Study: Christianity Grows Exponentially in Africa

"With 2.18 billion adherents, Christianity has become a truly global religion over the past century as rapid growth in developing nations offset declines in Christianity's traditional strongholds, according to a report released Monday."

Split GOP Presidential Endorsements Reflect Fractured Evangelical Base

"The day of split Republican endorsements reflects a Republican religious base that is largely fractured just two weeks before the first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses."

Atheists Who Go to Church: Doing It for the Children

"A new study out of Rice University has found that 17 percent -- about one out of five scientists who describe themselves as either atheists or agnostics -- actually go to church, although not too often, and not because they feel a spiritual yearning to join the faithful. More likely, it's because of the kids."

Poll: Religious Believers Concerned With Environment

"A majority of the religious in the United States supports environmental regulation, a poll released Wednesday said."

Supreme Court Rejects Worship at Public School Appeal

"The U.S. Supreme Court let stand on Monday a ruling that religious groups cannot use public schools facilities for worship services outside of normal school hours in a case about church-state separation."

Sun Worship Discovery at Stonehenge

"Archeologists say they've discovered evidence of ancient sun worship that ties Britain's Stonehenge site into the surrounding landscape."

Catholics Adjust to New Translation of Mass Liturgy

"For the first time in more than 40 years, they had a new translation of the liturgy from a revised Roman Missal that hews more closely to the church's original Latin."

Focusing on the Jewish Story of the New Testament

"The book she has just edited with a Brandeis University professor, Marc Zvi Brettler, 'The Jewish Annotated New Testament' (Oxford University Press), is an unusual scholarly experiment: an edition of the Christian holy book edited entirely by Jews."

Catholic Bishop Gets Deal to Avoid Criminal Charges

"Bishop Robert Finn, the leader of the 134,000-member diocese, is the highest-ranking Catholic official ever to face U.S. criminal charges in a child sexual abuse case. . ."

U.S. Voters Find Religious Belief Important in a Leader

"Two-thirds of Americans believe it is important for a presidential candidate to have strong religious beliefs, even if those beliefs are different than their own, a survey released on Tuesday found."

Study Links Religious Services to Optimism

"Regular attendance at religious services is associated with a more optimistic outlook and a lesser inclination to be depressed, compared to those who do not attend services at all, a study concluded on Thursday."

Vatican Hosts Adult Stem Cell Conference

"An international conference opens in Rome Wednesday devoted to medical applications of adult stem cells."

Graham Sermons, Speeches Go Public Online

"A few days before Billy Graham's birthday, his evangelistic association has delivered a present for posterity. It comes in the form of hundreds of audio files of Graham sermons, speeches and comments that stretch back six decades - all available with the click of a mouse."

In China, Tensions Rising Over Buddhism's Quiet Resurgence

"The late Mao's vision has given way to a more capitalistic and seemingly more tolerant version of communism. But Buddhism's broadening popularity here is stoking tension between Buddhist monks who demand religious freedom and their longtime foe: Communist Party."

Many U.S. Catholics Have Independent Streak – Survey

"A majority of American Roman Catholics feel strongly about the sacraments and traditional church values such as caring for the poor, but they may not agree with the church teachings on topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage and maintaining a celibate, male clergy, a survey has found."

Survey: Religious Identity Slips Among U.S. Catholics

"One in four Americans call themselves Catholic, but a survey released Monday finds this is more a cultural brand label for many than a religious identity."

Church of England Edges Nearer to Allowing Women Bishops

"The Church of England has voted in principle for women to be consecrated, and draft legislation is currently being looked at by its 44 dioceses, or groups of parishes, as part of its long legislative process. At the weekend, the diocese vote passed the 50 percent backing needed for it to go back to the Church’s parliament, or general synod, for a final vote next year."

U.S. Bishop Is Charged With Failing to Report Abuse

"The indictment of Robert Finn is the first ever of a Roman Catholic bishop in the 25 years since the scandal over sexual abuse by priests first became public in the United States."

Steve Jobs: The Secular Prophet

"Steve Jobs was extraordinary in countless ways—as a designer, an innovator, a (demanding and occasionally ruthless) leader. But his most singular quality was his ability to articulate a perfectly secular form of hope."

Heroic Tale of Holocaust, With a Twist

"Muslims, it seems, rescued Jews from the Nazis. 'Les Hommes Libres' ('Free Men') is a tale of courage not found in French textbooks. According to the story, Si Kaddour Benghabrit, the founder and rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, provided refuge and certificates of Muslim identity to a small number of Jews to allow them to evade arrest and deportation."

What Happens when a Leftist Philosopher Discovers God?

"As of the late 1990s Habermas’ view of religion is more benign. Religion is now seen as having a useful public function, quite apart from its private consolations."

Scientology and Its Discontents

"Two new books offer enlightening perspectives on a once-mysterious institution."

Religious Leaders Line up in Support of Supreme Court Case

"Unity among religious leaders is rare, but a pending U.S. Supreme Court case is drawing together a group beyond the boldest dreams of any interfaith parliament."

Mormon Church Launches Media Campaign

"The 'I'm a Mormon' campaign — mostly TV spots and billboards — will encourage people to learn about Latter-day Saints by visiting the mormon.org website, which features video profiles of thousands of Mormons from around the world."

Why Fewer Young American Jews Share Their Parents' View of Israel

Dana Goldstein shares her views in this Time magazine article.

Billy Graham's New Book a Spiritual Look at Growing Old

"Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well is a swing for salvation from the evangelist who has tried to take the whole world (or at least 185 nations where he's preached) to heaven with him."

Poll on Global Citizenship Released

"The survey looks at American attitudes toward global citizenship." This is to be the "first of a series of surveys on contemporary issues surrounding media consumption, changing culture and our faith."

Signs Young Christians Aren't Waiting

"True love doesn’t wait after all. That’s the implication in the upcoming October issue of an evangelical magazine that claims that young, unmarried Christians are having premarital sex almost as much as their non-Christian peers."

Fellow German Christians Among Pope Benedict’s Staunchest Critics

"Religion in Germany has a public edge the Bavarian pope doesn’t often see, with politicians and Protestants as likely as Catholic parishioners to speak out against his conservative ideas. A record 181,000 left the Catholic Church last year in protest against its sexual abuse scandals and increasingly conservative line."

Southern Baptists Consider New Name to Broaden Appeal

"SBC President Bryant Wright announced Monday at an executive committee meeting in Nashville that he's set up a study group to research changing the 166-year-old denomination's name."

More Americans Tailoring Religion to Fit Their Needs

"Barna's new book on U.S. Christians, Futurecast, tracks changes from 1991 to 2011, in annual national surveys of 1,000 to 1,600 U.S. adults. All the major trend lines of religious belief and behavior he measured ran downward — except two. More people claim they have accepted Jesus as their savior and expect to go to heaven."

100 Largest Protestant Churches and Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches

"Outreach Magazine is out today with its latest downloadable lists of the nation's to 100 largest Protestant churches and top 100 fastest growing churches."

Deep Divisions in Americans' Views on Race, Faith

"The survey of nearly 2,500 Americans by a pair of Washington think tanks found sharp divisions on a host of issues, ranging from immigration policy to attitudes toward followers of other religious faiths."

Texas Inmates Enroll in Prison-Based Seminary

"Thirty-nine men in identical white uniforms bowed their heads, sang, laughed, clapped, cheered and prayed as they were formally installed Monday as the state's first class of seminarians studying to become ministers under a new program operating totally behind prison walls."

Survey: Most Muslim Americans Have Moderate Views

"Almost half the nation's estimated 2.8 million Muslims fault their leaders for not speaking out against Islamic extremists but a vast majority are far more satisfied with the way things are going in the USA than the overall population, according to the first comprehensive survey of U.S. Muslims in four years."

Worrying Can Impact Interpersonal Relationships

"A new research study, led by a Case Western Reserve University faculty member in psychology, also shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in the person’s life and endangers the health of social relationships."

Mark Noll on the Foundation of the Evangelical Mind

"Christianity Today editor in chief David Neff recently spoke with Noll (now teaching at the University of Notre Dame) about the book."

What's Fueling Bible Belt Divorces?

"Southern men and women had higher rates of divorce in 2009 than their counterparts in other parts of the country: 10.2 per 1,000 for men and 11.1 per 1,000 for women, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday."

Less Educated, Less Attending Services

"Less-educated white Americans are dropping out of the religious sector, similarly to the way they left the labor market, a U.S. researcher says a study shows."

