New age religion

Judy Blume’s 1970’s young adult novel, Are you there, God? It’s Me, Margaret, premiered on big screens at the end of April. The novel, and its film adaptation, follows a middle-school girl and her coming of age challenges around puberty, sexuality, and religious affiliations.

The fintech market is booming in Southeast Asia, as digital bank and lending companies including Hijra, Bank Aladin, and LinkAja are becoming shariah-compliant. These fintechs don’t charge interest, avoid alcoholic and tobacco-based investments and transactions, and support profit sharing.

In February, the Church of England expressed interest in using gender-neutral language when referencing God, acknowledging in an emailed statement to The New York Times that “since ancient times that God is neither male nor female.” The Church of England also expressed support for single people as much as married couples in the faith’s practice, citing from a larger report that “Jesus’ own singleness should ensure that the Church of England celebrates singleness.”

The Wall Street Journal reported a recent rise in faith from young people, citing a study by the Springtide Research Institute that found one-third of 18 to 25 year-olds believe in the existence of a higher power. In 2021, about a quarter of respondents felt similarly.