The following list is drawn from past issues of RW (in which case we cite the specific issue after each item) and from original sources. The terrorist attacks in Paris and in California confirmed two recent aspects of Islamic extremism—the reach of ISIS beyond its base in Iraq and Syria into the West and the […]
Veganism as quasi-religion?
As a radical stream of vegetarianism, veganism—that refuses any product of animal origin, including eggs, milk or honey—bears many of the marks of a religious belief, writes German Protestant theologian Kai M. Funkschmidt in a two-part article in the November and December issues of Materialdienst der EZW. Funkschmidt understands veganism as a kind of substitute […]
Southern Baptists’ Advent devotion suggests liturgical turn
Southern Baptists are showing a new interest in liturgical observances such as Advent, possibly reflecting a “pushback” among evangelicals against the contemporary worship movement, according to an article in Baptist Press (Dec. 11). The news service reports that LifeWay Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has recently published Advent devotional books, and has included […]
Reform Jews more committed to Israel than usually assumed
While criticism of Israeli policies is common among Reform Jews, some 70 percent of them still remain attached to Israel and supportive of the Zionist project, writes Jerusalem-based journalist Elliot Jager in The Jerusalem Report (Dec. 14). Holding liberal theology, progressive political beliefs, and a very high level of intermarriage, the Union for Reform Judaism […]
Current Research: January 2016
01: The largest community of Shi’a Muslims in the U.S., in Dearborn, Michigan, tends to consist of “wandering worshippers,” gravitating toward a range of events at different mosques rather than attending solely one mosque, according to a study in the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs (35:4). With 96,000 residents, a large proportion of whom are […]
Spaces for Russian Orthodox dissent, innovation in provinces
While the Russian Orthodox Church is often portrayed as a monolithic church under the sway of Vladimir Putin and nationalism, new movements and groups are creating more space for dissent, especially in the provinces, reports Wallace Daniel in the Christian Century (Dec. 9). Even the stance of Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow suggests the different […]
‘New Haredim’ making strides toward Israeli mainstream
Although forces against change remain strong and often intimidating for those who think otherwise within the community, changes are taking place among Orthodox Jews in Israel, among other places, as evidenced by the 5,000 Orthodox Jews who now serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), writes Andrew Friedman in The Jerusalem Report (Dec. 28). There […]
Shia Islam takes center stage in Middle East’s interreligious diplomacy
Shia Islam may be taking the place of the Sunni branch of the faith in making an effort to foster interreligious diplomacy in the Middle East, according to The Economist (Dec. 5). This shift is most evident in Najaf in Iraq, the most revered place in Shia Islam. The Shia holy site of the Imam […]
New stage of religion- science dialogue strikes harmony in Islam
A new era of dialogue between Islam and modern science is based more on the harmony between these fields compared to past attempts to “Islamicize” science, writes Nidhal Guessoum in the journal Zygon (December). The 1970s and 80s saw the growth of a number of schools of Islamic thought seeking to reconcile science and the […]
Social media giving participants greater say in shaping Chinese folk religions
Social media is also having an impact on East Asian folk religion, challenging old hierarchies and elites and democratizing participation in its rituals, according to a study the Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies (Winter). Chinese folk religions in Taiwan, which are a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, have sought to increase […]
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