

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.
Black Church is my mother tongue
To speak Black Church is to dwell in a world of metaphors about a God who is engaged in the lives of Black people.
Speaking in two tongues
Growing up bilingual primed me to see the gifts offered at Babel and Pentecost.
Sharing the burden of language disorientation
At my church, some of us are learning Spanish. Others are learning English.
Why is progressive activism so ineffective?
Fredrik deBoer explains why the mobilization of 2020 produced so few concrete gains.
Falling into metaphor
I heard a variation on the Eden story that offers a new look at Eve.
God’s underwater language
As a marine biologist, I ask how—and dance at the edge of asking why.
Should we avoid liturgical language of light and dark?
While struggling with this question as a church songwriter, I came up with six guidelines.
Can you like Dostoevsky?
Philosopher and linguist Julia Kristeva asks but does not answer this question about the Russian novelist’s complex work.
Underlined words
As it tells the story of our time, the Century makes readers and writers of us all.
Jhumpa Lahiri’s new book crosses boundaries
It doesn’t matter what genre Translating Myself and Others is. What matters is that it is irresistibly immersive.
Lauren Groff builds a proto-feminist medieval world
But the enchantment of Matrix is ultimately broken by her language.
by Amy Frykholm
In this Easter season, words fail
After the resurrection, the disciples’ words failed too.
Sacred impulse, poetic form
For Sofia Starnes, poetry is the language of faith.
Zadie Smith leaves no cultural stone unturned
Smith's collection of essays considers the self as an improvised response to language and the world.