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Learning to see the planet as gift
At Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center nestled deep in the Cascades, I asked my students to consider their vocation in light of the Anthropocene.
The theological anthropologies implicit in our politics
David Zahl maps the conservative/liberal binary according to distinctions between high and low anthropologies.
Failing and falling
At a workshop, I was asked to list my failures. The experience has stayed with me.
The kingdom of heaven is like the Brooklyn Public Library
What it has it must freely give away.
The generations of hurt that the Chauvin conviction can’t heal
We are disguising our collective wounds instead of treating them.
by Sean Goode
Christian liturgy should reflect the unconditional nature of grace
This might mean changing the order of certain elements.
Marilynne Robinson’s new Gilead novel makes Jack Boughton make sense
Everything in Jack is a marvel.
Douglas Ottati’s liberal piety
The theologian starts by recognizing that we know enough to live fully in response to God’s grace.
Adopted and loved
One of the greatest mysteries of faith is that God loves us as is.
When a father and husband walked out, grace called him home
I preached a word of judgment. The stranger in the back row heard grace.
Sin and grace in public discourse
“We’ve lost the capacity to talk about the universality of brokenness—and belovedness.”
David Heim interviews Serene Jones
Serene Jones’s memoir poses as many theological questions as answers
Theology is story, and Jones is a rousing storyteller.
When Christian practice (de)forms us
Do practices make us better people? Lauren Winner isn't so sure.
I was an elementary-school pickpocket
Thirty years later my petty crime came back to haunt me.
Jacob and the angel, as told by the angel
I'm authorized to open seals, drive the chariot of fire, and pour out bowls of judgment. But wrestling someone?
Grace alive among us
Grace is an exchange, says Terra Schwerin Rowe—but not an economic one.
by Alan Van Wyk
Take this $500 and do good in the world
When our church received a windfall, we tried an experiment.
In response to our request for essays on the topic mistake, we received many compelling reflections. Here is a selection.
Molly Phinney Baskette's book is not a robust example of the Christian practice of confession. But she does offer a glimpse into the life of a church that is thriving against the odds.
reviewed by Shawnthea Monroe
Readers who found Pastrix to be a long, cool drink will find more refreshment here. Those who have tired of Nadia Bolz-Weber's cranky schtick will tire of it here as well.
reviewed by Valerie Weaver-Zercher