The busy church dilemma
Andrew Root cautions pastors that doing more is not the answer.
Do we still need institutions?
Yes, says Yuval Levin. But only if they serve a formative function.
How can we make our political polarization less destructive?
Ezra Klein suggests structural changes. Darrell West suggests talking to each other.
In bondage to guns
Life in America has been changed by gun culture.
What makes local communities thrive?
James and Deborah Fallows traveled around the U.S. to find out.
Democrats and Republicans both follow liberalism's playbook
Both parties advocate freeing individuals to pursue self-interested goals, argues Patrick Deneen. This has fractured society.
Is Trump a deviation from American values or an expression of them?
E. J. Dionne, Norman Ornstein, and Thomas Mann see this presidency as a distortion of the country's character. But what if it's the opposite?
Finding joy while fighting injustice
To Mary Clark Moschella, joy is a countercultural phenomenon.
Listening with our ears, not our mouths
Twelve-step groups have a rule against crosstalk. It’s a good rule for churches, too.
What (some) Trump supporters were thinking—and feeling
A Berkeley academic empathizes with antigovernment Louisianans.
What’s your passion? To market themselves, churches need a product
If we're going to adopt business language for the church, we should think less about reaching a certain market and more about the nature of the product.
Crux of the matter
Fleming Rutledge's magnum opus is many things: a look at the ways the death of Christ has been interpreted, an argument that the how of his death matters, and a protest against Christianity-light.
Luminous at the end: My sister's last 40 days
Modern medicine makes it difficult to die. Often, treatment seems to prolong not living so much as dying. With no earthly hope, Regan was spared all this.
Not religious, not spiritual
Publishers see SBNRs as a key market, while preachers either court them or put them down. As for Nancy Ammerman, she isn’t sure SBNRs exist.
Leading God’s People, by Christopher A. Beeley
Clergy need reminders about the core purpose of their work. Christopher Beeley draws on the works of early church leaders to deliver one.