Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 7/15/2025

John MacArthur, fiery preacher and culture warrior, dies at 86*
The New York Times: He was a theologically uncompromising pastor in Southern California who influenced generations of evangelical preachers.
Religion News Service: John MacArthur, megachurch pastor and voice of ‘Grace to You’ radio ministry, has died

ICE quotes the Bible in a new propaganda video
Sojourners: The one-minute video opens with footage of helicopters taking off, and a man with a thick Southern accent says, “Here’s a Bible verse I think about sometimes. Many times.” As people in military fatigues don masks and ready weapons inside the helicopter, the man quotes Isaiah 6:8: “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’”

I left my church — and found Christianity*
The Atlantic: No one should have to choose between their community and their own integrity.

‘The perfect accompaniment to life’: Why is a 12th-century nun the hottest name in experimental music?
The Guardian: A mystic who turned visions into beautiful chants, Hildegard von Bingen has inspired everyone from Grimes to David Lynch. Musicians including Julia Holter explain the hold she has on them.

With Pete Hegseth in the pews, a Christian nationalist church plant launches in DC
Religion News Service: Christ Kirk DC is the latest example of pastor Doug Wilson’s growing sphere of influence among a cadre of conservatives sometimes described as the ‘New Right.’

The Spark

The menagerie lurking in rural America
Every year, millions of exotic animals* are bred, raised and sold in the United States, Slate writes.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers