Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Palestine, China, and Russia.
AROUND THE WORLD
A Leaderless Palestinian Revolt Proves More Difficult to Curb
by Isabel Kershner and Jodi Rudoren
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/world/middleeast/a-leaderless-palestinian-revolt-proves-more-diffi...
With no peace process to speak of and a political leadership that lacks the public’s confidence, Palestinians described the emergence of a smoldering, improvised intifada unlike the organized suicide bombings of a decade ago or the stone-throwing protests of the late 1980s.
The Rise of Christianity in China
by Jamil Anderlini
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a6d2a690-6545-11e4-91b1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3IrwobyrV
The state’s response to this resurgence of faith is an escalating campaign of repression.
Freud and the Middle East
by Thomas Friedman
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/freud-and-the-middle-east.html
There are so many conflicting dreams and nightmares playing out among our Middle East allies in the war on ISIS that Freud would not have been able to keep them straight.
Russia Gets Religion
by Joshua Keating
Slate
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2014/11/russia_orthodox_church_will_vladi...
Is Vladimir Putin trying to build a new Orthodox empire?
Swiftboating in the Islamic Republic
by Hossein Bastani
Foreign Policy
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/11/11/iran_compromise_rouhani_nuclear_deal_ashura_imam_hu...
Forget flip-flopping; the worst thing a politician in Iran can be accused of being is “heroically flexible.”
St. Francis Manuscripts Headed to US, in First Trip out of Italy in 700 Years
by Gaia Pianigiani
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/world/europe/st-francis-manuscripts-bound-for-us-display.html
Leaving Italy for the first time in 700 years, 13 medieval manuscripts of the 19 artifacts from the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi will be shown at the United Nations headquarters Nov. 17-28.
DOMESTIC
US Bishops Struggle to Follow Lead of Francis
by Laurie Goodstein
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/us/change-urged-by-pope-francis-is-rattling-hierarchy-of-roman-cat...
Change is rattling the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, as the American bishops hold their annual fall meeting here this week. The vast majority of them were appointed by Francis’ two more conservative predecessors, and some say they do not yet understand what kind of change Pope Francis envisions and whether it is anything more than a change in tone.
A Leaderless Palestinian Revolt Proves More Difficult to Curb
by Isabel Kershner and Jodi Rudoren
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/world/middleeast/a-leaderless-palestinian-revolt-proves-more-diffi...
With no peace process to speak of and a political leadership that lacks the public’s confidence, Palestinians described the emergence of a smoldering, improvised intifada unlike the organized suicide bombings of a decade ago or the stone-throwing protests of the late 1980s.
The Rise of Christianity in China
by Jamil Anderlini
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a6d2a690-6545-11e4-91b1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3IrwobyrV
The state’s response to this resurgence of faith is an escalating campaign of repression.
Freud and the Middle East
by Thomas Friedman
New York Times op-ed
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/freud-and-the-middle-east.html
There are so many conflicting dreams and nightmares playing out among our Middle East allies in the war on ISIS that Freud would not have been able to keep them straight.
Russia Gets Religion
by Joshua Keating
Slate
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2014/11/russia_orthodox_church_will_vladi...
Is Vladimir Putin trying to build a new Orthodox empire?
Swiftboating in the Islamic Republic
by Hossein Bastani
Foreign Policy
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/11/11/iran_compromise_rouhani_nuclear_deal_ashura_imam_hu...
Forget flip-flopping; the worst thing a politician in Iran can be accused of being is “heroically flexible.”
St. Francis Manuscripts Headed to US, in First Trip out of Italy in 700 Years
by Gaia Pianigiani
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/world/europe/st-francis-manuscripts-bound-for-us-display.html
Leaving Italy for the first time in 700 years, 13 medieval manuscripts of the 19 artifacts from the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi will be shown at the United Nations headquarters Nov. 17-28.
DOMESTIC
US Bishops Struggle to Follow Lead of Francis
by Laurie Goodstein
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/us/change-urged-by-pope-francis-is-rattling-hierarchy-of-roman-cat...
Change is rattling the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, as the American bishops hold their annual fall meeting here this week. The vast majority of them were appointed by Francis’ two more conservative predecessors, and some say they do not yet understand what kind of change Pope Francis envisions and whether it is anything more than a change in tone.
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