Preaching a Healthy Diet in the Deep-Fried Delta

"For over a decade from his pulpit here at Oak Hill Baptist in North Mississippi, the Rev. Michael O. Minor has waged war against obesity and bad health."

Princeton Review Ranks Most and Least Religious Schools

"Bennington College students recently learned that their Vermont school had received an honor that some might consider dubious: They attend the least religious college in America, according to an annual educational survey."

Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve

". . .now some conservative scholars are saying publicly that they can no longer believe the Genesis account."

Religious Happier During Bad Times

"Religious are happier and outnumber the non-religious in societies under stress but their numerical edge diminishes during peace, U.S. researchers say."

Religious Harassment on Rise Throughout the World, Report Finds

"Worshippers are under attack in more countries as governments crack down on religion, and social hostilities grow, according to a new report."

Archbishop Defends Catholic Healthcare Merger With Hospital

"Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz said Thursday he would only approve a merged hospital system under Roman Catholic ownership if all the participants, including University Hospital, agreed to follow the church's ethical rules for medical care."

Report Shows Rise in World Restrictions on Religion

"The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life said government restrictions and public hostility involving religion grew in some of the most populous countries from mid-2006 to mid-2009."

The Education/Religion Connection

"For years, a commonly held belief has been that more educated Americans are less likely to embrace religion. But an article forthcoming in The Review of Religious Research suggests that the relationship between education and faith is more nuanced, and that more education has a negative impact only on certain religious questions, not on all of them."

Volunteers Wanted to Transcribe Texts in Search of 'Lost Gospels'

"Thousands of volunteers are needed to help transcribe two million segments of ancient Greek writings in a bid to find the next 'lost gospel,' researchers at the University of Oxford said. Some 200,000 segments of the ancient papyri, found in Egypt, were uploaded to the website www.ancientlives.org -- and now volunteers are needed to transcribe the Greek letters using character-recognition tools."

Interview with Max Lucado on Pastoral Authority

"His latest book, Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions (Nelson, 2010), is a series of questions and answers gleaned from his years at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Drew Dyck talked with Max about responding to tough questions and the best uses of a pastor's authority."

Study: Wind May Have Helped Moses Part Red Sea

"In a computer model, Drews was able to simulate what might have happened at the Red Sea just before Moses started a journey that lasted for 40 years. After modeling a body of water that resembled the waters trapping Moses and the Israelites, Drews enforced the laws of physics and applied a wind stress to the water body."

Religion Benefits Traumatic Brain Injury

"If traumatic brain injury victims feel close to a higher power, it can help them rehabilitate, U.S. researchers found."

The Rise of Moderate Islam

"With their oppressors gone, moderate Islamists are now in the ascendancy within the Brotherhood. They vastly outnumber the extremists, and in the emerging democracy, this gives them power. They are setting the agenda. . ."

Ireland Unveils New Report on Catholic Child Abuse

"A new investigation into the Catholic Church's chronic cover-up of child abuse found Wednesday that a rural diocese and its bishop ignored Irish church rules requiring all suspected molestation cases to be reported to police — and the Vatican encouraged this concealment."

In Israel, Diggers Unearth Site of Philistines

"The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites."

Top Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline Bodies Issue Evangelism Rules

"Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic leaders convened Tuesday in Geneva to announce the release of a historic document on the ethics of Christian evangelism."

Mark Noll Article - "So You're a Baptist--"

Mark Noll Article - "So You're a Baptist--"

2,000-Year-Old Priestly Burial Box Is Real, Archaeologists Say

"Israeli scholars say they have confirmed the authenticity of a 2,000-year-old burial box bearing the name of a relative of the high priest Caiaphas of the New Testament."

Special Software For Analyzing the Biblical Text

"The new software analyzes style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible its algorithm teased out distinct writerly voices in the holy book."

New Vatican News Portal Going Online

"Vatican officials said Saturday that Benedict has been following the development of the portal, which will for the first time aggregate information from the Vatican's various print, online, radio and television media in a one-stop-shop for Holy See news."

Mental Illness Often Ignored By Churches

"Mental illness is prevalent in church communities but is also accompanied by significant distress that is often ignored, U.S. researchers found."

