Thursday's News & Ideas - 2/10/2022

Christena Cleveland shifts from ‘white male God’ to ‘Sacred Black Feminine’
Religion News Service: The author of ‘God Is a Black Woman' said she’s a theist but ‘my understanding of God is not what most people would say is orthodox Christianity.’

The Chair and the collapse of the humanities*
Christian Century: Who, exactly, should preside over meaning-making?

What counts as antisemitism? Biden nominee Deborah Lipstadt receives hearing on the topic.*
The Washington Post: Prominent Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt appeared Tuesday before the Senate for her confirmation hearing to lead the State Department’s office that aims to monitor and combat antisemitism.

Why are some Roman Catholic saints called doctors of the church?
The Conversation: There are over 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. However, only a few dozen of them have been named a doctor of the church, an honorific that recognizes the importance of their teaching, scholarship and writings.

Israel’s next religion and state battle: Who can get a free circumcision?
Haaretz: Men who undergo Orthodox conversions are entitled to a free circumcision. Now, the country’s Reform and Conservative movements demand the same.

The Spark

It’s your friends who break your heart
The older we get, the more we need our friends* — and the harder it is to keep them, The Atlantic says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers