanced reporting technology program known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The current research is a continuous research on the awareness of XBRL in Malaysia that focuses on various stakeholders from a financial reporting perspective. This research is considered significant and important to Malaysia’s future development of reporting technology, which emphasizes on the expectation of perceived benefits, compatibility and perceived difficulty. The findings of this research have suggested that a few future adopters understand the positive impact of XBRL adoption by the organization pertaining to matters such as financial reporting, audits, users, corporation and compliance. Furthermore, few future adopters had perceived XBRL to be compatible with the current systems. In terms of complexity, a few of future adopters had agreed with the difficulty posed by XBRL adoption. The understanding of perceived benefits from a technological aspect can be improved if the regulators play their role by creating more awareness on XBRL adoption based on various success stories.
Teaching Probability with Graphic Calculator Instructional Approach
Authors: Tan Choo-Kim , Tan Choo-Peng
Published: June 2015

Positive effects have been reported when graphic calculator (GC) is used in Mathematics classrooms as it influences the way Mathematics is taught and learned. This study aims to examine the effects of GC instructional approach on students’ Probability performance, particularly for students with different levels of Mathematics performance. Two groups of students were involved in this study; Group A adopted the GC instructional approach while group B used the conventional teaching approach. Students from different Mathematics performance levels, particularly the low-performing students, gained benefits when the GC instructional approach was adopted in learning Probability.
An Investigation of Cosumer Attitudes Towards New Varieties of Shopping Bags: Exploring Eco-Awareness and the Possibility of Behavior Change
Authors: Synthia Ishrat Jahan , Kabir Shafquat
Published: June 2015

The adverse impact of plastic bags on the environment has received significant worldwide attention. Bangladesh was the first country to ban plastic bags in 2002 from its capital city, Dhaka to reduce environmental damage. This paper investigates the consequences of the ban and the subsequent emergence of several new varieties of shopping bags in Dhaka city. Attitude towards the new varieties of shopping bags were determined through qualitative methods like in-depth interviews and field studies. Finally, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 288 female heads of households. Results indicate that 98% of respondents mistakenly believe these new bags to be eco-friendly or biodegradable. The level of awareness did not vary by demographic characteristics like age, income or occupation, suggesting that this is a common phenomenon across different segments of the society. A correlation was found between an awareness of the issues and the willingness to bring about behavioral changes.
The Role of Psychological Capital and Psychological Empowerment on Individual Readiness for Change
Authors: Lizar Ayu Aprilianti , Mangundjaya Wustari L.H , Rachmawan Ahmad
Published: June 2015

Many organizations today have to change and adjust themselves with the changing external environment. However, not all organizational change had been succeeded. One of the reasons why the change process often failed was due to lack of readiness for change. The aim of this study is to identify the role of psychological capital and psychological empowerment on individual readiness for change (IRFC). The results from 175 respondents collected from state own construction company in Indonesia showed that both psychological capital and psychological empowerment have positive and significant influence on individual readiness for change (R 2 = 0.451). The results also showed that psychological empowerment has slightly higher influence on individual readiness for change (R 2 = 0.341), compared to psychological capital (R 2 = 0.341).
Factors Correlated with Visitors’ Interest in the Best International Show: Evidence from Hong Kong Arts Festivals
Authors: Boyle Stephen , Amaro Carmen Reaiche , Wu Chengzhong , Murad Md. Wahid
Published: June 2015

