Lead story
Editor's note:
The Bible doesn’t shy away from sex. But passing references to it are one thing – and the Song of Songs is another.
Also known as the Song of Solomon, or the Canticle of Canticles, this biblical book is the origin of many famous phrases: “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,” to name just one. The book’s lyric poetry portrays actual and imagined trysts between two lovers, using detailed, sensual descriptions unusual in the Bible. But as much as the book delights some biblical readers, it’s also puzzled them: What’s this poem doing in the Bible? What does it have to do with God, who is alluded to only once?
Jonathan Kaplan, a Hebrew Bible scholar who has written a book on Song of Songs’ interpretations, explains how Jewish and Christian readers have wrestled with its meaning. To many readers, the book’s human-to-human love story is really a metaphor for something vaster: a celebration of the love between God and his people.
Religion News
Pastors' view: Sermons written by ChatGPT will have no soul
Among sermon writers, there is fascination – and unease – over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the consensus is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching. By David Crary/The Associated Press
Hindus only: How religious nationalism has spread through India’s villages
A village of just 250 families put up a clear warning to non-Hindus wanting to enter. By Priyadarshini Sen/Religion News Service
Stanley Rother, an Oklahoma-born Catholic priest, was shot to death while a missionary in Guatemala in 1981. He became the first person born in the United States to be declared a martyr by the Catholic Church, and there’s now a $50 million shrine built to honor him in Oklahoma City. By Bobby Ross Jr./The Associated Press
Minnesota Buddhist temple opens up sacred dance troupe
Started by Cambodian refugees who fled the Khmer Rouge, the Buddhist temple of Watt Munisotaram has evolved into a majestic structure with golden spires dominating the Minnesota farmland. This winter, it’s trying something new to draw in younger faithful – an open enrollment call for its sacred dance troupe. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press
Why students at a Kentucky Christian school are praying and singing round the clock
Students have packed the chapel and overflow spaces at Asbury University for nearly a week, holding round-the-clock prayer and worship. By Bob Smietana/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
The latest PRRI survey shows it's a Black-white thing. By Mark Silk/Religion News Service
On Valentine's Day, a scholar of South Asian religions tells the story of the divine love of Radha and Krishna and the lessons in it for our world today. By Jeffery D. Long for The Conversation
Millions of enslaved Africans were forcefully converted to the Christian faith. The Black church came about when African Americans began to establish their own congregations. By Jason Oliver Evans for The Conversation
Lucian’s work provides insight into the second-century Roman world, which fostered multilingualism and multiculturalism. By Eleni Bozia for The Conversation
Restorers Chiara Zizola, right, and Roberto Nardi work on the restoration of the mosaics that adorn the dome of one of the oldest churches in Florence, St. John's Baptistery, in Florence, central Italy, Tuesday Feb. 7, 2023. The restoration work will be done from an innovative scaffolding shaped like a giant mushroom that will stand for the next six years in the center of the church, and that will be open to visitors allowing them for the first and perhaps only time, to come come face to face with more than 1,000 square meters of precious mosaics covering the dome. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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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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