
Since 1900, the Christian Century has published reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays on the role of faith in a pluralistic society.
© 2026 The Christian Century.
My dying best friend’s wedding
She collapsed on the sidewalk the night of my wedding. Eighteen months later, I stood by her hospital bed and offered to plan hers.
What we live for
Writing our own obituary can help us get our spiritual house in order—at any phase of life.
Natural death and Christian love
The most religious people are also statistically the most likely to place their faith in artificial life support. Why?
More than eulogies
French rabbi Delphine Horvilleur reflects on 11 funerals to paint a vibrant picture of Jewish life.
Bone chapels and their strange art
In catacombs, crypts, and ossuaries, I’ve seen the ugliness of death transformed into something beautiful.
Speaking of death
Christians have an opportunity to eschew euphemisms and talk honestly about mortality.
We are all going to die
During my first several hours administering ashes as a hospital chaplain, I kept cringing.
Burial with dignity
Allison Meier sees cemeteries as great repositories of cultural history—and as spaces deserving of reverence.
Each of my dyings
I’m in a stage of life where I find myself praying the same prayer again and again.
Is The Hero of this Book a novel or a memoir?
In either case, Elizabeth McCracken’s account of losing a mother is wrenching and tender.
How we care for dead bodies—or don’t
Cody Sanders and Mikeal Parsons yearn for a better theology around death, dying, and the body.
Did God intend for Adam and Eve to live forever?
Maybe immortality is about more than not being dead.
by Brian Bantum
The sacred relics of a lifetime of ministry
Marilyn wasn’t sure she could stomach the sight of a truck carting 56 years of her husband’s work to the dump.
by Jon Mathieu
Death’s vision
As my father was dying, I saw God’s radiant face more clearly.
Living and leading from our mortality
“Yearning for life is a part of what it means to be human.”
a conversation between Kate Bowler and Luke A. Powery
A father and his dying daughter came to see me. They wanted different things.
Sometimes truth is better than comfort.
by Samuel Wells
Green burial as an act of faith
A growing number of Christians are embracing natural burial practices.
The grace of holding my dying father’s hand during the pandemic
The word contagion comes from the Latin words for “with” and “touch.”
Looking back at my ministry from hospice care
My feet hurt. To distract myself, I'm recalling my professional failures.
by Karl Travis