The key objective of this empirical study is to determine and analyze the demographic, attitudinal and behavioral factors that could significantly correlate with international visitors’ interest in the Best International Show, which had taken place at the Hong Kong Arts Festivals. A total of 129 samples were drawn randomly from both the male and female international visitors, who participated in that international arts and festival show in Hong Kong. The study used paired samples t -test and descriptive statistics as analytical techniques to achieve the key objective. The estimated correlation coefficients obtained through t -test and the corresponding levels of significance reveal that Latvian National Opera: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Northern Sinfonia and Chorus are the two most attractive show performances, which have been positively as well as significantly (P≤0.05) correlated with international visitors’ interest in the Best International Show. Interestingly, as confirmed by the paired samples t -test, no demographic factors of the international visitors were found to be correlated with their interest in the Best International Show. Thus, policies and strategies, which will promote and improve the quality of the above two show performances, are to be taken in order to attract more international visitors to the Best International Show. While the main limitation of this study lies in the use of a small sub-set of samples, future research could overcome this by interviewing a large number of international visitors.
Proposal of a Decision-Making Guide for Classroom Control: A Case Study of a Private Secondary School in Subang, Selangor
Authors: Cheah Kenny S.L.
Published: June 2015

This case study was carried to investigate teachers’ classroom control and decision-making in a bureaucratic organization. As highlighted by the Head of Discipline (HOD), teachers were prone to transfer discipline cases without much consideration to personal involvement. Through purposive sampling, fourteen teachers were selected in respondents. The Pupil Control Ideology (PCI) and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) were used as an individual profiling test to explain teachers’ cognitive and behavioral perceptions in the school. In addition, a Decision-making questionnaire was designed to emphasize on qualitative analyses pertaining to the problem stated by the HOD. Results revealed that respondents portrayed different rates of transfer that were dependent on the seriousness of the discipline problems. Comparisons among respondents showed common characteristics in terms of ability to conduct personal investigation, obstacles to personal decision-making and likelihood of transfer for serious discipline cases. In terms of differences, respondents differed in rates of transfer, perception towards the scale of discipline problems, personal tactics and classroom leadership styles. As the outcome of the study, the researcher proposes a decision-making guide to address discipline-related issues within the level of personal involvement.
Consumer Acceptance of More-Than-Voice (MTV) Services: Evidence from the Bottom of Pyramid in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain* Muhammad Muazzem , Jamil Md. Raihan
Published: June 2015

More-than-voice (MTV) services are becoming widespread in the developing countries among individuals who represent the bottom-of-pyramid (BoP). The BoP comprises individuals whose income is less than $2 per day. Despite the widespread use of MTV services among the consumers at the BoP, there is no study on what affects their adoption of these services. Therefore, this study investigates the factors that influence consumer acceptance of MTV services at the BoP. The research model proposes that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived social influence, perceived acumen to use, perceived value and perceived facilitating conditions are the principal factors influencing the consumer acceptance of MTV services at the BoP. Secondary data collected by Teleuse@BOP4 from Bangladesh were used to validate the proposed model. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that the acceptance of MTV services at the BoP is positively influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived acumen to use, perceived facilitating conditions and perceived value. The results also indicate that perceived social influence has no significant influence on the acceptance of MTV services by consumers in the BoP.
Efficiency Convergence Towards International Standard: Evidence from Malaysian Listed Government Linked Companies (GLCs)
Authors: Janang Jennifer Tunga , Suhaimi Rosita , Salamudin Norhana
Published: June 2015

This paper investigates the efficiency convergence of Malaysian listed government-linked companies towards the benchmarked foreign owned firms that represent international standard. We use stochastic frontier analysis to estimate production efficiencies of 31 GLCs and 15 FFs over a period of 12 years (2001–2012). The results of the σ convergence test show a process of convergence although the speed is relatively slow. The study also observes a significant negative link between output generation and labour input, suggesting overcapacity in human capital investment, and a significant positive link between financial firms and inefficiency implying the need to enhance productivity driven personnel and knowledge based investments for firms in this sector.
Social Collateral Model for Islamic Microfinance
Authors: Kamaluddin Amrizah , Hadi Nabawiyah Abdul , Alam Md. Mahmudul , Adil Mohamed Azam Mohamed
Published: June 2015

