A Massey University study, Changing Patterns of Auckland Religion, has found that, with the exception of Catholicism, membership of all mainstream Christian denominations has fallen to historic lows. At the same time religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are growing. Professor Peter Lineham, who led the study, said the survey showed the mainstream Christian churches Read more
The percentage of Catholics practicing their faith is declining almost everywhere around the globe. Almost all bishops report it, but it’s difficult to prove statistically. Each year, the Vatican’s own statisticians compile mountains of data about the number of Catholics, baptisms, priests and religious, weddings and annulments in each diocese and country. The numbers illustrate Read more
Church attendance my be declining, but real individual religion has undergone a huge revival in the past 30 years. Look for the religion section of almost any bookshop in Britain, and you’ll find it’s been subsumed under “Mind, body and spirit”. The reason is simple: what we call religion has changed – dramatically – in Read more