Anti-Semitic sentiments are finding a place among American conservative Christians, often through far-right social media sites, such as the Manosphere, Red Pill, and 4chan, as well as Christian podcasts and websites, writes Will Spencer in his blog Christ Over All (June 2). Spencer focuses on Stone Choir, a weekly podcast hosted by Corey Mahler and […]
Instead of sharing beach houses, a growing number of Gen Z women are checking into Catholic convents and monasteries for their vacations, writes Ashley Fike in the magazine Vice (June 30). “In an unexpected pivot from rooftop parties and dating app exhaustion, young women are opting for peace and quiet. Literal quiet.” Called the “vow […]
A recent controversial report from the French Senate on the Muslim Brotherhood notes that the organization has built an extensive ideological infrastructure in France—“not through violence, but through schools, charities, mosques, and soft power.” The report, based on intelligence files, field investigations, and dozens of interviews conducted by two civil servants, finds that the “Brotherhood’s […]
As a reaction against state-imposed religion, secular aspirations have been building up for decades in Iran, and the religious foundations of the current regime are being increasingly questioned, with protest movements in recent years emphasizing “Iran” instead of “Islam.” Mahdi Rezaei-Tazik, a political scientist at the University of Bern, Switzerland, who focuses on criticism of […]
Historical trajectories, ideological differences, and shifting geopolitical realities shaped both the making and unmaking of the Islamist alliance between the current ruling party of Turkey, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the (Arabic) Muslim Brotherhood (MB), writes historian Jan-Markus Vömel in a detailed report published by the Documentation Centre Political Islam in Vienna, Austria […]
The resurgence of Tengrism in Kazakhstan has been decried as an artificial and political project by a number of scholars, but researchers report in the Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe (Vol. 45, Issue 5) on recent evidence of a “growing interest in Tengrism…driven by spiritual exploration as well as the quest for identity […]
Amidst the reports and claims of religious revival in recent months [see last month’s RW], the role of young men, especially those returning or converting to Eastern Orthodox churches, stands out. Soon after the pandemic, there were anecdotes and some survey results showing that Eastern Orthodox parishes had more resilience in attendance than other churches, […]
More evangelical churches are reciting the Nicene Creed in their worship services, a departure from their “no creeds but the Bible” position of the past, writes Daniel Silliman in Christianity Today magazine (May/June). This year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, which is considered the first creedal statement of Christianity resulting from the […]
As Pope Leo XIV’s papacy begins, there are indications that he intends to carry on the unfinished business of the Francis papacy, from finances to the abuse crisis to the reform of the Roman Curia, according to the Catholic Herald (May 27). Elise Ann Allen reports that, early on, the pope gave an official—if nominal—job […]
Although known as a Lutheran country, Greenland is seeing a growing Pentecostal movement, and even a new Bahá’í presence, writes Julia Duin in Religion Unplugged (May 19). Greenland has captured the geopolitical imagination of the Western world, particularly Americans, but less is known about the emerging pluralism and growing Pentecostalism of the island nation. Lutheranism […]
