Dignity, the movement of Catholic homosexuals, is struggling with internal problems while also playing a more marginal role in the American church, according to Commonweal magazine (July 14). In an in-depth report on the group, Shawn Zeller reports that “Dignity has struggled to bring in a new generation of gay Catholics. Its congregations are graying, and becoming […]
Book survey shows high interest in one’s own and others’ spiritualities
In Publishers Weekly’s Fall/Winter survey of Religion books (July 31), writer Lynn Garrett finds the interest in spirituality, devotions, and prayer continuing unabated. Their interconnectedness in subject matter points to the trend of :an increased openness to learning across faiths” along with a new interest in being “rooted in beliefs and practices that have stood the test […]
Futurists still in the past when it comes to religion?
There was a good deal said about religion in the presentations of Future Focus 2000, the World Future Society’s annual conference held in Houston, Texas, this past July, but not much of it was very supportive of religion. It seems as if the members of the WFS are beginning to realize that religious belief is not […]
On/File: July/August 2000
01: Until now the co-housing movement has mainly consisted of secular and liberal religious people wishing to balance a sense of community with personal privacy [see February 99 RW]. But the Temescal Cohousing Project in Oakland, Calif., is one of the first evangelical Christian expressions of this new living arrangement. Like other co-housing projects, Temescal residents live […]
Findings & Footnotes: July/August 2000
01: Seeker Churches: Promoting Traditional Religion in a Nontraditional Way (Rutgers University Press, $20) by Kimon Howland Sargeant, is one of the first sociological treatments of the megachurch-seeker service phenomenon. Sargeant focuses on the congregations and work of the Willow Creek Association (WCA), the seeker church organization started by the pioneer megachurch Willow Creek Community Church near […]
Pakistan exports militant Islam through schools
Pakistan is the new leader in exporting Militant Islam around the world, largely through its network of Koran-based schools, reports the New York Times Magazine (June 25). Some of the 100,000 or so schools, known as madrasas, are local efforts, while others are sponsored by religious parties and mujahdeen groups “waging jihad (struggle) against India in the […]
Evangelical-Catholics team up for outreach in France
In a time of increasing government pressure on minority religions and churches, evangelicals in France are finding growth through cooperation in outreach with Catholics. The British charismatic magazine Renewal (June) reports that evangelical churches are facing restrictions and harassment under a new government effort to monitor groups that are considered cults. Churches that have operated for decades […]
Current Research: July/August 2000
01: On the hotly debated subject of whether Catholicism among the laity is in serious decline in vitality, numbers, and appeal, new research suggests a more positive reading of the situation. According to an analysis of Fr. Joseph Claude Harris in America magazine (June 3-10), the church’s membership rolls are rising at the rate of the general population […]
Far right religions gravitating to Ozarks
The Ozark mountain region straddling Missouri and Arkansas has become a Mecca for far right religious groups seeking privacy, reports the Detroit News (May 28). While the Pacific Northwest has long been thought to draw white supremacist and far-right religious groups, the Ozarks’ isolation, Bible belt identity, and relative freedom from law enforcement appeals to these groups. […]
Any prayer beads will do for generic spirituality?
Prayer Beads are finding widespread appeal, even apart from the spiritual traditions in which they originated, reports the New Age Journal (July/August). New interpretations of beads used for mediation and prayer, such as Rosaries and Buddhist and Muslim prayer beads, “are becoming popular. Web sites and workshops are springing up. Both artists and spiritual practitioners are even […]
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