Both Muslim and Christian leaders are focusing on the aftermath of the war in Iraq, warning that Chrisitan-Islamic relations may suffer. As reported by several media on March 30, Pope John Paul II has expressed fears that the war might lead to a “religious catastrophe,” possibly sparking off a wider confrontation between Christianity and Islam. […]

The Coptic Church of Egypt may have gained new recognition and freedom by the government, but the church body is experiencing internal turmoil over issues of centralization and the power of the hierarchy over the laity. The Tablet (Feb. 15), a British Catholic magazine, reports that a split between a segment of the laity and the […]

Few efforts at Christian evangelization have been directed toward the burgeoning Muslim populations of Europe, but that may now be changing, according to an article in Charisma magazine (February). The  traditional low response rate of Muslims to Christian missionary efforts (partly due to government restrictions on proselytizing in Islamic nations) seems also to be true of Muslim immigrants […]

Even right after Sept. 11, religion reporters and other observers were noting that religion coverage was being curtailed by newspapers, often for financial reasons. But in the long run, the events of September 11 seem to have reignited the determination to improve and expand religion coverage, reports David Shaw in the Los Angeles Times (Feb. 23). One […]

American seminaries are becoming more religiously pluralistic yet at the same time more tied in with their respective denominations, reports the Christian Century (Feb. 22). In an interview, Daniel Aleshire of the Association of Theological Schools says that one of the biggest challenges of today’s seminary is the new pluralism they face. “It is easier to educate […]

Long-standing divisions and controversies in the Church of Christ Scientist is moving the church to the brink of schism judging by a new document issued by dissenters. The Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Website (Feb. 14) reports that a letter being circulated by Christian Science members called “Matters of Conscience” charges the church with decades worth of […]

There has been growing Jewish recognition of evangelical support of Israel and now that acknowledgment is becoming more official and may take new shape in a working coalition between the two groups. The Baltimore Sun (Feb. 26) reports on a recent national meeting of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs where a call was made for Jewish […]

Christian “rave” and dance parties that combine fellowship, evangelism, entertainment and worship are growing throughout the U.S., reports Charisma magazine (February). The phenomenon is the evangelical Christian counterpart to the widespread secular rave culture of the 1990s that spread from Europe to the U.S. Though some raves have encouraged the use of drugs, such as ecstasy, they […]

A faith-based approach to AIDS prevention is gradually making itself felt in the politics and programs involved in the fight against the disease in Africa. Even before President George Bush made the fight against AIDS in Africa a national priority during his state of the union address in January, the issue had taken hold among […]

Jordan, which has long stood apart from other Muslim nations for its more secular political outlook, may be moving in more religious directions due to the rising Muslim revival taking place among the country’s Palestinian refugees. Palestinians are estimated to represent a majority of Jordan’s 5 million inhabitants. The Washington Post (Jan. 28) reports that it is […]