A new anthology of essays, After DEI? A Theological Exploration, has just appeared. It is a slim volume comprising a dozen readable chapters. Contributors include Erik Varden and Mark Lilla. Our goal in this essay is simply to pique readers’ interest in the collection. 

For a few years, the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were a source of explicit partisan division in the United States. Then, the DEI label fell out of favor in light of concerns about the fairness of programs and policies being advanced under it. Some institutions gutted DEI programs and personnel. Others rebranded DEI programs without changing their substance. But most institutions are navigating a middle course, seeking to replace DEI—and what it represents—with a fairer, less divisive, and more effective set of values. 

That is where this volume comes in. Instead of merely defending or attacking DEI, the volume pursues the more difficult, but ultimately more fruitful, tasks of reconciliation and moral reconstruction. Siding with neither “camp,” it asks why DEI proved divisive and what a better framework might look like. Along the way, it engages irenically with DEI supporters and critics, presenting their views fairly and addressing them substantively.  

The volume’s most important and unique feature is its Christian theological lens. The book assumes little, save that truth is real and coherent, and that the Christian intellectual tradition offers underutilized resources for thinking about diversity, equality, inclusion, belonging, and related values such as justice, charity, and friendship. Its goal is not to argue for Christianity or belief in God, but to show how religious perspectives can provide valuable insights, point toward shared commitments and common objectives, and help to break the partisan impasse that burdens American politics.  

Read it all.

After DEI: A Theological Exploration(Grows out of the "Beyond the Impasse" conference of the Aquinas Institute at Princeton in October 2024) https://t.co/ciP2G63Osz

— Josh Hochschild (@JoshHochschild) October 3, 2026

Meanwhile, the publication itself sent out a news release earlier this month headlined “Christianity Today Announces New Editorial Leadership Team as the Ministry Celebrates Its 70th Year.

That release noted:

CT president and chief executive officer Nicole Martin announced the appointment of Erik Petrik as chief content officer and incoming editor in chief. Petrik, who previously served as chief creative officer at CT since 2020, is the founder of CT Media, where he executive produced CT’s acclaimed podcast series The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Petrik’s stint at CT has also included developing other popular podcast programs, including The Bulletin, Be Afraid, Wonderology, Being Human, and more; leading CT’s award-winning visual rebrand; and expanding the organization’s work across print, digital, audio, and video.

Petrik’s background spans journalism, film, pastoral ministry, and entrepreneurship. Study at Dallas Theological Seminary under evangelical stalwarts like Howard Hendricks and Darrell Bock informed his time as an ordained clergyman. Later at DTS, he helped pioneer spiritual formation as a field of study. Petrik has written, produced, and directed thousands of creative projects and is one of the founders of bulb Digital Portfolios, providing multimedia digital portfolios for the education market. He and his wife, Kelli, live in Colorado and have five adult children.

“With a media landscape dramatically changed over the last decade and promising more changes ahead, it was hard to imagine that we could find a leader with expertise in print, film, podcasts, church engagement, and art direction. But that’s what God has given us in Erik Petrik,” Martin said.

This transition follows the leadership of Marvin Olasky as editor in chief. Olasky, who stepped out of a previous retirement to serve the ministry at a crucial season of transition, will retire from CT in mid-October.

“When we asked Marvin to help as editor in chief last year, I was hoping he would give us at least six months of his one-of-a-kind expertise,” Martin said. “I was overjoyed that he instead gave us eighteen and that he accomplished so much in that time.”

While the release touted a “new editorial leadership team,” Petrik was the only person mentioned by name. The magazine’s positive spin on the changes failed to mention the layoffs of key journalists such as Olsen and the talented Harvest Prude, Christianity Today’s national political correspondent for the past three years.

Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today’s former senior news editor, left the magazine late last year, publicly voicing “both practical and philosophical” disagreements with its leadership. 

Read it all.

(Weekend Plug-in/@bobbyross) 🗒️ Does Old-Fashioned Reporting Matter To Christianity Today? Some Say No 🔌 https://t.co/Q4EOF2Og50

— Religion Unplugged (@ReligionMag) October 16, 2026

The actress Christina Applegate, who received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2021, said on Tuesday that she had been unexpectedly plunged back into uncertainty after a doctor told her she didn’t have multiple sclerosis after all.

