The controversies and excitement surrounding the US election season have obscured trends and issues that are unfolding in world Catholicism—from the rehabilitation of the Jesuits to the growing concerns over the issue of identity in Catholic charitable organizations, writes John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter (Dec. 26). Allen cites such neglected news stories as […]
On/File: November/December 2008
Word of Life (or Livets Ord) has been one of the largest charismatic groups in Sweden, if not Europe, but recently the Uppsala-based movement has moved in more ecumenical and “Catholic” directions. In the past, Word of Life has generated its share of controversy over its “word-faith” teachings (where one is taught to claim God’s […]
Findings & Footnotes: November/December 2008
01: The World Religion Database (WRD) is a new online publication based on the research of the International Religious Demography project at Boston University’s Institute for the Study of Culture, Religion and World Affairs. The WRD collects, collates and offers analysis of primary and secondary source material on religious demography for all major religions in […]
“Non-Jewish Jews” growing in Israel
The strong influx of Russian immigrants since the 1990s has greatly complicated religious demographics in Israel, since many of them cannot be technically considered as Jews from a religious perspective, writes Jesuit researcher David Neuhaus in a detailed analysis published in the Jerusalem-based journal Proche-Orient Chrétien (No. 1, 2008). According to 2006 religious statistics (which […]
Current Research: November/December 2008
01: Unlike many Protestant and Catholic churches, there are few sharp divisions over such issues as the ordination of women in Eastern Orthodox churches in the US, according to one of the first major studies of Orthodox laity. The survey, conducted by the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute of Berkeley, California and presented at the late […]
New interfaith movement takes congregational approach
Interfaith centers—small congregations seeking to draw people from all religions—are reportedly increasing in the US, according to the Harvard University-based Pluralism Project. The establishment of interfaith centers surged after the 9/11 attacks and now there are about 550 such groups in the US, with the largest numbers in New York, California, Massachusetts and Illinois. A […]
Emerging Movement finds niche in American denominations
The Emerging Movement, stressing intimacy, community and experiential, “post-modern” worship and theology, is gradually moving from small, independent start-up ministries to gaining greater denominational support and sponsorship. Theology, News and Notes, the magazine of Fuller Theological Seminary, devotes its fall issue to the new place denominations are making for emerging ministries, with case studies of […]
Did subtle shifts in the religious vote play a part in the Obama victory?
The religious–political configurations in the 2008 election of Barack Obama are still being analyzed, but it may be the case that slight variations in religious voting patterns made all the difference. In his e-newsletter Sightings (Nov. 10), Martin Marty notes the conflicting reports about the changes in the religious votes. For instance, post-election day, the […]
Financial crisis felt across the religious spectrum
Across the world, the current financial crisis has also had an impact on religion—not only with people turning to faith in difficult times, but also with reassessments of business approaches. The Christian Century (Nov. 18) reports that while reassuring clergy and retirees that their pensions are safe, mainline churches are concerned about how the economic […]
On/File: September/October 2008
Peter Zhao has become one of the most important dissenting voices in China, publicly arguing that Christianity and its related ethical system is the key to economic growth. Zhao, a Communist Party member and advisor to the Chinese Central Committee, is among a group of Chinese intellectuals who are looking to the West to the […]
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