Education
Public schools and faith-based chaplains: Texas’ new combination is testing the First Amendment
By Charles J. Russo — October 26, 2023
(The Conversation) — Recent Supreme Court decisions have signaled a shift in how the country’s highest court interprets the limits on religion in schools.
Oklahoma attorney general sues to stop US’s first public religious school
By Sean Murphy — October 23, 2023
(AP) — The approval of a publicly funded religious school is the latest in a series of actions taken by conservative-led states that include efforts to teach the Bible in public schools, and to ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Campuses should model care: Engaging deep divides on Israel, Palestine and beyond
By Jenan Mohajir and Rebecca Russo — October 20, 2023
(RNS) — In this moment, campus professionals and students must lead with care, creating space to honor the distinctive pain of both Israelis and Palestinians.
As caste bill meets defeat, Hindu Americans on both sides make their voices heard
By Richa Karmarkar — October 11, 2023
(RNS) — In the last two decades, Hindu Americans have mobilized through a number of new advocacy organizations to vote and run for office on issues of particular interest to the faith community.
Uriah Kim: Decentering Christianity as an act of faith and justice
By Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt — October 6, 2023
(RNS) — President of the Graduate Theological Union, Kim believes a pluralistic space can provide a critical vantage point for all — including Christians.
Survey: Mainline clergy are more liberal than their congregants
By Yonat Shimron — September 14, 2023
(RNS) — Mainline clergy are more supportive than their congregants of LGBTQ rights, more likely to have opposed the overturn of Roe v. Wade and less likely to believe America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
Activists prepare for yearlong battle over Nebraska private school funding law
By Margery A. Beck — September 1, 2023
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — If the law is repealed, Nebraska would join North Dakota as the only states not offering some type of public payment for private school tuition.
Coach who lost his job for praying on field kneels again in first game after years of legal battles
By Ed Komenda — September 1, 2023
BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — After fighting to be rehired for seven years, Joe Kennedy isn’t sure he wants it anymore, and the thought of kneeling in the spotlight again makes him queasy.
Alumni grieve for Jesuit-run university seized by Nicaraguan government that transformed their lives
By MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — August 30, 2023
MÉXICO CITY (AP) — Ortega’s government described the university as a “center of terrorism” and seized its property, buildings and bank accounts on August 16.
France’s education minister bans long robes in classrooms. They’re worn mainly by Muslims
By Elaine Ganley — August 29, 2023
PARIS (AP) — Critics say that abayas, worn by women, and khamis, the male garb, are no more than a fashion statement.
A decade in, Jewish digital library has revolutionized learning for ‘people of the book’
By Yonat Shimron — August 28, 2023
(RNS) — Sefaria offers 3,300 Jewish canonical texts online for free.
Federal judge denies religious parents’ request to opt kids out of LGBTQ+ lessons
By Fiona André — August 25, 2023
(RNS) — The year-long battle between MCPS and the families is not over yet, as the judge still needs to hear the full case before making a final decision.
Harvard Divinity School selects first Black woman as dean
By Yonat Shimron — August 25, 2023
(RNS) — Marla Frederick, a professor of religion and culture at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, will succeed David Hempton, who has served as dean since 2012.
Native American group to digitize 20,000 archival pages linked to Quaker-run Indian boarding schools
By Luis Andres Henao — August 24, 2023
NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, documents related to Quaker-operated Indian boarding schools have been largely unstudied, as they exist in remote and dispersed collections with limited access.
Potential new rivalries in Big 12 with BYU becoming league’s 3rd private Christian school
By Stephen Hawkins — August 22, 2023
(AP) — There can be commonality among fans from such schools, even of different denominations, in valuing what religion adds to higher education, said Northern Kentucky professor Joe Cobbs, an expert in sports rivalries.
