The Crux Weekly: Univ. of Iowa, No Colleges in Gaza, and a Prayer Meeting Before Inauguration
Plus: Researcher Ryan Burge highlights the largest force in the American Church and another reason to pray for international students.
Friends! There is much to meditate on, pray for and work toward where education, politics and following Jesus meet this week. Here are 5 things we believe are worth your time:
Researcher says that non-denominationalism is the strongest force in American Religion
University of Iowa creates new school, closes American, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Departments.
Pray for International Students Coming back to the United States.
Every university in Gaza has been destroyed.
SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER
Seeking God’s divine wisdom in this political season.
On January 17 at 12pm as students return to campus and President-elect Trump and other elected officials prepare to begin their work, we are gathering to pray against hatred, division and violence. Our God’s Good News About Politics’ Bible studies and prayer guides have helped many and our team believes that they will continue to do so in this contentious, divided culture. Make sure to RSVP and we’ll “see” you there.
STATISTICS
Researcher says that non-denominationalism is the strongest force in American Religion
Ryan P. Burge is an American political scientist, statistician, and former Baptist pastor known for studying the intersection of religion and politics. He also teaches at Eastern Illinois University. His substack article on non-denominational folks as the strongest force in American Christianity is great fodder for discussion as students are much more likely to come from or be headed to churches in this disparate tradition. Non-denominational Christianity has experienced significant growth in the United States over recent decades. In the early 1970s, only about 2% of Americans identified as non-denominational Protestants; by 2022, this figure had risen to nearly 15%, representing one-third of all Protestants. This increase contrasts with the decline in membership of traditional denominations, positioning non-denominationalism as a dominant force in American religion today.
STORIES
University of Iowa creates new school, closes American, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Departments.
Many laws are going into effect around the country that are changing how and if students are able to study race, gender, critical theory, intersectionality and other fields that are crucial for analysis, research and mutual respect. These laws include things like the US Supreme Court striking down affirmative action, Florida passing the Stop WOKE act and a federal judges rejecting changes to Title IX that increased protections for LGBTQIA+ students. In response to these shifts, the University of Iowa is closing their Women and Gender studies and American Studies and creating a School of Social and Cultural Analysis to house all studies and related efforts at engaging issues of gender and race.
Pray for International Students Coming back to the United States.
More than 1 million students travel from their home countries to study in the United States. And with the Trump Administration’s unpredictability, many of them are being urged to return to the US sooner. The fear is that travel bans like the ones that disrupted travel for so many could return soon after inauguration. My mother in law was an international student and she and my late father-in-law met at a Christian fellowship at university over 40 years ago. That fellowship is still active. Pray for students and their families that are uncertain and afraid. May God give us the tangible and intangible resources to love and serve them well.
Every university in Gaza is gone.
Every university in Gaza has been destroyed, yet there are professors and educators seeking to serve their students through the trauma and the rubble. Hassan El-Nabih wrote a powerful essay recounting what it’s like to push for access for his students and colleagues in the midst of so much destruction. May God bring His peace, justice and reconciliation and restore they very lands where Jesus walked, taught, was crucified and raised from the dead.
May God guide you as you seek to love and serve Him at the nexus of faith, education and politics. He is faithful!
– jonathan