Faithful Can Now 'Tweet' Prayers to Western Wall

"People of all faiths can now 'tweet' their prayers via Twitter to the Western Wall, one of Judaism's most sacred sites."

Survey: What Muslims Detest Most About the West

"Surveys of the world's Muslims find that most Muslims support democracy and freedom. Indeed, many Muslims complain that they are ruled by Western-supported secular despots who deny people their right to self-government. Most Muslims also support scientific advancements and seek more prosperity through free markets and global trade. However one reads the Qur'an or the historical record of Islam, no one familiar with this data can call contemporary Muslims enemies of modernity. At the same time, there are some anomalies. Esposito and Mogahed's analysis shows that Muslims fear that "Islam is under attack" and that the West is leading that attack. In addition, while most Muslims don't support theocracy, they do want religion to have an important role in shaping their private and public lives. Even Shari'ah, with its draconian provisions against theft and adultery, enjoys wide support among Muslims, at least in the domestic sphere."

Restructuring, Not Schism, Ahead for Anglicans

"The head of the Anglican Communion said Monday that restructuring the world's third-largest Christian denomination appears inevitable in the face of irreconcilable differences on sexuality and the Bible."

Spiritual Outlook Can Affect Mental Health in Breast Cancer

"Among breast cancer patients, a positive religious attitude is not linked to measures of well-being, but a negative religious or spiritual outlook can lead to worse emotional and mental health, a recent study suggests."

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."

JISC Helps to Bring Key Islamic Resources Online

"Two of the oldest known copies of the Qur’an will be available to researchers and scholars across the world today (8 July 2009) – as part of a major project to digitise one of the richest collections of Eastern manuscripts. The two Qur'ans, one of which may date from the 7th century A.D, are part of the priceless Mingana Collection, which is housed by the University of Birmingham."

This is actual site of the Virtual Manuscript Room where the Qur'ans are found online.

Obama's 10 Most Important Faith Leaders

"Even before Barack Obama was elected president, religious figures loomed large in his political career. . .In an administration that keeps in touch with hundreds of faith leaders, here are the 10 most important."

Is the Economic Crisis a Sin for Society?

Article Subtitle: "Why America needs a new Social Gospel"

This is an interesting article by Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University.

Living Together First Can Spoil Marriage, Study Finds

"Couples who shack up before tying the knot are more likely to get divorced than their counterparts who don't move in together until marriage, a new study suggests."

Interview with Historian Mark Noll on Global Christianity

"No one doubts that American Christianity has had a profound effect on the shape of world Christianity. It's figuring out the exact nature of that influence that still requires investigation and fresh thinking. University of Notre Dame historian Mark Noll has brought his usual careful research and wisdom to bear on this theme in his most recent work, The New Shape of World Christianity (IVP). Christianity Today Media Group editor in chief David Neff talked with Noll about the myths and realities of American influence overseas."

U.S. Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny

"The Vatican is quietly conducting two sweeping investigations of American nuns, a development that has startled and dismayed nuns who fear they are the targets of a doctrinal inquisition. Nuns were the often-unsung workers who helped build the Roman Catholic Church in this country, planning schools and hospitals and keeping parishes humming. But for the last three decades, their numbers have been declining — to 60,000 today from 180,000 in 1965."

Survey Shows How the Faith of America’s Hispanics Has Changed

"A new survey by The Barna Group indicates that Hispanics are assimilating the faith of the Caucasian population faster than anyone would have predicted, essentially mirroring the faith of the nation’s white population."

Historic Bible Pages Put Online

"Visitors to the website www.codexsinaiticus.org can now see images of more than half the 1,600-year-old Codex Sinaiticus manuscript."

Ministry Lessons From a Muslim

"Eboo Patel is not the most likely seminary professor. His credentials are not the issue. Patel earned his doctorate from Oxford University, and he is a respected commentator on religion for The Washington Post and National Public Radio. He has spoken in venues across the world, including conferences for evangelical church leaders. What makes Eboo Patel an unlikely seminary professor is that he is Muslim."

The Gospel Of Green

"Two llamas, four months and 1,000 miles. That's all it took to turn Peter Illyn into an evangelizing environmentalist. Illyn embarked on the llama-supported trek through the Cascade Mountain Range, having spent nine years as a minister in several churches across the Northwest. He finished reinspired by the wonder of the wilderness he had crossed. All he wanted to do, he says, was work to protect the Earth—a mission he sees as firmly rooted in his Christian faith."

Christian Soldiers

"The growing controversy over military chaplains using the armed forces to spread the Word."

Benchmarks: The Typical Small Group

"Because it is difficult to get a handle on what is going on in other small groups outside of your own (or your own church), SmallGroups.com does live surveys each month on a variety of small-group topics. The purpose of these surveys is to uncover a sense of what is going on in small groups around the world, and particularly in North America. . . .here are some results of SmallGroups.com surveys on the subject of what goes on during typical small-group meetings."

Interview with Robert Wuthnow: Global is the New Local

"Today, globalized economic and communications networks create new possibilities for American congregations, says Princeton University's Robert Wuthnow in his most recent book, Boundless Faith: The Global Outreach of American Churches. Since 2000, for instance, 12 percent of active churchgoers reported having gone overseas on a short-term mission while in their teen years. That is up from 5 percent in the 1990s, 4 percent in the 1980s, and only 2 percent before that. Currently, this represents about 100,000 congregations (or one-third of all congregations) every year sending teams that average about 18 members."

People Unsure of Beliefs Are More Close-Minded

"People who are less confident in their beliefs are more reluctant than others to seek out opposing perspectives, researchers said today. The findings, which are based on a review of more than 90 studies, shed light on the debate over whether people intentionally steer clear of views conflicting with their own, or whether they are just exposed more often to ideas that conform to their own."

The Justification Debate: A Primer

"Since Christianity Today's August 2007 cover story, "What Did Paul Really Mean?" Piper and Wright have taken the debate on justification from the academy to the masses. Here is where the two evangelicals differ."