Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 5/12/2026

Spiritually burned out? Tish Harrison Warren and some ancient monks have advice.
Religion News Service: Dealing with a sense of burnout and the weariness of modern life, author Tish Harrison Warren found help in the words of long-dead Christian mystics.

‘It’s not an idol,’ Trump-loving pastor declares
Baptist News Global: The South Carolina pastor who prayed over a 22-foot-high golden statue of President Donald Trump last week says it is not an idolatrous golden calf as described in the book of Exodus.

‘The aftermath is just devastating’: Temple Israel rebuilds after terror attack
NPR: Two months ago, security at Temple Israel responded to an attack the FBI would later characterize as a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism targeting the largest synagogue in Michigan.

Church attendance in the U.S. has dropped. But cowboy churches are on the rise
NPR: Nearly every state in the country has one or more cowboy churches. The theology might not be different from other churches but the worship music is often bluegrass or gospel with a twang.

Ivy League students are suffering from religious illiteracy*
The Washington Post: I’m a Princeton professor. Many students know nothing about Christianity, Gregory Conti says.

The Spark

The clippening
‘Clippers’ cut up podcasts, videos, and events into infinite shorter* versions, The Verge says. How long can they ride the algorithms?

*access is limited for nonsubscribers