“This may come as great news, but to me it comes as like I’m back at square one,” Ms. Applegate said on “MeSsy,” a podcast she hosts with the actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler. She broke into tears as she described the doctor’s words: “She came into my room and she said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have M.S.’”

“Well, I was not happy at all,” she said, explaining that her symptoms did not go away when the diagnosis did. “Everybody else was so happy.”

“You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden I’m better,” she added.

The about-face, Ms. Applegate said, doesn’t mean she’s not sick anymore. It means she’s still sick but doesn’t know why — a common experience for people with complex chronic illnesses, and one Ms. Applegate already went through for years before receiving her M.S. diagnosis.

Read it all.

Misdiagnosed: Christina Applegate said she learned she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago. She tells how she’s “back at square one." https://t.co/kNKf8xbrBd

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) October 20, 2026

O God of the nations, who didst give to thy faithful servant Henry Martyn a brilliant mind, a loving heart, and a gift for languages, that he might translate the Scriptures and other holy writings for the peoples of India and Persia: Inspire in us, we beseech thee, a love like his, eager to commit both life and talents to thee who gavest them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever (moved from yesterday; KSH).

Henry Martyn, 1781 – 1812. Priest and Missionary to India and Persia. One of the founders of the Christian church in India and Iran. While in India he translated the NT into Hindustani, Persian, and Arabic, the Psalms into Persian, and the BCP into Hindustani. https://t.co/C69app75TG

— Saint Barnabas Anglican Church (@Barnabas_FW) October 19, 2024

O Blessed Jesus, who hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, and hast consecrated us in baptism to be temples of the Holy Ghost: Make us, we beseech thee, both in body and soul, meet for thy dwelling place; that our hearts may be houses of prayer and praise, of pure desires and holy thoughts of thee, whose we are and whom we serve, and to whom be glory, now and for evermore.

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."~ Loren EiseleyRiver Lee, Cork. #WaterWednesday #Reflections #October https://t.co/blkeuHWGlm

— Margaret O’Connell🌻 (@MargaretOC6) October 21, 2026

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, which fell on the earth; and a third of the earth was burnt up, and a third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the fountains of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died of the water, because it was made bitter.

The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew in midheaven, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!”

–Revelation 8:1-13

Een mooi gekleurde rustige start. Fijne woensdag😀 #zonsopkomst #reflectie https://t.co/SmzpkYEH8E

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) October 21, 2026

Whatever Christian nationalism is, it takes its form and energy from its context. Over the past 12 months, the think tank Theos has been researching the apparent rise of Christian nationalism in Europe, with studies under way in France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and the UK.

What is clear, even at this stage, is that the nature of this phenomenon alters depending on whether, for example, you are living in a once Roman Catholic but now firmly and formally secular polity (like France), a nation that has self-consciously seen itself as the gatehouse for Christian European Civilisation (like Hungary), or a country, such as Britain, that has a remarkably deep Christian history, a formally Christian “constitution”, but very low levels of church attendance. All these factors pour into and colour the phenomena of Christian nationalism.

The UK research, which has just been published in the report Beyond “Christian Nationalism”, shows that there is something that could legitimately be termed “Christian nationalism” in today’s Britain. But it also shows that the concept of Christianity that you have in mind (belief? practice? ethics? identity?), and the concept of Britishness (civic/political? cultural? ethnic/natal?) will, not surprisingly, shape the way you think about how the two relate to each other….

Finally, for all that this group are strongly Christian — 81 per cent claiming affiliation, 81 per cent being baptised/christened, 49 per cent definitely believing in God or some “higher power” — they are not strongly church-attending: only 13 per cent attend weekly, compared with a sample average of 11 per cent. Nor do they show particularly strong levels of prayer.

Read it all.

