Arab Christian emigration from Israel is continuing, leading to new ethnic composition of Christians in this nation, according to a recent paper at the recent 1st World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies. At the congress, which took place in Mainz (Germany) on Sept. 8-13 and was attended by RW, Israeli scholar Daphne Tsimhoni of Hebrew University, presented […]

Thirteen years ago, Hinduism Today  magazine tried to formulate ten Hindu megatrends that would shape that religion’s future. In its October-December, 2002, issue, the magazine updates its megatrends to include: an increase in Hindu pride, confirmation of which are the building of new “magnificent temples” and the unprecedented rise in awareness of Hindu identity in India. Newspapers […]

Abraham, the biblical figure, has taken on a renewed appeal among Jews, Christians and Muslims seeking reconciliation and peace. Time (Sept. 30) magazine reports that especially since 9/11 and its one year anniversary, there has been a flurry of new initiatives and groups claiming the importance of the biblical patriarch in their interfaith work. All three […]

More than a year after Sept. 11, many Muslims share the perception that they are bring marginalized in American society while at the same time receiving new scrutiny, according to two reports. The Los Angeles Times (Sept. 27) reports that until the attacks of last year, American Muslims had been making headway in becoming an accepted religious […]

A new kind of conservatism is emerging that blends environmental concern, a disdain for mass culture, and religious faith, writes Rod Dreher in National Review (Sept. 30). In a cover story on “granola conservatives,” Dreher reports that he and a growing number of other conservatives find themselves ill at ease with mainstream conservatives who praise suburban life, […]

Religious groups — from new Eastern groups to evangelicals — are going global, retooling their programs, even their language to reach the world community, but the move is also generating some conflict. Those are just some of the conclusions on the relation of  globalization and religion in the current issue of the quarterly Hedgehog Review (Summer). Globalization has become […]

According to several observers of the Turkish political scene, a current crisis in the nation might lead to an unprecedented success of Islamist parties, due to the fragmentation of the secular political groups and to peculiarities of the Turkish electoral system. Long-time politician and ailing Turkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit is clinging to power and refuses […]