Features
American hell
The certainty summit
Sanctuary in houses of worship has always been tenuous
Defending dignity at the National Cathedral
Voices
Phil Christman
In praise of unruly children in church
Sometimes they’re the only sign of life amid our solemn boringness.
Samuel Wells
The grace of identity
We tend to think of identity as either fixed or chosen. What if it’s bestowed and revealed, relational and dynamic?
Kelly Brown Douglas
Violence is multidimensional
In order to stop it, we have to understand it.
Brian Bantum
The substance of small things I’ve seen
Hope and change mean something different to me now than they did in 2009.
Books
Poems that help us breathe together
A new anthology edited by US poet laureate Ada Limón invites us into the natural world.
A mother-son road trip across the divide
Jedidiah Jenkins recounts a long drive with his conservative mother—and his attempt to navigate their complicated relationship.
A Hebrew scholar rekindles her love for classic Bible stories
Julie Faith Parker reads the Bible without guilt or shame, leading readers toward a healthier way of relating to scripture.
Fighting climate change with Black soul power
Heather McTeer Toney’s masterful weaving of storytelling, history, hope, and scientific truth is for Black people, White allies, and everyone.
How do we help children weave a healthy faith?
Meredith Miller uses the metaphor of a spiderweb to offer Christian parents and caregivers a new paradigm.
Salman Rushdie returns to the scene
In Knife, the novelist goes back to Chautauqua, where he was nearly killed in a 2022 attack.
A matter of love, not certainty
In Carl Hughes’s hands, Kierkegaard helps to distinguish Luther’s desire for certainty from his appreciation for mystery.
Did the mainline church pave the way for Christian nationalism?
Departments
Jesus the fallible
Why are Trump and Musk blocking the church’s work with refugees?
