The next generation of evangelical leaders is likely to be multicultural, philanthropy-minded, technologically savvy, artistically creative and ecumenical, while balancing prolife and environmental concerns. Those are the predominant values and causes evident among the 33 young evangelicals Christianity Today magazine (July/August) profiles as the new face of Christian leadership. While not pretending to be a […]

It seems credible to estimate that there are now more than 70 million Christians in China, with a large proportion of them highly educated, said sociologist Rodney Stark (Baylor University, Waco) at the CESNUR conference in Waco, Texas. Like other scholars interested in the issue of the current state of religion in China, Stark was […]

Efforts to turn Israel’s burgeoning ultra-Orthodox population into soldiers under the new law lifting their long-time exemption from the mandatory two-year stints in the army has had the unintended effect of solidifying a high-tech revolution in Haredi ranks. The Christian Science Monitor (June 1) reports that “Through a program known as a hesder yeshiva, the […]

Just as atheism is gaining a more public profile in the West, atheists are becoming more visible in the Muslim world, while becoming stigmatized by Muslim leaders at the same time. The Global Post (June 12) reports that a growing number of Saudis are privately declaring themselves atheists. Caryle Murphy reports that the evidence for […]

Religious tolerance is growing in the Persian Gulf over the past six years, going beyond the practical concern of accommodating the large migrant worker populations in the region, reports the National Catholic Register (June 15). One example of greater religious freedom is the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, Bahrain, […]

While Bosnia has been hailed as one of the more successful efforts of international peacekeeping, Croation nationalism is making a comeback in the nation with some help from elements of the Catholic Church, reports The Economist (June 25). The magazine notes that the release and return to Bosnia of Croatian nationalist Dario Kordic, after serving […]

From 1964 to August 2013, a total of 209 cases related to Jehovah’s Witnesses were filed at the European Court of Human Rights. Not only the Witnesses, but all religious minorities have gained from those legal battles for the rights of groups to exist, especially in new member countries of the Council of Europe, said […]