This study examines the social collateral model for Islamic microfinance in Malaysia. Using qualitative instruments on academics and officers of microfinance institutions as the sample study, this study identifies the components that should be included in the social collateral model for Islamic microfinance. Based on interviews and focus group discussions, this study found that similar to the conventional microfinance, the Islamic microfinance also include social capital, group pressure, entrepreneurship skills, and culture as the components of social collateral model. In addition, this study found that religiosity represents another important component of the social collateral model for Islamic microfinance.
Time Varying Correlation Between Islamic Equity and Commodity Returns: Implications for Portfolio Diversification
Authors: Khan Aftab Parvez , Kabir Sarkar Humayun , Bashar Omar K M R , Masih A. Mansur M.
Published: June 2015

This paper aims at investigating the time varying relationship between Islamic equity and commodity returns in order to examine how combination of Islamic equities and commodities contribute to the benefits of portfolio investors and managers. In order to investigate this relationship, we employed multivariate GARCH method on return series of five different commodity groups (energy, precious metals, agricultural, non-ferrous metals and softs group), Dow Jones spot commodity index as a proxy of an aggregate commodity market and Dow Jones Islamic index over the period January 3, 2001 - March 28, 2013. Our findings show that correlations between commodity and Islamic stock markets’ returns change in different time periods and these two markets moved very closely during 2008 financial crisis in particular. Besides, volatility of returns in both markets reached at their peaks during the 2008 crisis period. We also show that despite sharing some common features, commodities cannot be considered as a homogeneous asset class: a speculation phenomenon is for instance, highlighted for energy sector comprising oil, while the safe-haven role of gold is evidenced, which constitutes a part of precious metal sector.
Welfare Impacts of Preferential Trade Liberalization in South Asia
Authors: Islam Amirul , Salim Ruhul , Bloch Harry
Published: June 2015

Focusing on the global trading relationship aggregated at the level of 15 regions and 10 sectors, we investigate in this paper the welfare effects of preferential trade liberalisation in South Asia from several simulation perspectives. The static version of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model shows that countries that are initially more protected (such as India) are likely to capture the lion’s share of the gain from the liberalization scheme. Countries that maintain status quo are the losers; prominent among them are the EU 25 and the North America region. However, these results are dramatically changed in the dynamic version of the GTAP model. In terms of deviations from the baseline scenario, the regional integration policy in South Asia turns out to be net welfare reducing for both the region and the rest of the world.
The Longevity of Large Enterprises: A Study of the Factors That Sustain Enterprises over an Extended Period of Time
Authors: Khan* Malik Muhammad Sheheryar
Published: June 2015

The high mortality of companies has been a common trend especially following major economic events such as the 2008 global finance crisis. Many companies such as Lehman Brothers were seemingly performing companies until their abrupt collapse which left the business world shocked. Many organisations currently are strategizing towards sustainability and ultimately longevity. However, not many companies have managed to survive for at least a century and remain relevant in the current market. The study therefore focuses on creating a framework which illustrates the main factors that are an imperative for any company to survive for a long period of time. The framework includes; five main factors which are responsible for organisational longevity, i.e. Resources, Innovative Capability, Organisational Culture, Organisational systems and Strategy. Framework proposed can be applied within large scale business enterprises that have to bear the brunt in the wake of recession. Maintenance of all the factors promoted longevity among organisations.
Returns to Education and Wage Differentials in Malaysia
Authors: Arshad Mohd Nahar Mohd , Ghani Gairuzazmi Mat
Published: June 2015

The main objective of this study is to estimate the effects of education on earnings of Malaysians. To achieve the objective, a Mincerian earning function has been estimated using Malaysia’s Household Income Survey 2009. Apart from considering levels of qualification, factors such as age, marital status, ethnicity, occupational types and geographical locations have been considered in the estimations. The results show that the rates of return in Malaysia are high and positive, especially at the upper secondary and university education levels. Male workers, on average, received 40.3% higher than their female counterparts, holding other factors constant. There is also significant evidence of wage differential attributable to regional/urban-rural locations in Malaysia. By occupational activities, our estimates suggest that employers received the highest income, followed by those in public service, private sector, and then self-employed workers. Wage differential in Malaysia is also explained by ethnicity.
Single or Multiple Organizational Identities: The Management Consultant’s Dilemma
Authors: Chelliah John , D’Netto Brian , Georges Samantha
Published: June 2015

