Features
My life with ALS: Depending on the care of others
At 52 I was lead pastor of a large, vibrant church. Then I was diagnosed with ALS, and I began to call on my faith community in a new way.
Alone among friends
For my money, John’s is the only Gospel in which Jesus seems really lonely.
Spiritual cul-de-sac: How the church fails the divorced
Divorce is a time when we most need our brothers and sisters in faith. Yet churches and clergy often ignore divorcing people.
No place for alms: A curb on panhandling
A new law in Durham makes standing in the highway median illegal. One night in March, six pastors broke the law by panhandling there.
Books
The Nature of Healing, by Eric J. Cassell
Eric Cassell reminds us that people experience sickness in profoundly individual ways. Physicians should learn to heal patients even when they cannot cure their diseases.
Legends of the game
Baseball continues to receive elegiac tributes. John Sexton's latest joins company with the works of some impressive lovers of the game.
The Center Holds, by Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter continues the comprehensive chronicle of the Obama presidency he began with The Promise: President Obama, Year One....
In Praise of Messy Lives, by Katie Roiphe
In the introduction to this collection of essays, Katie Roiphe addresses for the first (and not the last) time the existence of her many detractors and thereby her own insecurity....
Fleeing Herod, by James Cowan
James Cowan's book follows the Holy Family's path through Egypt. It is anchored in numerous conversations with monks, nuns, guides and fellow pilgrims.
Departments
Words for grieving
It has been a season of losses. I've been reminded of the importance of knowing how to respond, and how not to.
Much ado in Santa Monica
Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing is an enchanting modern take on the 16th-century romance and a nearly perfect movie.
Prayer in the whirlwind
The answer that comes out of a tornado is not the kind of answer we want.
Christ with Mary and Martha, by Alessandro Allori (1535–1607)
Mary and Martha are often portrayed as being in conflict with one another during Christ’s visit to their home....
What’s really killing the church
I asked an older English woman who left the church long ago why she now wants to come back. Her response made the color drain from my face.
Rights and wrongs
Voter suppression may be a less obvious denial of equality than refusing to issue a marriage license, but it is no less significant.
News
Feds give guidelines on facing a church shooter
For the first time, the federal government has issued written guidelines for houses of worship that are confronted with a homicidal gunman....
Fights over gay marriage are just getting started
The Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage, while historic, didn’t settle the issue. In fact, they fuel it....
Gay-friendly trend washes over court
Sometimes a court opinion is more than just a court opinion....
NAACP figure leads Moral Monday protests
The throngs of demonstrators who flock to the grassy knoll outside the North Carolina Statehouse each Monday know the drill. They listen to a fiery speech denouncing the Republican majority’s legislative actions....
‘Ex-gay’ group closes as its president apologizes
Exodus International, a group that billed itself as “the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with faith and homosexuality,” announced June 19 that it was shutting its doors....