

Since 1900, the Christian Century has published reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays on the role of faith in a pluralistic society.
© 2023 The Christian Century.
The Word became relationship
Christianity is, finally, a story in which communication prevails over violence.
by Samuel Wells
The frightening side of baptism
Peter Leithart argues that the sacrament’s violence is surprisingly good news.
The power of The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion’s subversive new western
In her new movie, the filmmaker’s fascination with the myth of masculinity unfolds in 1920s Montana.
“Dad, why does Deuteronomy 20 talk about killing the boys and girls?”
My daughter wants to know. Even as a biblical scholar, I don’t have a good answer.
Christian clergy are being kidnapped and killed in Nigeria
From farms to churches, no place feels safe.
by Patrick Egwu
What is “religious violence”?
We know what violence is, but what counts as religion?
Tending love in a time of trauma
My mother grew up in a violent home. But violence was not the totality of her life.
by Brian Bantum
Two years after my husband survived the Tree of Life shooting, I’m still figuring out how to tell the story
How do you construct a narrative in the aftermath of communal trauma?
What’s behind dehumanization?
A book about the psychology and politics of doing terrible things to one another
James Baldwin reminds us not to be surprised by this
Facing the “intolerable trouble” of antiblack violence
Examining whiteness through “reparative writing”
Jess Row asks what happens when alienation turns to rage.
by Amy Frykholm
Jesus’ risen, mutilated body
In Luke’s postresurrection appearances, the disciples have to reckon with the traumatic somatic.
by Ched Myers
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s short stories reveal the insanity and violence of our society
Evoking the murders of unarmed black men, this collection is meant to appall us.
by Amy Frykholm
See the asylum seekers’ wounds and believe
At the border, survivors of violence present their scarred bodies as testimony.
Christians can’t confront violence by blaming “both sides” and their incivility
We don't have to choose a political party. We do have to name the problem for what it is.
Poetry for a world that’s falling apart
Jeremiah Webster charts a via negativa in verse.
Why Roxane Gay resists the conversion narrative
Sexual violence doesn't always allow its survivors to claim redemption.
by Amy Frykholm
Occupation pierces my Israeli soul
Jewish history tells me to be both compassionate and alert. When it comes to the Palestinian conflict, I don't know how to do both at once.
Did Christianity destroy classical pagan culture?
Catherine Nixey is right: the early Christians were violently destructive. So were the Romans, the Persians, and the plagues that swept across the ancient world.
Parents of slain UN worker seek justice for their son, peace for the Congo
Michael J. Sharp had been investigating violence in the Congo when he was killed one year ago.