Christian evangelical pastor Rick Warren has had quite a year. And it’s about to get a little crazier.

The author of best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life and the controversial man who prayed at the presidential inauguration is now launching a magazine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest is launching Purpose Driven Connection, a quarterly magazine to be bundled  with social media including a Facebook-type Christian site and DVD guides for prayer group leaders.

If Ministry Today’s predictions are correct, then Warren is on the right track. The ministry mag recently issued an article warning pastors that personality-driven ministry is out – and new connections like social media are in:

“When it comes to churches and ministries, simply upgrading your graphics, music and lighting and dumping the tacky onstage furniture isn’t a strategy. That’s just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You need a fundamental “rethink” of what story your station, church or ministry is trying to tell, what that means to your audience, how to connect with that audience and why it’s absolutely urgent they respond right now…Understanding that connection is a critical step in finding your audience and reaching the next generation.”

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

Filed under: Christianity, Protestantism | 1 Comment »

Sunday marked the beginning of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration, and Monday ushered in the Chinese Year of the Ox.

Based on the Chinese calendar, animals rotate and reappear every 12 years (i.e., the last year of the ox was 12 years ago). The coming of this new year marks the completion of 2008, the Year of the Rat.

The New Year’s celebration is noted by the entire Chinese culture, though it’s celebrated in different ways by different religions including Buddhism and Confucianism.

So what does the ox symbolize for 2009?

One Buddhist temple told Independent Online that the ox symbolizes hard work and reliability. This comes at a great time, considering much of the world is looking forward to hunkering down and fixing grave economic situations.

For Zen Buddhists, the ox may call to mind the Herding of the Ox parable. Here is Zen Buddhist D.T. Suzuki’s version:

Here we see that the ox’s “great will and power” are inexhaustible and that he is capable of a “terrific struggle.” When we discover that we are the only source of his energy the “struggle” will be over. Although he is always with you, you can’t turn around fast enough to see him. Now you’ve caught him, he can no longer hide. Still, he seems insubordinate, used to his old ways, searching for new satisfactions while remaining always unsatisfied. You think you can whip him into obedience, yet another illusion!

For Confucianism, the ox symbolizes righteousness.

Reliable, righteous, hard-working – this lunar year should be quite upstanding.

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

Filed under: Buddhism, Confucianism, Holidays | No Comments »

Religion is the biggest “headache” in Great Britain, according to a recent government-sponsored British poll.

As reported by Religion News Service and Hinduism Today, the survey showed that religious intolerance is worse than racial issues in Great Britain – and has not improved in the last ten years.

See information from the 2001 census about religion in Great Britain.

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

Filed under: Statistics | No Comments »

The pope is broadcasting on YouTube.

This morning, the Vatican launched its own YouTube channel to better involve Pope Benedict XVI with the international Catholic community — and hopefully improve his image at the same time.

Though he remains concerned about the way the Internet can keep people from interacting face-to-face, trivialize sex, and promote violence, the pope praises Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube for their ability to bring the world together and build friendships.

Check out the pope’s YouTube channel today to see daily Vatican news.

Visit the Vatican Web site.

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

Filed under: Catholicism, Christianity | No Comments »