Religion Watch Archives

Monitoring Trends in Religion - From February 1990 to January 2016

Noahides — growing movement or potential jewish converts?

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A movement of gentiles observing some aspects of Jewish law and teachings is becoming more organized, thanks to the growing support of some Jewish groups. Moment magazine (October) reports that the Noahide movement is made up largely of ex-Christians (and usually ex-evangelicals and ex-fundamentalists) who adopt the Jewish concept that before the Ten Commandments, God ordained “seven […]

African and American Christianities — how far apart?

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Recent denominational divisions and talk of the rise of the “global South” in Christianity suggest that the two continents are virtually worlds apart when it comes to Christian belief and practice. Philip Jenkins, whose books have popularized this scenario, is of the view that Africa in particular will eclipse Western Christian influence. In a recent […]

On/File: December 2006

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01: A national campaign for repairing attacked Christian churches in the West Bank and Gaza in reaction to Pope Benedict XIV’s controversial speech on Islam was recently launched by Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Bedier presented the first $5000 check to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. […]

Findings & Footnotes: December 2006

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01: New Roots in America’s Sacred Ground (Rutgers University Press, $23.95) by Khyati Joshi, fills a gap in examining the “lived religion” of second generation Indian Americans. Based on 41 interviews in the Boston and Atlanta areas, the book is unique in attempting to cover the Indian religious mosaic–Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian. While the non-Hindu Indian […]

Catholic-Orthodox dialogue entering new phase

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Positive new developments have occurred in relations between Roman Catholics and Orthodox, clearing the way for a new phase in the theological dialogue. The failure of the July 2000 meeting in Baltimore to agree on a common statement regarding uniatism (i.e. Roman Catholic efforts to incorporate groups allowed to keep the Eastern rite) had created […]

Mexico’s left turns up religious symbolism in protests

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Walking along Mexico City’s streets selling crafts made by his family, Jose, a fifty-something year old man with gray hair and a big smile, seems more engaged than usual with his offerings. Wooden and plastic crucifixes hang from his shoulder while he shouts “The Christ of Hope! Let’s pray to get a recount! Let’s pray […]

Current Research: October 2010

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01: A new major survey finds that 10.8 percent of Americans have no religious ties, challenging other studies that have placed the figure around 14 percent as a sign that secularization is growing. The researchers who conducted the new Baylor University survey argue that other studies didn’t ask the right questions Baylor asked respondents to choose […]

Seeds of Catholic growth in secular Quebec?

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Quebec may have hit bottom when it comes to measures of Catholic adherence and commitment, but the growth of new religious communities and renewal groups in the province suggests stirrings of a new generation in the church, reports the National Catholic Register (September 24). By all indicators, the Catholic Church in Quebec has taken a free fall […]

Muslims adapting American dating practices

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An approach half way between that of arranged marriages and choosing one’s mate is taking shape among Muslims in the U.S., reports the New York Times (September 19). In the past, dating in any form was condemned as sinful and arranged marriage was seen as the only truly Islamic alternative . But the force of assimilation has […]