Why I don’t like the label “progressive Christianity”

UN rights report condemns displacement of Palestinians in West Bank
The Associated Press: The U.N. human rights office Tuesday expressed concerns about possible “ethnic cleansing,” denouncing an acceleration of Israeli settlements and displacements of thousands of Palestinians in large parts of the occupied West Bank that has grown “more relentless” in recent months.

Mamdani put Ramadan at the center of NYC’s cultural life, bringing joy — and a backlash
NPR: When Mayor Zohran Mamdani took the stage at the Museum of the City of New York last week, he was surrounded by city workers invited to share iftar, the dinner held after sunset to break the daily Ramadan fast.

Joseph Duggar of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ faces child sex abuse charges*
The New York Times: Joseph Duggar, a former star of the TLC reality series “19 Kids and Counting,” which followed a large Arkansas family guided by conservative Christian values, was arrested on Wednesday on charges accusing him of molesting a 9-year-old girl in Florida in 2020, the authorities said.

Acclaimed 20th century philosopher Jürgen Habermas dies at 96
NPR: Throughout his career, he stressed the importance of confronting the Nazi era as uniquely criminal, insisting that postwar-German democracy must recognize and reckon with its guilt.

Inside Malta’s sacred heritage: St. Paul, Caravaggio and a Christian legacy
Religion Unplugged: For travelers drawn not just to the sun and sea, Malta also offers a chance to go back in time. Nowhere in Europe does Christianity feel so rooted than on this small archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea situated halfway between Italy and North Africa.

I wrote over 100 letters to my future husband. Reading them to my actual husband has been excruciating — and liberating.
HuffPost: When I was 14 years old, I wrote my first letter to My Future Husband. Over the course of six years, I wrote more than 100 similar letters, with the intent of one day sharing them with my God-ordained groom, Abigail Freshley writes.

Vatican appeals court declares mistrial in the ‘trial of the century’ against a cardinal
The Associated Press: The Vatican appeals tribunal declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Holy See’s big “trial of the century,” a stunning blow to both Pope Francis’ legacy and Vatican prosecutors who had put a cardinal and several other people on trial over alleged financial crimes.

Judge orders Texas to extend school voucher deadline in response to lawsuit from Islamic schools
The Associated Press: A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas to extend the application deadline for private school vouchers until March 31 due to the state’s exclusion of Islamic schools from the program.

Just war theory is back
The National Catholic Reporter: Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, invoked just war theory in a recent interview about the war in Iran, rightly concluding that this war failed to meet several key criteria of that theory.

Vatican points to Olympic champion Lollobrigida as model of motherhood
Religion News Service: After winning two Olympic gold medals, Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida drew criticism for bringing her young son to public appearances.

The US-Israel war on Iran is shaped by religion as much as strategy
Al Jazeera: The conflict has mutated into a zero-sum collision of competing messianic frameworks.

Religious leaders condemn Michigan synagogue attack — but moving forward together tricky
The Guardian: Jewish and Arab American leaders decry violence at Temple Israel, but US-Israel war on Iran complicates healing.

Young Latinos — and their commitment to social justice — are shaping the future of the Catholic Church
The Conversation: Young Latinos’ faith-based advocacy has put a spotlight on this group that will shape the future of the church.

Why I don’t like the label “progressive Christianity”*
The Christian Century: I’ve come to approach it with suspicion — for pastoral, political, and theological reasons, Stephanie Perdew writes.

Gay Muslim influencer hosts inclusive Ramadan meal and calls for acceptance across faiths
The Associated Press: The 33-year-old German with Palestinian and Lebanese roots has a quickly growing following on Instagram, where he draws attention to the difficulties of living as a young, queer Muslim and calls for more tolerance and inclusiveness.