Sweat and lights, costumes and hallucinogenic images of Jesus, the Buddha and Krishna projected onto walls or mountainsides while dancers bob and whirl to the constant thump of a bass beat. These are all fundamental elements of an international music and cultural movement that stretches from underground clubs in New York to open air “raves” […]

The Y2K computer problem, once the exclusive concern of conspiracy mavens and Christians viewing it as a catalyst for the End Times, has now hit the mainstream.  Print and broadcast media have taken up the cause, running numerous reports detailing the origins of the problem, the progress made in fixing it, and possible problems and chaos […]

As Sikhism celebrates its 500th anniversary this year, the religion is racked by a division that threatens to split its ranks. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (April 9) reports that the seemingly minor issue of whether to take a religious meal while seated at a table or on the floor has unleashed a string of violent incidents, not […]

Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, long cloistered from the work world in their extensive study of religious texts, are moving into the high tech world, reports the Detroit News (April 8). A recent lack of funds for seminary studies has forced some rabbinical students to seek employment, particularly as the Israeli government is less willing to give state […]

A quasi-Buddhist millennial religion is spreading rapidly throughout China, leading the government to fear its influence. The Wall Street Journal (April 26 and 30) reports that 10,000 devotees of a mystical religious philosophy known as Falun Dafa recently filled the sidewalks of Beijing to demand recognition by the government and the lifting of a ban of the […]

In an effort to increase giving, congregations across the U.S. are taking donations automatically out of  members’ bank accounts, reports the Detroit News (April 13). The Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal organization, has signed up more than 600 Lutheran congregations for such “e-bank” offerings. Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopal and nondenominational churches are also experimenting with electronic-funds-transfer programs. This convenience, however, […]

In the past five years, a sizable number of American Protestants, both evangelical and mainline, have greatly increased their involvement in the spiritual practice of fasting. evangelicals. Christianity Today (April 5) reports that fasting for specific periods of time is claimed to enhance believers’ awareness of profound spiritual searching. Books on fasting have been best-sellers among […]