The Catholic-evangelical  alliance discussed above may be experiencing some strains due to emerging divisions in the pro-life movement. World magazine  (Jan. 17) says that new drugs and techniques “threaten to blur the line between contraception and abortion — and in the process, perhaps, split evangelicals from their Catholic allies in the fight for the unborn.” Medical advances that […]

In its long history, Roman Catholicism has  assimilated different philosophies and spiritualities as it expanded worldwide. Is evangelical Protestantism next in line for such assimilation? That is the intriguing question asked by  sociologist Gustavo Benavides in pondering the future of Catholicism in Latin America in the current issue of Social Compass (December), an international journal of the sociology […]

Months after after her death, observers are still asking whether the mass mourning over Princess Diana’s signifies signs of spiritual stirrings or  an absence of traditional religious feeling in Britain. Quadrant (November), the newsletter of the London-based Christian Research Association, reports that many Christian leaders believe Is the mourning of  DianaAmong the innumerable laments and analyses of those […]

Japan is beginning to create its own brand of liberation theology, known as the “crown and thorn” theology, reports The Tablet (Nov. 22). From its birthplace, liberation theology (or theologies) has been exported and adapted to Africa, India, Korea, as well as to feminist and American black contexts In the case of Japan, the liberation theme is […]

Europeans becoming increasingly pluralistic in their beliefs and practices, mixing tradition with innovation, reports the Washington Post (Dec. 24). An in-depth article on new patterns of religious belief and identification in Europe finds  that the “Spaniards are creating a national patchwork of local, Christian-inspired but overtly secular religions. The French are sampling Buddhism and massing on  pilgrimages to shrines […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]