In a report on Pentecostalism in RNA Extra (July/August), the newsletter of the Religious Newswriters Association, one priest forecasts a resurgence of the charismatic movement in American Catholicism. Msgr. Vincent Walsh of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Wynnewood, Pa., predicts that the next wave of the charismatic renewal among Catholics will be the Pentecostal “holy […]

A major issue among religionist scholars in recent years has been why and how the Christian faith of Americans is being “globalized” by the greatly increased knowledge of other world religions. This process, however, is a two-way street. Along with Americans absorbing world religions into their smorgasbord understanding, millions of seekers on all continents are […]

“No longer simply the avocation of big-hearted church volunteers, prison ministry has become a sophisticated and competitive business. The new generation of ministers has moved beyond Bible study to recognize the seductive power of electric bands, celebrities, videotapes and glossy posters to lure captive men and women to God,” reports the Wall Street Journal (Sept. 7). The […]

Intelligent design is usually considered a theory about how the world was created with divine purpose, but increasingly this concept is taking on the form of a religious and social movement. In a special issue devoted to intelligent design , the conservative ecumenical magazine Touchstone  (July-August) claims that the theory represents a “new paradigm” in science that […]

The secular humanist movement has issued a number of manifestos outlining its goals for the future, but its most recent document shows more concern about religion’s predominance in the world, the growth of  “irrational” philosophies, and balancing responsibility as well as freedom. The “Humanist Manifesto 2000” is similar to the previous manifestos in proclaiming secularism and […]

The phenomenon of “pop star” priests in Brazil is bringing back Catholics to the fold and posing unexpected roadblocks to the Protestant upsurge in the Latin American nation. Peter B. Clarke writes in the Journal of Contemporary Religion (May) that the “explosion of Pentecostalism has provoked a Catholic response in Brazil which is led by young, charismatic, […]

Criticism of Darwinian evolution and modern science is finding a hearing among non-Christian groups far beyond American fundamentalist and evangelical creationists. Postmodern philosophers and scholars involved in the new field of the sociology of science question notions of objectivity that hold that scientific fact is independent of subjective interpretation and the influence of culture, ethnicity,and […]

Five years after the death of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the messianic movement that had formed while he was the head of the Lubavitcher Hasidim is expanding. The Washington Post (June 20) reports that when Schneerson died in 1995, many predicted that the movement would crumble without him, and that the messianic beliefs would fade with time. Neither […]

With the realization that after two decades of outreach their ministry is markedly slowing down, several of the flagship megachurches in America are making major changes in their programs. The Los Angeles Times (June 7) reports that.pastors of these churches with over 2,000 members are finding growing numbers of dissatisfied members, unhappy neighbors, and an inability to […]

The issues of values and spirituality are making a comeback in the public and political life in Australia, reports the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper (April 27). In recent months public meetings have been held where “church people have been asked to offer their insight on public policy and policymakers have been invited to reflect on the moral […]