Half of U.S. Evangelical Leaders Gloomy About Future, Study Finds

"Half the world's evangelical Protestant leaders are optimistic about the future, confident that evangelical Christians have an increasing influence in their countries and that things will be better for them in five years. The other half are pessimists, convinced they're losing influence on the life of their countries and mostly not persuaded that things will be better for Christianity where they live in the future."

Despite Horses and Buggies, Amish Aren't Necessarily 'Low-Tech'

"Brende, author of the book Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology, says the Amish do use technology frequently. They just consider gadgets on a case-by-case basis."

Church of England to Allow Gay Bishops Who Remain Celebate

"Openly gay clergy can become bishops as long as they are, and promise to remain, celibate."

Human Hands, God's Fingerprints

"We asked pastors and worship planners how they design times of worship that lead to Christ-likeness, not just to more hard-to-please consumers of worship services."

Does Islam Stand Against Science?

"Many of the hottest topics in science challenge traditional Muslim beliefs about the world. How those conflicts are resolved could determine the future of science."

One Fifth of Voters Say They Won't Back Mormon

"While the majority of Americans say they'd vote for their party's presidential nominee if that person is a Mormon, more than a fifth wouldn't, a poll indicates."

21st Century Evangelicals in the UK

Interesting report on Evangelicals in the United Kingdom

Catholic Bishops Keep Abuse Prevention Policy

"The nation's Roman Catholic bishops on Thursday renewed their plan to prevent clergy sex abuse, making only minor revisions despite lapses in some dioceses that created pressure for more dramatic change."

Evangelicals: Less Likely to Vote for Gay or Mormon Candidates

"The May 25-30 survey from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press asked people how they would vote for presidential candidates with different traits. The survey found that a third of evangelicals (34 percent) said they would be less likely to vote for someone who is Mormon, compared to Mainline Protestants (19 percent) or Catholics (16 percent)."

Southern Baptists Adopt Plan to Appeal to Minorities

"With the election of a black pastor to a senior position this week and a new action plan to increase ethnic diversity in its leadership, the Southern Baptist Convention has taken its most concrete steps yet to overcome a history of racial exclusion and to broaden its appeal in a changing American population."

Herculaneum Sewer sheds Light on Secrets of Roman Life

"Archaeologists have been discovering how Romans lived 2,000 years ago, by studying what they left behind in their sewers."

Study: How Satanists See Death

"A researcher from Concordia University recently published a journal article with some rare access to high level Satanists exploring what they think about death and dying."

Islamic Education on the Rise in US, Struggle for Acceptance

"The Islamic School League of America (ISLA), a nonprofit that connects Muslim educators and institutions, estimates that 40,000 students are enrolled in Islamic schools in the United States, a 25 percent increase from 2006."

Nation's Largest Protestant Group Faces 'Decline'

"In 2010, Southern Baptists baptized 332,321 people, or 17,416 fewer than in 2009, according to a report released by Nashville-based LifeWay Research. This marks the eighth time in 10 years that baptisms have declined and the lowest number of baptisms since the 1950s."

U.S. Muslims Double by 2030

"In the United States, the number of Muslims is expected to increase from 2.6 million in 2010 to 6.2 million by 2030, in large part because of immigration and higher-than-average fertility among Muslims."

After 90 Years, a Dictionary of an Ancient World

"Ninety years in the making, the 21-volume dictionary of the language of ancient Mesopotamia and its Babylonian and Assyrian dialects, unspoken for 2,000 years but preserved on clay tablets and in stone inscriptions deciphered over the last two centuries, has finally been completed by scholars at the University of Chicago."

Doomsday Believers Cope With An Intact World

Doomsday Believers Cope With An Intact World

Study: Changes Of 1960s Behind Church's Abuse Crisis

"Why did the Roman Catholic Church experience a sexual abuse crisis? There are no simple answers, according to a five-year study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice that was released on Wednesday. But the reasons suggested in the report are unlikely to satisfy critics of the church."

Higher IQ Linked to Liberalism, Atheism

"More intelligent children may be more likely to grow up to be liberals, a researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science suggests."

Vatican Suggests Bishops Report Abuse to Police

"The Vatican told bishops around the world Monday that it was important to cooperate with police in reporting priests who rape and molest children and said they should develop guidelines for preventing sex abuse by next May. But the suggestions in the letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith are vague and nonbinding and contain no enforcement mechanisms to ensure bishops actually draft the guidelines or follow them."

