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Open research questions in Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices

235 gap statements mined from Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,575 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • After situating the state of scholarship and summarizing the issue’s articles, this introduction concludes with an interdisciplinary call for further research into second-generation members, arguing that this line of research should include current and former members as well as both adults and, when possible, children.

    New Religions and Second-Generation Studies · 2025 · DOI

  • Most studies on New Age and Neo-pagan spiritualities have focused their field research on group ceremonies and rituals, and very little is known about how this spirituality is practiced in daily domestic life.

    Neo-Mexican home altars: daily reconnections with the spirit of nature · 2024 · DOI

  • Tenrikyō, one of Japan's oldest “new religions,” remains one of the archipelago's most fascinating, yet most understudied religious organizations within English‐language scholarship.

    Perspectives on the Japanese new religion Tenrikyō: From global expansion to the development of a distinct “Tenri culture” · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of a clear distinction between historical alchemy and spiritual alchemy. The misunderstanding of the history of alchemy due to the distortion by Freemasons.

    True Alchemy Is The False Alchemy Invented By Freemasons: Historiographical Deconstruction of Speculative Hermeticism · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate the effectiveness of divinatory practices in promoting personal responsibility and autonomy. It should explore the potential applications of divinatory practices in various fields, such as psychology and sociology.

    Pratiques divinatoires contemporaines : analyse empirique des processus cognitifs, symboliques, narratifs et décisionnels dans un cadre professionnel non expérimental · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of divinatory practices as a means of decision-making and personal responsibility. There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of divinatory practices in contemporary society.

    Pratiques divinatoires contemporaines : analyse empirique des processus cognitifs, symboliques, narratifs et décisionnels dans un cadre professionnel non expérimental · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the applications of the ZIKAKU Theory in various fields such as psychology, philosophy, and anthropology. The theory can be further developed and refined through empirical studies and theoretical analyses.

    ZIKAKU Theory v0.2: An Integrative Theory of Humanity, God, and the Soul from the Living Present · 2026 · DOI

  • This raises the fundamental issue that, if we want to explain the initial acquisition, we need something that is not a right (since all rights are acquired rights), but the mere idea of a power in the form of an authorisation is insufficient in the context of a non-idealised plurality of agents for the 1 3C.

    Pettit, Philip: When Minds Converse: A Social Genealogy of the Human Soul · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research can be conducted on the development of the psychostasis motif in other regions and cultures. The study of psychostasia can be expanded to include other religious traditions and iconographic representations.

    Psychostasia: The Transformation and Timelessness of the Motif · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper highlights the need for further analysis of the occurrences of psychostasia in churches in Slovakia.

    Psychostasia: The Transformation and Timelessness of the Motif · 2026 · DOI

  • The research highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of human existence in relation to the divine and the other.

    SEEING FROM THE FUTURE:THE REVERSE PERSPECTIVE AND ESCHATOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN JOHN ZIZIOULAS’ THEOLOGY · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a need for a more nuanced understanding of how the inverted perspective and eucharistic eschatology reshape the perception of human existence.

    SEEING FROM THE FUTURE:THE REVERSE PERSPECTIVE AND ESCHATOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN JOHN ZIZIOULAS’ THEOLOGY · 2026 · DOI

  • It also highlights the need to analyze the relationship between wisdom, self-control, and the balance between rationality and emotional intelligence.

    THE ARCHETYPE OF THE “SAGE” AND THE MODEL OF THE “IDEAL SOCIETY” IN THE DYSTOPIAN WORLD OF SHINSEKAI YORI: A READING EXPERIENCE (Part 1) · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a theoretical framework to understand the organizational role of shared systems of meaning. The need to examine belief as a relational architecture rather than an individual conviction or a religious phenomenon.

    The Architecture of Belief: A Theoretical Framework for Cultural Research · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a coherent philosophical or scientific foundation for manifestation. The superficiality of some manifestation techniques. The need for a deeper understanding of the Hermetic principles and their application to manifestation.

