Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 5/13/2026

A Christian nation? At 250, America is still fighting over what that means
Religion News Service: Scholars say American history is more Christian than secular advocates claim — and less religious than Christian nationalists would assert. A look at the complicated, contested history of America as a Christian nation.

How progressive Christian activism might bring Gen Z back to church*
The New Republic: Liberal faith leaders are hoping to show through community participation that they are a safe haven for young people interested in exploring religion.

The megachurch caught in Brazil’s largest bank fraud*
Christianity Today: Lagoinha Global is the fourth-largest megachurch in the country. One of its pastors is involved in a multibillion-dollar scheme.

Israeli lawmakers set up a special tribunal and allow for death penalty for Hamas-led 2023 attackers
The Associated Press: Israeli lawmakers approved a bill on Monday setting up a special tribunal that would try and have the authority to sentence to death Palestinians convicted of taking part in the 2023 Hamas-led attack that triggered the war in Gaza.

She was shunned for renouncing Zionism. A decade later, a rabbinical college is honoring her.
Religion News Service: Hasia R. Diner’s honorary doctorate from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is another sign of the breakdown of the American Jewish consensus over Israel.

The Spark

Is Peter Thiel a “bad fan” of Lord of the Rings?
Besides Palantir, he’s owned several other companies named in homage to LOTR, including Mithril Capital, Valar Ventures, Lembas Capital, and Rivendell One LLC, Literary Hub says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers