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Churches reimagine Christmas story amid deportations
All nativity scenes are political
The anti-ICE and “Christ in the rubble” nativity scenes are also theologically profound—and fully in keeping with the best Christmas traditions.
Gifts you can read
What can we say? We love words.
Festival of the child
At Christmas, the least grown-up parts of us have free rein.
From DC to the Vatican, baby Jesus is wearing a keffiyeh
The Christmas of Baby Tommy
We raised our kids without a religious narrative. My young son stumbled upon one on his own.
The grace of apocalyptic imagination
As the depth of the climate crisis is revealed, our despair grows. But God hovers at the edge of doom.
The gift of words
Here are some books and other wordy presents the CC staff will be putting under the tree this year.
Microbes in the manger
God is humbly present in every living creature. Maybe closer than we’ve imagined.
The real story behind ‘Good King Wenceslas’
After calendar change, many in Ukraine are looking forward to a new Christmas
Finding the real St. Nick's Turkish roots
by Kim Lawton
What does God look like?
A man sleeping on a step? A baby in a manger?
by Heidi Neumark
SpaceX, Meta, and the Christ child
While we're looking for escape, God comes near.
by Brian Bantum
Reckoning with our messiah complexes
The vulnerability of the newborn Christ challenges our inclination to play God.
by Peter W. Marty
’Tis the season for royal Christmas movies
What exactly is it about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that says “tiara romance”?
by Catherine Hervey
The beautiful stillness of the Christ child
As the rotating nativity spun, I kept watching Jesus.
The books we’re giving as Christmas gifts
If your secret Santa were a Century editor, here’s what you might be getting.
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Three ways to create sacred moments at home this Advent
In chaotic times, focus on routine, ritual, and simplicity.
by Traci Smith
Justice-themed Nativity scenes make a splash
by Alejandra Molina and Aysha Khan