Archive for the ‘On/File’ Category

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) Marcos Witt has emerged as a key Latino evangelical figure in the U.S., both for his praise and worship music and, more recently, his evangelism and social action, particularly through his AOA or America Ora Adora (America Prays and Adores) tour. The 61-year-old Witt may no longer be the most popular worship leader among […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of Groups, Movements, People, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) From its founding in 2006, the Moishe House movement has expanded considerably in building a sense of community among Jewish young adults. Moishe Houses started in order to meet the needs of young Jews who wanted to more actively engage in the Jewish community and were too old for Jewish life on campus and […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

The first-ever national House of Worship in the Bahá’í world was dedicated in late March on the outskirts of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its design is “inspired by traditional artworks, structures and natural features of the DRC, as well as by the Bahá’í sacred teachings.” The Bahá’í Mother Temple for Africa […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of Movements, Groups, People and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) inauguration of the Abrahamic Family House (AFH) in Abu Dhabi in early February represents the first interfaith worship center in the Middle East. The center includes a church, mosque and synagogue, all within close proximity to each other to encourage religious dialogue and co-existence. The establishment of the Abrahamic […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

The Engaged Spirituality Project encourages journalists covering religion to adopt ethnographic methods to convey a more in-depth and fine-grained account of religion for their readers. The project, run by the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California, brings together social scientists—including a core of ethnographers—and journalists to identify, interview, contextualize, […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) Charismatic Christian leaders, critical of fellow charismatics in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and their support of former President Donald Trump and the events of January 6, have intensified their opposition with a new statement and website, www.narandchristiannationalism.com. The 1,544-word statement condemns Christian nationalism, which is the belief that America is a Christian nation […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) F3 is a fast-growing network of men’s fitness programs that joins exercise with faith-based social gatherings that are seen as helping to ward off loneliness, especially during and after the pandemic. The workout groups are often seen as an extension of church life, though they are not necessarily all Christian-based. F3, started in 2011 […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

Among organizations seeking to lessen the sharp polarization of Americans, Christians for the Common Good (CCG) has achieved a measure of success. The group, based in Portland, Oregon, has drawn the attention of researchers for its effectiveness in passing state bills, particularly in the area of human trafficking, that have garnered support from both left […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) The Catholic Land Movement is being revived after almost a century as some Catholics work to reclaim traditional European farming methods and ways of life. During a time of food crises and shortages, the effort is motivated by a desire for more autonomy in the way participants feed and provide for their families, physically […]

On/File: A Continuing Record of People, Groups, Movements, and Events Impacting Contemporary Religion

1) National conservatism is seen as an intellectual outgrowth of the nationalist and populist presidency of Donald Trump, but the religious positions of the fledgling movement have not been spelled out. That changed, however, with the recent issuing of a manifesto for the movement. The document features such MAGA faithful as Charlie Kirk of Turning […]