News & Ideas

Thursday's News & Ideas - 1/23/2020

  • Trump to attend March for Life
  • Knowledge about Holocaust
  • Dopamine fasting & religion
  • Francis replaces critic
  • CoE’s stance on sex
  • America the debt collector

Trump to attend anti-abortion March for Life in a presidential first
CNN: The group's 47th annual march will be attended by President Trump.

Poll: What do Americans know about the Holocaust? Some, not much
Religion News Service: A new poll suggests Americans know about the Holocaust, the genocidal campaign against European Jews, but they're fuzzy on the details.
Pew Research: What Americans know about the Holocaust

Silicon Valley’s latest fad is dopamine fasting -- and that may not be as crazy as it sounds
The Conversation: The motivations and benefits of dopamine fasting resemble what many religions have been teaching since ancient times.

Pope Francis replaces conservative archbishop of Philadelphia*
New York Times: Pope Francis sought to shift the ideological balance of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States on Thursday, replacing one of his most prominent conservative critics as the archbishop of Philadelphia.

Sex is for married heterosexual couples only, says Church of England
The Guardian: Pastoral guidance also calls for Christians in gay or straight civil unions to be abstinent.

The Spark

America’s most powerful medical-debt collector
Treatment at a military hospital can leave you tens of thousands of dollars in debt -- and hounded* by the federal government, The Atlantic says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

Want to get News & Ideas in your inbox every weekday?
Subscribe to our
News & Ideas newsletter or receive our RSS feed in your RSS reader.



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

Signup options

Most recent News & Ideas

Friday’s News & Ideas - 8/14/2026

  • Pastor detained at airport
  • Nuns provide migrant aid
  • LDS schools enroll other faiths
  • Eagle remains saved
  • New Bible in Welsh language
  • George Harrison's favorite book

Thursday’s News & Ideas - 8/13/2026

  • Chicago seminary leaving building
  • Paxton & Talarico’s Christianities
  • Episcopal story of renewal
  • Democracy activists
  • Israeli settlers & ‘culture of fear’
  • Russian literature award

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
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