ITEMS Of INTREST May 7, 2007 ISSUE

ITEMS OF INTEREST

with contributions from Mary Jordan

IN A COUNTRY THAT once officially outlawed God, religion is back — but in a different way than before the long experiment in godlessness. Many Albanians have resumed spiritual practices with a faith strengthened by the years of suppression. At the same time, new practices and beliefs are being planted by a wave of foreign missionaries and money, making this tiny Adriatic country a remarkable example of the globalization of religion. . . .

In cities across this mountainous country, new houses of worship gleam alongside dreary Soviet-style apartment blocks like shiny gems, nearly all built with money from individuals and organizations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, the United States, Greece, Italy, and a long list of other nations....

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