1) The formation of the Alliance of Reformed Churches has been a long time coming, as the liberal-conservative divide in the mainline Reformed Church in America has become increasingly sharp in recent years. The departure of the theologically conservative congregations to the new group, then, leaves some who remain in the RCA concerned for the […]
1) The Skull Mask is a far-right religio-political network that has migrated from online to offline activism and acts of violence. The network’s ideology is a hybrid based on the work of the philosopher Julius Evola, who combined fascism with “Traditionalism,” a syncretic 20th century religious movement mixing occultism with the Hindu doctrine of cyclical […]
Nordic animism is a growing phenomenon in Scandinavia, seeking to return to a native spirituality while distinguishing itself from Neopagan groups holding to ethnic nationalism. Founded by Swedish religious historian Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, the diffuse movement has been influenced by the Brazilian religion Candomblé and links environmentalism with the return to animism. Rasmussen teaches that […]
Maverick City Music, a charismatic Christian singing group and record label, has in a relatively short time gained wide influence in the Christian music industry through its emphasis on worship. Although the Atlanta-based group was founded only three years ago, many of its songs can already be found on church worship setlists worldwide. Even in […]
1) The prediction of Christ’s return in 2011, known as the May 2nd movement, gained considerable traction among evangelicals, although now it only exists as a remnant of end-times believers. Harold Camping, a Bible teacher and president of the evangelical Family Radio Network, initially made his prediction of Christ’s return for 1994 based on an […]
The American Solidarity Party (ASP), which describes itself as “based in the tradition of Christian democracy” has been gaining members and has even won some election victories since the 2020 election cycle. Started in 2016, the party sees itself as espousing much of Catholic social teachings, even though it is open to those of all religions and to nonbelievers.
1) The Archdiocese of Quebec has recently changed over to “missionary status,” a reflection of its declining parishes and numbers, but it is using its designation to stress evangelism and a more countercultural stance. Led by Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, the archdiocese is undergoing a reorientation away from an establishment church model and towards that of a “field hospital” church, which is a model Pope Francis has advocated.
Mochers Magazine, a new Jewish men’s lifestyle publication in the New York-New Jersey area, suggests how consumerism has found a place in the Orthodox community. Mochers seeks to help observant Jews, who are “Conservadox, Modern Orthodox or Yeshivish,” make the best use of their free time, with “premium content by experts in their fields about the rewards that come after a hard week of work and learning.”
The Republican Brotherhood, a reformist and esoteric Muslim movement from Sudan, has largely been dispersed to the Gulf States and the U.S., but in the process, it faces new difficulties in sustaining itself. The Republican Brotherhood was founded in 1956 by Mahmoud Mohamed Taha to promote social reform based on divine revelations he claimed to receive.
Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) is having a significant influence on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, as it attempts to bring together the politics of the broader movement with the religious ideals of the denomination. Started in 2015, BLUU has transitioned from a denominational caucus meant to strengthen African-American representation in Unitarianism to a “spiritual resource and home for BLM activists who are wary of traditional black churches.”
