Beliefnet

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Beliefnet is a large multi-faith e-community that aims to provide a free forum for religious information and inspiration, spiritual tools, and discussions and dialogue groups. Beliefnet provides information about various religious and spiritual beliefs, ranging from Christian denominations to atheism to smaller faiths like Zoroastrianism. It interviews religious figures, offers articles and blogs on various creeds, has collaborated with Newsweek^[1] and Time^[2] and has partnerships with The Wall Street Journal^[3], Chicken Soup for the Soul^[4], and Fox Faith.^[5] Beliefnet is a subsidiary of News Corp Digital Media, a division of News Corporation and is not affiliated with any spiritual organization or movement.

History

The site, launched on December 28, 1999, initially included side businesses such as an online store and building Web sites for houses of worship. These endeavors were abandoned in 2001. In April 2002 the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, emerging in October 2002. ^[6] The company has since stabilized financially.

According to an August 25, 2005, Blue Chip news release^[7] quoting Beliefnet co-founder and chief executive Steven Waldman, "The site's traffic patterns more or less mirror the U.S. population as a whole," with roughly 70% of the site's traffic related to Christian interests. About 70% of the site's visitors are women, and they tend to be in the age range of 35 to 45 years old. Beliefnet at one time co-sponsored a series called "Beliefnet Guides to...," including books on Evangelical Christianity and Kabbalah.

On December 4, 2007, Beliefnet announced it had been acquired by the Fox Entertainment Group for an undisclosed amount of money.^[8]

Site contents

Beliefnet offers eCards, discussions, quizzes, meditations, prayers, and "Soulmatch." Discussions are oriented toward specific groups of people, such as couples and teens, topics ranging from abortion to sexism, and dozens of religious faiths. Specific discussion "boards" exist to ask questions about religions and engage in interfaith dialogue as well as debate and criticism. Boards are hosted by volunteers and supervised by Beliefnet producers.

Awards

Beliefnet received the National Magazine Award for General Excellence Online.^[9]

Notable contributors

• Elliott Abrams
• Sam Harris
• Andrew Sullivan
• Marcus Borg
• Rod Dreher
• David Kuo
• Jim Wallis
• Nell Minow

See also

• Religion and the internet

References

External links

• Beliefnet

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