Physicist Stephen Hawking Rejects Heaven or Afterlife as a 'Fairy Story'

"British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking says he rejects the idea of heaven or an afterlife, calling the belief a 'fairy story' for people afraid of dying."

Religious Belief is Human Nature, Huge New Study Claims

"Religion comes naturally, even instinctively, to human beings, a massive new study of cultures all around the world suggests."

A World Without the King James Version

"Where we would be without the most popular English Bible ever?"

Presbyterian Church U.S.A. to Allow Gay and Lesbian Clergy

"The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Tuesday voted to allow the ordination of openly gay and lesbian ministers."

Egyptian Coptic Christians, Reeling from Violence, Want Protection

"Muslim-Christian sectarian violence intensified in Egypt this weekend, spurring an emergency meeting of the Cabinet and public exhortations from Coptic Christians for international protection."

Nicky Cruz: David Wilkerson 'Never Lost His Heart'

"Wilkerson 'never lost his heart' for the world's needy people, Cruz said. The two of them worked together to run Teen Challenge, a network of rehabilitation centers dedicated to healing drug and alcohol addiction and other 'life-controlling problems.' Later, Wilkerson moved back to New York to start Times Square Church, and Cruz set out on his own evangelistic ministry."

U.S. Report Puts Egypt With Worst Religion Violators

"A government agency's annual report on violations of religious rights added Egypt on Thursday to the list of the world's 14 worst violators."

2010 Southern Baptist Convention Compensation Study

"The 2010 Compensation Study was a joint project of state Baptist conventions, GuideStone Financial Resources, and LifeWay Christian Resources. Compensation and congregational data was collected anonymously from ministers and office/custodial personnel of Southern Baptist churches and church-type missions. Reports are based on compensation for nearly 12,000 respondents from all 50 states."

Centuries-Old Ties are Fraying Between English Church, State

"As the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev. John Hall, and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams prepare to conduct and solemnize the wedding of the century, both Christians and prominent and powerful nonbelievers are raising their voices and demanding the disestablishment the Church of England that has dominated religious life here for centuries."

Belief in Vengeful God May Affect Cheating

"College students who believe in a God seen as mean or punishing are less apt than others to cheat on a test, U.S. and Canadian researchers found."

Creation and Accreditation

"A Seventh-day Adventist university in California must resolve a dispute about teaching evolution in its biology classes or risk losing its status with the church."

High Court OKs Ariz. Tax Credit For Religious Schools

"A deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that taxpayers have no legal right to challenge a tax break that channels millions of dollars to private religious schools. The 5-to-4 decision left intact an Arizona tax subsidy that was enacted because the state constitution forbids direct aid to religious schools, including vouchers."

A Manager, a Minister, and the Faith that Changed Baseball

"Sometimes, matters of faith have a quiet yet powerful way of influencing history."

Most American Catholics Use Contraception

"Catholic women overwhelmingly use birth control, despite an official ban by the church, a new study finds."

18 Years After Waco, Davidians Believe Koresh Was God

"Nearly 20 years ago, 76 people lost their lives during an FBI raid near Waco, Texas. CNN's Drew Griffin looks at those events . . ."

Leading Atheist Publishes Secular Bible

"The question arose early in British academic A.C. Grayling’s career: What if those ancient compilers who’d made Bibles, the collected religious texts that were translated, edited, arranged and published en masse, had focused instead on assembling the non-religious teachings of civilization’s greatest thinkers?"

Higher Life Expectancy Means Lower Church Attendance

"As life expectancy increases, churches should expect to see more gray hair and fewer young people in the pews. That's the result of a new analysis of people's religious decisions."

Tajik Muslims to Ban Text Message Divorces

"Tajik religious authorities say divorce by text message will soon be banned, as they seek to stamp out the practice in the mainly Muslim Central Asian nation."

France's Ban on Burqas, Niqabs Takes Effect

"France's controversial ban on wearing Islamic veils such as burqas and niqabs took effect Monday."

Survey: Minority of Evangelical Leaders Say Bible Requires Tithing

"The survey, conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) among its 100-member board of directors, found that 42% of evangelical leaders believe the Bible requires tithing, while 58% do not."

U.K. Astrophysicist Wins $1.6 Million Religion Prize

"Martin Rees, a 68-year-old expert on the extreme physics of black holes and the Big Bang, is the recipient of the 2011 Templeton Prize, the John Templeton Foundation announced Wednesday."

