Wednesday's News & Ideas - 2/20/2019

The problem of 'evil' in describing Southern Baptist abuse crisis
Religion Dispatches: Putting the onus of these sins on Satan can lull us into thinking that this is the aberrant behavior of an individual who happened to be possessed, rather than a systemic problem, says Carol Howard Merritt.
The Atlantic: The lessons Southern Baptists need to learn

Religion's role in the climate emergency
Religion News Service: Any serious look at averting catastrophe recognizes that the kind of lifestyle Americans now embrace, or aspire to, is unsustainable. Here is where religious leaders are well positioned to make their voices heard, says Mark Silk.

Francis inherits decades of abuse cover-up
National Catholic Reporter: Three-part commentary begins with look at how the crisis reached this point.
National Catholic Reporter: Institutional lying at heart of the crisis

The womanist theology of Katie Geneva Cannon lives on
Religion & Politics: The progenitor of womanist theological ethics, the Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon was a brilliant scholar, a mentor extraordinaire, and generous in the sharing of her time and resources.

Why Christians are outraged over DC Comics' Jesus series
The Week: A new comic book series featuring Jesus Christ as a superhero has been cancelled following outrage from Christians.

The Spark

Everything I know about feminism I learned from nuns
Though she has known since birth that women can, and do, do everything, the most vital feminist education Liesl Schwabe ever received was at Catholic school in the suburban Midwest in the 1980s. At The New York Times, what it meant to be surrounded by educated women who were not wives or mothers.

Want to get News & Ideas in your inbox every weekday?
Subscribe to our News & Ideas newsletter or receive our RSS feed in your RSS reader.