National Reporter for Religion News Service. "Workaday writer." — The New Yorker. Author of "American Prophets," a book on the religious left. National Reporter for Religion News Service. Tips? Try me on Signal: jackmjenkins.60 #religion #politics #religionandpolitics
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2026-08-18T14:25:19Z Event JSON
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Last Notes npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW from me: At least two clergy were among those shoved, shot at with pepper rounds and exposed to pepper spray while protesting the actions of in Minnesota after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman who had been observing them. https://religionnews.com/2026/01/07/minneapolis-clergy-pepper-sprayed-after-rushing-to-scene-of-deadly-ice-shooting/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW from me: For Rev. David Black, the Presbyterian minister from the viral video depicting DHS agents shooting him in the head and body with pepper balls, protesting ICE is part of an old Christian tradition. “I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,” he says. https://religionnews.com/2025/11/19/for-rev-david-black-protesting-ice-is-part-of-an-old-christian-tradition/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW: So, if you looked around the courtroom at the "Broadview 6" arraignment in Chicago yesterday, you would've noticed a lot of Methodist pastors. Why? Because they were supporters of defendant/fellow Methodist Brian Straw. "If you come for one United Methodist, you have come for all of us,” one pastor said. https://religionnews.com/2025/11/13/methodist-pastors-march-into-courtroom-with-boring-suburban-dad-indicted-for-protesting/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW: @nprofile…3jyt has tracked at least 10 incidents of apparent federal agents conducting immigration enforcement activity on church grounds or in the immediate area, with incidents spread across five states and Puerto Rico. “This is domestic terror,” one pastor told us. https://religionnews.com/2025/08/04/when-ice-detains-people-on-church-grounds-pastors-say-congregations-suffer/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins What are you reading this weekend? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Via Fiona André at @religionnewssvc: For years, persecuted Christians abroad — including Iranian Christians — has been a cause célèbre on the right, including Trump. But this week, CBP arrested Iranian Christian asylum-seekers as their pastor looked on, his voice cracking as he begged to know why they were being detained. https://religionnews.com/2025/06/27/pastor-films-as-masked-federal-agents-arrest-iranian-christian-asylum-seekers-in-la/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW: Faith leaders are ramping up pressure on lawmakers to reject the Republican-led budget bill currently before the U.S. Senate, rallying with lawmakers, meeting Senate staff, and arguing the proposal benefits the ultra-wealthy by hurting the poor. https://religionnews.com/2025/06/10/faith-groups-rally-with-lawmakers-against-gop-budget-bill/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins There’s another faith-led Moral Mondays protest in front of SCOTUS right now — this one noticeably larger than in weeks past. The march from a church to SCOTUS, where people will decry cuts to healthcare programs in the GOP budget, is led by pastors and wheelchair users (and some who are both). https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/114/614/612/402/293/973/original/af7363b50147a09e.mp4 npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins 1. Honestly, I think this is a pretty big deal. Makes me wonder if Pope Leo is gonna drop an encyclical or apostolic exhortation in the next year or so focused on labor issues in the 21st century — including, or perhaps especially, AI. https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-tells-cardinals-they-must-continue-precious-legacy-pope-francis-2025-05-10/ https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/114/484/589/397/120/391/original/227fd4ddda337f21.jpeg npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins PSA: If you’re interested in a major federal court case, you can track it — every filing! — using Courtlistener, which is run by a nonprofit. It doesn’t always have every filing instantly (it requires Good Samaritans to pull from PACER), but you’ll know when big changes occur. https://www.courtlistener.com npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins As RNS’s own Claire Giangrave notes, this homily from Francis’ funeral marks at least the *third* time Trump has unintentionally sat for a sermon featuring the plight of refugees and migrants. When Bishop Budde did it in January, she was lambasted by Trump and supporters like House Speaker Johnson, who accused her of spreading “radical ideology.” https://religionnews.com/2025/04/26/at-pope-francis-funeral-a-call-to-heed-his-appeals-for-peace-and-mercy-for-the-vulnerable/ https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/114/405/525/651/521/453/original/ca423f764ffe8eae.jpg npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Religious groups who work with foreign aid have consistently told me the same thing, over and over, since the gutting of USAID: people — real people — are going to die, including children. According to this NYTimes piece, it’s already begun. https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bbp2b224lro3bfnzcqwwnkfo/post/3lkg6suazgs2r npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW: I spoke with people who attended a recent meeting between Trump admin officials and religious groups that work with USAID. Faith leaders tell me that, should the government fully abandon foreign aid, religious groups won't be able to fill the gap