Features
In Bonhoeffer’s company: Biographer Charles Marsh
"Bonhoeffer came to embody some of the contradictions modernity imposed on the faith. I could happily spend the rest of my life sorting through this."
A broader appeal: How crowdfunding inspires creative ministry
Decades ago, when a need arose at a church in rural Kansas, the finance chair would ask, "Who'll give 25 dollars?" Today, we have Kickstarter.
Ministry puts ministers at risk
Our call is a close call, one that draws us close to the sharp edges of life. "While we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake."
Claims on Bonhoeffer: The misuse of a theologian
People appeal to Bonhoeffer to justify a range of moral choices. They tend to ignore his emphasis on context and the need for constant discernment.
Warm and warmer: One degree can be a big difference
In Oslo, the freeze-thaw cycle of a warm winter made my bike commute unpleasant. Elsewhere, it's a matter of survival.
A grassroots jubilee: Debt resister Thomas Gokey
"One of the powers of debt is to isolate us. We have to overcome that isolation, and it's tricky."
Books
Penelope Fitzgerald, by Hermione Lee
Penelope Fitzgerald wrote her first novel at 60 and became famous at 80. "How does she do it?" asked A. S. Byatt. Hermione Lee tries to answer.
The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, edited by Gianfranco Malafarina
In The Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, the darling among splendidly artistic cathedrals is stunningly brought to life.
Homely Abe
Today Lincoln is remembered mostly for his ideals. In his lifetime, people were fascinated with his appearance. This is Richard Wightman Fox's starting point.
Europe and the Islamic World, by John Tolan, Gilles Veinstein, and Henry Laurens
Europe and the Islamic World is a grandly ambitious attempt to sketch the interaction of faiths and regions from the seventh century to the present.
Departments
Desired things
Be humble. Think of the imagination of God that brought creation into being; there could have been nothing.
Innovation’s midwives
SFTS understands that the church is in the midst of a transformation. Its new center aims to meet new challenges—and to welcome institutional change.
Holy Trinity, by Masaccio (1401–1428)
Holy Trinity was executed around 1426–27 and is located in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence....
Blind vigilante
Typical superheroes have no religion; they are quasi-religious saviors. This makes the hero of the new Netflix series Daredevil unusual.
Lovable winners?
Chicago preachers are wary: we see the potential loss of great sermon material if the Cubs should start winning.
Brutalized in Baltimore
By the time of Freddie Gray's arrest, his part of town was already awash in legitimate grievances against the police.
News
David Esterline to be next president of Pittsburgh seminary: People
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has named David Esterline as its next president. He will begin in the role on June 15 and also serve as professor of cross-cultural theological education....
Nepal quake harms houses of worship
When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake roared through the Himalayan nation of Nepal on April 25, it left more than 7,500 dead and more than 14,000 injured....
Maryland bishop charged in DUI death defrocked by Episcopal Church
An Episcopal bishop in Maryland who is facing manslaughter charges in the drunk-driving death of a bicyclist has been defrocked and “will no longer function as an ordained person in the Episcopal Church.”...
Jean-Clement Jeanbart, Syrian Christian leader, tours U.S.
During a recent tour of the United States, Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, described the fighting that erupted Easter weekend, targeting the Christian quarter of the city and killing and injuring dozens....
Mary Ann Walsh, longtime Catholic bishops’ spokeswoman, dies at 68
Mary Ann Walsh, 68, a longtime spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, died on April 28....
Judge rules controversial ad is allowed on NYC transit
(The Christian Science Monitor) A federal judge in Manhattan ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display a controversial ad from a pro-free-speech group on buses....
Global Anglican group backs away from split with Anglican Communion
Though viewed by many as schismatic, the Global Anglican Future Conference, a group of conservative Anglicans, says it is not leaving the worldwide Anglican Communion....
Right-to-die legislation weighed in 25 states
More than a dozen states, plus the District of Columbia, are considering legislation on medically assisted death....
Repentance and forgiveness forty years after a lie
(The Christian Science Monitor) A lie landed Ricky Jackson, 58, on death row at age 18....
Lectionary
May 31, Trinity Sunday: John 3:1-17
I wonder if Nicodemus knows what he’s getting into. What draws him to Jesus? What motivates any of us to come to Jesus?