The Faith & Culture 5
The New Pope’s Politics + Is Separation of Church and State Outdated? + Reframing Love + More
Happy Friday!
In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, the pull toward real community—whatever shape that takes—feels more essential than ever. Whether it's found in the quiet corners of friendship, the structured rituals of tradition, or even in the complexity of global conflict, the desire to belong and to understand remains a constant. This week, I’ve gathered five pieces that orbit around that idea.
These aren’t all easy reads, but they’re necessary ones. I hope they help you feel a little more connected—to others, to yourself, and to the bigger questions we’re all quietly asking.
Now, let’s get into this week’s picks:
When it came to friendship, Suleika had always prioritized quantity over quality. The message she took from it was that relationships have a shelf life.
The Justices, who have steadily eroded prohibitions on government sponsorship of religious schools, now seem ready to end them entirely.
Israel has set President Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week as a deadline for a new hostage and ceasefire deal, with a massive ground operation to commence if no deal is reached, Israeli officials say.
With Catholic Cardinals choosing an American to lead the Church for the first time in its history, things will change. The Chicago-born Robert Prevost, America’s first pope, has a worldview that appears to be at odds with “America First.”
The New York senator made an unexpected appearance recently on the popular Christian show Holy Post, a sign that she is looking to unlikely sources for anti-Trump support.
—
The Bible Says So by Dan McClellan
In The Bible Say So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular "data over dogma" approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times.
Thank you so much for being a part of this community! I’ll see you next week.
Jm
Thanks for reading Still Christian by Jonathan Merritt! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
I’ve almost finished with “The Bible Says So” and I’d love to hear your thoughts! I’ve been looking for some good reviews and come up short.