A new survey suggests that the ‘God gap’ may actually be better defined as a spirituality gap. But there is plenty of room on both sides for peace, inspiration and love.
A national study finds prayer, worship and a strong spiritual life have a significant association with a
satisfying sex life. That ageless staple of male comics – that women lose interest in sex after the
wedding ceremony – also doesn’t seem to apply to married couples of strong faith.
New studies on religious tattoos explore the relation between faith and a practice associated with sex, drugs and copious amounts of alcohol. The results are mixed.
Making difficult parenting decisions – on issues ranging from fathers being open to parental leave to parents embracing family faith activities – may enrich a child’s life in multiple ways into young adulthood and beyond, some new studies suggest. “Religious firmness integrated with religious flexibility is more likely to result in a balanced, healthy style of religious parenting,” one study concluded.,
Many of you may have never heard of Sylvia and John Ronsvalle or Cal and Rose Samra.
But for more than three decades each has followed a calling: Sylvia and John’s research holds up moral imperatives on issues such as child hunger; Rose and Cal promote shared joy with religious humor across traditions.
Several new studies find faith may serve to create a safer, more just society, from reducing recidivism and prison violence to
helping those seeking redemption find a peace that can transform their lives.
The keys to a good night’s sleep include skipping midnight snacks, turning off the computer before bed – and faith. A new wave of research on religion and sleep is finding a close relationship with a caring divinity may help religious individuals enjoy a good night’s rest.
Miscarriage is often a socially taboo topic that can isolate parents in their grief. But some new studies are finding there is one area of life that can have a significant positive effect on the mental health of women dealing with miscarriages: Faith. One major study found that religious participation may increase mental health and be an important coping mechanism for women dealing with pregnancy loss.
Are baby boomers, part of the first generation to lead the contemporary exodus from organized religion, returning to their religious roots? The ninth wave of a multigenerational study that began in 1971 finds a little more than one in five boomers became significantly more religious in the transition from their 50s to their 60s.
Eastern Orthodox churches in the U.S. have several strengths, including awe-inspiring worship, a strong sense of theological identity and a willingness to embrace new technology. But a major new study also found that in an environment that calls on all houses of worship to be more creative in reaching new generations, Eastern Orthodox parishes seem particularly resistant.