In this article, we examine the signals consulting firms send to clients and the public through the identities they publish on their websites. The paper begins with a review of academic and practitioner literature on consulting identities and typologies. The literature review leads us to conclude that the consultant cannot be conceptualized by a single definable construct but rather by multiple typologies. To demonstrate this we establish a theoretically informed framework summarizing the main consulting identities from extant literature. The framework is then applied to a sample of 50 consulting organizations currently operating in Australia. Through the application of this framework, the identity of the consulting firms are seen to be multiple and sometimes contradictory in nature. Finally, we discuss the possible strategic implications of identity multiplicity, correlating identity with legitimacy and impression management techniques.
Purchasing Power Parity in the SAARC Region: Evidence from Unit Root Test with Cross-Sectional Dependence
Authors: Hassan Kamrul , Hoque Ariful , Koku Paul Sergius
Published: June 2015

Mixed results on the validity of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) relationship in South Asian countries motivates this paper to conduct a further inquiry. Existing studies lack appropriate treatment of cross-country dependence in the testing procedure. In this paper we employ a method that allows us to identify the degree of cross-sectional dependence (CSD) and apply panel unit root test to accommodate this dependence on the real exchange rate series of five South Asian countries in the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which include Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. We find evidence of strong cross-country dependence, cross-country correlation being 0.735. Our panel unit test results support the validity of long-run PPP in the sample countries. This result is in contrast to the previous studies in similar countries which did not accommodate CSD in their estimation. This finding implies that real shocks do not have any permanent effect on the real exchange rate and other things remaining the same, no active policy intervention is warranted for the sustainability of external balance.
Student and Youth Tourism: A Case Study from Vietnam
Authors: Linh Nguyen Thi Khanh
Published: June 2015

This paper identifies travelling patterns and motivational factors among college students. In addition, several determinants in touristic decision-making process are assessed in regard to their importance. A mixed research method including focus group and survey was employed. The data on which this paper is based were collected from 231 students through questionnaires. Travelling patterns of students in terms of travelling frequency, time, average duration, spending, and companions are described. Besides, the result reveals that push factors dominate pull factors in motivating the youth to travel. Finally, the findings show that young tourists are concerned with safety level at the destination in terms of theft, robbery, assault… the most. Regarding commercial tour, transportation means, accommodation, and foods provided by travel operators during the trip are the main factors affecting students’ choice of a tourism package. The main limitation of the research relates to sample size. As regard to practical implications, in order to attract student tourists and make profits, travel agencies and service providers at tourism destinations need to understand their concerns, therefrom to develop plans to meet their requirements.
French Catholic Spirituality and the Nineteenth-century Korean Church
Authors: Finch Andrew J.
Published: June 2015

The role played by French Catholic missionaries in overseas evangelization during the nineteenth century was considerable. Their significance was not limited to their numerical contribution—the French Church is viewed as subscribing to a rigorous spirituality characterized by contempt for the world. This spirituality is seen, in the case of the Catholic Church in Korea, as having created a ghetto mentality, which dominated the Church until the 1970s. However, the spirituality of the French Church was more nuanced and varied than this model suggests. The Counter-Reformation ensured that the salvation of the individual soul became paramount, while the French Revolution encouraged the French Church to rediscover its commitment to overseas missions. The spirituality passed to the Korean Church might assist its confessors and martyrs in enduring persecution, but it gave to the Church as a whole the concept of charity and the imperative to relieve the suffering of others.
The Cult of the Hwaŏm Pure Land of the Koryŏ Period as seen through Self-Power and Other-Power
Authors: Cheon-hak Kim
Published: June 2015

