Friday’s News & Ideas - 7/11/2025
- College demographics changing
- Baylor returns grant
- Catholic divide on immigration
- ‘Seven Mountains Mandate’
- Exvangelicals & tarot reading
- Jan 6 reenactment
The changing demographics of admitted students*
Inside Higher Ed: Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, the share of college applicants who are Black or Hispanic has risen, while the percentage admitted has declined.
Following pressure, Baylor returns grant to study LGBTQ ‘inclusion’
Religion Unplugged: Baylor University’s president announced in a letter Wednesday that the school has rescinded a grant toward the study of “disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women” in churches.
Trump’s immigration agenda is widening fissures in Catholic hierarchy’s consensus
Religion News Service: “Francis-aligned” bishops are following the late pope’s lead in stirring debate where politics and pastoral issues meet.
What is the ‘Seven Mountains Mandate’ and how is it linked to political extremism in the US?
The Conversation: The mandate calls on Christians to gain influence, or “take dominion,” over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.
Why some ‘exvangelicals’ are turning to tarot reading
Religion News Service: Three tarot practitioners who left conservative Christian upbringings said using tarot cards helped them reimagine their spirituality.
The Spark
In London, theatergoers reenact storming of the U.S. Capitol
In the interactive game* “Fight for America,” audience members on Team Blue and Team Red reenact the Jan. 6 riot, an exercise intended to force reflection on mob mentality, The Washington Post says.
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
