A middle class is emerging in India that is more religious that has generally been predicted, but not very orthodox. Hinduism Today magazine (February) devotes a cover story to the beliefs and practices of the middle class Indians and finds that those of all faiths — Hindu, Christian and Muslim — do not largely discard their […]

There is a revival of interest in Roman Catholicism in Holland, and the secular media may be partly responsible for it, according to the Catholic World Report (February). The Catholic Church in the Netherlands was once considered the most liberal in the world, as its theologians and bishops often clashed with the Vatican. More recently, a steady […]

While it’s still too early to know the impact of the new Russian restrictions against non-Orthodox and foreign religions, it appears that these laws are creating a new kind of unity among such unofficial churches. Idea, (Feb. 10), the German evangelical news service, reports that as a result of the new laws, several independent Protestant churches […]

A recent survey of students from the first college graduating class of the new millennium has found this class of 2001 is learning-oriented, service-motivated, and fairly religious. The survey, which was conducted by Lou Harris and Associates, found that these students, now in their freshman year, are conventional in its domestic interests,  looks forward to marriage […]

The Church of Christ Scientist is attempting to reverse its declining membership, which appears to be causing new divisions in the denomination, according to  U.S. News & World Report (Feb. 16). In the face of a sharp decline of Christian Science congregations and official healers or “practitioners” (dropping from 8,000 in the early 1960s to about 2,000 […]

Both evangelical and mainline American Protestant seminaries are caught up in major internal struggles, which could possibly change their long-standing position of leadership within the religious community. Recent books by evangelical leaders and  critics are questioning the efficacy of formal training, reports Christianity Today (Jan. 12). These critics ask why seminary education is even necessary when such […]

A surge in malpractice suits against clergy in their counseling practices has led to a sharp decrease in such forms of consultation with their members, reports the Wall Street Journal (Feb. 5). Since the early 1990s when a series of lawsuits on cases ranging from sexual abuse to malpractice (such as counselees who committed suicide) found their […]

After achieving a position of enormous influence within the ranks of American politics, the Christian Coalition in recent months is undergoing  new divisions and decline. From commanding contributions of a record $26.4 million in l996, its collections a year later totaled only $17 million. Over twenty percent of the total staff were released, and coalition support for […]

There is a good deal of talk about churches entering a “post-denominational” era, but evangelical congregations in the United Church of Christ (UCC) are doing more than talking about this prospect. Many of the evangelical UCC churches are increasingly finding many of the services once provided by their liberal denomination elsewhere — from hymn books […]