Christmas picks

Features in the December 9, 2015 issue

Detail from Nativity (2006), by Brian Kershisnik

Eleven writers make their selections:

Brian Doyle, Debbie Blue, Thomas Lynch,
Terra Brockman, Reggie Williams,
Chris Hoke, Sara Miles, Christian Wiman,
Sarah Morice-Brubaker, Brian D. McLaren,
Francis Spufford

Bishop Budde among the Swedes

In September, Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde will travel to her mother’s homeland at the invitation of the Stockholm Cathedral.

by Gary G. Yerkey

First Words

The good kind of patriotism

The church is called to be a loving critic, not a national cheerleader.

by Peter W. Marty

Feature

Body counts: The dark side of Christian history

With its long coastline, rugged mountains and haunting sand dunes, Oman is a paradise for desert lovers, hikers and boaters. Muscat, the capital city, is a gem—its arched white buildings and flat roofs squeezed between the blue ocean and black mountains. Yet call me an egghead, but what I remember most from a trip to Oman is a booklet I read there with an ominous title: Body Count: A Quantitative Review of Political Violence Across World Civilizations (2009). In it, author Naveed Sheikh claims that “the Christian civilization emerges as the most violent and genocidal in the world history.” Compared to Islam, Christianity is a clear winner: 31.94 million deaths by Muslims to 177.94 million deaths by Christians.

by Miroslav Volf

Features

Dear Jesus, Am I broken enough yet?

At youth group and church camp, I learned to perform my own unworthiness. It took years to recognize the spiritual harm this caused.

by McKenzie Watson-Fore

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Bishop Budde among the Swedes

The good kind of patriotism

Body counts: The dark side of Christian history

Dear Jesus, Am I broken enough yet?