Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 12/17/2024

Cardinal Zuppi leads seven-hour prayer, naming every child killed in Holy Land war
Religion News Service: The head of the Italian Bishops’ Conference took turns with dozens of other members of his diocese reading the names and ages of the 16 Israeli children and the 12,211 Palestinian children who have been killed in the war.

My artificial chaplains*
The Christian Century: While recovering from a hiking accident, I posed the same theological question to multiple AI spiritual counselors.

The paradox of pluralism: How college shapes students’ views of other religions
The Conversation: At less selective colleges, students tended to develop stronger attitudes about religious pluralism, and they also increased their interfaith activities. At elite colleges, students increased their activities, but their attitudes more often remained flat.

Taking stock of Pope Leo’s first 100 days
NPR: In these hundred days, he’s spoken publicly on war and peace, migrants, the environment, just like his predecessor Pope Francis did.

At 175, a Brooklyn church turns to film to preserve its legacy for a new generation
Religion News Service: Jahleel Hills, a 27-year-old filmmaker and sixth-generation member of Berean Baptist Church, has teamed up with church elders to ensure its story reaches and inspires the next generation.

The Spark

Two years after a wildfire took everything, Maui homeowners are facing a new threat: Foreclosure
A Native Hawaiian mother fights to keep her family in Lāhainā despite soaring costs, mortgage limbo and land-hungry investors eager to own a piece of Hawaiʻi, Grist says.

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