Word&Way News: Dec. 22
It’s almost Christmas! We hope you have a blessed time. Before you open the presents and grab the eggnog, here’s the weekly roundup from Word&Way. This week at A Public Witness, we published a short piece about our almost Disney history and a look at this year’s Unsettling Advent devotionals.
Top 5 at wordandway.org
On the YouVersion Bible App, Americans Looked for Hope, Not Arguments, in 2023. Bob Smietana reported on some Bible search trends for this year.
Review: Walter Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed Walter Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination: A Theological Biography Paperback by Conrad L. Kanagy.
One Fourth of United Methodist Churches in US Have Left in Schism Over LGBTQ Ban. What Happens Now? Peter Smith reported on the latest in the five-year split among Methodists.
Faith Groups Say More Foster Families Are Needed To Care for the Children Coming to the US Alone. Giovanna Dell’Orto reported on the need for more services with an immigration surge.
Pope Francis Condemns Saturday’s Israeli Attack on Christian Church As Act of Terrorism. Claire Giangravé reported on the pope’s comments after snipers killed two women at a Catholic church in Gaza.
Unsettling Advent
Our Advent series continued this week, with devotionals by Nathan Empsall, Mae Elise Cannon, Alex Awad, Hanna Massad, Allison Tanner, Rula Khoury Mansour, and Azar Ajaj.
Dangerous Dogma
This week: Mike Graves on Jesus' Vision for Your One Wild and Precious Life
Another noteworthy podcast this week:
On Respecting Religion, Amanda Tyler and Holly Hollman reflected on the life and legacy of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
Christmas is almost here! Perhaps you find yourself in a frenzy of last-minute gift buying, goodie baking, house cleaning, or travel packing. So I’ll be extra quick: from all of us at Word&Way, have a merry Christmas!
May your time with loved ones be blessed. May you have safe travels, times of rest, and opportunities for holy worship. And through it all, may we remember those sheltering this Christmas from war, dangers, and weather. Those in Ukraine and Gaza, refugees and migrants around the world, unhoused people in our own communities, and more. And may this Christmas remind us to help bring the news of peace and goodwill to them all.
Other News of Note
Nathan Empsall wrote for Newsweek about problems with the latest iteration of the ReAwaken America Tour.
Cyril Zenda of Religion Unplugged wrote about how African refugees are celebrating Christmas.
Middle East Eye spoke with British Member of Parliament Layla Moran as she advocates for Palestinians, including her family members in Gaza.
After Israeli snipers shot and killed two women at a Catholic church in Gaza, an Israeli politician argued the charges were false since “there are no churches in Gaza.” (Factcheck: There are four churches in Gaza — Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, and Orthodox).
The Jesuit magazine America published an essay by Rami Aljelda, a Christian in Gaza, about life in the war.
“Faith forbids him to take up arms, kill, or take oaths.” —a witness on behalf of a Russian Baptist who applied for alternative civilian service instead of fighting in the war against Ukraine. Forum 18 reported that Russian military officials recently rejected that application and those from three other Baptists who invoked their faith to explain their pacifism. This is not the first time Russia has violated the rights of conscientious objectors in this war.
Mark Landler of the New York Times wrote about how the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury is balancing religious and political divides as he leads a global communion and pushes for moral policies at home.
Mark Wingfield of Baptist News Global wrote about the conflicting ways Al Mohler has talked about Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, amid scandals involving Bill Clinton in the 1990s and clergy sexual abuse by a former minister today.
Nomin Ujiyediin of KCUR reported on the clash in St. Joseph, Missouri, after a Calvary Chapel pastor objected to a gay Disciples of Christ pastor serving on the local library board.
Brooke Hauser of the Boston Globe wrote about how a Congregational church founded by abolitionists recently showed support for a synagogue hit with bomb threats.
Chris Geidner wrote at his Substack newsletter Law Dork about Idaho’s attorney general turning over state cases to a conservative Christian law firm:
Photo of the Week
Thanks for reading!