News & Ideas

Wednesday's News & Ideas - 8/10/2022

  • Slavery in Saint Augustine
  • Evangelical church plans urban village
  • ELCA apologized to Latino congregation
  • Researching smaller religious groups
  • Religious hurdles for athletes
  • Little League compassion

Saint Augustine’s slave play*
The Point: Slavery in Augustine isn’t a matter of mere semantics or a rogue translator; it underpins his work in ways that can’t be easily excised.

New York City’s largest evangelical church plans billion-dollar development
Christianity Today: The Brooklyn congregation and its pastor A.R. Bernard hope the Jane Jacobs–inspired urban village will be a model for other cities.

Why the largest US Lutheran denomination apologized to a Latino congregation
Religion News Service: It’s been a ‘perfect storm’ of charismatic personalities and a heightened awareness of racism, all brewing in one of the country’s whitest denominations.

How we approach reporting on smaller U.S. religious groups
Pew Research Center: When it comes to religious affiliation, our surveys include respondents who identify with dozens of groups – not just large ones such as Protestants, Catholics and people with no religion, but also smaller ones in the U.S.

Removing hurdles for religious college athletes*
Inside Higher Ed: New state laws are ensuring college and school athletes are allowed to wear clothing with religious significance along with their team uniforms.

The Spark

In ‘remarkable’ moment, Little Leaguer hugs opponent after scary pitch
The display of sportsmanship, not to mention outright compassion,* brought tears to the eyes of more than a few observers, including some coaches and fans, The Washington Post says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers



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Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants

The Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is designed to foster, strengthen and sustain well-grounded worship in congregations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Two streams of grants are offered: to teacher-scholars and to worshiping communities.

Grant proposal due date options include October 15, 2023, or February 15 or June 15, 2024.

Learn More