Latest Articles
The complicated women of mainline Protestantism
Margaret Bendroth tells the stories of mid-20th century women who fought patriarchy from within the church.
The monsters we fear
Religion and horror often ask us to reflect on the same set of questions.
An unlettered theologian
Nancy Koester’s biography captures the remarkable ministry of Sojourner Truth, who could not read or write.
Episode 32: Robert P. Jones, author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy
A conversation with Robert P. Jones about the Doctrine of Discovery, the 1920 lynching of three Black men, the entitlement behind European chosenness, and more
R.M.N. is a kaleidoscopic allegory of all of Western civilization
Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu takes a hammer to true-to-life events and then puts the pieces back together again.
Soul-altering substances
What implications does the psychedelic renaissance have for faith and spirituality?
September 24, Ordinary 25A (Matthew 20:1–16)
Jesus doesn’t seem interested in our warped ways of keeping the ledger of life.
The genealogy of selfhood
From the Renaissance to Kim Kardashian, Tara Isabella Burton tells a story of limitless, ruthless self-creation.
Why so much judgment? (Romans 14:1-12)
Because language matters, careful teaching and preaching matter.
The pedagogy of Ancient Aliens
Why I teach ancient astronaut theory as part of Intro to Religion
Catharsis at church
The book of Ezra helped me realize how bad most congregations are at handling big emotions.
Sister Holiday takes the heat
Margot Douaihy’s New Orleans is a fever dream. Her protagonist is a queer, punk nun who is all in on her vocation.
A better response to the decline of the Christian West
Some fight to preserve what is fading. Michel de Certeau shows how this is an enormous theological error.
The brine of Christianity
I don’t go to church anymore, but the faith I was pickled in still shapes me.
How secularism feels
Donovan Schaefer sets out to correct the misrepresentation of secularity as the realm of pure reason.
Readers Write
The Century invites readers to submit first-person narratives inspired by the words Bell, Stretch, and Gap.
September 17, Ordinary 24A (Exodus 15:1b–11, 20–21)
Miriam’s song of victory prepares hearts to trust God in an uncertain future.
