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The priesthood of all chatbots?

I’m sure there are good uses for AI in our churches. Prayer and preaching aren’t among them.

Post-truth Christians

I was taught to stay on guard against the left’s postmodernism. Now it’s the right that seems unwilling to look truth directly in the face.

by Anna Rollins

Shiny happy confrontations

The second season of Shiny Happy People reminds me of my year as a Teen Mania intern—and our efforts to become the standard of holiness for the world.

by Melissa Kuipers

Dear Israel

There are some things I understand and others I cannot.

by Samuel Wells

The rise and fall of children’s Sunday school

Faith formation isn’t dead. It’s happening outside the classroom.

by Stephanie Perdew

Books

The fish wars

The Boldt Decision wasn’t just about salmon. It was about broken treaties and tribal sovereignty.

by John Rosenberg

Sola natura

Richard Higgins offers a remarkably full account of Henry David Thoreau’s ever-evolving faith.

by Tom Montgomery Fate

A diary of small apocalypses

In Charlotte Wood’s novel, an atheist is driven by climate despair to an isolated convent, where she grapples with layers of grief.

by C. J. Surbaugh

A history of muscular Christianity in the US

Paul Putz traces the influence of evangelicalism on sports, from the birth of the YMCA to Colin Kaepernick.

by Jeffrey L. Johnson

In This Issue

In the Lectionary

August 17, Ordinary 20C (Luke 12:49-56)

Luke usually tones down the apocalyptic intensity we encounter in Matthew and Mark. Not here.

Beyond the teachable moment

Once we know something, we should ask, What now?

by Julian DeShazier

Sola natura

Richard Higgins offers a remarkably full account of Henry David Thoreau’s ever-evolving faith.

by Tom Montgomery Fate

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Sunday’s Coming

Isaiah’s challenge (Isaiah 5:1-7)

God’s indictment of ancient Israel raises hard questions for Christian readers today.

Queering Contemplation

Episode 14: Queering Sacred Art with Fr. William Hart McNichols

by Cassidy Hall

The priesthood of all chatbots?

I’m sure there are good uses for AI in our churches. Prayer and preaching aren’t among them.

Letters & Comments

Remembering Walter, seeds of investment, and more reader feedback

Voices

Illustration of columnist Samuel Wells

Samuel Wells

Dear Israel

There are some things I understand and others I cannot.

Sketch of Stephanie Perdew

Stephanie Perdew

The rise and fall of children’s Sunday school

Faith formation isn’t dead. It’s happening outside the classroom.

Illustration of columnist Julian DeShazier

Julian DeShazier

Knowledge is not enough

Patience, kindness, and love are far more valuable to the formation of our faith communities.

Illustration of columnist Rachel Mann

Rachel Mann

Living from the wounded side

Christ’s pierced body helps me understand my own.

Brian Bantum illustration

Brian Bantum

Why make things?

I couldn’t afford a nice bookshelf, and I couldn’t bring myself to buy a cheap one. So I headed to the hardware store.

Sketch of Phil Christman

Phil Christman

The case for being a killjoy

We may be reluctant to say anything that sounds puritanical. But our private morality really does matter.

Politics

Post-truth Christians

I was taught to stay on guard against the left’s postmodernism. Now it’s the right that seems unwilling to look truth directly in the face.

by Anna Rollins

,

The fish wars

The Boldt Decision wasn’t just about salmon. It was about broken treaties and tribal sovereignty.

by John Rosenberg

Rehearsing for the revolution

The No Kings protests made their politics real to everyone who watched—including the state.

by Colton Bernasol

How politicians use the Bible

Scholar Hannah Strømmen provides a helpful guide for navigating our scripture-saturated political discourse.