Stories of hope, light and strength to begin in the new year

+ editors' and readers' favorites on ethics and religion US Edition - Today's top story: Joy and grief will coexist as Americans return to pre-pandemic life – 'everyday memorials' will help [View in browser]( US Edition | 1 January 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to 2022! As we look to the new year, a snapshot of the most-read stories on the Ethics and Religion desk provides a glimpse into what resonated with readers last year. With mistrust and false claims running rife, a piece that repudiated conspiracy theorists’ claims that the COVID-19 vaccine was linked to the “mark of the beast” – a reference to Satan in the Bible – was read widely. Eric M. Vanden Eykel, a scholar of early Christian literature, [provided historical context]( on how the reference has been used to demonize many things in the past, with the COVID-19 vaccine being but the latest example. Readers, it appeared, were also looking out to find some joy, so a story on [Judaism’s most joyous holiday, Purim, touched a chord](. Interestingly, a third piece that got reader attention was on magic. Scholar Shaily Shashikant Patel, [explaining the place of magic in early Christianity](, wrote about why its appeal lies in “gaining special control over an uncertain world” – a sentiment many of us would relate to in these pandemic times. After a lengthy period of dealing with long-haul COVID, I was ready to embrace life and its joys in 2021, but then COVID-19 hit my native country of India and I lost some dear friends in its rapid devastation. What resonated for me at the time was a poignant piece from University of Southern California’s David Sloane in which he explained how the emotions of both “grieving” and “wanting to celebrate” [can exist at the same time](, and that finding moments of happiness does not dishonor our love for our lost dear ones. Overall, it was stories of hope, light and strength that most appealed to me. A piece that I loved was on the [Iranian celebration of welcoming light soon after the winter solstice](. I also liked a piece from two Afghan scholars on the [long history of Afghan women’s history of resistance and political dissent](, which gave context to a common narrative of Muslim women needing to be “saved,” Wazhmah Osman and Helena Zeweri write. Editor Matt Williams, who moved to cover breaking news after over a year of stellar contributions on Ethics & Religion, writes of his two favorites from his time on the desk: “At a time when the American population is increasingly turning away from organized religion, pro-religious interest groups are seemingly becoming more active. Kristina Lee of Colorado State University wrote about this for us, including an article exploring how Christian nationalists are instituting In God We Trust bills in a bid to encourage what she describes as "theistnormativity” – that is, the process by which a [belief in a deity is seen as the American norm](, to the exclusion of atheists in political life and the erosion of the line between state and church. “On the issue of state and church separation, in another piece, scholar Steven Green explored how [justices have put religion firmly on a ‘winning streak’]( in cases before the highest court of the land. With Roe v. Wade under threat, it will be headline news this year too.” Molly Jackson, who joined us in August 2021, helped us close the year, as she says, with “a tour de force” – a [series of stories we did in partnership with The Associated Press and Religion News Service on women’s spiritual leadership](. On her favorites, Molly writes: “And for something delightfully different? Witches and whales. These were two of the stories I had most fun editing this fall. Never did I expect a pitch about what sorceresses smelled like in ancient literature, but Britta Ager’s piece dives into how views of women, perfume and magic have been [intertwined for centuries](. Aaron Sachs, meanwhile, writes about ["Moby-Dick” as a lesson for our times](. Peel back the top layer of this eccentric novel about life on a whaling ship, and there’s a story of resilience and interconnectedness that bears hearing as the world confronts climate change. As we step into 2022, I hope you can find a bit of magic, lots of joy and the openness to receive each ray of light that comes your way, while we will continue to bring you incisive analysis of events shaping our world. Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you give now to support our work, our board will match your donation, up to $40,000. [Double my donation]( Editors' picks Part of the joy of emerging from the pandemic has been to once again be able to hug friends and family. Jose Jordan/AFP via Getty Images [Joy and grief will coexist as Americans return to pre-pandemic life – ‘everyday memorials’ will help]( David Sloane, University of Southern California Many people are starting to celebrate the return to a pre-pandemic life. How does that feel to those who have suffered losses and are still grieving? Christian nationalists are pushing for ‘In God We Trust’ to be omnipresent. Joe Longobardi Photography via Getty Images [How ‘In God We Trust’ bills are helping advance a Christian nationalist agenda]( Kristina M. Lee, Colorado State University ‘In God We Trust’ became the national motto of the US on July 30, 1956. Since then, it has been used to forward a conservative Christian agenda. Perfumes, potions and witches have been entwined for centuries. Frederick Stuart Church/Smithsonian American Art Museum/Wikimedia Commons [Smells like witch spirit: How the ancient world’s scented sorceresses influence ideas about magic today]( Britta Ager, Arizona State University Scent and magic have been entwined in our imaginations for centuries – right up to today’s witch-inspired perfumes. - [Afghan women have a long history of taking leadership and fighting for their rights]( Wazhmah Osman, Temple University; Helena Zeweri, University of Virginia Two Afghan women scholars write about how Afghan women’s groups have been fighting for human rights, both now and historically. - [A Persian festival, Yalda, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, with pomegranates, poetry and sacred rituals]( Pardis Mahdavi, Arizona State University People stay up all night, telling stories and eating dried fruits, in addition to watermelon and pomegranate, to celebrate the sunrise soon after the longest night of the year. - [How the Supreme Court found its faith and put ‘religious liberty’ on a winning streak]( Steven K. Green, Willamette University Conservative justices are redefining religious freedom to mean the protection of individuals or groups to practice their faith as they see fit, argues a constitutional law expert. - [The lessons ‘Moby-Dick’ has for a warming world of rising waters]( Aaron Sachs, Cornell University Melville’s epic novel about life aboard a wayward whaling ship holds lessons for the climate crisis today. Reader favorites - [No, the COVID-19 vaccine is not linked to the mark of the beast – but a first-century Roman tyrant probably is]( Eric M. Vanden Eykel, Ferrum College Some fringe conspiracy theorists are connecting COVID-19 vaccines to the mark of the beast. A religion scholar explains why the biblical reference should be considered in its first-century context. - [How New York’s 19th-century Jews turned Purim into an American party]( Zev Eleff, Touro College In the 19th century, Purim became an occasion to hold fancy dress parties, the proceeds from which were given to charities. These parties helped American Jews gain a standing among the elite. - [Is magic immoral? It played a role in the development of early Christianity]( Shaily Shashikant Patel, Virginia Tech Although many modern people tend to see ‘magic’ and ‘religion’ as separate, magic was actually integral to the development of Christianity. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](