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An American Baptist church in Iowa City has announced that it will perform same-sex weddings, presumably the state’s first Baptist congregation to do so since Iowa’s Supreme Court legalized gay mar...

Something just clicked for Charity Roberson, and she knew it was time for her to be baptized....

After 40 years of protests, the Wilming­ton Ten, a group of nine black men and a white women, were pardoned (four posthumously) as innocent in a civil rights–era case of firebombing a grocery s...

As the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, returned to class in January for the first time since December’s deadly shooting spree, they and their parents were greeted ...

The early history of Alcoholics Anonymous has always fascinated me, so I was eager to see the much heralded new documentary Bill W.

This graphic from the Wall Street Journal is amazing. The article does point out that tax increases coming out of the fiscal-cliff deal will affect all workers—because of the end of the payroll tax holiday—not just those whose taxes on wage income and investments are going up. But the graphic sticks with the six-figure folks, all drawn to look rather put upon.

As I mentioned before, I’ve been reading this strange book called The Spiritual Meadow, written by sixth-century wandering monk John Moschos. One of the last stories in the book was as relevant to my daily existence as any story I have read in a long time. I have only the vaguest idea what it means, but I do know it’s another weird monk joke. And this one was aimed directly at me. The story goes like this: In the ancient city of Antioch, the church had various kinds of social services. “A man who was a friend of Christ” used to gather supplies and give them out to people in need.

New today from the Century: Carol Zaleski on the Bill W. doc, Steve Thorngate on the WSJ's idea of a struggling taxpayer, more.

U.S. religious communities' responses to the Vietnam War have been amply documented. What about the religious battles within Vietnam itself?

Since I am curious about new versions of the Bible, I picked up a copy of The Books of the Bible, an edition without section headings or chapter and verse divisions....

New today from the Century: The Vietnamese diaspora, a Bible without numbers, more.

The National Cathedral’s going to start doing same-sex weddings! Here’s what prominent conservative blogger Allahpundit has to say: [The cathedral is] nominally Episcopal but I’ve always thought of it as the beating heart of ceremonial deism, so no surprise that it would shift as the wider public does. Say this for [Dean Gary Hall], too: He makes no bones about his political intentions. Although if you’re head of the National Cathedral and reaching out to press a hot button, why bother doing that? Why pretend it’s a purely religious decision when it’s not? Allahpundit is obviously right about the ceremonial deism part. And I’ll be the first to admit that this strange American habit is bad for church and state alike. But it’s absurd to suggest that the National Cathedral is only “nominally Episcopal.”

Humans can't flourish without institutions, flawed as they are. Holding them accountable, and increasing their capacity, enhances human life.

Breast-feeding is quiet and holy work—rocking, comforting, studying each other’s face and skin-to-skin bonding....

It turns out Louie Giglio won’t be giving the benediction at Obama’s second inauguration. Who will? Jack Jenkins is right: Minerva Carcaño, Otis Moss, Gary Hall and Brian McLaren are all fine options. Joanna Brooks is right, too: so are Pratima Dharm, Sharon Braus, Sanaa Nadim, Anapesi Kali and Valarie Kaur. Ed Kilgore suggests his own pastor, who’s related to Ron and Rand Paul. Sounds okay, too.

New today from the Century: Why people need institutions, social ethics and Les Mis, more.

I have long said that one day I’d like to write an article or a book examining the theology and social ethics of Les Miserables. The recent release of the newest film adaptation has spurred some theological commentary across the internet on this subject. Two of the best examples of this are Beth Haile’s use of the film as a typology of ethical theories and Richard Beck’s “missional” interpretation of individual mercy in light of social justice.

Thomas Jefferson is back in Washington – in the form of a new edition of the "Jefferson Bible" distributed to politicians by a national humanist organization....

SPOKANE, Wash....

Myrlie Evers-Williams, 79, the widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, will be the first laywoman to give an invocation at a presidential inauguration when she prays at President Obama's s...