The popularity and commercialization of yoga has led to conflict among leaders of this spiritual practice, with those of the “old school” claiming that the new wave of practitioners are lacking in authenticity, reports the Wall Street Journal (June 23). Yoga’s appeal has spread from its countercultural following after it was introduced in the U.S. in the […]

The expanding dialogue between science and religion is still in its infancy and will likely include more non-Western religious concepts and involvement in the near future, writes Kevin Sharpe in Science & Spirit magazine (May/June). Sharpe, a proponent of challenging traditional religious views  with scientific insights, sees signs of non-Western interest in the dialogue between these two fields, […]

In one of its most far-reaching decisions on church-state relations in over a decade, the Supreme Court’s decision to disallow the student-led prayers before football games is being interpreted as a major victory for holding to strict separationism. For several years, the “accomodationist” position of allowing more cooperation between organized religion and the state seemed […]

Despite criticism for being tolerant of  anti-Catholicism, George W. Bush has gathered a small group of Catholic advisors around his campaign and readily employs Catholic terminology in his discussions of social policy, reports the New Republic magazine (June 5). Bush’s speech to fundamentalist Bob Jones University last spring led to wide criticism that he took a hands-off position […]

Educators and special interest groups are increasingly in conflict about the role of teaching the Bible in public schools, reports the Washington Post (June 4). While courses on the Bible are not yet widespread, they are growing in popularity, particularly in the southeastern U.S. The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, which is leading the […]

Although Japan is among the least Christian countries in Asia,  the music of J.S. Bach appears to be doing what few evangelistic crusades or missionaries have accomplished. Going far beyond a cultural fad, Bach’s music has conveyed Christian teachings and concepts to a large and growing following, particularly among  the nation’s elites, writes Uwe Siemon-Neto in First Things magazine […]

There have been few reports of growth and conflicts over “cults” or new religious movements in the Islamic world, but these groups are present in the region and even seem to be tolerated more than might be expected. In Nova Religio (Spring), a journal on new religious movements (NRMs), Mark Sedwick writes that just as most Western […]

Although America’s prestigious private schools have by and large abandoned their religious heritage, there is a growing movement seeking to reinvigorate such institutions with spiritual values. In Commonweal magazine (May 19), Michael McGough writes that most schools have abandoned chapel services, and have eliminated the position of chaplain. But religion is returning through the back door by […]