Explore Religion in the Contemporary World through the beliefs, movements, leaders, conflicts and cultural changes that shaped religious history. This timeline provides context for major milestones, showing how faith traditions developed, spread, divided and interacted with societies over time. It helps connect spiritual ideas with political power, migration, reform, persecution, scholarship and everyday life.
The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 stands as a watershed moment in modern history, carrying immense religious, political, and symbolic weight for Jewish communities, Palestinians, and the global community....
View itemThe World Council of Churches was formally established in Amsterdam in 1948 , marking a significant milestone in the history of global Christian ecumenical cooperation. The organisation was created to serve as a primary...
View itemFrom approximately 1955 until 1968, religious leaders and faith-based communities served as a vital foundation for the American civil rights movement. Churches acted as essential hubs for organising, providing both a phy...
View itemBeginning around 1965 , the implementation of the Second Vatican Council reforms initiated a period of profound transformation within the Roman Catholic Church . These changes fundamentally reshaped both the nature of wo...
View itemThe Islamic Revolution in Iran , which culminated in 1979, resulted in the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and the subsequent establishment of an Islamic republic . This transformative event was driven by a broad coali...
View itemFrom approximately 1980, Evangelical Christianity experienced a period of rapid global expansion. This growth was driven by a combination of extensive missionary networks, dynamic revival movements, and the strategic use...
View itemFrom approximately 1986 , interfaith and ecumenical dialogue movements experienced a significant period of expansion. As societies became increasingly pluralistic, diverse religious communities sought to foster cooperati...
View itemFrom approximately 1990, many Western nations experienced a significant shift in social and cultural demographics as a growing proportion of the population began to identify with no organised religion. Often referred to...
View itemFrom approximately 2000 onwards, the landscape of global faith has undergone a significant transformation, characterised by a marked intensification of religious pluralism. This shift has been driven primarily by the acc...
View itemThe September 11 attacks in 2001 triggered a profound global transformation in the intersection of religion and politics. The tragedy intensified international debates surrounding the relationship between Islam and terro...
View itemFrom approximately 2010, the landscape of faith underwent a significant transformation as digital technology fundamentally reshaped how religious communities teach, worship, debate, and maintain their social bonds. As th...
View itemOn 13 March 2013 , Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Francis . His election marked a significant moment in religious history, as he became the first...
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