Religiosity, Spirituality Impact Health

"A person's religiosity and spirituality independently predicts health outcomes after a collective traumatic event like Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. researchers say."

End-of-World Business Is Booming in Bomb Shelter Industry

"A massive earthquake. A giant tsunami. Escalating turmoil in the Middle East. Unusual energy in the Milky Way. Dire predictions about the end of the world next year. Put all of that together and, if you are in the underground bunker business, your business is booming."

Possible Major Early Christian Find

"For scholars of faith and history, it is a treasure trove too precious for price. This ancient collection of 70 tiny books, their lead pages bound with wire, could unlock some of the secrets of the earliest days of Christianity. Academics are divided as to their authenticity but say that if verified, they could prove as pivotal as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947."

Buddhist Monks in Japan Rap to Attract Young Converts

"Buddhist monks in Japan are trying to attract young people by performing sutras in a hip-hop style."

Lourdes Calls Cure "Remarkable," Shuns "Miracle"

"The Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes has announced the 'remarkable healing' of a French invalid, avoiding the traditional term 'miracle' because its doctors increasingly shy away from calling an illness incurable."

Religion May Become Extinct in Nine Nations, Study Says

"A study using census data from nine countries shows that religion there is set for extinction, say researchers."

Jesuits Settle Northwest Sex Abuse Cases for $166 Million

"In one of the largest settlements in the Catholic church's sweeping sex abuse scandal, an order of priests agreed Friday to pay $166.1 million to hundreds of Native Americans and Alaska Natives who were abused at the order's schools around the Pacific Northwest."

Sins of the Fathers

"The archdiocese of Philadelphia suspends 21 accused priests."

More U.S. Colleges Adding Muslim Chaplains

"No one keeps official numbers, but more than 30 Muslim chaplains work on college campuses or at private high schools around the nation, most of them part time, says Tahera Ahmad, who started at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., in fall 2010 as associate chaplain and the university's first Muslim chaplain."

Research: Frequent Churchgoers Frequently Fatter

"Young, religiously active people are more likely than their non-religious counterparts to become obese in middle age, according to new research. In fact, frequent religious involvement appears to almost double the risk of obesity compared with little or no involvement."

New NIV Bible Draws Critics of Gender-Neutral Language

"The 2011 translation of the New International Version Bible, or NIV, does not change pronouns referring to God, who remains 'He' and "the Father." But it does aim to avoid using 'he' or 'him' as the default reference to an unspecified person."

Are You Angry at God?

"Survey Shows Up to Two Thirds of Americans Blame God in Hard Times"

Philadelphia Fears Abusive Priests Are Still Active

"Three weeks after a scathing grand jury report accused the Philadelphia Archdiocese of providing safe haven for as many as 37 priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior toward minors, most of those priests remain active in the ministry."

U.S. Prepares for Islamic Governments

"The United States is preparing for the prospect of Islamic governments in Africa and the Middle East, and more religion in the region's politics, aides said."

Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon (Free)

The Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon is now available at no cost.

New Edition of the (Catholic) New American Bible

"The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has ordered up a new translation of the Bible, one it says is more accurate, more accessible and more poetic."

Christian Author's Book Sparks Charges of Heresy

"The pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bell has authored a book called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which ignited a firestorm of controversy over the weekend, weeks before it arrives in bookstores."

New Budget Campaign Asks 'What Would Jesus Cut?'

"A coalition of progressive Christian leaders has taken out a full-page ad that asks 'What would Jesus cut?' in Monday’s edition of Politico, the opening salvo in what the leaders say will be a broader campaign to prevent cuts for the poor and international aid programs amid the budget battle raging in Washington."

Interaction Between Scientists and Evangelical Christians

"Science and religion, at odds for centuries, can -- and may be bound to -- find common ground, say speakers at AAAS session."

Google Earth Reveals Lost Tombs in Saudi Arabian Desert

"Satellite images available via the Web-based 3-D map program show that large portions of the country hold a wealth of archaeological remains that predate Islam and may be several thousand years old."

Growth Stalls, Falls for Largest U.S. Denominations

"Church membership in the USA declined this year, pulled by decades of falling numbers for mainline Protestant denominations."