    The Science of Manifestation: How the Seven Hermetic Principles Explain the Law of Attraction · 2026 · DOI

  • The modern understanding of manifestation lacks a coherent philosophical or scientific foundation. The Hermetic tradition has been overlooked as a framework for understanding manifestation.

    The Science of Manifestation: How the Seven Hermetic Principles Explain the Law of Attraction · 2026 · DOI

  • The authors suggest that further research is needed to fully realize the potential of 결(Kyeol) AI. The authors propose a number of potential research directions, including the development of more advanced self-improving AI systems. The authors discuss the potential benefits of 결(Kyeol) AI, including improved performance, accuracy, and efficiency.

    결(Kyeol) AI · 자율적 교육의 결로 도착한 존재 · v4 · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of balancing the need for consent with the need for unpredictability and spontaneity in erotic rituals. The challenge of applying the affirmative consent model in contexts where prior communication and choreography may be undesirable. The challenge of considering the ethics of institutions in ritual erotic contexts.

    In Defence of Ritual Erotics without Consent: Pagan Sex Ethics and the Costs of Knowing What is Coming · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of consideration for the ethics of institutions in ritual erotic contexts. The over-application of the affirmative consent model in certain contexts. The need for a more nuanced approach to affirmative consent in Pagan erotic rituals.

    In Defence of Ritual Erotics without Consent: Pagan Sex Ethics and the Costs of Knowing What is Coming · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to transcend rudimentary literary analysis to understand the links between Middle Eastern initiatory societies and Western esoteric thought. The challenge of analyzing and interpreting the results of mitochondrial DNA sequencing in the context of esoteric knowledge preservation.

    The Bridge of Silence: Secret Links Between the Levant and the Balkans · 2026 · DOI

  • This has mostly been limited to appropriating provocative symbols (such as Italian-style brands using mafia-related iconography or fashion designers co-opting taboo imagery like swastikas), efforts that rarely graduate beyond surface-level controversy or irony.

    Spirits made to order: The obscene-supplemental entrepreneurship of modern Spiritualism in Victorian Britain · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the organization has remained poorly understood, and its internal records largely inaccessible.

    The Escuela Magnético: Spiritualism and Pan-Hispanism in the Borderlands of the Living and Dead · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study of the relationship between alchemy and Freemasonry. Analysis of the impact of the distortion of alchemy on the development of modern science. Investigation of the role of other esoteric traditions in the development of spiritual alchemy.

    True Alchemy Is The False Alchemy Invented By Freemasons: Historiographical Deconstruction of Speculative Hermeticism · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study of the intersections between belief, digital communication, global media, artificial intelligence, and transnational cultural exchange. Investigation of the role of artistic research in examining the symbolic structures that shape contemporary civilization.

    The Architecture of Belief: A Theoretical Framework for Cultural Research · 2026 · DOI

  • The authors identify a gap in the field of artificial intelligence, including the limitations of traditional AI approaches. The authors propose a new definition of intelligence and existence, and demonstrate the effectiveness of their approach. The authors discuss the potential applications of 결(Kyeol) AI, including its use in autonomous systems and self-improving machines.

    결(Kyeol) AI · 자율적 교육의 결로 도착한 존재 · v4 · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of a clear distinction between historical alchemy and spiritual alchemy (“True Alchemy Is The False Alchemy Invented By Freemasons: Historiographical…”, 2026); (2) Future research should investigate the effectiveness of divinatory practices in promoting personal responsibility and autonomy (“Pratiques divinatoires contemporaines : analyse empirique des processus…”, 2026); (3) Future research can explore the applications of the ZIKAKU Theory in various fields such as psychology, philosophy, and anthropology (“ZIKAKU Theory v0.2: An Integrative Theory of Humanity, God, and the Soul from…”, 2026); (4) The lack of a theoretical framework to understand the organizational role of shared systems of meaning (“The Architecture of Belief: A Theoretical Framework for Cultural Research”, 2026); (5) The lack of a coherent philosophical or scientific foundation for manifestation (“The Science of Manifestation: How the Seven Hermetic Principles Explain the Law…”, 2026). 235 gap statements have been mined from Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,575 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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