Luke Powery preaches through and beyond racism
The Duke Chapel dean writes as if the Holy Spirit makes all the difference for faithful preaching—and anti-racism.
The United Methodist divorce is a mistake
Caucusing is easy. Church is hard.
A truth-telling child of Southern Methodism
Journalist John Archibald turns the spotlight on himself, his preacher father, and White Christians’ failures.
The dangers of providing pastoral care
Woundedness is the predictable price we pay for being sent on outrageous assignments by Jesus.
Preaching Holy Week in the middle of a pandemic—again
Usually it takes courage to preach Good Friday. This year, it will take courage to proclaim “He is risen!” on Easter morning.
Two-bit hustlers in the church and elsewhere
In Patrick Coleman’s novel, people hurt others with drugs, dollars, and/or Jesus.
A radically new vision of mainline church leadership
Helping people think differently in changing times
The Methodist mess in St. Louis
The UMC's response to declining membership is to spend millions deciding who else we can exclude.
Crossing the boundary between theology and science
Essays that consider the natural order as God's creation—in a way scientists might recognize.
Which new books deserve a spot under the Christmas tree?
We asked our contributing editors to each pick two.
Is forbearance amid disagreement a Christian virtue?
We should forebear one another—not to ensure church unity, but because God forebears us.
Dostoevsky and Flannery O'Connor help Marcel Proust edit his long sentences
Who I'd invite to my writers' dinner party
My prayer on MLK Day: Forgive us the sin of patience
There’s a time for reconciliation, for prayers for unity and healing. This is not such an hour.
Why leaders are a pain: Truth telling in the parish
There's a subtext to lots of sermons I hear, and some I preach: Discomfort is avoidable. Here's my formula. It's the promise of all bogus religion.