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A popular monk has become the center of growing controversy in the Greek Orthodox Church over his charismatic leadership and strict ascetic teachings. Known as Elder Ephraim, the Greek monk has spearheaded a monastic movement in the U.S.
As the world watched the U.S. government deadlocked over raising the debt ceiling in early August, America’ s Christians had their own standoff on the issue and the impending spending cuts that resulted in the creation of two opposing declarations and pressure groups.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
The Christian attempt to transform American society through politics has failed and may actually be counterproductive for Christianity, according to University of Virginia sociologist James Davison Hunter.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
A campaign by Sikhs in America has resulted in the US Army accepting another Sikh recruit for active duty with his religious identity intact. It will be for the first time in 23 years that Sikhs will serve in the US Army with their turbans and unshorn hair.
© 2009 IANS India Private Limited, New Delhi. Posted on Religioscope with permission. — Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) is India’s first multinational and multilingual wire service. Website: www.ians.in. Subscription enquiries: contact IANS (mention Religioscope).
Religion-in-public news last week featured a Pew poll that demonstrated how many Americans mix faiths. More on that in some other week. This week’s stories raise a screech question: Will there long be faiths to mix in America? “Faiths” here means bodies of believers, gathered in communities such as congregations. Has the United States begun to follow the overall pattern of decline in membership, attendance, activity, support, and visibility that is so patent in, say, Western Europe?
References:
“NCC’s 2009 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches report decline in Catholic, Southern Baptist Membership,” “NCC’s 2009 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches report decline in Catholic, Southern Baptist Membership,” http://www.ncccusa.org/news/090130yearbook1.html
“PCA posts first-ever decline,” http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09565.htm
“Missouri Synod Lutherans see falling numbers,” Christian Century, December 15, 2009
“Baptists Shrink: Once Booming, the Southern Baptist Convention tries to rekindle growth,” Andrew M. Manis, Religion in the News: http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/RINVOL12NO2/BaptistsShrink.htm
Martin E. Marty’s biography, current projects, publications, and contact information can be found at www.illuminos.com.
© 2009 Martin Marty. Republished with permission. This analysis was originally published on Dec. 14, 2009, in Sightings, at the Martin Marty Center of the University of Chicago Divinity School. Sightings reports and comments on the role of religion in public life via e-mail twice a week to a readership of over 7,000. For additional information about Sightings: http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/
The formation of a new Anglican body in the U.S. and Canada is not only the latest stage of the conflict between Anglicans on contested issues of sexuality and orthodoxy, but it also represents an ingathering of various smaller conservative groups that have broken off from the Episcopal Church in recent years.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
During a meeting with Michael Hastings Black, Religioscope discussed the impact of new media on depicting a more balanced image of the Muslim minority in the US. Black shows the democratic effect of new media and their subversive potential effect on mainstream classical media. According to him, it is through the new media and such ads, and for economic reasons that American Muslims are going to be integrated into the American national narrative.
The first nationally representative survey of laity in Eastern Orthdoox churches in the US finds a strong sense of religious identity among them as well as few major differences with clergy. Unlike many Protestant and Catholic churches, there were few sharp divisions over such issues as the ordination of women.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
A new book by a prominent American bishop calling for Catholics to speak out and engage the political process may find a hard time getting a hearing as Americans of all faiths are growing wary of too much mixing of religion and politics.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
Charles J. Chaput, Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
, Doubleday, 2008, 272 p.
Vedanta, an American and Hindu-based organization created for Westerners interested in Eastern religious thought and practice, is becoming increasingly Indian Hindu in makeup, causing controversy and concern among the remaining non-Indian members. Such members claim that Vedanta is losing its distinctive mission of reaching Westerners with Eastern philosophy and spirituality.
Richard Cimino is the founder and editor of Religion Watch, a newsletter monitoring trends in contemporary religion. Since January 2008, Religion Watch is published by Religioscope Institute. Website: www.religionwatch.com.
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