alone. https://religionnews.com/2025/03/07/as-trump-administration-threatens-all-aid-faith-groups-say-they-cant-do-it-alone/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins The thing to keep in mind here: Per a court order from last week in a case brought by religious groups, refugees *should* be allowed into the U.S. again, at least for now. But it's not at all clear if that's actually happening, hence the judge calling the question here (among other things — read the story for more!). https://mastodon.online/@jackmjenkins/114106857052411074 npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW via Aleja Hertzler-McCain and myself: In an emergency hearing on Tuesday, a federal judge said he will order the Trump admin to produce a "status report" on whether it has restarted refugee admissions and resettlement per a recent court order https://religionnews.com/2025/03/04/trump-administration-must-produce-status-report-on-refugee-resettlement-judge-orders/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins In a striking change in tone, Vance used his speech at the Catholic prayer breakfast this morning to try and ease tensions with Pope Francis — while also suggesting Catholics shouldn't "obsess" over what Catholic prelates say: https://religionnews.com/2025/02/28/at-catholic-prayer-breakfast-vance-seeks-to-tone-down-tensions-with-pope-francis/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins In a lengthy statement, the president of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, a denomination that is smaller and significantly more conservative than the ELCA, generally defends Lutheran aid groups criticized by Musk while also lauding DOGE and repeatedly criticizing the ELCA https://reporter.lcms.org/2025/lcms-president-harrison-letter-about-u-s-immigration-and-lutheran-organizations/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW from me: Faith-based aid agencies challenge Trump’s order 'realigning' refugee program —> https://religionnews.com/2025/01/21/faith-based-aid-agencies-challenge-trumps-order-realigning-refugee-program/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins PSA: I woke up in the middle of the night last night and looked out the window, and my eyes couldn’t quite make sense of what I was seeing. It took me a moment, then I realized that the moon (which is almost full) is SO bright, and the snow is SO white, that the moon full-on *casts shadows.* (Yes, I imagine you northerners have grown up with this, but my Southerner’s mind was right boggled.) npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins On this: I interviewed McElroy, the new Archbishop of Washington, in 2022 immediately before he was made a Cardinal. When I asked him about Christian nationalism, he argued patriotism "is an aspiration … not a possession," and bemoaned populism that "pick(s) targets among the marginalized." https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/113/781/518/532/036/946/original/d1b178b2dd155fbe.png npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Oh, wow. The Post is really bleeding talent right now. https://www.threads.net/@oliverdarcy/post/DEduokpvRBf npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Something deeply American about America’s Second Catholic President eulogizing America’s first evangelical president (both of whom are Democrats) at the Washington National Cathedral, which is an Episcopal Church. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/30/us/politics/jimmy-carter-funeral.html npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Christians in Bethlehem are once again scaling back Christmas celebrations in solidarity with those in Gaza, a repeat of a similar protest from last year — a significant step for a local economy that relies on tourism. I spoke to a pastor there who has advocated around the world for Palestinians, gleaning his thoughts on a year of activism — and the incoming Trump admin. https://religionnews.com/2024/12/23/in-bethlehem-a-christian-pastor-reflects-on-a-year-of-prayerful-pro-palestinian-activism/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins This is huge. An entire faith-based movement, the New Sanctuary Movement, was built around this policy, where houses of worship allow undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation to live in their facilities until their deportation order is dropped. https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/trump-scrap-restriction-ice-arrests-churches-schools-rcna183688 npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins What are you reading this weekend? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins @nprofile…h9qy @nprofile…3jyt Yup! That's my employer. I know cuz they told me. npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Question to Mastodon: Am I wrong, or is solar power the only widely available/scalable form of energy that isn’t ultimately just about spinning a turbine? Like, everything else, near as I can tell, whether it’s coal or hydro or nuclear fusion, is ultimately just about spinning a turbine to generate electricity? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins What are you reading this weekend? