Features
Right-brained apologetics: Writer Francis Spufford
“There needs to be a reason before the reasons began why you’d engage with an argument about God at all. This, I think, is where it makes sense to speak in the language of experience, of emotion.”
Refuge in Uganda: A poor nation opens its doors
Uganda hosts one refugee for every 160 residents. That’s more than seven times the burden the U.S. bears.
To give and to receive
Christmas recommendations from Century editors and columnists.
Hyphenated life: Mixed loyalties in family and faith
As the imam spoke, it struck me that a whole generation of Muslim Americans would grow up feeling the weight of self-consciousness.
The other woman
Hagar’s story has often been read as if it explains some inevitable animosity among the Abrahamic faiths. We should try reading it differently.
Books
Healthy Churches, Faithful Pastors, by David Keck
David Keck offers a refreshing addition to the conversation about vocational expectations. Eugene Peterson’s vision of holiness resonates with Keck, but Keck takes a different tack.
Days of Fire, by Peter Baker
Few Americans today could identify any of FDR’s vice presidents. Yet little surprise is occasioned by Peter Baker’s treatment of Dick Cheney as a costar with George W. Bush.
Aquinas on the Beginning and End of Human Life, by Fabrizio Amerini
Fabrizio Amerini’s analysis creates precision about Aquinas on beginning-of-life issues—something other accounts, especially abortion polemics, often lack.
The preacher’s wife
In a crucial scene of Marilynne Robinson’s new novel, Lila spends the morning thinking, has lunch, then thinks some more. Why isn’t this boring?
Jesus against the Scribal Elite, by Chris Keith
Chris Keith sets out to answer two questions. What lay at the heart of the conflict between Jesus and some of the religious authorities of his day? And how, if at all, did Jesus read Israel’s scriptures?
Departments
Pickles: A history
Social microhistories can capture big ideas. I’d like to write one on pickles, which are as fundamental to civilization as anything in Chesterton’s pockets.
Music that changes
As new forms of congregations arise, new musical forms are developing. Walls are coming down—secular vs. sacred, intellect vs. emotion, contemporary vs. traditional.
Adoration of the Magi, by Gentile da Fabriano (ca. 1423)
The adoration of the Magi was an important subject for Florentines, as many men were part of the civic organization dedicated to the Magi....
Serious waiting
For many of us, Advent is the most meaningful season of the church year. It’s not passive waiting; it’s living into the promised future.
Cosmic questions
“Are we alone in the universe?” is always a question about God’s existence. The film Interstellar shows this clearly.
Refugee crisis
As many as 13.6 million people have been displaced by the conflicts in Iraq and Syria. What can American Christians do?
News
Insurgents displace Nigerian Christians
In the violence inflicted by Boko Haram insurgents in northeastern Nigeria, the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) has been increasingly caught in the middle....
After ten years of debate, Jerusalem elects rabbis for its two top positions
After more than a decade of rancorous debates and court decisions over the election of two chief rabbis of Jerusalem, Aryeh Stern and Shlomo Amar were chosen for the roles....
Federal court of appeals reverses judge’s decision on clergy housing taxes
A federal court of appeals rejected a case brought by an atheist organization that would have declared tax-exempt clergy housing allowances unconstitutional....
Tensions rise in Jerusalem over site of Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock
A site holy to both Jews and Muslims, the Temple Mount—known as the Haram al-Sharif to Muslims—is at the center of an intense debate....
Egypt’s Christians, attacked for supporting coup leader, await rebuilding
(The Christian Science Monitor) At the Amir Tadros Church in Minya, worshipers pray in what amounts to a building site....
Lectionary
Nativity, December 24 and 25, 2014: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
It is not as though Mary and Joseph have a choice.
Sunday, December 21, 2014: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:26-38
God’s word to Nathan and Gabriel’s word to Mary hold a tension that’s at the heart of biblical faith.
Sunday, December 14, 2014: Luke 1:46b-55
Mary’s song marks a transformation from seeing her condition’s weight to receiving a new power within the situation. And then, finally, she is a participant in the work of God’s spirit.