American conservatives remain divided on the presence and influence of Muslims in society, but there may be a way to forge new ties between these two groups, according to some analysts. There is a strong anti-Muslim thrust in groups near the second administration of President Donald Trump, most clearly seen in the national conservative movement. […]
While American Islam is showing resilience among its second and third generations, African American Muslims and mosques are experiencing steep declines, writes Ihsan Bagby in the journal Muslim World (online in October). Bagby cites his 2020 U.S. Mosque Survey, where he found a majority of mosque leaders following what he calls a flexible and contextual […]
Many faith-based charities that have long partnered with the government have experienced setbacks to the point where they will not be likely to return to their former missions and levels of activity, according to leaders of religious social services during a recent New York conference attended by RW. The conference, sponsored by Religion News Service […]
While trap music, an increasingly popular form of southern hip-hop, has been known for its infatuation with wealth and money, its songs also show a strong if unorthodox spiritual current, writes Rachel Bomalaski in the journal Anthropology of Consciousness (online in October). Trap emerged from the American South’s urban centers in the late 1990s and […]
A new report from Barna Research finds that “men are significantly outpacing women in church attendance since the pandemic, reversing a longstanding trend in Barna’s decades of polling. The 2025 gender gap is the largest recorded so far (43 percent for men vs. 36 percent among women).” The Barna poll finds that married fathers have […]
There is a resurgence of ancestral and “idol worship” for prosperity in Nigeria which is drawing an increasing number of young Christians to its ranks, according to Edlyne Anugwom. In a paper presented at the Minneapolis meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in early November, attended by RW, Anugwom noted that […]
Muslim women have taken up a significant role in the protests and provocations over Palestinian rights, signaling significant changes in traditional Islamic gender roles, writes Salwa Alinat-Abed in the journal Contemporary Islam (online in October). Alinat-Abed focuses on the growing role of Muslim women in the protests and activism at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, demonstrating […]
1) Christian women have become prominent social media influencers, and some are drawing large offline followings. Such is the case with Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma and their popular show Girls Gone Bible. Launched in 2023 in the form of a weekly podcast show, it has since gained more than 20 million listens and nearly […]