📈 Analysis: Defining Christian nationalism depends significantly on context, ✍️ Nick Spencer @theosnick #ChurchTimes #Analysis https://t.co/Nmnx8EkQRD

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 20, 2026

In Britain, students are being urged to walk out of lessons on November 20 as part of a strike across Europe. The Socialist Students group says it’s to protest against capitalism, climate chaos, the housing crisis, the “genocidal war against the Palestinians” and unemployment. This is what’s been termed “the omnicause”. And it’s being synchronised across western Europe.

In other words, we’re witnessing a much broader and deeper challenge than merely a crisis for France. It’s a war on the West being waged by groups with disparate agendas taking advantage of a civilisation in deep trouble. Those involved are leftists, anarchists, Islamists, assorted grievance artists and useful idiots imagining they’re marching for the “oppressed” of the earth — and with malevolent outside actors stirring the pot. Thus Vladimir Putin’s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said of the French riots: “Left-wing globalists are sowing migration-driven chaos.”

Fox News reported this month that of 50 groups involved in the month-long French “student” protests, only 15 were actually student groups. The other 35 were a transnational network that included labour unions, communist or socialist organisations and a Palestinian advocacy group.
These groups were advancing political agendas involving capitalism, “austerity”, policing, military spending and Israel. One far-left environmental group declared in the midst of the riots, “Glory to the rebellious high school students … for an antifascist uprising.”

These insurrectionists are seizing their moment in a society that’s become demoralised in every sense. It’s lost both knowledge of and respect for its own historic identity and culture. 

Read it all (subscription).

Absolutely stunning essay by @DouglasKMurray about the crisis in France. It includes this quote. https://t.co/XBw5Xr5lTp https://t.co/rW0GFvDAvj

— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) October 20, 2026

A recent survey found that one in every three Americans describe themselves as being in an existential crisis of meaning. The percentage jumps to over half of Gen Z. That means if you meet two people between the ages of 14 and 29, then one of them likely has a deep sense of lostness regarding his or her place in the cosmos. Those bleak facts can be taken either as a reason to shrug our shoulders as a pessimistic sign of the times or as a golden opportunity for those of us to know the One who bestows enduring existential significance.

The same study found that a sizable 37 percent of Americans said “their entire lives feel out of their control,” with 52 percent of Gen Z expressing that same panicked sense of powerlessness. As a theologian, I read such numbers as what we may call “the Nebuchadnezzar contagion.” Two-and-a-half millennia ago, prior to what we may describe as a steep decline in his mental health, the ancient Babylonian king strolled his palace roof, surveyed the landscape, and declared, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30).

Such pretended self-sovereignty is rampant in our age in which the cult of self-worship manifests in the belief of 84 percent of Americans that “enjoying yourself is the highest goal of life,” 86 percent believing that you must “pursue the things you desire most,” and 91 percent affirming the statement: “To find yourself, look within yourself.” In a sense, we’re all Nubuchadnezzars now.

Yet we end up as what David Foster Wallace called “lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation.” It turns out that living like the Babylonian king “for the glory of my majesty,” has terrible outcomes today just as it did in the ancient near east.

Read it all.

The Neo-Babylonian Empire, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquered Jerusalem in two major stages due to rebellions by the Kingdom of Judah. [1, 2] https://t.co/QxGtq2Ah0u

— Julie Parker (@JulieParker144) October 19, 2026

Alexander Hermann, a researcher at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said median homes used to cost three times the median income or less in 75 of the nation’s largest 100 housing markets in 1990. Ask The Post AIDive deeper

Today, that’s true in only three out of 100 markets.

According to data provided to The Washington Post by the Harvard center, the average price-to-income ratio of homes shot up in the 2000s when interest rates were low. Amid today’s high rates, it hasn’t come down. It’s much harder to afford a house with a high interest rate when the house itself is far pricier.

“By price-to-income and other metrics, home buying was a lot more affordable, even if interest rates were high,” Hermann said, noting that even a low rate that makes the monthly payment manageable wouldn’t help prospective buyers who can’t afford the down payment on a house five times their income.

“The difference between now and the ’70s and ’80s … is that prices were definitely lower then, and the supply challenges were not the same,” Hermann said.

Read it all.

