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September 22, 2021

Volume 138, Issue #19
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Features

First Person

God’s nose

When COVID took my sense of smell, I was drawn to the Bible’s description of God’s.

by Melissa Florer-Bixler

Is Brazil’s Universal Church of the Kingdom of God a field hospital or a marketplace?

A look inside the thriving (and sometimes controversial) neo-Pentecostal denomination

by Paulo Pereira

Critical Essay

The New Testament’s most dangerous book for Jews

Reading and preaching Hebrews without supersessionism

by Jesper Svartvik

Interviews

Leveraging the power of relational organizing in Baltimore

“The historical truth is that no single person—no matter how gifted—has led complex social change on her own.”

Amy Frykholm interviews Glenna Huber and Andrew Connors

Critical Essay

Climate change is a symptom of deeper planetary dysfunction

Five ideas for treating the greater disease

by Ragan Sutterfield

Critical Essay

Climate change is here

How will we adapt?

by Bethany Sollereder

Books

Elle Dowd’s firsthand account of the Ferguson uprising

A memoir of a White moderate’s repentance

by Clint Schnekloth

Rescuing patriotism from nationalism

Constitutional patriotism, Steven Smith argues, is both ethical and necessary.

by Charles Scriven

Sinéad O’Connor knows exactly who she is

Rememberings is the story of a pop star, protest singer, and prophet.

by Jessica Mesman

How Amazon became the behemoth it was designed to be

Alec MacGillis’s history of the tech giant is long-form journalism at its best.

by Celeste Kennel-Shank

Departments

The roots of India’s united churches

How the Church of South India and Church of North India were formed—and how they fare today.

by Philip Jenkins

On Art

Blue Jesus, by Dinah Stafford

At 66, she’s one of the oldest known living persons with Prader-Willi syndrome,” says Gil Stafford, reflecting on his sister’s life, work, and challenges....

art selection and comment by Lil Copan

Faith Matters

Ways to walk

There’s something sacred in choosing to love the world at the speed of walking.

by Debra Dean Murphy

First Words

My history in publishing

The “newspaper” I produced when I was 11 had simpler economics than the Century does.

by Peter W. Marty

From the Editors

The first question about the war in Afghanistan is why we were even there

There was never a good way to leave—or stay.

News

People

Nadia Bolz-Weber installed as ELCA's first pastor of public witness

Nadia Bolz-Weber was installed on August 20 as the first pastor of public witness in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She was called to the role of pastor of public witness by the ELCA’s Rocky Mountain Synod....

by Emily McFarlan Miller

Lawsuit alleges SBC ‘conspiracy’ to cover up abuse claims

A  sweeping lawsuit filed by a victim of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of her Baptist pastor father alleges a conspiracy among several Southern Baptist Convention entities and individuals to defame her and squelch her pleas for relief....

by Mark Wingfield

Who is ISIS-K, the group officials blame for the Kabul airport bombings?

A horrific terrorist attack at the Kabul airport on August 26 killed at least 12 US service members and more than 60 Afghans attempting to flee the country. US officials are attributing the attack to an ISIS affiliate....

by Jack Jenkins

Haitians return to quake-damaged churches, gangs offer aid

A Haitian gang leader on August 22 offered a truce to communities shattered by a devastating earthquake—potentially offering a break for a relief effort that has been plagued by hijacked aid trucks and disorder....

by Evens Sanon and Marko Alvarez

Faith-based disaster relief groups balance COVID safety with speedy Ida response

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, faith-based disaster relief groups have been assessing damage, setting up mobile kitchens, and preparing to send skilled volunteers to Louisiana, Mississippi, and other states hit hard by the storm....

by Bob Smietana

DC church gets full Lego treatment as parishioner pairs faith, hobby

In Matthew Taylor’s imagination, St. John’s Episcopal Church is about 45 inches long and 24 inches high....

by David Paulsen

People

Terumi Echols named head of InterVarsity Press

Terumi Echols, a former publisher of Christianity Today, has been named presi­dent and publisher of InterVarsity Press. Most recently, Echols served as the publishing house’s director of finance and fulfilment operations....

by Dawn Araujo-Hawkins

People

Popular Anglican pastor Thomas McKenzie killed in car crash

Thomas McKenzie, the rector of a prominent Anglican Church in North America congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, and his eldest child, Charlie, were killed in a car crash on August 23....

by Bob Smietana

People

Karen Mosby promoted to dean of student life at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Karen Mosby has been promoted to dean of student life at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Semi­nary. Since 2019, she has served as the seminary’s student chaplain, a role she will continue....

by Dawn Araujo-Hawkins

Lectionary

October 3, Ordinary 27B (Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12)

Israel’s claim that all people are created in God’s image is strikingly egalitarian.

by Jesper Svartvik

October 10, Ordinary 28B (Hebrews 4:12-16)

The purpose of the word of God is not to make us feel condemnable, but to help us see what is commendable.

by Jesper Svartvik

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