Tuesday's News & Ideas - 3/24/2020

Will COVID-19 lead to a long-term shift in church attendance?
Christianity Today: This coming weekend may represent the fewest people engaging in corporate worship in the last two millennia.

First U.S. clergy fatality from COVID-19 a deacon in Washington
National Catholic Reporter: A Franciscan friar who was on his way to join a new religious community in New York became Washington's first COVID-19 fatality March 20 and the first known U.S. Catholic cleric to die after contracting the coronavirus.

Churches go back to the future with drive-in services in the time of the coronavirus
Religion News Service: The Calvert Drive-In Theatre has hosted two weddings and a number of concerts, but it hadn’t hosted a church service until Sunday.

How Joseph Smith and the early Mormons challenged American democracy*
The New Yorker: In Nauvoo, Illinois, Smith established a theocracy, ran for President, and tested the limits of religious freedom.

In a pandemic, religion can be a balm and a risk
New York Times: As scientists and politicians struggle for a response to the coronavirus, many people are turning to faith. But some practices raise public health concerns.

The Spark

Photos show how people of faith are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic
From drive-thru confessions to services in mall parking lots, HuffPost shares how houses of worship around the world are adapting to the spread of COVID-19.

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