Page One:“.. median homes used to cost three times the median income or less in 75 of the nation’s largest 100 housing markets in 1990.Today, that’s true in only three out of 100 markets.”@washingtonpost https://t.co/mXIUisNcXg

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) October 19, 2026

O God, who by thy Spirit didst call Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to thy Church, we beseech thee, such a ready will to go where thou dost send and to do what thou dost command, that under thy guidance it may welcome all who turn to thee in love and faith, and proclaim the Gospel to all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

٢٠ تشرين الأول، القديس كُرنِليوس، قائد المئة 🙏October 20th, Saint Cornelius, the Centurion 🙏 https://t.co/B3P13za3iQ

— Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (@LPJerusalem) October 19, 2026

O Lord God of time and eternity, who makest us creatures of time that, when time is over, we may attain thy blessed eternity: With time, thy gift, give us also wisdom to redeem the time, lest our day of grace be lost; for our Lord Jesus’ sake.

Sunrise over the River Ouse, York 🧡The sky burnt orange, gulls circling overhead and the whole riverside glowing quietly before the city wakes up. https://t.co/gcAJ6XZRWh

— North Yorkshire (@visitnorthyork) October 20, 2026

Blessed be the Lord!
for he has heard the voice of my supplications.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

–Psalm 28:6-7

One regret I have is not seeing Tahquemenon Falls more often when living in the U.P. My first job out of college had me in the area a fair amount. It’s my fault I didn’t cash in enough.I went only twice. Once in the Fall…but short of peak color like this pic I found today shows. The other was in early Spring when some snow was still there.Still…it’s one of Michigan’s most beautiful spots.I see they’ve now built a wonderful ramp system. My son’s chair will get there easily now. My wife & I hope to get there next summer.

— Yooper_MN (@Yooper_IA) October 19, 2026

The Community of St Paulinus (CsP) held a service at the cathedral on Sunday, which was attended by the Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox; parish partners; members of the civic and cultural world in Sheffield; representation from the lieutenancy; and other members of the diocese.

The Canon Missioner and Prior of the CsP, the Revd Dr Justin Dodd, told the Church Times on Tuesday 13 October that it was a “joyful and prayerful moment”.

Describing the CsP, he said: “It’s the first mission community, as far as we know, that is with a specific purpose of resourcing and supporting inclusive sacramental mission in a diocese that’s going to be based at a Church of England cathedral.

“What’s unique is that it’s a mission community with that particular role, but also that it’s got quite a specific focus on inclusive sacramental work. We’re working with parish partners, where parish churches are located in some of the more economically deprived parts of the city. We want to be the gift in many ways to support those churches, congregations, and local communities.”

Read it all.

Enjoying the festive spirit 🎄a peaceful moment at Sheffield Cathedral this afternoon 🕊️ ⁦@sheffcath⁩ ⁦@VisitSheffield⁩ https://t.co/hqBFGp1sGW

— doristhehat (@doristhehat) December 2, 2025

The benefits and risk cloak more central driving factors among AI titans: the will to power, the desire for wealth, the hunger to be in charge. The sheer technological sweetness, too—the hard problem followed by the elegant answer. Scientists involved in technological breakthroughs always have a sweet spot.

But about four years ago, when reports of AI’s advancement began to break through to people paying attention, there was no declared objective: “We’ll split the atom, win the war, put man on the moon.” There was no clear product or labor-saving device. AI simply promised to change everything. It would create intelligence itself, an artificial but superior version of human intelligence. Then we’d figure out what to do with it, and what it will do to us. It will transform the human condition. For better or worse? Let’s strap in and find out.

Our society, our country, never decided to “do” AI. History will be perplexed by this. Something so big, so epochal, and people had no say? There was no vote, no debate. Some people started to do it and raise capital, and we shrugged. “It’s the next step.” As Sam Altman said early on, electricity, computers, the internet—now this. Americans always take the next step.

The creators and owners of AI might be pressed to answer the question: Exactly what purpose were you pursuing, and how, with a sense of the downsides, did you expect us to like it?

Read it all.