The classifications of self-power and other-power are important analytical tools in the discussion of Pure Land thought. During the Three Kingdoms period, Wŏnhyo early on presented a method of practice that differentiated between self-power and other-power. Nevertheless, there has been no attempt to pursue the meaning or significance of the Pure Land cult in the Hwaŏm tradition during the Koryŏ period from the standpoints of self-power and other-power. In this study I will attempt to analyze the cult of the Pure Land in the Hwaŏm tradition in the Koryŏ period from the standpoints of these two methods of faith. In order to accomplish this purpose, I will analyze Kyunyŏ’s views on the Pure Land of the Lotus Storehouse Realm in the early Koryŏ period and Ch’ewŏn’s belief in Avalokiteśvara in the late Koryŏ period in the context of the adoption and development of Chinese Huayan. The result is that the distinctive features of the Pure Land thought of these two Hwaŏm monks can be explained as “absolute self-power” and the “interfusion of self-power.”
Koryŏ Buddhist Paintings and the Cult of Amitābha: Visions of a Hwaŏm-Inspired Pure Land
Authors: McBride Richard D.
Published: June 2015

Many paintings of Amitābha were commissioned for devotional use by elites in numerous votive shrines and temples, and others probably played a role in the abundant Buddhist festivals and ceremonies of the Koryŏ period. Images of Amitābha and Amitābha triads functioned in a variety of devotional settings and the inscriptions on some icons suggest their use to enable all living beings in the dharma realm to be reborn in the Pure Land. Some images might have been used in deathbed rituals enabling believers to visualize Amitābha coming to escort them into the Pure Land. Inscriptional and visual evidence strongly suggests a Hwaŏm context for many paintings of Amitābha. Although aspirants sought rebirth in Amitābha’s Pure Land, the Hwaŏm doctrine of the interpenetration of all things in the dharma realm inferred the ultimate non-duality between Sukhāvatī and the Lotus Storehouse Realm. The cult of Amitābha in Koryŏ was closely associated with Hwaŏm Buddhism, particularly the “Practices” chapter at the end of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra in forty rolls. The genre of Amitābha and the Eight Great Bodhisattvas are linked to this version of the Avataṃsaka though verses and dhāraṇīs appended to manuscripts of the text and associated commentaries. The concept of the dharma realm that interpenetrates all things provides context for unique images, such as the Transformation Tableau of the Hwaŏm Pure Land , which both visually and symbolically interfuse the aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land of Amitābha with the Hwaŏm path of bodhisattva practice. Other transformation tableaux of the sixteen visualizations of the Visualization Sūtra demonstrate knowledge of varied doctrinal positions that circulated in China on the types of people who are reborn in the nine classes of rebirth in the Pure Land. Such transformation tableaux functioned in the context of education and edification, along with devotion, encouraging lay people to become bodhisattvas or reminding them that they can be reborn in the Pure Land.
The Establishment of the Approach of Chanting Amitābha’s Name and the Proliferation of Pure Land Buddhism in Late Chosŏn
Authors: Yongtae Kim
Published: June 2015

The establishment of the course of the Three Gates, incorporating meditation, doctrinal learning, and recitation of the name of Amitābha, as well as the organization of a monastic educational system characterized by the dual cultivation of meditation and doctrinal learning, demonstrates the synthetic character of Buddhism in the late Chosŏn period. The approach of reciting Amitābha’s name included in the system of the Three Gates encompassed both a meditative practice symbolized by the “Pure Land of the Mind-only” and the “Amitābha of the Self-nature” and as faith in the efficacy of chanting Amitābha’s name concentrated on the Pure Land of Extreme Bliss in the West. After the establishment of the approach of reciting the name of Amitābha, chanting Amitābha’s name gradually became prevalent and the gates to the Pure Land expanded. The publication of a number of Pure Land texts created diverse demands within the ritual, literary, and religious spheres. In addition, in relation to the spread of the approach of chanting Amitābha’s name, debates arose over the very existence of a Pure Land of Extreme Bliss or concerning the construct conceptually.
The Otherworldly Counter-Discourse of Yŏmbul pogwŏnmun : An Eighteenth-century Pure Land Text
Authors: Walraven Boudewijn
Published: June 2015

