Tuesday’s News & Ideas - 8/18/2026
- Return of religious coercion
- ICE raids leave kids behind
- Priests in rural Italy
- Eastern Orthodoxy in Utah
- Anglican priests on TV
- What worms eat
MAGA Christianity and the return of religious coercion*
The New Republic: The right is increasingly embracing an anti-social version of the Christian faith that favors restrictive control with none of the underlying moral obligations.
As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind
Religion News Service: In Springfield, Ohio, ICE shifts tactics to stealth raids and ankle monitors. Churches are responding by helping Haitian parents line up temporary caregivers, preparing for the worst.
With priests scarce in rural Italy, an African pastor is filling the void*
The New York Times: Immigrants have long eased labor shortages on farms and factories in Italy. But churches also need foreign-born priests, like the Rev. Vincent Souly of the Ivory Coast.
An ancient religion is taking root and moving into new digs in southern Utah
The Salt Lake Tribune: “I’ve been surprised,” a 30-year-old Orthodox pastor says, “at the amount of former atheists who have become Christians.”
Want to solve a murder? Ask an Anglican priest for help.
Religion Unplugged: There’s something about priests solving murders in small towns that people love. From “Father Brown” to “Broadchurch” to “Wake Up Dead Man” to “Evil” to South Korea’s “The Firey Priest,” it’s fascinating to see how common the trope is when you start looking.
The Spark
Worm munch matters
The lives that slither and scurry beneath the soil’s surface are vital for ecological health, Aeon says.
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