News & Ideas

Monday's News & Ideas - 8/28/2023

  • Marla Frederick selected as HDS dean
  • Xi urges crackdown on religion
  • Princeton syllabus controversy
  • OK church welcomes Afghan refugees
  • Native Hawaiians seek revival
  • Education as communal responsibility

Harvard Divinity School selects first Black woman as dean
Religion News Service: Marla Frederick, a professor of religion and culture at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, will succeed David Hempton, who has served as dean since 2012.

Xi urges more work to ‘control illegal religious activities’ in Xinjiang on surprise visit
The Guardian: The visit was the Chinese president’s second to the region since the crackdown on Uyghurs began almost a decade ago.

Book on Princeton syllabus sparks conflict*
Inside Higher Ed: University leaders are fielding demands to remove a book, deemed antisemitic by some and a legitimate criticism of Israel by others, from a course syllabus.

Oklahoma church shares love and Christ with Afghan refugees
Religion Unplugged: The Hashemi family was among 76,000 Afghans evacuated to America because their work with the U.S. and its allies — as translators, interpreters and partners — put them at risk under Taliban rule.

After the fires, native Hawaiians seek revival through ritual*
The New York Times: On an island where Christianity and Buddhism are also prominent, many are finding strength in traditional Hawaiian spirituality and culture.

The Spark

Educate thy neighbor: Missouri’s accidental desegregation win
The 2010 Turner v. Clayton judgment was a milestone on the path toward reimagining education as a community’s responsibility, JSTOR says.

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