Latest Articles
Chaste romance: The lure of Amish fiction
Might Christian nostalgia—wrapped in a cape dress and sealed with a kiss—have an interest in the future as well as the past?
First responders of last resort
Whenever something sad or evil happens in the world, I think of the church....
The gift of loving
This week's reading tells us in clear, compelling words where the Christian life begins and ends, where the church finds its purpose. It’s not with condemnation; it’s with love. It’s a commandment from Christ. It’s a gift, and it is new. What an interesting collection of descriptors.
Culture of violence
We had a week of frightening headlines as each day greeted us with a new horror. Yet, the chorus soothes my troubled soul as I inhale and imagine God filling me with peace in the midst of all those dreadful dispatches.
Monday digest
New today from the Century: Valerie Weaver-Zercher on Amish-themed fiction, Amy Plantinga Pauw on new books in theology, more.
Should We Live Forever? by Gilbert Meilaender
By book 10 of his Confessions, Augustine has completed the narration of his long, often tortuous spiritual journey from paganism to Christianity....
Going Clear, by Lawrence Wright
I’m sure it’s only a coincidence, but nearly every time I’ve shoehorned a brief lecture on Scientology into my survey of religion in North America course—brief because I’m not at all sure it merits...
After failed self-immolation, Tibetan says 'I won't repeat it'
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
Human and holy: Texts for preaching
At this point in my preaching journey, I find myself drawing on or being informed by the writings of theologian Howard Thurman, novelist Toni Morrison and poet Langston Hughes, as well as the musical literature known as the spirituals.
Seasoned with poetry: Texts for preaching
One night recently I was reading to my children a book about songbirds. There we discovered one of the most beautiful things in the world: a brood patch.
Texts for preaching: Spring books
What reading do ministers rely on for inspiration or help in preaching—apart from commentaries or other materials directly related to the task?
Boston terror takes chaplains to new ground
Two days after the Boston Marathon bombings, Boston Medical Center chaplain Sister Maryanne Ruzzo was checking on staffers who’d been caring for the inju...
Faith-based gun control advocates on the Senate's failure to act
After the Senate refused to take up several gun-control proposals Wednesday, I checked in with faith-based activists on the legislative process. (See my earlier Century article.) Many expressed frustration but also tentative hope for future prospects. "I'm deeply disappointed and very angry at the vise grip the NRA has on this issue," says Katherine Willis Pershey of the #ItIsEnough campaign.
Many activists weren't thrilled with the legislation to begin with.
The joy of (inferior) cooking
Matt Yglesias makes some interesting points here, and I'll echo his pick for best pizza place in DC. Still: if making homemade pizza is doing it wrong, I don’t want to do it right.
Friday digest
New today from the Century: Faith-based gun control activists, the joy of homemade pizza, more.
A book’s life: One reader to another
When you buy a used book, it's like joining a conversation in progress—a conversation that may outlast you.