Guest Post

New today from the Century: Katherine Willis Pershey reviews Nadia Bolz-Weber, Sarah Azaransky on Ghanaian independence after oil, more.

New today from the Century: David Roozen on the decline narrative and evangelicals, Carol Howard Merritt on corporations and religious freedom, more.

New today from the Century: The editors on Greece v. Galloway, Carol Howard Merritt on football and violence, more.

I entered parish ministry with a fair amount of idealism, particularly liturgical idealism. Inconveniently, the liturgical proclivities I picked up in seminary were not especially popular with my first congregation. This became clear as a sleigh bell during our first Advent season together.

New today from the Century: David Heim interviews theologian Jennifer McBride, Katherine Willis Pershey's pastoral response to the whole Advent vs. Christmas thing. more.

New today from the Century: Why Suzanne Guthrie needs Advent, Carol Howard Merritt talks taboo with Erin Lane and Enuma Okoro, more.

New today from the Century: Changes to the Century site, year-end picks in fiction and theology/spirituality, more.

New today from the Century: Heath Carter reviews Ira Katznelson, Steve Thorngate observes Benjamin Britten's 100th birthday, more.

New today from the Century: Amy Frykholm on immigration reform and the divided GOP, David Lewicki on the challenges and opportunities of preaching, more.

New today from the Century: Ralph Wood on C. S. Lewis, Mark Edwards on public diplomacy, more.

In the Gettysburg Address, we see the classic preacher's conundrum: the call to put words around that which is ineffable. Can we do it in 272 words?

Lincoln turned toward the philosophical case for abolition for the same reason Roosevelt turned toward the Four Freedoms: because so much death could not be allowed to leave the world untransfigured.

New today from the Century: Ben Dueholm and MaryAnn McKibben Dana on the Gettysburg Address, Beth Felker Jones on Don Jon, more.

New today from the Century: Ben Dueholm and MaryAnn McKibben Dana on the Gettysburg Address, Beth Felker Jones on Don Jon, more.

New today from the Century: N. T. Wright on Paul and monotheism, Laura Kelly Fanucci on a calling that comes full circle, more.

New today (and yesterday) from the Century: Stephanie Paulsell on Captain Phillips; Denny Weaver on the Old Testament, Jesus and nonviolence; more.

New today from the Century: Philip Jenkins on reformation in Ethiopia, Molly Worthen on Billy Graham, more.

New today from the Century: The editors on food stamps, Nancy Janisch on why we bother with small things, more.

Some people conflate the two words; others see them as an oxymoron. Since leaving the army, I've found that they're both right in some ways and wrong in others.