Did a prophet predict Rick Perry's future? The theology matters!
Weekend Plug-in 🔌
Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.
(ANALYSIS) About a year ago, I wrote about the retirement of Tim Funk, the award-winning religion writer for the Charlotte Observer.
But I noticed this week that Funk is back at work for the Observer part time, covering politics.
“North Carolina has a primary on Super Tuesday (March 3) and will again be a battleground state in the fall,” the veteran journalist told me. “Plus, Charlotte is hosting the Republican National Convention in August.
“Besides covering religion during my 34 years at the Observer, I also did politics as Raleigh (state capital) reporter, Washington correspondent and full-time reporter on the Democratic National Convention (when Charlotte hosted it in 2012). It’s fun being back!”
He stressed — since I told him I might mention him at Religion Unplugged — that he’s no longer on the Godbeat.
“I don’t plan to cover religion — except where it intersects with politics,” he said. “Which it seems to do a lot these days.”
Amen!
Funk isn’t the only former religion writer reporting on national politics. Frank Lockwood — once known as the “Bible Belt Blogger” — has served as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Washington correspondent since 2015.
Honestly, I wish more political writers had expertise in religion.
For example, the Dallas Morning News had a story this past week that could have been benefited — greatly — from more attention to theological details.
The story in question concerned Rick Perry, the former longtime Texas governor and U.S. energy secretary. The writer focused on the idea that “a Christian prophet had visions of him and his grandson taking a picture in the Oval Office.” The piece tied “misunderstood prophecy” to Perry’s unsuccessful runs for president and his eventual support of President Donald Trump.
It’s a fascinating storyline, really.
However, I found it frustrating in that the newspaper made little attempt to understand the details from a theological standpoint. Also, who was the purported prophet, and what is her story? Even the use of the term “soothsayer” in the headline seemed to indicate a lack of religious understanding.
A quick bit of Googling found a few more relevant details in this CBN News report on Perry from October.
At the least, I wish the Dallas writer had called a religious expert or two to help explain what evangelical Christians such as Perry believe on dreams and visions.
Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads
1. Trump mocks the faith of others. His own religious practices remain opaque: Washington Post religion writers Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Julie Zauzmer teamed up with White House reporter Josh Dawsey to produce this must-read spotlight on the religion — or not — of President Donald Trump. It’s an exceptional piece that quotes both supporters and opponents of the president. One of the most revealing paragraphs: “Trump does not regularly talk about religion with many of his advisers, who said they knew little about how the president views God. Aides and supporters — including the vice president — have urged him to stop saying ‘goddamn,’ a word particularly offensive to some Christians, and some have been perturbed by his use of profanity in the Oval Office.” (A bit more context on Trump’s potty mouth.)
2. No handshakes: Viral outbreak spooks Asian places of worship: One of the benefits of being a global news organization? The ability to call upon reporters literally around the world when a big story breaks. That’s the case with The Associated Press’ roundup of the coronavirus’ major impact on Asian houses of worship. While the byline belongs to Philippines-based correspondent Jim Gomez, journalists from several other countries contributed to this report. Their names are listed at the bottom of the story.
3. LDS church releases handbook long held secret, changes policies for LGBTQ people: Religion Unplugged’s own Meagan Clark reports on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “merging policies formerly reserved only for church leadership with guidelines for all members and updating various stances on moral issues.” Several policies, Clark notes, relate to LGBTQ people. From the Salt Lake Tribune: Students at Brigham Young University celebrated as the LDS-affiliated higher education institution removed the “Homosexual Behavior” section from its online Honor Code.
Etc.: Dispute over Russell Moore, politics, Trump and money for missions behind ERLC review, Yonat Shimron and Bob Smietana, Religion News Service … Democrats disagree on outreach to anti-abortion swing voters, Elana Schor, Associated Press … With canvas and Quran, one artist aims to make Islamic calligraphy a universal language, Kimberly Winston, Los Angeles Times … Pride and peril as Democrats inch toward first Jewish nominee, Yonat Shimron, RNS … ‘Most visible Jews’ fear being targets as anti-Semitism rises, Liam Stack, New York Times … Too small to hire guards, too worried to go gun-free, community churches are now arming themselves, Reis Thebault, Washington Post … Survivors of church shootings run as gun-rights candidates, Elizabeth Findell, Wall Street Journal … Texas Episcopalians pledge $13M to heal those injured by its history of racism, Robert Downen, Houston Chronicle … Father Josh: A married Catholic priest in a celibate world, Tim Sullivan, AP … Democrats lost white Christians. Can they win them back?, Jack Jenkins, RNS.
Inside The Godbeat: Behind The Bylines
Speaking of the intersection of religion and politics, GetReligion’s Terry Mattingly and Richard Ostling had an interesting discussion about those subjects this week at Ole Miss.
A quick programming note: Mattingly’s microphone doesn’t work for the first eight minutes or so. But it’s fixed then.
While much of the talk focused on the Democratic presidential candidates, moderator Charles Overby asked at one point what Mattingly might do if he suddenly found himself in charge of the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Mattingly mentioned the Times’ ongoing search for a new national correspondent to cover faith and values and be located outside New York and Washington.
“It could be a major event in religion coverage in America if a highly qualified, experienced religion beat reporter gets that job,” the syndicated national religion columnist said.
Ostling, the retired longtime religion writer for The Associated Press and Time magazine, offered his own take: “If I were Marty Baron running the Washington Post, I'd say, 'Keep doing what you're doing.' The Washington Post — day to day, week to week — is beating the New York Times to a bloody pulp on religion coverage.”
Charging Station: In Case You Missed It
Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from Religion Unplugged.
• Why Pope Francis ruled against married priests in the Amazon (by Clemente Lisi)
• Was President Trump disagreeing with Brooks or Jesus at the National Prayer Breakfast? (by Terry Mattingly)
• Is Europe Christian? That depends on what you mean by 'Christian' (by Richard Ostling)
• More Jews are learning to fight anti-Semitism — with their hands (by Micah Danney)
• ‘The West fiddles’ while West Africa burns (by Dr. Jenny Taylor)
• Ugandan Christians honor archbishop killed by dictator (by John Semakula)
• The U.K. breached its Genocide Convention duties without consequences (by Ewelina Ochab)
• Bishop speaks about the explosive rift between Montenegro’s Parliament and the Serbian Orthodox Church (by Jovan Tripkovic)
• Kenyans split over death of past president Daniel Arap Moi (by Tom Osanjo)
The Final Plug
I’ve said this once or twice or a million times before, but the religion beat is never boring.
I was reminded of that this week while talking to a University of Central Oklahoma media ethics class taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Joe Hight.
Actually, at the point of this observation, I was listening to my fellow speaker Carla Hinton, religion editor for The Oklahoman. She was relating to students her experience covering Satanists and a “black mass” at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall in 2014.
In advance of the black mass, she went to breakfast to get to know the Satanists and learn more about their beliefs.
“I’m thinking, ‘When I get home, I can tell my kids I got to have pancakes with the Satanists,’” she quipped.
Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for Religion Unplugged and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.