01: A major study by the Gallup Poll shows significant ambivalence among American believers in their attitudes towards dying and death. Sponsored by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Fetzer Institute, the report of the attitudes of l,200 randomly selected adults found that only 36 percent of the respondents were sure that a member of the […]
Unfair barriers for women faculty in evangelical colleges?
Although some improvement in opportunities for tenure and advancement have been made in recent years, women faculty in evangelical colleges still find serious difficulties in reaching full equality, according to Christianity Today magazine (Dec. 8). Major problems exist on women’s equality within the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), the major evangelical college organization. A dissertation […]
Church-state welfare cooperations stalled?
Although both state and congregations are talking about a new era of cooperation in providing welfare, there are many obstacles that will hamper such bridge-building, reports Capital Commentary (Dec. 8), the newsletter of the evangelical Association for Public Justice. Stanley Carlson-Thies writes that the Charitable Choice provision of the 1996 federal welfare reform law stipulated that when […]
Forgiveness moves from congregation to couch
Forgiveness is increasingly being viewed as a self-help and therapeutic technique as well as a theological and spiritual concept, according to a recent Associated Press report (Dec. 20). Mounting research on the psychological and physical benefits of forgiveness, as well as new teachings on its role in spirituality is making the 1990s the decade of forgiving. Frederick DiBlasio of the […]
Who says it’s brainwashing? A Scientology case study
A controversial report on Scientology and their disciplinary measures has revived a debate on “brainwashing.” Charges of brainwashing were not unusual during the 1970s and `80s when discussing cults, but since then mostly anti-cult leaders have made this charge against new religious movements. That is until University of Alberta sociologist Stephen Kent delivered a paper at […]
1997 religion — a lot more than Heaven’s Gate
It wasn’t surprising that Heaven’s Gate made it to the top of most reviews of religion in 1997. Yet the mass suicides last April had few repercussions on religion and society as compared to several less sensational news events that took place last year. To start off the year, we provide this review of news and trends that […]
On/File: November 1997
01: Partners for Sacred Places is a new organization that attempts to save old and overlooked congregation buildings not so much as architectural treasures as social resources for neighborhoods and communities. Researchers assembled by the project studied six cities and found that congregations “provide, on average, four programs serving people in need from the greater community” and […]
Findings & Footnotes: November 1997
01: Religious involvement in the environmental movement receives in-depth treatment in the current issue of Social Compass (September) an international journal of the sociology of religion. Articles in this issue focus on interfaith environmental work, the emergence of environmental concern among evangelicals, the New Age center of Sedona, Arizona (said to be a “vortex” of spiritual energy) […]
Aum makes comeback despite restrictions
After being outlawed with its leader imprisoned, Aum Supreme Truth has survived and is proselytizing and even drawing new members, reports the Washington Post (Sept. 28). Two-and-a-half years after being charged with carrying out gas attacks in Tokyo’s subways, Aum’s leader Shoko Ashara is in jail and facing a probable death sentence. Authorities say that of the […]
Current Research: November 1997
01: More than a quarter of American Mormons claim an evangelical, “born-again” experience, according to a Barna Poll. Pollster George Barna has recently been finding large groups of believers outside of the evangelical mainstream–such as Roman Catholics. Now he finds that 26 percent of Mormons surveyed say they are born again by the following definition: […]
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