Century Blogs

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My good parishioner

May 17, 2011 by Elizabeth Myer Boulton

There's a young man in my congregation--let's call him "Michael"--who's trying to turn his life around. He's been in and out of detention centers and prisons since he was 13. Over and over again, he was caught stealing cars, smoking pot, breaking and entering; you name it, he's done it. But now he's trying to change, to turn around.

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May 14, 2011 by Steve Thorngate

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Uganda shelves kill the gays bill--for now.

Ways things change

May 13, 2011 by Bromleigh McCleneghan

Theories of change vary widely. Does progress arise from countless participants, working in countless places and ways? Does it require an organized movement? How critical are public, influential leaders? At what point is there a need for precedent to be set from the top down?

New Bibles and old debates

May 12, 2011 by Lisa Landoe

In March, U.S. publishers released new editions of two of the most widely read English-language Bibles: the Catholic New American Bible and the evangelical New International Version. These updates are intended to reflect modern idioms and the latest scholarly research, while also responding to changes in the (niche-philic) scripture marketplace.

Awards and a nomination

May 10, 2011 by Steve Thorngate

We're very pleased that indie-press digest Utne Reader nominated the Century for a 2011 Utne Independent Press Award in the "body/spirit" category.

The Daily Show's limits

May 10, 2011 by Chris Beneke and Randall Stephens

"Open conversation that leads to nothing." That's how Jon Stewart summed up his interview with popular right-wing historian David Barton. He was right: After 30 minutes of glib back-and-forth with Barton (ten of which made it onto TV), Stewart was flummoxed, worn down, unfunny.

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May 06, 2011 by Steve Thorngate

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Smart words from Bishop Tom.

Come and pray

May 04, 2011 by Elizabeth Myer Boulton

David Vogan is one of the most dedicated church members I know. Every Sunday, 15 minutes before the prelude begins, he climbs up into our soaring, Gothic tower with one goal: to set our 2,020-pound church bell into full swing. Then, for ten whole minutes, the Old South bell calls all of Boston to pray.

Who's in hell

May 03, 2011 by David Heim

Even before Rob Bell's book Love Wins (see the Century review by Peter Marty) came out, conservative evangelicals lit up the blogosphere with their insistence--against Bell--that God's condemnation of the wicked to hell is a nonnegotiable part of orthodoxy.

Fear and relief

May 03, 2011 by Miroslav Volf

We are right to feel a sense of relief that a major source of evil has been removed. But we should reflect also on the flip side of that relief: the nature of our fears.