Friday’s News & Ideas - 2/6/2026
- National Prayer Breakfasts
- Progressive Christian campus groups
- How polarization affects churches
- Theology of immigration
- Legacy of St Francis
- Mass market paperbacks
At dueling National Prayer Breakfasts, a religious debate over Trump’s immigration policy
Religion News Service: Trump told the crowd at the Washington Hilton, “I’ve done more for religion than any other president.”
As universities shutter DEI offices, progressive Christian groups open their doors
Religion News Service: Several of these groups are connected with ZOE, an emerging network of progressive Christian student ministries.
How more polarized church is harming, helping Protestant groups*
The Tennessean: Major evangelical Christian denominations like the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention have maybe even benefited from leaning into its political conservatism.
A theology of immigration*
The New Yorker: “None of us have a permanent residence here in this world,” the Reverend Dan Groody says.
800 years after his death, the legends and legacy of Francis of Assisi endure
The Conversation: On the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, his body will be displayed for the first time ever in February 2026.
The Spark
So long to cheap books you could fit in your pocket
The mass market paperback,* light in the hand and on the wallet, once filled airport bookstores and supermarket media aisles. You may never buy a new one again, The New York Times says.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
