As the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates the 125th anniversary of its autocephaly and the 85th anniversary of its elevation to the rank of a Patriarchate, a February statement from the Church’s episcopate has elicited critical comments in Orthodox circles in the West, since it raises the complex issues of the future shape of Orthodox Churches […]

Although Eastern Orthodox churches remain opposed to the ordination of women priests, there is a growing openness among theologians to this possibility, even if they are not likely to become activists on this issue, writes Sarah Hinlicky Wilson in the journal Pro Ecclesia (Spring). As might be expected, women are in the forefront of the […]

Christian Science is showing a “new tolerance” for mainstream medicine, even as it continues on a path of adapting its practices and teachings to the alternative health milieu. The independent Christian Science newsletter The Banner (Spring) notes that the New York Times recently reported that for more than a year, Christian Science leaders have been […]

Although Canadian church membership and attendance have rebounded in the last two decades, the media continue to portray Canada’s religious situation as one of steady decline and secularization, writes sociologist Reginald Bibby in the journal Implicit Religion (#3, 2009). Bibby notes that an earlier period of steep declines in religious involvement (with the average church […]

A popular movement is growing within Catholicism that is pressing for a new papal doctrine that further elevates the role of the Virgin Mary in the church and it is beginning to find a measure of official acceptance, reports Ecumenical Trends newsletter (May). The movement to introduce a new Catholic teaching that would designate Mary […]

While “yoga and the spiritual ideals for which it stands, have become the ultimate commodity,” costing practitioners increasing sums of money, there is a backlash against the big business aspect of the practice, reports the New York Times (April 25). While the numbers practicing yoga may actually be decreasing, according to a survey commissioned by […]

As with broadcasting and print media, evangelical Christians have been among the religious groups most strongly investing in the new media. Charisma magazine (May) highlights some of these innovations, noting how evangelical technological entrepreneurship parallels and in some cases influences new media developments. These include evangelism efforts, such as LifeChurch.tv (the largest Internet-based church with […]

When Charisma magazine (May) recently asked 20 charismatic Christian leaders about their “vision” of life for the church for the next 10 years, there was a marked lack of optimism about the position of evangelical Christianity in America, although there was less negativity about the future of non-Western societies. No one ruled out revival breaking […]

As in other areas of American church life, the rise of megachurches is challenging older patterns of world missions and, in the process, raising questions about which party—the megachurch or the mission field— is benefitting from these new changes. In the International Bulletin of Missionary Research (April), Robert Priest, Douglas Wilson and Adelle Johnson present […]