Critical Essay
Read the Rape of Tamar, and pay attention to the verbs
The story's action words tell us a lot about power and who has it.
Women of the Bible say #MeToo
Read Tamar or Dinah's story with your church. Listen together for their cries.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's theological trouble
The Jesuit scientist questioned whether humans are descended from Adam. It got him exiled.
Why did Paul prefer singleness for himself and others?
The apostle reminds us that Christian life—married or not—isn't about personal fulfillment.
American evangelicalism and the politics of whiteness
If white evangelicals are united by anything, it isn't theology.
How Trump won the 2016 fear sweepstakes
Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson understood evangelical anxieties and played to them. But the strategy backfired.
James Cone looked evil in the face and refused to let it crush his hope
Antiblackness is outrageous, but it does not have the last word.
We need a Pentecost
Divisions mark our society—and our churches. What could possibly bring us together?
Nonbinary gender and the diverse beauty of creation
In Genesis, God separates the dry land from the sea. But God also makes marshes, estuaries, and coral reefs.
The wisdom of the African Christian practice of reverencing the dead
What would the global church look like if we all honored our ancestors as members of the communion of saints?
When art comes to church
The annual ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids brings artwork—and artists—into places of worship.
Asking better questions about abortion
"Should it be legal?" has not been serving us well.
How Michelle Obama subverted respectability politics with a ponytail
If you weren't looking for it, you might have missed her act of resistance at Trump's inauguration.
Billy Graham’s legacy for Christians, evangelical and otherwise
As the years passed, Graham’s list of doctrinal dealbreakers got shorter. He kept preaching his simple, nonsectarian call to faith.
When Easter Sunday falls on April Fools' Day
A good joke can reveal the distance between what is and what should be.
What rules apply to everyone?
Our political discourse features strong convictions about moral obligations—and widespread uncertainty about where they come from.
Rejoice in the Lord always—and especially in Lent
When we give something up, we realize that its goodness doesn't depend on our ownership of it.
The hunger that no meal satisfies
Isaiah 55 gives voice to the longing we can't quite name.
Rising up with Christ
In the Eastern church's art, Christ arises triumphantly and magnificently—but not alone.
Joy is for Epiphany, too
From the wise men to the wedding at Cana, joy comes from recognizing and affirming the good.