First French 'Designer Baby' Born

"French doctors have announced the birth of a baby selected by genetic sampling who may offer a cure for a sibling affected by an incurable hereditary disease."

As Cuban Economy Sputters, Evangelicals Rise

"For decades, Cuba’s evangelicals met behind closed doors, holding services in living rooms and converted garages. But as the country confronts hard times, followers have come out of the shadows, turning to religion to meet both economic and spiritual needs."

U.S. Catholic Church Blesses iPhone App for Confession

"The U.S. Catholic Church has apparently given its blessing to an iPhone app aimed at helping Catholics with confession, Reuters reports."

Church and State (Universities)

"Major higher education groups urge Supreme Court to consider appeal of ruling they fear could force public colleges to financially support worship and other practices of religion."

With Upheaval, How Large Is The Opening For Islam?

". . .most academic and policy experts say an Iran-style scenario is far-fetched for Egypt and other Arab countries that are now seeing uprisings. There's no doubt that Islamist parties will play a role in transitional governments and open elections, should they occur."

Vatican to Update Bioethics Guide for Catholic Hospitals

"Controversies over bioethical standards at U.S. Catholic hospitals show the need for greater Catholic education for health care workers, Vatican officials said Thursday."

Obama Delivers Major Speech on Personal Faith

"President Barack Obama gave an unusually personal speech about his religious faith on Thursday, saying that 'it is the biblical injunction to serve the least of these that keeps me going and keeps me from being overwhelmed,' in address to a prayer breakfast in Washington."

Meditation Can Change Brain in Eight Weeks

"The study, published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, reports meditation produced changes over time in the brain's gray matter -- including increases in density in brain areas having to do with learning, memory, self-awareness and compassion. Decreased density was seen in the amygdala -- an area linked to anxiety -- in those reporting less stress. None of the changes were seen in the control group."

U.S. Muslims Try to Counter Negative Perceptions

U.S. Muslims Try to Counter Negative Perceptions

World Muslim Population Doubling, Report Projects

"Twenty years ago, the world had about 1.1 billion Muslims. Twenty years from now, it will have about twice as many - and they'll represent more than a quarter of all people on earth, according to a new study released Thursday."

More Church Websites Invite Posting of Prayers

"More than four in 10 Protestant churches with websites now invite people to post pleas to the Lord right on the main church website."

Christianity in China

"While religion in China may not be a big topic for discussion during President Hu Jintao's meeting with President Obama this week, many experts say that an explosive growth in Christianity may be transforming the officially atheist regime."

Vatican Warned Irish Bishops Not to Report Abuse

"A newly revealed 1997 letter from the Vatican warned Ireland's Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police — a disclosure that victims groups described as 'the smoking gun' needed to show that the Vatican enforced a worldwide culture of cover-up."

Oklahoma Church's Popular Bible App Takes Faith to Phones

"The world's most popular Bible program for mobile phones was developed by an Oklahoma church."

The Church, Stem Cells and Our Future

"For centuries, what many perceive as the ‘inherent conflict’ between science and religion has provoked the minds and tested the faith of scholars, doctors, philosophers, religious leaders and casual observers alike. But it seems the two are finally coming together in the interest of saving lives."

Predisposition for Religion Can Spread Quickly

"Religiously observant people have more children than other people do, according to demographic studies. Assuming there's a genetic predisposition for religion, this means the religion gene could spread relatively quickly throughout a population. Research using new mathematical models demonstrates just how quickly this could happen."

Leadership That Works: A Study of Theological School Presidents

"Character is a better predictor of seminary presidents’ success than credentials are, according to a new study by Auburn Theological Seminary, in New York, based on surveys of seminary administrators and campus visits. A report on the study, “Leadership That Works,” recommends that seminaries set a strategic direction before a presidential search begins, and then focus on candidates’ character and capacity."

Very Religious Exhibit Higher Well-Being

"U.S. adults who say they are very religious have higher overall well-being than their counterparts who are moderately religious, a survey indicates."

US Worried by 'Trend' of Christian Attacks

"The United States said Tuesday it is 'deeply concerned' about the rise in attacks against Christians in parts of the Middle East and Africa."

Study: Unbelievers Also Angry at God

"The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, finds Protestants, African-Americans and older people tend to report less anger at God. People who do not believe in God may still harbor anger and anger toward God is most distressing when it is frequent, intense or chronic."