Aeons

The Mandaeans are the members of an ethno-religious group living in Iran and Iraq. The religion of the Mandaeans is a written tradition and is the main reference of their identity. As a small endogamous group under the hegemony of the non-Mandaeans and exposed to epidemics, they always have been under the threat of cultural extinction. Therefore, group identity protection has become one of their major concerns, which is reflected in their religious practice. The Mandaeans practice a doctrinal ritualistic religion with recurrence theme of purity. The doctrinal rituals allow them to transmit a large number of religious codes through generations and to re-establish their identity. Simultaneously, the obsession with bodily purity symbolically shows their preoccupation with the unity and integrity of the threatened group boundaries. Since recent decades the Mandaeans' homeland in Iran and Iraq has undergone dramatic socio-political changes caused by the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the first and second Persian Gulf Wars and their entailed instabilities. These circumstances led to the emigration of many Mandaeans to other countries and formation of Mandaean diasporas around the world. These new social conditions are making a crucial effect on the Mandaeans' religious system and identity policy. The article is based on a long-term ethnographic study on the Mandaeans of Iran.

The fight against gnostics allowed the holy bishop to develop the Christian
doctrine with a perfect way. At first, he showed that the knowledge (gnξsij) that
heretics sought in vain in mythical narratives was not real. The only real gnosis
was love and grace for believers in Christ and they were given to them by the Holy
Spirit. Only in Church man can be saved. And the real “gnostics” were not those
who rejected and despised their body in order to worship an “incomprehensible
God” and “Creator,” but the “spiritual” people who received from the Holy Spirit
the resurrection of the flesh and its indestructibility.

(Streszczenie)
Walka z gnostycyzmem pozwolila sw. Ireneuszowi z Lyonu rozwinac w do
skonaly
sposσb doktryne chrzescijanska. Przede wszystkim wykazal on, ze wiedza
(gnξsij), ktσra gnostycy dostrzegali na prσzno w mitologicznych opowiesciach,
nie byla prawdziwa. Jedyna rzeczywista gnoza byla milosc i laska udzielona wyz
nawcom
Chrystusa przez Ducha Swietego. Czlowiek moze byc zbawiony tylko
w Kosciele. Prawdziwymi gnostykami byli nie ci, ktσrzy zwalczali swoje cialo lub
gardzili nim jako dzielem niepoznawalnego Boga Stwσrcy, ale ludzie duchowi,
ktσrzy otrzymali od Ducha Swietego zmartwychwstanie ciala i niezniszczalnosc.

The paper addresses the Mandaeans' long lasting identity challenge as a small ethno-religious group living under the threat of cultural extinction. The Mandaeans are followers of an ancient gnostic tradion and they have been living in Mesopotamia for several centuries. Because of their unkown and partly esoteric relgion, they have always been the subject of the religious intolerance of thier neghbouring people. This have made the identity concern one of the main social concerns of the Mandaeans. This concern, in turn, reflects in the religious system of the Mandaeans.
The Mandaeans have developed elaborated rituals with the repetitive theme of body purification. Babtism, ablutions and food taboos show this carful concern about purity. This obsession with body purification symbolically expresses the Mandaeans' anxious care about the purification of the group body.
In last decades, because of the wars and social and plitical unrests in their homeland, the Mandaeans have started to emigrate from their countries to Europe, North America and Australia. Fromation of scattered diaspora and living in mulitcultural scular societies can bring about dramatic changes in the Mandaeans religious practice and cosmology. There are some signs that show this changes have been started.

The main purpose of this research is to examine the impact of customer perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices or initiatives undertaken by foreign multinational retailers in Malaysia on customer satisfaction and retention. A conceptual framework comprises of 4 elements (economic, legal, ethical and philanthropy) developed by Carroll (1991) is used to examine the CSR practices and its impact on customer satisfaction and retention. A multivariate likert-scale questionnaire (scale from 1-5) has been developed with two additional dimensions (customer satisfaction and retention). A sample of 101 respondents has been used to collect the data using convenience sampling method. Regression and correlation analysis is conducted using SPSS 21 on full version of dataset to generate the results of analysis. Regression beta coefficient and correlation coefficients were generated to establish the causal effects of economic, ethical, legal, philanthropy on customer satisfaction and retention. Also this study examines the impact of customer satisfaction on customer intention to retain with the business. The results shows that there is a significant and positive impact of CSR dimensions of ethical, and philanthropy on both customer satisfaction and retention. The result also shows legal CSR positive and significant impact on customer intention to retain with the retailer. Also this research shows that economic CSR do not have a significant impact on both customer satisfaction and retention. This result is confirmed by correlation analysis as well except for economic CSR. Correlation analysis shows that there economic CSR positively and significantly correlated with both customer satisfaction and retention. Also this research found that there is a significant and strong positive relationship between improved customer satisfaction and retention. This study concluded that improving customer perception of CSR practices such as legal, ethical and philanthropy CSR will improve both customer satisfaction and retention. Therefore managers working in retail sector should take initiatives to improve customer perception of CSR practices to enhance customer satisfaction and retention. Further research could be undertaken on different context or by increasing the sample size to test the economic dimension of CSR to confirm previous research finding.

