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 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 […]

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 […]

The religious far right, represented by white supremacist and, to a lesser extent, patriot groups, are on the decline, although they are forming new and unexpected alliances. The Public Eye (Spring), a leftist newsletter monitoring right wing groups, notes that the fall of  the white supremacist group Aryan Nations (due to government seizure of its Idaho compound), as […]

Faith-based social service is a centerpiece of President George W. Bush’s social policy, a subject of national debate, and a growing concern of congregations, and yet there has been little research on its effectiveness. A late March conference at the University of Pennsylvania attended by RW confirmed that while there have been case studies of congregations involved […]

On Feb. 20, after several years of controversy, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled to allow the registration of local non-Orthodox converts as Jews on their identity cards. Until now, only new immigrants converted by Reform or Orthodox rabbis abroad enjoyed that right. Secular and non-orthodox Jews praised the decision as an important step, but it should […]

Following the events of Sept. 11, observers are paying closer attention to the rapid growth of Islam in Africa. Somalia has been considered a possible target of the “war against terrorism”, although more recent evaluations seem to take a softer line and to recommend surveillance only. Various reports indicate the vitality of Islam in various […]