Barna on Casual Christians and the Future of America

"In a wide-ranging discussion about the state of faith in America, veteran researcher George Barna recently addressed questions raised by his new book, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter. In that book, Barna outlines seven diverse faith segments, profiling their lifestyles, religious beliefs and practices, values and life goals. The seven tribes include Casual Christians, Captive Christians, Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims and Skeptics. During the course of the conversation, Barna answered a series of questions about the largest – and potentially most powerful – tribe, the Casual Christians. Barna’s studies indicate that Casual Christians represent 66% of the adult population of the U.S. (The percentage of the adult population represented by the other half-dozen tribes included 16% who are Captive Christians, 2% Jews, 2% Mormons, 2% Pantheists, one-half of 1% Muslims, and 11% Skeptics.)"

Twittering in Church, with the Pastor's O.K.

"There's a time and place for technology, and most houses of worship still say it's not at morning Mass. But instead of reminding worshippers to silence their cell phones, a small but growing number of churches across the country are following Voelz's lead and encouraging people to integrate text-messaging into their relationship with God. In Seattle, Mars Hill churchgoers regularly tweet throughout the service. In New York City, Trinity Church marked Good Friday by tweeting the Passion play, detailing the stages of Jesus' crucifixion in short bursts. At Next Level Church, outside Charlotte, N.C., it's not only O.K. to fuse social-networking technology with prayer; it's desirable. . ."

Pope on Facebook in Attempt to Woo Young Believers

"You won't get an email saying Pope Benedict added you as a friend and you can't 'poke' him or write on his wall, but the Vatican is still keen to use the networking site Facebook to woo young people back to church. A new Vatican website, www.pope2you.net, has gone live, offering an application called 'The pope meets you on Facebook,' and another allowing the faithful to see the Pope's speeches and messages on their iPhones or iPods."

The Science of Spirituality

Barbara Bradley Hagerty, an award-winning NPR Religion reporter, recently published a very interesting book entitled Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality. What is good about Hagerty is her excellent reporting skills, combined with an openness to religious ideas. While most people examining the subject of the science of spirituality are secular in outlook, she is open to the possibility that more is involved. That is, she is not reductionistic.

Hagerty has done several radio broadcasts based on her research for her book that you might find of interest. You can read the transcripts or click on the podcasts to listen to Hagerty's broadcasts.

This site links to all the broadcasts:

http://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=104257486&startNum=1

Black Woman About to Break Ground as Rabbi

"A convert to Judaism who was raised as a Pentecostal Christian is about to become the first black woman rabbi in the United States, Jewish educators say."

Pope Prods Young Catholics to Spread Word Via Internet

"Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged young Catholics to use the Internet to spread the church's message. The pope promoted the use of the digital world as a means of making the Gospel known in remarks to 20,000 pilgrims at his weekly audience Wednesday."

Survey: Protestant Clergy Back Gay Rights, Not Marriage

"Most mainline Protestant clergy do not support legalizing gay marriage, even if they're not required to officiate at same-sex ceremonies. It was the only point on which the majority did not support gay rights, according to a survey of clergy from the seven historic mainline Protestant denominations to which 18% of Americans belong."

Medicine, Religion Collide in Chemo Refusal

"A non-profit group called Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty is tracking five criminal prosecutions around the U.S., all cases that involve children being denied health care because of religious beliefs. Including the Wisconsin case, there are two cases in Oregon; one case in Tennessee; and one case in Pennsylvania. Since 1983 the group, which says it works to stop abusive religious and cultural practices, has tracked 66 similar prosecutions."

Report Reveals Decades of Child Abuse in Irish Institutions

"Thousands of children suffered sexual abuse, beatings, malnutrition and emotional abuse for decades in the Irish institutions where they were raised, an Irish government commission said Wednesday. Catholic clergy ran the vast majority of the reformatories and orphanages where the abuse allegedly took place, it said. There were institutions where sexual abuse was a 'chronic problem' and where 'floggings' that 'should not have been tolerated in any institution' were 'inflicted for even minor transgressions,' the commission's wide-ranging report says."

Religious Citizens More Involved -- And More Scarce?

