This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.
Two weeks ago, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments in a battle between a Texas college and the faith group that founded it.
The United Methodist Church is fighting to maintain control over Southern Methodist University, or SMU, which asserted in 2019 that it’s led by a board of trustees, not church officials.
“The private university abruptly changed its articles of incorporation and named its own board as its ‘ultimate authority,’” according to The New York Times. “The university’s articles of incorporation previously stated that the school would be ‘forever owned, maintained and controlled’” by Methodist leaders.
The school’s move to create more distance between itself and the denomination came as the United Methodist Church was wrestling with church policies on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. The UMC has since adopted a more liberal stance on those issues, but SMU remains committed to extricating itself from the denomination.
The lawsuit in front of the Texas Supreme Court was brought by United Methodist leaders, who argue that SMU can’t break away without approval from the church, per Inside Higher Ed.
SMU leaders, on the other hand, say that their deference to board members makes sense under Texas law and claim that the denomination has not provided funds or administrative guidance to the university for several years.
“The university also argued that the church had already been ‘ceasing to play any role in administering SMU’ by not sending representatives to board meetings, participating in tenure and hiring decisions, or contributing much money to the university,” Inside Higher Ed reported.
SMU won at the district court level, but then an appellate court in Texas sided with the United Methodist Church.
The Texas Supreme Court’s decision will hold implications not just for Southern Methodist University, but for religious institutions across the country. Some legal schools believe a win for SMU will prompt more religious schools to reexamine their relationship with their founding church.
Fresh off the press
U.S. Catholic leaders respond to criticism from Vice President JD Vance
Can states fund religious charter schools? The Supreme Court will decide
‘Conclave’ receives 8 Oscar nominations after facing pushback over its portrayal of Catholics
A pastor tried to house homeless people. He ended up in court — and was found guilty last week
‘Radical left hard line Trump hater’: Why the president criticized an Episcopal bishop
Joe Biden’s religious freedom legacy and what it means for the future
Term of the week: Prosperity gospel
The prosperity gospel is a theological movement that presents extreme wealth as a blessing from God that comes as a result of acts of generosity.
Prosperity gospel preachers teach that “God wants to make followers materially wealthy and will do so if individuals hold certain beliefs or perform specific actions,” per Lifeway Research.
The Revs. Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn and Paula White-Cain are among the most prominent proponents of the prosperity gospel in the U.S. religious landscape.
A new Lifeway Research survey found that most Protestant pastors are opposed to prosperity gospel teachings, including the idea that God wants his followers to be rich.
“Fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) Protestant pastors believe individuals must do something for God in order to receive material blessings from Him,” researchers wrote.
What I’m reading...
The Colorado Supreme Court determined last week that elephants are not people. Yes, you read that right. In a unanimous decision, the justices determined that elephants at a zoo in Colorado Springs could not sue for their release since only humans have standing to bring such a lawsuit, as The Washington Post reported.
My colleague Krysyan Edler, who is a sports and features writer in addition to the editor of this newsletter, attended a Jewish comedy night on Saturday to hear BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff talk about his faith — and crack some jokes.
Last week, my favorite podcast on “The Bachelor” (yes, I listen to more than one) released an episode featuring a Jewish contestant from the most recent season of “The Bachelorette.” Jeremy Simon told the “Love to See It” hosts about his experience on the show and why he wanted to discuss his faith with the lead, Jenn Tran.
The Sundance Film Festival kicked off in Utah last week, and my colleague, Lottie Elizabeth Johnson, attended a screening of a new documentary about former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who famously met with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while in office. The documentary explores Ardern’s effort to balance parenting and politics.
Odds and ends
The Supreme Court has ramped up its religion-related case load rather quickly. Since Dec. 13, it’s added three religious freedom battles to its schedule, and it may not be done yet. I’m mentally preparing myself to have a busy spring doing in-depth case previews and oral arguments coverage.
Here are my breaking news stories about the three cases: