CHR Comment: A fine visual overview of many current English Bible Translations, distinguishing the major translation philosophies of literalism (word-for-word), dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought), and paraphrase. The positioning of some of the translations could be disputed but this is a good tool for discussing translations in a Bible class.
Why are young Icelanders so different from young Americans?
CHR Comment: In a recent survey, all Icelanders under the age of 34 answered that they do not believe God created the world. However, a number of these same persons responded that they were Christians. The survey perhaps does not distinguish well between belief that God directly created with world, as described in Genesis, and God creating the world through theoretical processes such as the big bang and evolution. Nevertheless, the article describes the rapid secularization of Iceland and the equally rapid decline of the Lutheran state church in that nation.
Iceland is an exception globally as the percentage of religious persons below age 34 has actually risen worldwide.
(UPDATED) Hermit Kingdom losing lead as modern persecution hits record high, according to 2016 World Watch List.
CHR Comment: The article includes a run down of the fifty countries where Christians are most likely to be persecuted this year. The locations are coded to an infographic map, which has been saved to the Church History Review map and infographic page for easy reference.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor.
CHR Comment: Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was declared a saint by Pope Francis. The leader of the Missionaries of Charity was widely respected for her work among the poor in Calcutta, India, and as an advocate for human dignity. The article includes a fine infographic that explains the process by which someone is approved for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church as well as biographical information.
In 2015, more than 50 attacks, in which almost 1,000 civilians were killed, were committed in the name of ISIL.
CHR Comment: The number of Christians martyred by ISIS in 2015 is not readily available. Among those mentioned on this map infographic would be the 21 Coptic Christians abducted this January in Libya. The Huffington Post story below gives a detailed account of some these men’s lives. The USA Today article includes another map as well as a point by point description of ISIS attacks. ISIS also targets non-Sunni Muslim groups, Yazidis, and anyone who stands in their way. Lord, have mercy on Your Church and all who face these terrorists.
Source: Mapping ISIL’s attacks in 2015 – Al Jazeera English
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/18/isis-christians-killed-_n_6703278.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/11/25/islamic-states-reach-extends-far-home/76379144/
Apparitions of the Virgin Mary, inspiring wonder and devotion among millions, have been tracked for centuries.
CHR Comment: A fantastic visual exploration of popular Roman Catholic piety. The infographic charts show how the number of sightings has increased in modern times, perhaps due to better recording and reporting. This illustrates how important new revelations are to Roman Catholics. I will add a link to this on the maps page of Church History Review.
church history review 