"First, the silver lining: people of faith are better citizens and better neighbors, and America is 'amazingly' religious compared to other countries, says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam. Now, the cloud: young Americans are 'vastly more secular' than their older counterparts, according to Putnam. . .Putnam and Campbell unveiled some of their research at a recent conference in Key West, Fla., hosted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life."

Religion and Money: The Price of Faith

"For the most devout practitioners - perhaps 15% of Americans, if measured by how frequently they attend services - following their faith's precepts often has a profound financial impact: Religion guides how they make, spend, and invest their money. And it often leads to financial decisions and stresses far different from those of people who don't share their beliefs. To explore how religion affects the way people manage their money, we visited with three families of different faiths who are struggling to reconcile their spiritual beliefs with their wallets. Their stories, and our advice to them, follow. What all three households have in common: the desire to let faith guide their economic prospects, without undermining their family's security or long-term goals. As you'll see, that isn't always an easy task. . ."

A Faith for the Nones

"There is a book that everyone will be talking about -- when it appears over a year from now. "American Grace: How Religion Is Reshaping Our Civic and Political Lives," being written by Robert Putnam and David Campbell, is already creating a buzz. Putnam, the author of Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, is the preeminent academic expert on American civic life. . ."

Many Churchgoers and Faith Leaders Struggle to Define Spiritual Maturity

"[A] new study from the Barna Group identifies an underlying reason why there is little progress in helping people develop spiritually: many churchgoers and clergy struggle to articulate a basic understanding of spiritual maturity. People aspire to be spiritually mature, but they do not know what it means. Pastors want to guide others on the path to spiritual wholeness, but they are often not clearly defining the goals or the outcomes of that process."

Two Religious Biographical Dictionaries

The Dictionary of African Christian Biography and the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity

Insights from Reveal Study Done by Willow Creek Church

"Reveal is a survey to uncover the depth of spiritual growth in a congregation and what triggers that growth. The study defines spiritual growth as 'an increasing love for God and for other people.' So far the survey has been taken in more than200 churches and with more than 100,000 people, making it a reliable study."

Survey Reveals European Muslims' Attitudes

"European Muslims have much more loyalty to the countries they live in than is generally believed, a survey says."

Young Americans Losing Their Religion

"New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church -- or to participate in any form of organized religion -- than their parents and grandparents. 'It's a huge change,' says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam, who conducted the research."

A New Website on What Other Religions Believe

"Enter a new website that sets out to explain the differences between religions as well as illuminate the areas of common ground. Patheos.com, which is launching on Tuesday, is a mash-up of path and theos, the Greek word for god. Its founders, husband and wife Leo and Cathie Brunnick, have created a library of the histories and belief systems of 50 (and counting) of the world's faiths, along with maps of their origins and videos of their religious services, so people can learn more about their own faith and explore others in a nonsectarian format. Each week experts will present a debate on a new topic, such as religion on the Web or abortion. Moreover, all the content on the streamlined, reader-friendly site is written and peer-reviewed by divinity scholars and other experts, including theologians at Harvard and the University of Southern California, where some undergrads will be using Patheos in introductory religion classes this fall."

Helping Christians Reconcile God With Science

"The revelation that everything in the Bible may not have happened exactly as written can be startling. And when the discovery comes along with scientific evidence of evolution and the actual age of planet Earth, it can prompt a full-blown spiritual crisis. That's where Francis Collins would like to step in. A renowned geneticist and former director of the Human Genome Project, Collins is also an evangelical Christian who was the keynote speaker at the 2007 National Prayer Breakfast, and he has spent years establishing the compatibility between science and religious belief. And this week he unveiled a new initiative to guide Christians through scientific questions while holding firm to their faith.Through the Washington-based foundation, Collins says he and his colleagues hope to support scholarship that 'takes seriously the claims of both faith and science.' Its online component, biologos.org, is designed to be a resource for skeptics and nonbelievers who are interested in religious arguments for God's existence. But the primary audience for BioLogos is Collins' own Evangelical community."

Survey: Support for Terror Suspect Torture Differs Among the Faithful

"The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey."