Friday's News & Ideas - 7/29/2022

Pope Francis visits a Quebec that’s rapidly shedding its Catholicism*
Washington Post: For centuries, the Church had a stranglehold over public institutions in Quebec before the province began to favor a more secular approach — the so-called Quiet Revolution of the 1960s. It is now shedding the faith at a precipitous pace.

The World Council of Churches in wartime*
Christian Century: How should the faithful relate to modernity and the general posture of cultural liberalism that has come with it? The WCC grapples with its relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest single church officially represented in the organization.

Institutional betrayal, institutional courage and the church
Baptist News Global: Betrayal by trusted people, like pastors, teachers, supervisors and coaches can inflict devastating consequences. According to psychologists, “betrayal trauma” affects the brain differently than other trauma, particularly when the victim depends upon the perpetrator, writes a professor at Oregon State University.

Pastors still need seminary degrees
Christianity Today: As over a third of Americans continue to identify as evangelical, the decline of their seminaries is somewhat of a riddle. One explanation is the way some evangelicals think of seminary: as an obstacle — and increasingly, an unnecessary one, writes a Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary student.

How religious worship is boosting conservation in India
BBC: Religious practices have preserved an estimated 100,000-150,000 sacred groves across the nation, ensuring they remain biodiverse habitats home to an array of endangered species. Scientists say cultural traditions and community leadership are playing a critical role in boosting conservation efforts in India, which is losing forests at an alarming rate.

The Spark

A project named for 'Peanuts' character Franklin aims to boost Black animators
More than a half-century after Charles M. Schultz introduced the first Black character in his comic strip, Peanuts Worldwide has created The Armstrong Project in his honor to support up-and-coming Black writers, animators and cartoonists.

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