Populist Right using Religion to give their Politics Soul
By Christopher Lamb Nationalist politics are gaining ground across Europe, the United States and parts of Latin America and many of the leaders of the populist right are using religion to consolidate their power. In a new book, Dio? In Fonda a Destra (God? Down on the Right), Italian journalist Iacopo Scaramuzzi examines this growing phenomenon. My conversation […]
Religion news 6 July
Church services resume Worship resumed in the Church of England and Roman Catholic churches on Sunday following the lockdown, with strict health and safety rules in place. 200 people pre-booked for the service at Canterbury Cathedral, seated in chairs two metres apart, with priests wearing visors distributing the eucharist, a hand sanitiser station at the […]
Religion News 3 July
Vatican concern over West Bank annexation The Vatican has reiterated that Israel and the State of Palestine “have the right to exist and to live in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.” The Catholic News Agency is reporting that, as the world expected Israel would annex Palestinian territories in the West Bank, the Holy […]
City sues South Korean church at heart of Covid-19 outbreak
By Tim Wyatt A religious movement Shincheonji Church of Jesus is being sued for £67 million by a South Korean city for allegedly failing to stop a mass outbreak of Covid-19. The high-profile group, which is often disparaged by its critics as a cult, was at the heart of South Korea’s first cases of coronavirus earlier […]
Religion News 2 July
Prince thanks Commonwealth faith communities The Prince of Wales has thanked religious communities for looking after their neighbours during Covid-19. In a video message to the Commonwealth, he praised people of faith for doing wonderful work to help those in need, such as volunteering to care for the sick, give charity to the poor and […]
QAnon conspiracy theory edges towards power
Comment by Andrew Brown QAnon is something between a cult, a fandom, and a political movement. The core of the movement is the belief that there is someone high up in the Trump administration who is releasing “drops” of information about the President’s secret plan to rid the world of evil and to destroy the […]
Religion News 1 July
THE DISTURBING RISE OF THE Q-ANON CULT The new religious movement QAnon, which emerged in the States in 2017 with wild conspiracy theories, has attracted support from 58 US congressional candidates and President Trump. In a Religion Media Centre online briefing, academics who have studied the movement explained its core beliefs, that a high ranking […]
Religion News 30 June
30 people max at a wedding The government has issued new guidance for the re-opening of places of worship for congregational activities. Weddings, funerals and other “life-cycle ceremonies” will all be permitted in a limited capacity, but only up to 30 people may be present. The detailed guidance says shared items, such as religious texts, […]
Ramadan in Lockdown Captured in a Museum
By Lianne Kolirin Ramadan in lockdown was a challenging experience for Muslims worldwide. Now a leading British museum has launched a project to reflect the experiences of this unusual time in London. Social distancing coupled with the closure of mosques meant communities were unable to celebrate Ramadan, which ran from April 23 to May 23, […]
Weddings and religious ceremonies resume with new guidelines
By Lianne Kolirin Weddings, funerals and other “life cycle ceremonies” will all be permitted in a limited capacity from Saturday (July 4), under updated government guidance on places of worship. Churches and other places of worship in England were allowed to reopen for private prayer on June 15. Yet while this has been acted upon […]
