Despite passing a law allowing conversions to other Jewish branches aside from orthodoxy by those emigrating to Israel, the issue remains contested, according to recent reports. Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, is currently leading efforts for amending the legislation on conversion in such a way that a convert would not automatically be entitled to the […]

With the exception of the current pope, there is a dearth of Christian voices on the global stage that assume to speak for Christianity in a religiously polarized world, writes Raymond de Souza in the Catholic Eyenewsletter (Nov. 30). De Souza thinks it strange that the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey was widely […]

Secularism’s death is greatly exaggerated, but even where there is a rise of non-believers they usually don’t fall into rigid categories of “secular” and “religious.” That is one of the conclusions of a symposium on secularism in the world today in the magazine Religion in the News (Fall). Even in countries where secularism has advanced greatly, such […]

At a time when the threat of mainline Protestant congregations leaving their denomination is looming, the legal landscape is shifting to allow such dissidents greater possibility of taking their buildings and land with them.World magazine (December 23) reports that the battle over church property is raging in the Episcopal as well as the Presbyterian and United […]

Religious games and toys represent a growing market, reports USA Today(December. 22). These toys meet a demand for wholesome entertainment and offer educational tools, such as learning about the 99 names of Allah while players advance toward Mecca, or about the Jewish dietary laws. There are also Catholic, Evangelical and Mormon games, with games titled “Missionary […]

A “countertrend” of retailers using the word “Christmas” in their promotions was evident this season, largely in response to a campaign by Christian organizations pressing for renewed recognition of the holiday. The National Catholic Register (December 3) reports that in recent years it has become commonplace for retailers and other public institutions to avoid using the greeting […]

The new book Next Now (Palgrave) pays a good deal of attention to religion, but its main value may be in demonstrating how marketers and advertisers are latching on to religious trends to market new lifestyles and products. Unlike many futurists, the book, by marketers Marian Salzman and Ira Matathia, clearly sees more of the same ahead […]

Pentecostals and charismatics have not forsaken their touchstone of healing, but they are broadening the concept to include conventional and especially holistic medicine. This trend has emerged over the past several years but is especially evident in the current issue of Charisma magazine (January). The issue is devoted to “God and your Health,” but there is hardly […]

Although 2006 was a relatively calm year as far as religion goes, several events suggest–from the elections to the controversy over the pope’s remarks on Islam–long ranging religious developments at home and abroad. As with past reviews, we cite the issues of RW where these trends and topic are covered more extensively. 01: The 2006 elections […]