Christian churches are assuming a more prominent social role in Madagascar as poltical turmoil rocks the African nation. During the December elections, disputes broke out about the legitimacy of the process. Opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana claimed that the elections had been rigged and that he had won an outright majority. On Feb. 22, Ravalomanana declared […]
Asian Buddhists turn to computer for recruitment, teaching
The use of the Internet to explore and study Buddhist teachings is finding favor among Southeast Asians disillusioned with organized religion, reports Tricycle magazine (Spring). “From virtually no online presence five years ago, Southeast Asia’s Buddhists have recently exploded onto the Web…In Thailand, where 95 percent of the country’s sixty million people are Buddhist, there are now […]
Untouchables turning to Buddhism in India
Untouchables who are protesting Hindu nationalism in India are on the verge of converting to Buddhism on a large scale, although Buddhist leaders are unsure of what to make of the phenomenon. The Buddhist quarterly Tricycle (Spring) reports that a mass conversion of over one million Indian dalits (those of the untouchable caste) was due to take […]
Gypsy Pentecostals in Europe embrace social concerns
The widespread Gypsy conversion to Pentecostal Christianity in Europe shows no signs of waning and there are indications that evangelical Gypsies are having a significant impact in their communities. Charisma magazine (March) reports that the growth of Pentecostalism has been called the largest revival in post-war Western Europe, although many Christians are still unaware of it. […]
West shares missionary mandate with third world evangelicals
A March academic conference on evangelicalism in Paris — actually the first of its kind in France — looked at the increasing strength of Third World evangelicals in missionary activity. Mark Noll of Wheaton College addressed the growth of non-Western missionaries in general, as well as those working in cooperation with American missions. Overall, the proportion of […]
Jihad being renounced in Egypt?
A current bestseller in Egypt, written by jailed members of a militant Muslim group, the Jamaa al-Islamiya, is causing a stir for its renunciation of armed struggle. The Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (March 27) reports that the 600-page book , which explains why the leaders of the movement have decided to give up violence,. has already […]
Current Research: April 2002
Although there is a lack of hard data, preliminary surveys and other figures suggest that the Catholic Church has a disproportionate number of clergy sex abuse cases. Observers have claimed that the scourge of clergy sexual abuse is present in all denominations. But the Boston Globe (March 13) reports that the Catholic Church has been “hit with […]
Reform Jews dropping dovish views on Israel conflict?
Reform Jewish rabbis in the U.S., who tended to be “dovish” when it came to the Israel-Palestinian conflict are adopting more hawkish and pro-military views in the wake of escalating violence in the region. The Jerusalem Post (March 7) reports that leaders of the Reform rabbinate from the recent Central Conference of American Rabbis meeting in Jerusalem […]
Individual confession gains appreciation
Individual confession is growing as a spiritual practice in Protestant churches where it was once traditionally neglected, reports the Dallas Morning News (March 16). The newspaper reports that “growing numbers of Protestants now are finding more personal, face-to-face forms of spirituality meaningful.” In recent years best selling spiritual writings, such as Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline and Marjorie Thompson’s Soul […]
Monasteries enjoy boom, with some help from marketing
Monasticism is growing in the Catholic Church, thanks to a hunger for contemplative spirituality as well as an active marketing and recruitment campaign that has been waged for several years, reports the Los Angeles Times (March 16). Although the ordained priesthood continues to show numerical decline, monasteries, from California to South Carolina “have seen such a surge […]
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