Some church watchers had expected that this might be a liberating moment for Francis — he’d be, at last, the lone Vatican figure dressing in white. But to the extent there’s been a new phase, it’s been typified by intrigue and acrimony. (Harlan & Pitrelli, The Washington Post)
Read MoreThe states are becoming two of the nation’s biggest ideological rivals. Superman has Bizarro, a powerful antagonist who resembles him from afar but has the opposite instincts. Florida and California have each other. (Bierman, The Los Angeles Times)
Read MoreFor 400 years, music publishing was dominated by sheet music (printed notes and lyrics). The earliest known sheet music was a set of liturgical chants published in 1465 shortly after the Gutenberg Bible… Flash forward to 2014. Spotify and iTunes exist, while sheet music is used exclusively by band geeks and symphony orchestras. (Parris, Stat Significant)
Read MoreAlthough participation in traditional religious settings (churches, synagogues, mosques, schools, etc.) is in decline, signs of life are popping up elsewhere: in conversations with chaplains, in communities started online that end up forming in-person bonds as well, in social-justice groups rooted in shared faith. (Cadge & Babchuck, The Atlantic)
Read MoreSome of the most contentious issues at the Mega-Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association, meeting in Volos, have been exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which exacerbated a split between a newly independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kyiv and the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow. (Saliashvili, Christianity Today)
Read MoreMore than 5,600 Christians were killed for their faith last year. More than 2,100 churches were attacked or closed. More than 124,000 Christians were forcibly displaced from their homes because of their faith, and almost 15,000 became refugees. And North Korea is back at No. 1, according to the 2023 World Watch List (WWL). (Christianity Today)
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