Church
A heart broken open
When the teenager stepped into the pulpit, her IV pump slung over her shoulder, the congregation grew quiet.
Craig Dykstra saw things afresh
The longtime Lilly Endowment vice president’s impact is felt in the hospitable spaces he cultivated, the disciplined reflection he nurtured, and the ripple effects of a life well lived.
Knowledge is not enough
Patience, kindness, and love are far more valuable to the formation of our faith communities.
June 1, Easter 7 (John 17:20-26)
The question of unity always raises another question: On whose terms?
Nicene myths
The Athanasians won, so they got to tell the story of Arianism. Arius would barely have recognized it.
The church has a DEI problem
We love diversity. That doesn’t mean we’re willing to make room for difference.
Black Church is my mother tongue
To speak Black Church is to dwell in a world of metaphors about a God who is engaged in the lives of Black people.
We are not living in a postcolonial world
Many church folk use the word decolonization while ignoring its only goal: returning Indigenous lands to Indigenous hands.
In praise of unruly children in church
Sometimes they’re the only sign of life amid our solemn boringness.
The mysticism of Thea Bowman
As I studied Christian mystics, I kept wondering where the Black women were. Then I discovered Sister Thea.
The story of Richmond’s “cathedral of the Confederacy”
Christopher Graham’s book focuses on the racism of one Virginia congregation. It will challenge all those who cause harm in the name of virtue.
White supremacy shows up in unexpected places
Supremacy feels so good on the inside that we are all vulnerable to its sirens.
Why are Trump and Musk blocking the church’s work with refugees?
An administration that presents itself as the champion of beleaguered Christians is instead spreading lies about them.
March 2, Transfiguration (Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a))
Peter, James, and John are all of us.
America’s real sister act
“When we narrate the history of the church from the perspective of Black nuns,” says historian Shannen Dee Williams, “myths about the Catholic past fall quickly and they fall hard.”
The privilege of ministry
Demoralization among clergy is high—and with good reason. But we need another narrative besides burnout.