(Summary)
The fight against gnostics allowed the holy bishop to develop the Christian
doctrine with a perfect way. At first, he showed that the knowledge (gnosis) that
heretics sought in vain in mythical narratives was not real. The only real gnosis
was love and grace for believers in Christ and they were given to them by the Holy
Spirit. Only in Church man can be saved. And the real “gnostics” were not those
who rejected and despised their body in order to worship an “incomprehensible
God” and “Creator,” but the “spiritual” people who received from the Holy Spirit
the resurrection of the flesh and its indestructibility.
GNOSTYK HETERODOKSYJNY
I PRAWDZIWY GNOSTYK W CHRYSTUSIE
WEDŁUG NAUCZANIA IRENEUSZA Z LYONU
(Streszczenie)
Walka z gnostycyzmem pozwoliła św. Ireneuszowi z Lyonu rozwinąć w doskonały
sposób doktrynę chrześcijańską. Przede wszystkim wykazał on, że wiedza
(gnîsij), którą gnostycy dostrzegali na próżno w mitologicznych opowieściach,
nie była prawdziwa. Jedyną rzeczywistą gnozą była miłość i łaska udzielona wyznawcom
Chrystusa przez Ducha Świętego. Człowiek może być zbawiony tylko
w Kościele. Prawdziwymi gnostykami byli nie ci, którzy zwalczali swoje ciało lub
gardzili nim jako dziełem niepoznawalnego Boga Stwórcy, ale ludzie duchowi,
którzy otrzymali od Ducha Świętego zmartwychwstanie ciała i niezniszczalność.

To modern readers, the Gospel of Truth is a composition charged with intrigue and perplexity. This anonymous second-century work seems like a philosophical account of a world different from any known earlier. The complexity and enigmatic theology of the work have left many researchers bewildered and undecided concerning the identity of the work’s author and his religious background.In order to clarify this apparent perplexity and uncover the author’s identity and intention, this study undertakes a particular type of literary investigation that was first introduced to the field of literary criticism by Russian formalist and structuralist, Boris Uspensky (1937-).

The main purpose of this research is to examine the impact of customer perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices or initiatives undertaken by foreign multinational retailers in Malaysia on customer satisfaction and retention. A conceptual framework comprises of 4 elements (economic, legal, ethical and philanthropy) developed by Carroll (1991) is used to examine the CSR practices and its impact on customer satisfaction and retention. A multivariate likert-scale questionnaire (scale from 1-5) has been developed with two additional dimensions (customer satisfaction and retention). A sample of 101 respondents has been used to collect the data using convenience sampling method. Regression and correlation analysis is conducted using SPSS 21 on full version of dataset to generate the results of analysis. Regression beta coefficient and correlation coefficients were generated to establish the causal effects of economic, ethical, legal, philanthropy on customer satisfaction and retention. Also this study examines the impact of customer satisfaction on customer intention to retain with the business. The results shows that there is a significant and positive impact of CSR dimensions of ethical, and philanthropy on both customer satisfaction and retention. The result also shows legal CSR positive and significant impact on customer intention to retain with the retailer. Also this research shows that economic CSR do not have a significant impact on both customer satisfaction and retention. This result is confirmed by correlation analysis as well except for economic CSR. Correlation analysis shows that there economic CSR positively and significantly correlated with both customer satisfaction and retention. Also this research found that there is a significant and strong positive relationship between improved customer satisfaction and retention. This study concluded that improving customer perception of CSR practices such as legal, ethical and philanthropy CSR will improve both customer satisfaction and retention. Therefore managers working in retail sector should take initiatives to improve customer perception of CSR practices to enhance customer satisfaction and retention. Further research could be undertaken on different context or by increasing the sample size to test the economic dimension of CSR to confirm previous research finding.

The main purpose of this research is to examine the impact of customer perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices or initiatives undertaken by foreign multinational retailers in Malaysia on customer satisfaction and retention. A conceptual framework comprises of 4 elements (economic, legal, ethical and philanthropy) developed by Carroll (1991) is used to examine the CSR practices and its impact on customer satisfaction and retention. A multivariate likert-scale questionnaire (scale from 1-5) has been developed with two additional dimensions (customer satisfaction and retention). A sample of 101 respondents has been used to collect the data using convenience sampling method. Regression and correlation analysis is conducted using SPSS 21 on full version of dataset to generate the results of analysis. Regression beta coefficient and correlation coefficients were generated to establish the causal effects of economic, ethical, legal, philanthropy on customer satisfacti...

ABSTRACT
The Mandaeans are members of an ethno-religion living in Iran and Iraq. They are bearers of a Gnostic tradition that makes their main identity reference. Being a small, local, endogamous group under non-Mandaeans hegemony, they have always been under the threat of cultural extinction. The concern for group identity is well reflected in the Mandaeans’ religiosity. The Mandaeans practice a doctrinal ritualistic religion with the recurrent theme of purity. This doctrinal ritualistic religion allows them to transmit complex networks of religious codes through generations and establish and re-establish the Mandaean identity. Simultaneously, the obsession with bodily purity symbolically shows their preoccupation with the unity and integrity of the threatened group boundaries. During last decades, the Mandaeans’ homeland has gone under dramatic political and social changes, that have led to the Mandaeans’ emigration and formation of the Mandaeans diasporas all around the world. These new social conditions are making an unprecedented effect on the Mandaeans’ mode of religious practice and could be regarded as a turning point in the Mandaeans’ historical experience.

KEY WORDS:
Purity, Cosmology, Ritual, Identity, Threat

This article responds to the debate between Bryan Rennie and Russell McCutcheon in the journal Religion. Taking a methodologically reductive position, this article raises a few methodological guidelines for studying religious phenomena at a descriptive and theoretical level. Rather than leaving the discussion at the level of abstract theory, this article applies the Rennie-McCutcheon debate to ancient Gnosticism.