Afghanistan and Pakistan may be the next major arenas of prolonged conflict due to new outcroppings of Islamic fundamentalism. Most of the energy and leadership for the escalating crises comes comes from militant Islamic groups and leaders producing “economic meltdown and ethnic and sectarian warfare” So writes Ahmed Rashid in the November/December, issue of Foreign Affairs. […]

The hardening anti-Western stance of Greece is both reflected in and being strengthened by the positions taken by the Greek Orthodox Church, reports the New Republic magazine (Dec. 13). Greek journalist Takis Michas writes that the support Greece gave Serbia during the Balkan wars was one indication of how religion and nationalism is tied up in the […]

Churches in Canada are “grappling with formidable problems that threaten their very existence,” reports a cover story in Macleans magazine (Nov. 29), the weekly Canadian news journal. Among other problems, specialists point to the most worrisome being that of a 50-year decline in attendance at Sunday services. In a society where 87 percent of the people state […]

The tense, often antagonistic relations between some new religious movements and their host communities appear to be moderating in the last few years. The Cult Observer (No. 11) reports that Transcendental Meditation and its headquarter city, Fairfield Iowa have come to an understanding, if not neighborly concord, as the group has settled into  the Midwestern city during […]

Jewish day schools are finding growth while encountering new risks to their identity and survival, according to a recent report. Among the several gains registered in the last 20 years for the Jewish community in America, the growth of Jewish day schools stands near the head of the list. In one generation, enrollment has gone […]

A new anti-slavery movement with a strong Christian base is growing as it targets slavery practices in Africa. Nat Hentoff writes in the Washington Post (Dec. 1) that this liberation movement aims to free Christian and animist slaves in Sudan. So far, 15,447 slaves have been freed, largely through the work of the Swiss-based Christian Solidarity International […]

In a move intended to fill a long-standing gap in the number of books reflecting the religion and spirituality of African-Americans, several national publishers are adding substantially to their lists in this area. Finding a growing interest, publishers are bringing out books on Christian living, spirituality, specialty Bibles and other inspirational themes. Publishers Weekly (Dec. 13) states […]

“As Wicca and goddess worship grows in popularity in the culture, elements of the practice also are appearing in Christian churches,” reports the news magazine Insight (Dec. 6). Media attention on goddess spirituality in churches has focused on such events as the Re-Imagining Conference in 1993, where participants invoked the feminine aspects of God and criticized traditional […]

In a presidential election campaign not yet attracting voter interest in the major issues, a new and unexpected turn has emerged — the introduction of faith commitments into campaigns. Where the traditional position has been to keep such statements general and vague, at least  four major candidates for the Oval Office have chosen to make their personal […]

The dawn of the new millennium has brought on an onslaught of predictions and forecasts. While we’re not averse to venturing forecasts on the shape of religion in the new millennium,  we thought we would stay with tradition and focus on the religious developments emerging from the news events of last year — those that show […]