From @WSJopinion: History Raises Its Eyebrows at the Week in AI by @Peggynoonannyc https://t.co/diQJHPj1c5

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 18, 2026

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Coakley is one of the most original and consequential theologians in the world. An Anglican priest and philosopher of religion, she was the first woman elected the Norris-Hulse professor of divinity at Cambridge, a chair she held until 2018, and before that she was the Mallinckrodt professor of divinity at Harvard. She is the author of eight books, including “God, Sexuality and the Self,” the first volume of her projected four-part systematic theology.

I spoke to Dr. Coakley about why she decided, at a young age, that she wanted to be a theologian; the times she has wanted to disbelieve in God but never quite could; and her attempt to reunite academic theology with the life of the church and the practice of prayer. Contemplative prayer, Dr. Coakley said, is a “crucible of purification.”

My editor, Aaron Retica, joined me for the conversation, which has been lightly edited for clarity. It is the eighth in a series of interviews I am doing that explores the world of Christian faith.

Read it all.

Sarah Coakley: "I’m trying to overcome a chasm that has opened up in theological training and thinking, especially in the post-World War II period. Academic theology in university settings and seminary settings has become more and more esoteric. This is partly the influence of postmodern speak, which has done a very great disservice to the church and to theology. If most high-level theology is written incomprehensibly to the person in the pew, then a real disjunction has opened up between a set of conversations that are happening in the university for the purposes of the egos of the people taking part versus the people who are actually holding the faith." https://t.co/iKCsxpJcRm

— Massimo Faggioli (@MassimoFaggioli) October 18, 2026

Polygamy is back on the menu, boys.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. During the debates over same-sex marriage we were assured that the slope wasn’t slippery and that suggestions that polygamy might be next were a form of ridiculous alarmism propagated by homophobic bigots and repressed religious weirdos.

Once again, the people dismissed as prejudiced prudes are being proven right. With the help of a rebrand to polyamory (which sounds less patriarchal), polygamy is having a moment. As Glenn Stanton recently explained for the Federalist, polyamory advocates are running the same playbook that same-sex marriage advocates did—and it’s working. As he noted, “Eleven U.S. cities now proudly offer the poly-minded various bundles of legal protections. Seattle’s clownish city council was the latest to do so, giving the movement its first truly landmark development.”

The legacy media has been leading the charge. Stanton highlighted a New York Times article from earlier this year, but there have been many pro-poly pieces in recent years, especially in the sort of old-guard prestige outlets that have New York in their names. And public support for polygamy has significantly increased in recent years, from single digits to 20-25 percent. Though still far from a majority, this rise resembles that seen in the early stages of the push for same-sex marriage.

Read it all.

Once marriage is about adult feelings instead of the union of a man and a woman, what’s the principled reason to stop at two?There isn’t one. That’s why polyamory is having a moment. https://t.co/UCMx8Uvq0h

— Ruth Institute (@RuthInstitute) October 19, 2026

Almighty God, who didst inspire thy servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of thy Son: Graciously continue in thy Church the like love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of thy Name; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

18th October is the Feast of St Luke who is depicted here with his symbol.Cologny, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cod. Bodmer 34; The Four Gospels in Armenian; 1606 CE; Stampoul (Istanbul), Church of Saint Nikoghayos; ff.106v-107r (https://t.co/IToRSV1u3j) https://t.co/79bDUo0T1g

— Ennius (@red_loeb) October 18, 2026

Almighty God, the source of all that we can have, and all that we can hope for,

Grant that we may be worthy custodians of the earth in which we dwell.

Make us creative so that we will not burden others;

Make us conservative so that we will not squander what comes our way;

Make us perceptive so that we may properly weigh our necessities against the needs of others;

Make us generous so that we may give freely of what we have that others can enjoy a portion of our fortune.

