crucifixion
The Pharisees didn’t kill Jesus
If they had been the ones presiding over Jesus’ trial, says biblical scholar Israel Knohl, there wouldn’t have been a crucifixion.
Bearing the scars
Years ago, at a barbecue in Argentina, I realized I was the only person present who wasn’t a survivor of torture.
Why Orthodox Christians see triumph in the cross
Not just suffering
Jesus’ risen, mutilated body
In Luke’s postresurrection appearances, the disciples have to reckon with the traumatic somatic.
by Ched Myers
The crucified Christ isn’t a tragic hero
In a comic reversal, says Terry Eagleton, the death of God incarnate reveals a fragile social order.
Marielle Franco and the crucifixion of love
The Brazilian activist was killed by the same world that killed Jesus—a world that can’t bear love.
Clash of cultures
Pontius Pilate shows us what happens when the historical and the eternal intersect.
Not your kindergartener’s coloring book
Should I let my child color pictures of Jesus on the cross?
Lenten roundup
Looking for a Lenten devotional? Try one of these.
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.
Post-traumatic texts
David Carr rereads the familiar materials of the Bible in conversation with trauma theory. This opens the way for a fresh and suggestive interpretation.
Wearing God, by Lauren F. Winner
I read Lauren Winner's new book with the sort of joy one feels when watching someone utterly hit their stride.
reviewed by Katherine Willis Pershey
Good Friday and the stories of Jesus
May we not domesticate the Jesus story for our own religious comfort, but in telling the story, and doing so truthfully, may we worship our crucified Christ and encounter his delivering presence, and therefore be transformed after the image of God.
Divine contractions: Gods labor, our deliverance
Isaiah doesn't politely, abstractly compare God to a mother giving birth. The text suggests that God squats and pants and bellows like a moose.
My fear of the cross
In Sunday school I colored in Jesus’ crown of thorns, brown for brambles and red for dripping blood.
Redeeming Our Sacred Story, by Mary C. Boys
Mary Boys offers concrete proposals for how the story of Jesus’ crucifixion can be told faithfully in the presence of Jewish conversation partners.
reviewed by Walter Brueggemann
The ultimate mystery
In every age, the crucifixion has compelled artists with its raw human drama, as well as with its deeper meaning.
Essential books: Fall books
Our fall books issue includes annotated lists of essential titles on Revelation, evangelism and theodicy.