Global Scans · Religion · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Huge growth is expected over the next several decades as the world's Muslim population grows faster than every other major religious demographic, and as urbanization and rising incomes in developing countries with large Muslim populations mean more will be buying, rather than producing their own food.

• [New] Around the world, we see the risk of societies breaking down under the weight of racism, nationalist xenophobia, and religious bigotry. Secretary-General
• [New] If the British Unitarian movement can formulate out of its uncertainties a definition of itself that expresses a healthy relationship both with mainstream Christianity and with other world religions, then an uncertain future will be transformed into a confident one. Midland Unitarian Association
• [New] Christianity is expected to surpass 3 billion in number worldwide by 2050. Shartel Church
• [New] While the main site of the Christian-Catholic revival is Africa-sub-Saharan Africa will have four out of every 10 Christians in the world by 2050 - the pertinent question today is what a decidedly conservative Christian revival means for the Western liberal democratic polity. Open The Magazine
• [New] An America that moves away from Christianity will be an America that ultimately moves away from tolerance, pluralism, and respect for individual conscience. Hudson Institute
• [New] The coming year will be both fragile and crucial for Syria, with ongoing attacks against religious minorities and eruptions of violence threatening stability and successful transition and reconciliation, alongside the potential threat of what is left of the so-called Islamic State. The New Humanitarian
• [New] The greatest threat facing the body of Christ in 2026 will not be Islam or secular culture. Mike Signorelli Ministries | V1 Church - Go from chaos
• [New] The potential: MCO-010 could become the first gene-agnostic therapy to be FDA-approved for restoring vision in legally blind RP patients. Eyes On Eyecare
• [New] Some of us guess that religion itself will get more involved in AI in 2026: either by issuing ecclesiastical guidance around AI interaction or morality; or sanctioning AI that empowers worshippers in some way. Euclid Insights
• [New] Russia's planned false flag operation weaponizes Western drone debris and religious symbolism to manufacture civilian casualties that could derail US-mediated peace negotiations while justifying escalatory strikes on Ukrainian government targets. Drone Warfare
• [New] The recent strikes by the US in the northwest section of Nigeria could further inflame religious tensions in a country long divided along identity lines and potentially aid in insurgent recruitment. PRS Group
• [New] Al-Qaeda's Sahelian-affiliate Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, which has effectively conducted an insurgency while building shadow governance structures, will likely continue to expand with only minimal state resistance. The Soufan Center
• [New] In parallel, non-state armed groups driven by religious, ethnic, and hard-line ideologies will threaten both governments and social harmony in various countries around the world. RSIS_NTU
• [New] Online threats against data centers rooted in political, religious, environmental, and economic reasons have surged. The Soufan Center
• [New] There will always be the people in a state like Wisconsin, where Milwaukee and Madison prevent the rural White Christian voters from turning it into an overwhelmingly conservative or Christian Nationalist place without any resistance. illiberalism.org
• On the diplomatic front, a growing number of states have expressed concern over the threat to the Armenian presence in the Old City, a presence that is not merely historical, but essential to Jerusalem's religious and cultural balance. Horizon
• The centuries-old Armenian community, one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world, is now confronting an existential threat. Horizon
• The Vatican may be preparing for a potential encounter with extraterrestrial beings, with the Pope possibly becoming the first religious leader to address humanity's first contact with aliens within 2027. Irish Star
• By end of 2026, a major world religion (> 200M adherents) will have issued an official doctrinal statement on whether AI can have a soul, moral status, or spiritual significance. Retaining Agency
• Rebuilt around undisciplined militias, many of which are motivated by sectarian vengeance rather than national reconciliation, the new military apparatus represents a clear threat to Syria's ethnic and religious landscape. Counter Extremism Project

Last updated: 19 January 2026