NEWS STORY
RNS-Grandmother-Womanist: Yolanda Pierce on grandmother theology, Black Jesus and Mariology
(RNS) — Dean Yolanda Pierce of Howard University Divinity School has taught and been shaped by womanist theology, the study of religion that focuses on gender, race and class. She talked with Religion News Service about what she learned from her grandmother, the kinds of hymns she doesn’t sing and her expectations about the future of the Black church. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,300 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Jordan-Evangelicals: Jordan’s Orthodox archbishop moves to deny evangelicals full legal recognition
AMMAN, Jordan (RNS) — Long-simmering suspicions between Orthodox and evangelical Christians have blown up recently over the refusal of the Jordanian government to allow evangelical churches full legal standing under the country’s religiously divided judicial system. By Daoud Kuttab. 673 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pew-BlackFaith: Can I get an amen? Black Americans’ faith, religious practice detailed in Pew study
(RNS) —The majority of Black Americans may attend predominantly Black congregations more than other houses of worship but a majority of them think such congregations should not be exclusively Black and should welcome people of other races, a new study shows. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,200 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Vatican-Crowds: Vatican Museums reopen but visitors decry lack of social distancing
(RNS ) – Following months of lockdown, the historic collection at the Vatican Museums reopened to the public last week but drew criticism from guides and visitors who lamented the lack of social distancing and COVID-19 safety precautions. By Claire Giangravè. 600 words. (category: i)
NEWS BRIEF
RNS-AshTag-COVID: Celebrating Ash Wednesday in a pandemic? There’s an app for that
(RNS) — There are filters that blur “imperfections” in photos and filters that turn lawyers into cats on Zoom. Now there’s a filter to help Christians safely participate in the most visible Ash Wednesday tradition on two popular social media platforms. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 250 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Daughters-Kobani: ‘Daughters of Kobani’ tells story of all-women Kurdish combat units who fought IS
(RNS) – A new book tells the story of the YPJ, all-women Kurdish combat units that waged a long struggle to rid Syria of IS. The book draws on years of ground reporting in Syria and Iraq. A mini-series based on the book is currently in development from Hilary and Chelsea Clinton. By Joseph Hammond. 1,000 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Jones-Oped: Beyond $1,000 sneakers: Carl Lentz, hype priests and the cult of celebrity
(RNS) — A prominent portion of the American church is now taking cues from the celebrity-culture craze that grips Western society at large. Though pietistic evangelicals have long attacked Hollywood, their churches, institutions and leaders now celebrate and reward the “blessing” of fame, popularity and influence. Talk about irony. By Tyler Jones. 1,101 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Reese-Oped: Have a digital Lent to get through the pandemic
(RNS) — We have become addicted to our electronic gadgets, and if we are honest, we will acknowledge that it would be a huge penance to give up Alexa and our smartphones for Lent. But that is not my recommendation. Rather, I suggest we should use our digital gadgets to celebrate Lent better, especially during the pandemic that has made it so difficult to go to church. By Thomas Reese. 623 words. (category: k)