Although Pure Land Buddhism had been known in Korea for more than a millennium, the repeated publication throughout the eighteenth century of woodblock editions of Yŏmbul pogwŏnmun (Exhortation to universally practice the invocation of the Buddha [Amitābha]) with text in both hanmun and the vernacular, presented a quantum leap in the dissemination of Pure Land teachings and of a Buddhist vision of life and the afterlife that in several ways challenged the Confucian Weltanschauung . Although the text endorsed Confucian social values, it effectively constituted a counter-discourse to Confucianism by denying the importance of this world and by emphasizing preparations for the afterlife, which would determine whether after death one would proceed to one of the terrifying hells or to the World of Ultimate Bliss. This otherworldly orientation to the hereafter, with its contrast between hell and the paradise of Amitābha, may have facilitated the acceptance of Catholicism in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, particularly among women. Yŏmbul pogwŏnmun encouraged a literal belief in rebirth in the paradise of Amitābha, but the Sŏn masters who propagated the mindful invocation of Amitābha ( yŏmbul ) tended to have a more sophisticated concept of the practice, regarding it as a way to realize one’s buddha-nature in the here and now.
The Cult of the Pure Land of Maitreya in Paekche and Silla in the Three Kingdoms Period
Authors: Yeonshik Choe
Published: June 2015

Although the cult of Amitābha was the representative form of Pure Land belief in Korean Buddhism after the Unified Silla period, this form of belief and worship was not seen in the Three Kingdoms period when the cult of Maitreya flourished. It was understood that even the Pure Land where the Buddha resides was related to the cult of Maitreya. Although all of the Three Kingdoms display features of the cult of Maitreya, there are significant differences between Koguryŏ, Paekche, and Silla with respect to the characteristics of the Pure Land of Maitreya. In the case of Koguryŏ, such things as Tuṣita Heaven and assemblies under the dragon flower tree, which are found in the Maitreya sūtras, became the faith in the Pure Land of Maitreya. In Paekche and Silla, however, the features of a belief system in Tuṣita Heaven or assemblies under a dragon flower tree in the distant future are not seen. Rather, both states believed that Maitreya would appear in their own countries in the present and the characteristics of a belief in the manifestation of the Pure Land in the present, in which Maitreya will come and go frequently, are seen.
The Christian Spirituality of Cardinal Sou-hwan Kim: Contextualized and Interpreted
Authors: Pak Pyong-Gwan
Published: June 2015

The late Cardinal Sou-hwan Kim (Kim Suhwan) is well known for his role in the democratization process and his defense of human rights in South Korea over almost two decades (1970s–1980s). Nevertheless, very little is known about the prelate’s inner, religious world, which inspired his prophetic voice that had a crucial impact on both the ecclesiastical and the civic life of the country. This study aims at investigating his spirituality, that is, the totality of his religious thoughts, ideals, values, ethos, motivations and intentions, which animated his concern for and involvement in the socio-political realities of South Korea of his day. For an in-depth understanding, it attempts to contextualize and interpret Kim’s Christian spirituality. Therefore, focusing on his biographical and historical context, it highlights details that have significant bearing on his life, experience, and spirituality. Furthermore, by theological contextualization, it brings out the fundamental theological orientations and characteristics of Kim’s spirituality. It demonstrates that his spirituality exemplified a novel theological-spiritual development that has emerged in worldwide contemporary Catholicism. Kim’s spirituality, it argues, emerged in his earnest effort to live as faithfully as possible a life of Christian faith, with the new vista and understanding opened up by Vatican Council II and post-conciliar liberation theology. It also examines the more personal, intimate dimensions of Kim’s spirituality, and offers an interpretative consideration of its salient features.
The Pure Land of the One Mind in Wŏnhyo’s Thought
Authors: JongWook Kim
Published: June 2015