Remove from us all trust in anything but thee;

Strengthen us in the knowledge that thou wilt always provide all that we really need;

And finally, by thy Grace, instill in us that perfect desire to be thy servants and ultimately to be with thee in thy Heavenly Kingdom,

Who reignest forever and ever, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Travel day! It’s been a wonderful extended weekend in Bar Harbor, but today we head back home. Until next we meet again! . #acadia #maine https://t.co/bFE5TgZch5

— EricStormPhoto (@EricJStorm1) October 19, 2026

When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

–Luke 9:51-62

Guten Morgen ☕️💕 wünsche euch einen frohen Start in eine schöne neue Woche 🎶🍇🍃 https://t.co/jrb5Tv0PRl

— Renate Kleine (@RenateKleine) October 19, 2026

Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

🍁⛅🍂 Schönen guten Morgen am Sonntag ☕ Mit einem Foto vom Deuß – Tempel aus dem Neusser Stadtwald – wünsche ich euch einen wunderbaren Tag. Macht für euch das Beste daraus. 🍂⛅🍁 https://t.co/5CRofcg1Px

— 🇩🇪🇭🇺Ellen Lansen🇭🇺🇩🇪 (@lansen_ellen) October 18, 2026

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker,
    let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with victory.

–Psalm 149:1-4

De zon stuurt de regenwolken met een kleurtje weg. Fijne zondag😀 #zonsondergang #reflectie https://t.co/5yzxh0I711

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) October 18, 2026

Almighty God, we praise thy name for thy bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present unto thee the pure bread of sacrifice. Accept, we pray thee, the willing tribute of our lives, and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

‘Nothing will be hidden from you, if you are perfect in your faith and love towards Jesus Christ, for these are the beginning and the end of life: faith is the beginning and love is the end.’ (St Ignatius of Antioch, Office of Readings) https://t.co/z8bBrit6u6

— What Good News (@WhatGoodNews) October 17, 2026

Almighty God, who lookest upon the inward man, forbid us in thy presence the vain endeavor to hide from thee what we have thought and done and truly are.  Give us candor to acknowledge freely to thee what must be forever hidden from the knowledge of others, and may no false shame keep us from confessing those sins which no proper shame kept us from committing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Morning everyone I hope you are well. With the fog coming down, it was time to get up, with some spectacular views from Spedding Crag along the Langdale Valley. Have a great day.#LakeDistrict https://t.co/Imu8sFCY3h

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) October 17, 2026

After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brethren coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in great numbers. And he expounded the matter to them from morning till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved. So, as they disagreed among themselves, they departed, after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

‘Go to this people, and say,
You shall indeed hear but never understand,
and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are heavy of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should perceive with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.’

Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

And he lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered.

–Acts 28:17-31

The Apostle Paul – portrait by Rembrandt https://t.co/GqLZlt6qRA

— Tsambikos (Titos Titos) (@tsambikos65) June 29, 2023

As Gallup recently reported, Americans’ use of alcohol is at its lowest point in history.

The question that follows, of course, is “Why the change?” There are numerous possible explanations. One of these involves religion.

At first glance, Gallup data on religion and drinking are counterintuitive. The country has become less religious overall. Yet, as I noted in a 2019 analysis, less religious Americans have historically been the most likely to drink. If changes in Americans’ religiosity were a primary driver of alcohol use, we should have seen an increase in drinking, not a decrease.

That hasn’t happened. Alcohol use is down despite the increasing numbers of less religious (and historically more likely to drink) Americans.

The explanation for these trends lies in changes in drinking patterns among those who are less religious. Those who attend religious services less than weekly — a growing group that constitutes the significant majority of all Americans — are now reporting their lowest use of alcohol in our Gallup timeline.

Read it all.

Just 21% of U.S. adults attend religious services weekly, down from 30% about 15 years ago.While frequent religious service attendance has historically been associated with lower alcohol consumption, Americans are drinking less overall, including those who attend services less frequently.Full story: https://t.co/1NFtPa2KZK

— Gallup (@Gallup) October 16, 2026

Evangelical and Inclusive is a very important resource for anyone wanting to think about the present and possible future of the Church of England because it sets out the stall of the Inclusive Evangelicals group in a very clear fashion. If you want to know what Inclusive Evangelicals stands for, read this book.

However, for the reasons set out above, Evangelical and Inclusive is not a book that makes a persuasive case for conservative evangelicals (or anyone else) abandoning the Church of England’ s traditional position regarding marriage and human sexuality. Furthermore, for a book of essays by network of people who think of themselves as ‘inclusive,’ the collection is surprisingly exclusive as far as conservative evangelicals are concerned (hence the title of my review).

