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Welcome! At Signs and Wonders we sift through the World Wide Web looking for evidence of emerging religious futures. Our mission is to provide our readers -- religious futurists, ministers, and just plain spiritual people -- with a guided tour of the web, stopping wherever we see the future of faith unfolding before our eyes. We update this site every three days or so, so come back again and join us on our next trip. If you want to comment on anything you read here or discuss religious futures in general, come over to our forum. |
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July 07, 2000 [Political] -- Will Jesus have a cabinet position? by Cody Clark at 5:56 PM (EST)  Yes, at least figuratively if either Gore or Bush win in 2000. But whose Jesus? Both candidates Bush and Gore are heavily influenced by religion but the differences in how they relate to God will make all the difference in how they govern. "At a time when religion and spirituality are enjoying a new popularity, with a Gallup poll showing that 96 percent of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit, both candidates' faiths are like any other key line in their bios. And only the most cynical could believe either man is insincere in his frequent exaltations. Both seem genuinely religious. But while both men are proudly born-again, their beliefs are quite different, and not only has their faith taken the two men in very different directions as politicians, the vastly different ways they see religion and Jesus would make them very different presidents." editor -- This is evidence of a trend toward more prominence for religion and religious issues in U.S. politics. [Political] -- Catholicism is making a tentative comeback in Cuba by Cody Clark at 5:45 PM (EST) Some good news. Religion is carefully regaining some of its pre-Castro influence by providing material aid and spiritual sustenance for the Cuban people. [social] -- Baby Boomers are leading the way from "Religion" to "Spirituality" by Cody Clark at 5:41 PM (EST) "Religious and spiritual beliefs have traditionally been the province of institutions, but these days such matters are regarded as highly personal. The result is that spiritual experience is replacing religious doctrine as many people mix elements from diverse traditions to form fluid spiritual practices geared to their individual needs. Religion and spirituality have become products in the marketplace. People shop around for churches and spiritual experiences. And the Internet propels this trend: religious and spiritual sites abound on the Web, the perfect medium for the smorgasbord approach, given that Vatican City, the local Baptist church and a Tibetan Buddhist monastery are all just a few clicks away..." editor -- Well, duh. Another hit for the "Spiritual but not Religious" trend. [Political] -- India's rising religious extremism by Cody Clark at 5:25 PM (EST) A news story summarizing the increasing anti-christian activism of Indian Hindu extremists. This represents a change for India, which has prided itself on its secularism and religious tolerance. [social] -- Does Postmodernism return "balance" to religion? by Cody Clark at 5:14 PM (EST) A generally upbeat essay on the influence of postmodern thought on religion. "Many philosophers of religion see the adoption of some strain of postmodern thought as a valuable return to the ineffable quality of religion that was lost in the modern period. Releasing God from the shackles of the modernist, logic-chopping philosophy enhances faith and encourages devotion. In this sense some see postmodern thought as a welcome friend to religion. Postmodern epistemology seems to serve as a fine bedfellow for faith in a transcendent being..." editor -- Ever since Cassidy Dale, a UHCL Futures alum and religious futurist, turned me on to Postmodernism, it's been a biggie in my book. Postmodernism is a big change driver for religion these days, especially in the developed world. Many other trends -- "spiritual but not religious", ecumenism, pluralism, "smells and bells", etc. -- have ties to the increasing influence of postmodern thought. [social] -- Catholic priest shortage looms large as membership surges by Cody Clark at 5:28 PM (EST) A CNN story reports that the number of priests in the United States continues to dwindle while the number of U.S. Catholics is increasing. Good stats and summary of the current situation. As a result, 52 percent of U.S. dioceses reported using lay ministers for sacraments and liturgical duties that might otherwise have been performed by a priest, according to the story. editor -- That this priest/congregant imbalance will be a change driver for the future Catholic Church is no surprise to anyone. This also supports a populist trend in religion away from centralized institutional control and toward autonomy for the lay members. Personally, as a Catholic myself, I don't see this as a bad thing necessarily. If "We are the Church," then shouldn't we lay people take more responsibility for running it anyway? Just a thought. [feature] -- Check out the new Phuture webzine by Cody Clark at 4:38 PM (EST) The postmodern religion web magazine is back from its hiatus with a new design. [technological] -- Will Internet become a "Global Brain?" by Cody Clark at 4:35 PM (EST) An interesting profile of a research project called the Distributed Knowledge Systems (DKS) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The project has built a Web server called the Principia Cybernetica Web that can continually rebuild the links between its pages to adapt them to users' needs in much the same way as a human brain manages neuron paths. An adaptable technology such as this applied to the Internet may take it one step closer to becoming sentient. editor -- Teilhard de Chardin fans take note. A sentient internet is an interesting scenario, especially for religious futurists. |
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