Pure Land teaching, being the practical Buddhism of East Asia, aims to maximize the possibility that all living beings might be reborn in the Pure Land. The Silla monk Wŏnhyo saw that the accomplishment of these kinds of aspirations was the consummation of the bodhisattva path of the Mahāyāna and said that he sought to firmly construct a view of this kind of pure land on the basis of his thought on the one mind. In this way Wŏnhyo made the “pure land of the one mind” function as the source of the liberation of living beings in the process of resolving such things as the issue of the scope and method of rebirth in the Pure Land and the problem of the existence and true character of the Pure Land. Thus the distinctive feature of Wŏnhyo’s Pure Land thought lies in the positive explanation of the basis of rebirth of all living beings in the Pure Land on the foundation of the one mind. This position is clearly differentiated from the more or less negative attitude of the Pure Land thinkers Tanluan and Daochuo; in other words, an approach that either emphasizes only the quick attainment of buddhahood after distinguishing between a difficult path and an easy path or putting in place a temporal or timely path of practice that corresponds to the period of the decline of the Buddhadharma. Furthermore, Wŏnhyo’s doctrinal learning of the Pure Land is set on the basis of the one mind, which means that the two aspects of the mind of great compassion, or the tainted nature of the pure land of true thusness, and the tathāgatagarbha, or the untainted nature of defiled lands, are interfused by means of the one mind. It does not mean a pure land of mind-only, in which a pure land exists only within the mind. Rather, it was Wŏnhyo’s conviction that all pure lands combining one’s own gratification land and the gratification lands of others are actual worlds that exist in a concrete manner, and that all living beings could be reborn in the actually-existing Pure Land of Extreme Bliss due to the buddha’s mind of great compassion and the tathāgatagarbha of ordinary beings. Through him, a pure land based on the one mind became the source of liberation for all living beings.
Schism and the Polemic of Heresy: Manichaeism and the Representation of Papal Authority in the Liber Pontificalis
Authors: Cohen Samuel
Published: June 2015

This article investigates the language of heresy in the Liber Pontificalis , a collection of papal biographies first compiled in the context of the sixth-century Symmachian/Laurentian Schism. More specifically, it considers the reported actions of the Bishops of Rome in opposition to the heresy of Manichaeism, focusing on the biographies of Gelasius (492–496), Symmachus (498–514), and Hormisdas (514–523). It is argued that these accounts are best understood as a heresiological motif employed by the compiler(s) of the Liber Pontificalis in order to emphasize and reinforce the authority and the legitimacy of those who were said to have opposed Manichaeism. This conclusion is suggested by the nature of the Liber Pontificalis itself, which was only one of a set of conflicting polemical sources that debated the recent past of Rome’s episcopacy. Moreover, as it was employed by Christian controversialists, “Manichean” had, by the sixth century, become an epithetical term of disapprobation rather than an accurate descriptor of a particular sect or system of belief. The depiction of the fight against Manichaeism in the Liber Pontificalis was thus a small part of a larger discursive project intended to represent the Roman Church—and Gelasius, Symmachus, and Hormisdas in particular—as the consummate enemies of heresy, the defenders of orthodoxy, and the locus of authentic and legitimate authority.
Augustine and Men of Imperial Power
Authors: Shaw Brent D.
Published: June 2015

In considering the spectrum of relations that bishops of the Christian Church had with high-ranking officials of the late Roman state, the letters of Augustine of Hippo have a special place. These letters have been used not only to debate the nature of the relationship between bishops and representatives of the imperial state, but also the moral aspects of the holding and exercise of secular power. This new investigation of the corpus of these letters focuses on problems of identifying the correspondents, their precise positions of state power, and the chronology of the events. The resulting picture reveals that the bishop of Hippo had no prior social or political connections with any of the men of imperial power and that his relations with them had to be carefully cultivated in each individual case, often with quite variable results. The presence of a consistent and substantial hiatus in status and power between Augustine and high-ranking imperial officials must be taken into account in any analysis of the significance of the content of the letters. As a generalization, it might be said that a more precise knowledge of context is always important to historical understanding.
Arab Tribesmen and Desert Frontiers in Late Antiquity
Authors: Liebeschuetz J. H. W. G.
Published: June 2015

