A new anti-slavery movement with a strong Christian base is growing as it targets slavery practices in Africa. Nat Hentoff writes in the Washington Post (Dec. 1) that this liberation movement aims to free Christian and animist slaves in Sudan. So far, 15,447 slaves have been freed, largely through the work of the Swiss-based Christian Solidarity International […]

In a move intended to fill a long-standing gap in the number of books reflecting the religion and spirituality of African-Americans, several national publishers are adding substantially to their lists in this area. Finding a growing interest, publishers are bringing out books on Christian living, spirituality, specialty Bibles and other inspirational themes. Publishers Weekly (Dec. 13) states […]

“As Wicca and goddess worship grows in popularity in the culture, elements of the practice also are appearing in Christian churches,” reports the news magazine Insight (Dec. 6). Media attention on goddess spirituality in churches has focused on such events as the Re-Imagining Conference in 1993, where participants invoked the feminine aspects of God and criticized traditional […]

In a presidential election campaign not yet attracting voter interest in the major issues, a new and unexpected turn has emerged — the introduction of faith commitments into campaigns. Where the traditional position has been to keep such statements general and vague, at least  four major candidates for the Oval Office have chosen to make their personal […]

The dawn of the new millennium has brought on an onslaught of predictions and forecasts. While we’re not averse to venturing forecasts on the shape of religion in the new millennium,  we thought we would stay with tradition and focus on the religious developments emerging from the news events of last year — those that show […]

While many religious groups are debating the ethics of cloning, one new religious movement is taking action, pioneering in the technology. Nova Religio (October), the journal of new religious movements, reports that the Ralians, a group mixing UFO teachings with genetic engineering concepts, founded the first biotechnology firm dedicated to the goal of human cloning. The […]

The National Council Churches may be near collapse or radical restructuring on the eve of its 50th anniversary, according to a report in Religion Today (Nov. 27), an online news service. For over a decade, there have been mounting reports of the NCC’s financial problems and a lack of support among congregations and some of its member […]