These days, Swift’s faith appears more fluid. Her religious references are as eclectic as a Brooklyn thrift shop — well-worn Christian metaphors sit alongside a more bohemian mishmash of witchcraft, divination and paganism. Her newest release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is a patchwork of religious allusions, from good Samaritans and Jehovah’s Witnesses to altar sacrifices and prophecies. (Post & Macrae, Religion News Service)
Read MoreThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has revealed the names of 16 artists or other musical figures who will be inducted in 2024. It’s a diverse list that stretches from R&B/rock pioneer Big Mama Thornton to pop superstars Cher and Dionne Warwick, and from ’70s-rooted rockers like Peter Frampton, Foreigner and Ozzy Osbourne to ’90s icons the Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige and A Tribe Called Quest. (Willman, Variety)
Read MoreIndia’s main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” — some of his most incendiary rhetoric to date about the minority faith in a campaign rally days after the country began its weekslong general election. (Pathi, AP News)
Read MoreStreaming giant Spotify announced Saturday that the newest album from megastar Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department, has smashed previous records: It's the first album in Spotify's history to have more than 300 million streams in a single day. (Tsioulcas, NPR)
Read MoreThe law will be in the spotlight at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, when the justices consider one of the most pressing questions to emerge since they eliminated the federal constitutional right to an abortion two years ago: Under what circumstances can women with serious pregnancy complications obtain abortions in states where the procedure is banned? (Kusisto, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreRaising kids and building a family [are] spiritually illuminating tasks—especially when they ask theologically stimulating questions like “Does Jesus wear undies?” And although the creators of Bluey, an Emmy-awarded animated kids series, seem to have no overtly religious leanings, the show unexpectedly taps into unseen realities.(Lee, Christianity Today)
Read More