This paper is about the control of the desert frontier of Syria. Diocletian organized frontier defenses of the traditional Roman kind manned by units of the Roman army stationed in forts strung out along the edge of the desert, but this frontier was permeable because it was regularly crossed by nomads in the course of their annual transhumance. This resulted in a great deal of immigration, some with permission of the imperial authorities, some no doubt without. What had been largely empty steppe became dotted with villages. Eventually the government handed over much of frontier control to sedentarized nomads, under phylarchs appointed, or at least recognised, by the Roman authorities. Among the latter the dynasty that contemporary scholars prefer to describe as Jafnids became extremely powerful. After the Islamic conquest of Syria they were celebrated by Arabic poets and historians, who associate them with the Arabian tribe of Ghassān, though this association is not found in either Greek or Syriac sources. It is argued in this paper that Ghassanid identity was indeed claimed by the Jafnid phylarchs themselves, and that their followers, whatever their origin, also came to accept this identity.
Taxpayers and Their Money in Sixth-Century Egypt: Currency in the Temseu Skordon Codex
Authors: MacCoull Leslie S. B.
Published: June 2015

This study seeks to identify the actual coinage units used in a sixth-century tax register from Byzantine Egypt datable to 546 ce in which taxpayers’ names are followed by two columns of sums of money, the first in notional gold of account, the second its equivalent in copper. It is proposed that the coin module in terms of which computation was carried out by the document’s accountant was the 33-nummi ( ΛΓ ) copper coin struck at Alexandria by Justinian after 538 ce , which lends itself to ready reckoning as it was equivalent to the round figure of 100 talents of copper. The tax collector would have taken in the payers’ sums in copper coins and then, having computed the gold equivalent, bought gold on the market for transmitting to Constantinople as the imperial tax quota.
The Social Networks of Justinian’s Generals
Authors: Parnell David Alan
Published: June 2015

The generals of Justinian required significant assistance and support to succeed in their assignments. Beyond political support from the emperor and manpower from their bucellarii , these generals relied upon carefully managed social networks. This essay makes use of the terminology of social network analysis to show the links between generals like Belisarius and Narses and their less famous subordinate officers such as Valerian, Martin, and John. Belisarius and Narses relied upon individuals such as these, with whom they served for many years in different theaters of war. The formation of social networks to rally support was so important for a general that he held war conferences to attempt to win over his own subordinate officers to his point of view. The support of a strong social network was especially critical when the official hierarchy of the army was ambiguous or contested, as was frequent in the 530s and 540s. This essay examines the context for the formation of these social networks, proposes preliminary rosters of Belisarius and Narses’s networks, and considers why social networks were so important to these generals.
Knowledge and Virtue in the Regula Pastoralis of Gregory the Great: The Development of Christian Argumentation for the Late Sixth Century
Authors: Dietrich Julia
Published: June 2015

The Regula Pastoralis of Gregory the Great constructs a model of pastoral authority that stresses the importance of the pastor’s virtuous life to the success of his preaching: not only will his example be the strongest testimony to his belief, but his own understanding of the truth will be clearer if it is not obscured by his refusal to recognize his own vices. In adopting such an epistemology, in which virtue is the ground of knowledge, Gregory is participating in a centuries-long debate about the ultimate locus of authority in Christian discourse: what gives credibility to a claim? Such an epistemology by itself, however, does not provide any mechanism for resolving disagreements. Living in a period when the fragmentation of the Church into a number of national churches was a very real threat, Gregory created a model of argumentation that could contain controversy. He vested the ultimate authority in the hierarchy of church office, insisting that pride is corrupting and thereby circumscribing the knowledge claims that could be made on the basis of virtue.