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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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March 13, 2000 [social] -- Evangelicals becoming more multicultural by Cody Clark at 5:21 PM (EST)  While not changing its overall goal, the National Association of Evangelicals has adopted a new, more inclusive and multicultural focus. An article from beliefnet reports how the NAE has changed it's bylaws in ways that are more inclusive of other cultures and worship styles. "It's beyond tolerance... It's an embracing of the wholeness of the body of Christ." says a spokesman. This is a good example of mainstream religions adapting to the increasing multicultural trend in U.S. society. The ones that adapt well are the ones that will thrive. [social] -- Increasing separation of orthodox and non-orthodox Jews? by Cody Clark at 5:10 PM (EST) Found on USA Jewish, an article about increasing separation of orthodox and non-orthodox Jews, at least as regards to jewish ritualaria such as mikvaot. The article tells of a new mikvah in Ohio built specifically because so few allowed non-orthodox conversions. According to USA Jewish, "It's been a trend in recent years for non-Orthodox communites, long barred from Orthodox facilities, to build their own ritualaria." An emerging trend that bears watching. [social] -- Buddhism succeeds in U.S. by not being Buddhism? by Cody Clark at 4:58 PM (EST) From Tricyle, an interview with Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and formerly the first western Tibetan Buddhist monk, asserts that Buddhism will not grow best in the U.S. by gaining converts like a traditional religion. Instead Buddism will do best to inform and influence the thinking of those in other faiths, helping them to become more peaceful, less materialistic, etc. Says Thurman, "I'm delighted if someone is a Buddhist but I'm against saying, as a solution to anything, 'Be a Buddhist.' It's not that we're denaturing (Buddhism) in the sense that we're pretending there is no Buddhism. We're saying, 'Take as much as you can. It is not the denominational change that is key, it's the using of the discipline.'" This supports an emerging trend that sees increasing eastern influence in western spiritual culture. Eastern spiritual practices are becoming more popular among many postmodern spiritual seekers as well as those who practice mainstream Western faiths. [social] -- Tattoos re-emerging as spritual rite of passage by Cody Clark at 4:39 PM (EST) Found in Arts and Letters, an beliefnet article about tattooing gaining popularity as a rite of spiritual significance. Tattooing is increasingly understood as a substitute for more traditional religious rites of passage, equivalent to confirmation or Bar Mitzvah. As one tattoo artist puts it: "Body modification is a process of deciding who you are and who you want to be." This supports a trend toward more people, especially young people, seeking alternative forms of the same religious expressions offered by mainstream religions. |
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