Features
Young, Muslim and female: An interview with Ausma Khan
Grief work: A Palestinian and an Israeli in conversation
Two men from two different worlds, separated by a street, a checkpoint, a wall and, until recently, a worldview. One was a tall, slim young Israeli Ashkenazi Jew named Guy. On this night he entered the Old City of Jerusalem through Jaffa Gate the way an American walks into a familiar neighborhood in Boston or Chicago.
Tax-exempt? Lifestyles of the rich and religious: Lifestyles of the rich and religious
Representatives of five of the six ministries under investigation by Senator Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) made contact with Grassley’s office by the proposed December 6 deadline, but reportedly only two organizations—those of Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Meyer—provided the financial information requested. Spokespersons for Benny Hinn asked for more time.
Physicist and priest: An interview with John Polkinghorne
There Will Be Blood
I often tell screenwriting students not to avoid the difficult scene. By “difficult scene” I mean one involving a serious confrontation, a declaration of love or infidelity, or a confession of sin or weakness. These are scenes that lesser writers try to work around, since they are so difficult to write. But these scenes are the cornerstones of a meaningful story. Without them, the script will sag and perhaps collapse.
Voices
L. Gregory Jones
Spiritual soccer: Not everything is fixable
“I have resigned myself to the fact that there are some people in this life with whom I will never be reconciled.” I was 22 and a second-year seminarian when an older friend said this to me, and I was shocked. How could a faithful man, one who had taught me a great deal about Christian faith and life, be willing to give up hope? Didn’t Paul tell us that in Christ we have been given “the ministry of reconciliation” and that we are called to be “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:16ff)? My friend’s comment became a sign to me of the dangers of accommodation.
Books
Megalessons
Neither secular nor sectarian
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
Our Mother Saint Paul
BookMarks
Departments
Truth claims: In the realms of both science and religion
Empty shelves: Run on the food bank
Spiritual soccer: Not everything is fixable
Candidates and moviegoers: A hidden danger
Taste and see: Savory meat
News
Century Marks
Kudos: Jason Byassee, Century assistant editor, won the 2007 American Academy of Religion award for best in-depth reporting on religion for news outlets with less than 100,000 circulation. He has also recently had two books published: Praise Seeking Understanding: Reading the Psalms with Augustine (Eerdmans) and Reading Augustine (Cascade Books).