News & Ideas

Friday's News & Ideas - 1/10/2025

  • LA congregations lose buildings
  • Decline in college students
  • Daystar controversy
  • Move to Christianity in Kosovo
  • Legacy of Brazilian snack
  • Redemption of would-be bomber

California congregations vow to help neighbors even as their buildings are lost to fires
Religion News Service: A synagogue, a mosque, a Catholic parish and at least 7 Protestant churches are among the buildings destroyed by the wildfires raging in California.

A looming ‘demographic cliff’: Fewer college students and ultimately fewer graduates
NPR: The current class of high school seniors scheduled to graduate this spring will be the last before an expected long decline begins in the number of 18-year-olds — the traditional age of students when they enter college.

Rash of charismatic Christian leaders departs Daystar amid ongoing scandal
Religion News Service: The Christian TV network says the departures of Lance Wallnau, Jack Graham, Jesse Duplantis and others are unrelated to the controversy involving alleged abuse cover-up.

A move toward Christianity stirs in a Muslim land*
The New York Times: Christian converts in Kosovo, where the vast majority of people are Muslim, hope to revive a pre-Islamic past they see as a key to their European identity.

Brazil’s fight over the soul of a snack*
Christianity Today: For decades, acarajé has been considered an offering to Afro-Brazilian religious deities. What happens when evangelicals start producing and selling it?

The Spark

How a would-be bomber rebuilt his life
Zakaria Amara was jailed for his part in the Toronto 18 terror plot. Then came the hard work of redemption, The Walrus says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers



Sign up to receive religion news every weekday in the free News & Ideas newsletter

Signup options

Most recent News & Ideas

Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 8/12/2026

  • Fighting ICE facility building
  • Hobby Lobby billionaires
  • UMC conference sues church
  • Pentagon’s count of religious groups
  • Hindu defining of swastika
  • Shopping is exhausting

Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 8/11/2026

  • US gives billions to Christian groups
  • Pastor in ICE custody has stroke
  • Gardening & church
  • SCOTUS prayer case
  • Buddhist summer camp
  • Death doulas

Monday’s News & Ideas - 8/10/2026

  • After Charlottesville
  • Protest-free zones
  • Catholics & Protestants sharing
  • Christian Nationalism in Congress
  • Can ‘sin’ motivate action?
  • Aesthetic education
FTE logo

Are you exploring the call to teach?

Apply now for the Forum for Theological Educators in Denver, Nov. 18-20. This gathering is an opportunity for underrepresented first and second-year doctoral students to network with emerging scholars, discover professional development opportunities, and explore vocation in a supportive environment. 

Travel, lodging, and meal costs will be covered. Apply by Sept. 30, 2026.

Learn More