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins 2. Several things of note here, among them: Wilson's older views — such as criticism of the Civil Rights Act — appear to be getting new traction. Most recently, they were invoked by others to argue the U.S. Constitution is "dead." https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/112/541/535/709/055/849/original/5320d7559edaea2a.png https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/112/541/535/754/896/502/original/9a70e48a0c36ea2e.png npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins 1. My latest: In which I examine the re-emergence of Idaho pastor Doug Wilson among a growing number of influential right-wing voices. He is being elevated by conservatives as a more moderate face of Christian nationalism, but experts say his views remain radical. Wilson, meanwhile, tells me he is in infrequent conversation with lobbyists. https://religionnews.com/2024/05/31/the-second-coming-of-doug-wilson/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins An odd thing about Alito's letter refusing to recuse himself over the flags controversy is the claim he did not know of the "Appeal to Heaven" flag's ties to Jan 6, and he doesn't provide any evidence his wife flew it *before* then. Also: what other "religious flags" has she flown, as he notes? (If you know of any or have photo evidence, please feel free to leak them to me: my signal is in my bio, and there are other ways to contact me on my website.) https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/112/526/380/414/557/687/original/9673509453faab7d.png npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins EXCLUSIVE: A Catholic diocesan hermit has come out as transgender — believed to be the first in the Roman Catholic Church to do so — with permission of his bishop, John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky. https://religionnews.com/2024/05/19/catholic-diocesan-hermit-approved-by-kentucky-bishop-comes-out-as-transgender/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins This seems like an important section of this Jack Dorsey interview: it seems he backs decentralization in part because it removes the app/company from liability. https://social.coop/@J12t/112414683038313849 https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/112/414/753/796/162/263/original/981e1c9fe9166e2c.jpeg npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins What are you reading this weekend? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Speaking of paternity leave: I jumped off Twitter as soon as my newborn arrived (we’re over the moon, btw!), and have only used the Competitor Twitters since. For news, Mastodon requires more work than the others — e.g., hunting down the few official accounts on here, or accounts reposting news RSS feeds, federated Flipboard posts, etc… …but the result is, surprisingly, way more informative about brass-tacks news than Threads or Bluesky? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins My personal tech conspiracy theory is that Apple's weird aversion to robot vacuums is because they KNOW SOMETHING WE DON'T. npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Recently learned the guy who volunteered as a handyman at the South Carolina church I grew up in also worked on the Manhattan Project, which made him only one of many scientists/engineers in our congregation. Might be why our church boiler looked like a dang nuclear reactor. npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins My latest hot take is that the U.S. (including U.S. religion) is in a super weird transitional time for *many* reasons but what we are transitioning *into* remains wildly unclear and leaves almost everyone anxious. npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins I suppose my question *behind* that question is whether there's been a slow (ongoing?) evolution as to how the average person *uses* the internet. npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Question to Mastodon tech-heads: I know various social media companies have tweaked/eliminated algorithms that used to pump a lot of traffic toward news websites, certain media outlets, etc. We've also seen efforts to reduce screentime on phones, etc. Is there any evidence that there's been a collective impact here — one that's just reduced internet traffic overall (sans streaming, I guess)? npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins NEW: For Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, an appeal to faith — or Christian nationalism — sells. One pastor encouraged attendees to donate to Boebert, saying, "I’d like to give her at least $5,000 from Charis Christian Center today." https://religionnews.com/2023/08/01/for-boebert-and-greene-faith-and-christian-nationalism-sells/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins 1. So, you've heard of Moms for Liberty. But you may NOT have heard of the OTHER county-based org removing books from schools & opposing pride declarations while invoking “Judeo-Christian values.” That's Citizens Defending Freedom — or what critics call "Moms for Liberty in suits.” https://religionnews.com/2023/07/12/when-christian-nationalism-goes-local-inside-citizens-defending-freedom/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins Earlier this week, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted a quote falsely attributed to Patrick Henry that critics said promoted #ChristianNationalism. Yesterday, instead of deleting the tweet, he just…tweeted several more similar (and this time, accurate) quotes. https://religionnews.com/2023/07/06/josh-hawley-tweets-fake-quote-about-u-s-founding-doubles-down-on-christian-nationalism/ npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins 1. Via AP: Judge awards Black church $1 million after BLM banner burned by Proud Boys during protest https://apnews.com/article/proud-boys-black-church-banner-burning-lawsuit-13dcfbd1a7ff8e5dd0486cdde0f911fb npub14xyzx2u4s4qc657q96kgysq7d3nz7ph7apnuq0d2kq4tstkmfehssynhst Jack Jenkins UPDATE: I spoke w/Bishop Mark Seitz of Diocese of El Paso, where a church was reportedly targeted by people working for DeSantis to recruit asylum seekers to fly them to CA. The bishop had harsh words for the Florida governor, comparing his actions to that of human traffickers. https://religionnews.com/2023/06/15/head-of-usccb-critiques-republican-governors-transporting-migrants/ https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/110/550/137/990/223/710/original/8f9c4bc524a792d6.png https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/110/550/138/160/873/189/original/bcb2d3578785d619.png https://files.mastodon.online/media_attachments/files/110/550/138/505/218/278/original/ef8b674702930841.png