Lead story
Editor's note:
Does “Hammer of Witches” ring a bell? When I opened my inbox to a pitch about it, the name sounded just vaguely familiar – some kind of old book about sorcery, I thought.
Indeed it is. But it’s not just old, it’s very old: first printed only a few decades after Gutenberg’s printing press took off, and one of the bestsellers of its day. Plenty’s been written about the treatise’s contents, which helped send thousands of women to their deaths after accusations of witchcraft.
But very few people today get to experience “Hammer of Witches” the way Melissa Chim has. As a reference librarian, she can hold this 15th-century text and pore over its actual pages. And those physical pages tell a story of their own, she writes – down to hand-drawn notes and doodles from centuries gone by.
And as Day of the Dead approaches, scholar Mathew Sandoval takes a close look at commercialization. Many people lament how the Mexican holiday’s been mass-marketed. But economic activity has always gone hand in hand with its observance, he argues, and even helped keep it alive.
Religion News
Biden to meet Pope Francis amid some rifts with US bishops
When President Joe Biden meets with Pope Francis, they will be celebrating a shared outlook on church teaching and vital social issues. But at home, Biden is facing strong opposition from many U.S. Catholic bishops over his stances on abortion and LGBTQ rights. By David Crary and Holly Meyer/The Associated Press
A moving 'reunion' for descendants of Holocaust survivors
A remarkable get-together recently took place — in-person and also online — involving descendants of a group of Holocaust survivors. The project unfolded after a Texas woman was going through documents left behind by her deceased father. She found black-and-white photos of him and some other young Jewish men who’d been liberated by U.S. troops from a German concentration camp in 1945. By Bobby Ross Jr./The Associated Press
Rabbis and witches alike are bringing together magic — often called witchcraft — and Jewish ritual. By Heather Greene and Emily McFarlan Miller/Religion News Service
A look back at the history of US presidential visits to the Vatican
Historically, the relationship between the Vatican and the Oval Office has often been tense — even occasionally hostile. By Claire Giangravé/Religion News Service
Across Africa, major churches strongly oppose LGBTQ rights
In the United States, Western Europe and various other regions, some prominent Protestant churches have been vocal advocates for same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. With only a few exceptions, this hasn’t happened in Africa, where Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran leaders are among those opposing such inclusion. By Kwasi Asiedu, Chinedu Asadu, Rodney Muhuzuma and Mogomotsi Magome/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
A scholar of Afghan affairs explains the religious affiliations of different ethnic groups in Afghanistan and why they may not share a common understanding of Islam. By Abdulkadir Sinno for The Conversation
No ambassador has brought a broader knowledge of policy to the post. By Robert P. George, David Saperstein/Religion News Service
A Mexican-American scholar writes that in the 1700s, Day of the Dead generated the largest annual market in Mexico City. By Mathew Sandoval for The Conversation
In Biden's visit with the pope, a page from Reagan's playbook?
Joe Biden may be only the country's second Catholic president, but a long line of U.S. leaders have met with popes over the years. By Steven P. Millies for The Conversation
Khishtan art group perform the Sama dance, or a Sufi dance, at a theater hall in downtown Tehran, Iran, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Sama is a popular form of worship in Sufism. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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