Casual dress is becoming more common during religious services in congregations — both Christian and Jewish — though not without resistance, reports the Wall Street Journal (April 7). The practice of “dress-down Fridays” has changed the workplace and many people are asking “why can’t churches and synagogues follow suit on Saturdays and Sundays,” write Angelo Henderson and Robert […]

Books holding to a “can-do,” practical spirituality are replacing New Age spirituality for many readers, reports Publishers Weekly (April 13). Continued sales in spirituality and personal  growth books shows on all the charts. But by contrast to a few years ago when the more esoteric themes of reincarnation, crystal healing, and channeling were popular, what clearly attracts readers […]

A clear indication that the religiously-allied men’s movement is continuing its growth is found in the increasing sales of books on that general subject and the rapidly growing popularity of Christian retreats centering on rites of passage and initiation. Although the Promise Keepers was written off by much of the media as a dying revival movement […]

Even as the male-led Promise Keepers draw national attention with their rollercoaster financial operations, a significant number of church-related women’s groups are quietly attaining new strength. Groups such as Women of Faith, Aspiring Women, Renewing the Heart (of Focus on the Family) and Time Out are drawing women by the tens of thousands. Largely evangelical […]

Many Catholic and Protestant churches are adding prayer and chant practices from the ecumenical Taize community to draw in young people, according to the Wall Street Journal (April 3). The Taize services, imported from the ecumenical community in France, are loosely structured and take place in dark rooms illuminated by candles. “A small group usually […]

A growing number of Catholic priests are taking up the role once identified with frontier Methodist preachers as they “circuit-ride” to locations without clerical leadership, according to USA Today (April 14). The number of active priests has declined from 35,070 in 1965 to just an estimated 21,030 in the year 2005, according to a study sponsored by […]

How influential are donors and private foundations in influencing American religious denominations? That question may become more pressing as American denominations are increasingly being funded by individual donors, such as in last wills and testaments, and foundations [see February `97 RW]. This change in funding is coming at a time when offerings from congregation members are […]

While the “faith factor” has been cited in cover stories and popular books as contributing to physical and mental well-being there has been less attention paid to the effect of religious beliefs and practices on social problems, particularly concerning at-risk youth. Recently, however, a spate of reports from think tanks and academic conferences are starting […]