according to political scientists Guilherme Casarões and Amy Erica Smith. As part of a series of lectures on the use of religious soft power sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and

grown to “tens of thousands” worldwide, as ex-Christians encounter forms of Jewish learning online. The movement has gained currency especially among those attracted to Judaism in the developing

of exorcism in the Catholic Church has been growing worldwide, with the U.S. being no exception, according to a report in The Atlantic (December). Both belief in demonic possession 2 ReligionWatch

American Behavioral Scientist, http://journals.sagepub.com/home/abs) Remnant Church emerges as bearer of Mormon restoration With its headquarters close to the Independence Temple and the headquarters

thereby strengthening local congregations worldwide. In each local congregation, the leadership would be consolidated and simplified. Another change cut the paperwork and bureaucracy surrounding the

of participants identifying as Christian Scientists are not formal members. After reaching a peak at some point between the 1 9 3 0 s a n d t h e 1 9 5 0 s , membership has declined, and v a r i

political actors. Political scientist Jonathan Fox opens the issue with a survey of how state religion policies are becoming more common throughout the world, with only a smal minority of countries

the contributors, mostly political scientists, do not share any consensus about what 2016 really means for evangelical politics. A chapter by Djupe and Brian Calfano suggests that the gap between lay

according to a study by political scientist Marion Maddox (Macquarie University). Maddox, who presented a paper at a conference of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion, meeting

political scientist Paul Djupe estimates that the United Methodists stand to lose more members and clergy than did the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in its schism of a decade ago, when

cal s for evolutionary scientists to study religious diversity using a “cultural ecosystem approach,” where religious communities are treated as “functional y organizational units” that cooperate,

Salguero concludes that scientists need to study the effects of these practices just as much as they have focused on meditation. (Tricycle, http://tricycle.org/) 3 ReligionWatch Vol. 31, No. 8

scientists” or “ascetic-scientists;” ancient saints are alleged to have become aware of quantum mechanics long before modern science was born, for instance. Such views have become widespread among

with an impact on Muslim communities worldwide. (Culture et politique arabes -http://cpa.hypotheses.org; The Straits Times, http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/creating-frankenstein-

Christian Solidarity Worldwide). She adds that how they will contribute shaping future legislation will be a test of Christianity’s influence on society. The latest issue of Hinduism Today magazine