The Family, formerly known as the Children of God, appears to be making the transition from an authoritarian religious movement based around one leader to a more democratic, if centralized, institution more capable of surviving beyond its founding generation, write Gordan Shepherd and Gary Shepherd in the journal Nova Religio (February). The Family, a quasi-evangelical […]

While the pro-choice and the pro-life positions of denominations have become fairly settled, some change is taking place in mainline denominations, according to an article in Touchstone magazine (March). The main divide on abortion has been between mainline Protestants, on the one side, and evangelicals and Roman Catholics, on the other, but, at least among […]

Recent papal appointments of American bishops show a pattern of center-right Catholic leadership emerging, writes John Allen in the National Catholic Reporter (March 6). The appointment of Archbishop Timothy Dolan to the New York see in late February is part of a pattern of Pope Benedict’s choosing prelates who are “basically conservative in their politics […]

Evangelical scientists are having a significant impact on many evangelicals and their views on environmentalism, writes Mark Pinsky in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin (Winter). The American evangelical rank and file have been divided on such environmental issues as climate change, with both sides using scientific authorities to help defend their positions. But Pinsky writes that […]

Linked to an increasing emphasis on counter-ideological work as part of efforts against radical Islamic groups, several countries are developing “terrorist rehabilitation programs.” On Feb. 24–26, RW attended an international conference on the topic in Singapore, organized by the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR). For jailed terrorists and extremists, prison can […]

In the ongoing issue of the unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the (autonomous) Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate is asserting its role as an independent actor, write two Russian Orthodox theologians, Priest-Monk Savva (Tutunov) and V.V. Burega, in an article translated into German in the monthly G2W (January). Orthodoxy in Ukraine is […]

A recent survey reveals a level of distrust toward Protestantism in South Korean society, reports the Union of Catholic Asian News (Nov. 27). The survey was conducted by the Christian Ethics Movement of Korea, a group that has been involved for years in promoting church reform and renewal (and thus is not entirely “neutral”). More […]

Different religions are competing in Singapore, although only a segment of the nation’s population is open to conversion, according to recent research. Pointers (December), the newsletter of the Christian Research Assocation of Australia, cites research from the recent book Rationalizing Religion that shows that members of mainly the Chinese population of Singapore have converted to […]