Features
Two uncles
I would sit between them, and every hour or so one would murmur a response to some moppet's question, and the other would smile at his garrulity.
War without end: For my father, WW2 was never over
In 1998, I drove my parents from Wisconsin to Georgia to visit the new National POW Museum. My siblings couldn't believe I'd agreed to this.
Come slowly, Lord Jesus
I want the kingdom of God to be civilized. If possible I'd like to be able to keep sleeping in my own bed.
A violent sorting out: Middle East expert Joshua Landis
"What's going on is a nation-building process. It's similar to what happened at the end of World War I, when major empires were destroyed."
God in ordinary words: How the Bible speaks of the divine
The Bible's images for God must be taken in an analogical sense. Yet the Bible exhibits no anxiety about using them.
Books
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, by Nina Sankovitch
Nina Sankovitch explores the meaning and value of letters in our post-postal age.
Ask a mortician
Morticians haven't charged too much, they've done too much. With this precisely correct claim, Caitlin Doughty earns her contrarian stripes.
Lucy Stone, by Sally G. McMillen
Among those credited with propelling the women’s movement forward in the 19th century, one name is often left off the list....
Psalms, by Walter Brueggemann and William H. Bellinger Jr.
What are the best Psalms commentaries for Christian exposition? Walter Brueggemann and William Bellinger's book deserves a place alongside Clinton McCann and James Mays.
Saying No to Say Yes, by David C. Olsen and Nancy G. Devor
Clergy sexual misconduct gets the most attention when boundary violations are discussed....
Tailings: A Memoir, by Kaethe Schwehn
Kaethe Schwehn's memoir of loss, quest, and initiation begins by introducing the special spiritual geography of Holden Village.
Can a Renewal Movement Be Renewed? by Michael Kinnamon
Michael Kinnamon raises key questions about the ecumenical movement and its need for renewal. He's ideally positioned to propose answers.
Departments
Boundary lines
Every time I read Psalm 16, I think about how an individual's life is in large measure the sum total of the influence of others.
Two ascension stories
When the Ascension coincides with Lailat al-Mi‘rāj, perhaps Christians and Muslims can spare a sidelong glance.
Japan’s 1 percent
We rarely think of Japan as a promising land for Christianity. But the murder of Kenji Goto reminds us that believers do exist there.
Birdman, by Joe Light
Joe Light was a towering, often disturbing figure in his Memphis community. He aligned himself with the prophets and considered himself a kind of Moses. Before he became an artist, he was incarcerated....
Kids these days
The generational gap between 25 and 42 might seem not that great. But Noah Baumbach has explored the subtle differences in many films.
We’re all Californians
No rain in California is a disaster for all of us. But the drought, now entering its fourth year, is also an opportunity.
News
Cardinal Francis George, former head of U.S. Catholic bishops, dies at 78
Cardinal Francis George, former head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, died April 17 at age 78, after years of living with cancer. He was the first man to retire rather than die as archbishop of Chicago....
Anti-Semitism spikes, say researchers
The number of violent anti-Semitic attacks around the world surged nearly 40 percent last year, according to a report released in mid-April by researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel....
Canadian Supreme Court rules against opening meetings with prayer
Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that a small town in Quebec may not open its council meetings with prayer....
Vatican ends investigation of U.S. women religious
The Vatican on April 16 officially ended a seven-year investigation of American nuns with a compromise....
Josiah Atkins Idowu-Fearon appointed Anglican Communion secretary general
Josiah Atkins Idowu-Fearon, a Nigerian bishop from Kaduna, in April became the first African to be appointed as secretary general of the 85-million-member Anglican Communion....
Army chaplains need training to help suicidal soldiers
Chaplains, who are part of the army’s first line of defense against suicide, say they need more training in how to prevent soldiers from killing themselves, according to a RAND Corporation survey published in early April....
Grand Canal project in Nicaragua worries bishops and scientists
(The Christian Science Monitor) On the windy shore of Lake Nicaragua, farmer Dayton Guzman surveys the vast expanse of water his family relies on for irrigation of the land they have ...
Despite anti-Semitism, Jewish communities thrive in Central, Eastern Europe
In Café Elfenbein, which opened last year in a trendy Berlin neighborhood, two businessmen wearing yarmulkes—Jewish skullcaps—chat away....
Catholic Church in Kenya fights hunger by farming its vast land reserves
In an effort to fight hunger, the Roman Catholic Church in Kenya is making 3,000 acres of church-owned land available for commercial farming....
Lectionary
Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21)
It is clear in Acts 2 that a party is taking place—that dreams and visions are not meant to be dreamt alone.
May 17, Ascension Sunday: Luke 24:44-53
Once again we have journeyed through Jesus’ death and resurrection—only to be left watching Jesus leave.