The clash between immigrants and the evangelical-influenced second generation in the Indian Orthodox Mar Thoma Church in the US is significant enough to change the nature of this liturgical and mystical church, according to Syracuse University sociologist Prema Kurian. In a paper she presented at the ASR conference in San Francisco in mid-August, Kurian found […]

The LDS (Mormon) church is courting the Catholic Church in the US, attempting to form alliances over moral and social issues, and Catholic leaders are finally warming to such overtures, writes James Massa in the newsletter Ecumenical Trends (July–August). Mormons were particularly interested in how Catholics have turned out electable politicians while still being a […]

Long perceived as a “moderate” member of mainline Protestantism, the recent decision by America’s largest Lutheran body to allow for homosexual relations and approve of the ordination of gays and lesbians came as a shock in some quarters. But seasoned observers of the 5.5 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) registered little surprise at […]

A more diverse, activist and, in some cases, tolerant secularism is emerging, according to several papers presented at the recent meeting of the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) in San Francisco in mid-August. Although those involved in secularist “free-thought” groups are often identified as belonging to one monolithic group of atheists, there is […]

A new phenomenon in Israel has been the rise of spiritual communities fusing their Israeli and Jewish identities, and thus producing a new type of loosely organized, “post-denominational” Judaism, without predefined rules and rituals, writes Eetta Prince Gibson in the Jerusalem Report (June 22). While there are some genealogical links with Reform or Conservative Judaism, […]

While English-speaking African churches have often been viewed as representing global South Christianity and influencing the North, Francophone African nations, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), are playing a role in religion far beyond their borders. Philip Jenkins writes in the Christian Century (June 16) that the DRC could be placed alongside the […]

While the Messianic Jewish movement—i.e. Jews converted to Christianity while keeping their Jewish identity and some Jewish practices—has only existed in Germany since 1995, it numbers now some 40 groups with about 1,000 members, reports Stefanie Pfister in the German monthly Materialdienst der EZW (July). The appearance of Messianic Judaism is linked to the revival […]

“Indigo children” have become a popular phenomenon in alternative spiritual and New Age circles, blending millennial concepts and psychic beliefs with child-rearing concerns. The Skeptical Inquirer magazine (July/August) reports that the phenomenon of children who are said to be the next stage in evolution and possessing a spiritual energy has found a hearing among parents […]

Gay Jewish synagogues are finding a growing number of heterosexual Jews in attendance and even playing leadership roles, mostly due to the welcoming and experimental nature of these congregations, reports the website Forward.com (June 4). In some cases, synagogues established originally for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-sexual Jews now even have a majority of straight […]

A movement of Gentiles observing some aspects of Jewish law and teachings and usually coming from Christian or Messianic Jewish backgrounds, the Noahides are reported to be experiencing growth, as the Internet allows such believers to find information, interact and make their ideas known much more easily, reports Ben Harris of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency […]