This edition presents eight scholarly articles contributed by 22 researchers from Indonesia and South Africa, offering multidisciplinary insights at the intersection of religion, media, health, history, and gender studies. The issue opens with a critical analysis of “Islamic branding” in commercial television advertising, exploring the growing Islamisation of consumer culture. Another article investigates xenophobia in South African policymaking through the lens of Missio Dei, highlighting the theological implications of social exclusion. Further contributions examine the da’wah strategies and political-economic roles of Jemaah Tarbiyah in urban Malang, and the symbolic religiosity embedded in a 19th-century Malay manuscript. The issue also features a feminist theological critique of women’s marginalisation in Christian hymnals, an empirical study of Muhammadiyah’s faith-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and an evaluation of the vital role played by religious organizations in combating HIV/AIDS in Indonesia. Together, these articles offer a rich and critical portrayal of how religion continues to adapt and respond to contemporary challenges across diverse socio-cultural landscapes.