The big issue facing the Church of England in the five years of the next General Synod will be how those with conservative and inclusive  views regarding marriage and human sexuality can co-exist within the Church of England in a way that enables both sides to remain true to their convictions.

No one in this collection addresses this issue.  In so far as they touch on the future of the Church of England, they seem to see it in exclusively inclusivist terms. By contrast, the proposal for a provincial level settlement made by CEEC and the Alliance acknowledges that provision will need to be made within the Church of England for those taking an inclusive position and proposes a way for this to happen that would enable both conservative and inclusive Anglicans to teach and practice their own beliefs about marriage and human sexuality within their own provinces while still recognising each other as Christians and still being part of a single, albeit internally differentiated, Church of England.

This is a truly inclusive proposal, in the sense that it makes proper provision for everyone, so why aren’t inclusive evangelicals prepared to discuss it?

Read it all.

Martin Davie–Exclusively inclusive? – A review of David Runcorn (ed) Evangelical and Inclusive https://t.co/dUqs0RK3KZ ‘Evangelical and Inclusive is not a book that makes a persuasive case for conservative evangelicals (or anyone else) abandoning the Church of England’ s traditional position regarding marriage and human sexuality. Furthermore, for a book of essays by network of people who think of themselves as ‘inclusive,’ the collection is surprisingly exclusive as far as conservative evangelicals are concerned’ [book cover $AMZN] #theology #books #anthropology #sex #ethics #21stc #anglican

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 16, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has taken as his motto “In Illo uno unum”: In the one Christ we are one. Last November he joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and other Orthodox representatives to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The pope and the ecumenical patriarch affirmed in a joint declaration their churches’ orientation toward “the hoped-for restoration of full communion.” Even Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who leads one of the Orthodox churches most skeptical about Rome, has expressed hope that relations “will progressively develop for a joint witness to Christ.”

These symbolic gestures don’t directly address the longstanding theological barriers, but there has been some progress over the past several years. The 2023 Alexandria Document was an important step toward a joint understanding of papal authority, though not all Orthodox churches ratified the statement.

Patriarch Bartholomew, for his part, has prayed that the obstacles of the filioque—Rome’s teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, rather than from the Father alone—and papal infallibility be resolved so that they “no longer serve as stumbling blocks to the communion of our churches.” The patriarch mentioned these two obstacles intentionally, and a joint international commission plans to examine them head-on over the next several years.

But reunion is the work of all believers, not just hierarchs and theologians.

Read it all.

From @WSJopinion: Two churches divided by a common faith. The estrangement between Orthodox Christians and Catholics is a scandal, writes Dmitri Solzhenitsyn. https://t.co/wUfuzWTElQ

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 16, 2026

The robot takeover looks a lot different from what we see in Hollywood thrillers.

Even as artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robots dance, box and beat human running-speed records, the physical bots showing up in our daily lives in Los Angeles are less Terminator and more R2-D2.

On a Wednesday afternoon at Ralphs on Pico Boulevard, a skinny, six-foot-tall tower of sensors rolled through the aisles. It made low beeping noises, its lights flickering purple and green. A small screen on the top of the tower had two blinking eyes and a small line of text. “Hi, I’m Tally!”

“Robot! Robot!” a young boy yelled. Some adults looked confused; others laughed.

Ricardo Valadez, a 62-year-old real estate agent from Mid-City and Ralphs regular, said he felt like the robot was stalking him around the store but was reassured by an employee that it just checks the shelves to see what is missing or out of place.

“I was kind of like, ‘What the hell is that?'” Valadez said. “I don’t know why; I felt that it was following me.”

Read it all.

Page One, @latimesThe “AI Employee of the Month” 🤖 https://t.co/mSrxwtqQFz

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) October 16, 2026

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after the examples of thy servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

16 Oct 1555: Bishops Hugh Latimer & Nicholas Ridley burnt at the stake in #Oxford #otd https://t.co/oEhw5eIe9k

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) October 16, 2026