The Christian Century

Once upon a time—and not long ago—there was another Europe. The religious story of communist Europe, in which Christians suffered horrific persecutions, is forgotten by most Americans today.

Here is my unscientific rule: if Martin Luther treated a biblical book with disdain, then that book is really popular in modern Africa.

The persistence of a rigorously orthodox Protestant area in the Netherlands must make us rethink our generalizations about the state of religion in Europe.

When documentaries ex­plore Christianity, they have little difficulty finding diverse manifestations of faith and practice. A global survey also reveals a surprising diversity when it comes to the content of the Bible.

Western Chris­tians seem neither to know nor care about the catastrophe that has unfolded before them in the ancient heartlands of their faith.

When we look at Mormon expansion in Africa, one pressing question demands attention: Why is the whole continent not already Mormon?

The Zion Christian Church—an African-initiated church that's powerful in South Africa—traces its origins to John Alexander Dowie, a 19th-century Scottish spiritual entrepeneur who founded the city Zion, Illinois.

Fiji has long been known to West­erners mainly as an exotic tourist destination. In re­cent years, though, the country has ac­quired a troubling reputation for religious and ethnic confrontations.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the persecuted Orthodox Church began its resurrection. Nothing better illustrates this revival than the restoration of the cathedrals and churches.

Many Mexican Christians behave heroically, working for peace and meeting social needs where government has all but abdicated power. But the drug crisis has also exposed some weaknesses in the church.

Not long ago, European religious cinema thrived. Now, religion typically appears in films only as a problem--and the solution to that problem is usually liberated sexuality.

The hymn "Tuku­tendereza Yesu" is a staple of Kenya's booming Christian music industry. Across modern East Africa, the song is hard to avoid. But just why is it so successful?

Much media attention has gone to Venezuela. But leftist regimes have sprouted elsewhere in Latin America--regimes that are friendly with liberationist thinkers and communities.

These days, Elmer Gantry is a familiar spiritual type around the world. The good news is that the prosperity gospel’s excesses are nothing like the whole story.