Indonesia: Ambon's Wounded
Governor, others decline to intervene in jihad attacks.
By Russell Rankin in Ambon

Inside CT: Exhilarated by Grace
By Harold Myra, Chief Executive Officer

Venezuela: Churches Bring Disaster Relief
Efforts opening doors to evangelism, church planting
By Kenneth D. MacHarg

Quotations to stir heart and mind
Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

Giving Thanks in Plague Times
Philip Yancey found much to give thanks for in Donne's Devotions.
By John Donne

Bald, Blind & Single?
Answers to some of the most puzzling questions about Paul
by STEPHEN M. MILLER [STEPHEN M. MILLER Stephen Miller is a free-lance writer and former editor of Illustrated Bible Life. He is a consulting editor for Christian History.]

Multi(per)plexed
Christians remain divided about what a 'good' movie is
By Marshall Allen

"Investing: $158,000 Assessment Stirs Pastor's Wrath"
Twin Cities suburb wants church to pay for road improvements
Stephen Hunt

Well-Focused Preaching
Taking a clear picture of your preaching activities requires both wide-angle and zoom lenses.
Bill Hybels

Always in Parables: Blinded by Pop Praise
"To see God high and lifted up, just open your eyes"
Andy Crouch

Australian Church's Sexual Assault Crisis Deepens
Former Anglican priest in New South Wales sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Margaret Simons

"Big Numbers, Big Problems"
Christianity is in the midst of a massive global shift. But how much of a difference is it making in its new homelands?
John Wilson

Burden Bearing
The price of pastoring that we weren't ready for
By Kelly and Tosha Williams

Armenian Church Faces Up to Post-Communist Challenges
"Catholicos Karekin II defends country's religion law, which limits evangelism."
Stephen Brown

Poland Rethinks Supervision of 'Sects' After Minority Church Complaints
Non-Catholics claim pressure and persecution.
Jonathan Luxmoore

Q & A: Bobby Welch
President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), on his five-week national bus tour, which ended October 7, to jump-start evangelism in the 16.3-million-member denomination. The SBC has experienced a four-year decline in baptisms.
Interview by Stan Guthrie

Rabble Roused
The complainers place me in an awkward position, seeking God on their behalf when I'd rather give them the boot.
By M. Craig Barnes

Sometimes Ministry Stinks
How will you respond when you get stuck holding the bedpan?
By Craig Barnes

Too Much Choice?
On misdiagnosing the problem.
Andrew P. Morriss

Reflections: Sin and Evil
Quotations to stir heart and mind.
Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

Frozen Out
What to do with those extra embryos.
By John Van Regenmorter

Weather: Churches Battle Winter's Big Chill
Natural-gas increases strain church budgets across the U.S.
Jim Jones

An Icy End to Time
L. Penseur

Good Question: Keys to Forgiving
Lewis B. Smedes

When Sin Reigns
An event like this shows us what humans are capable of becoming—both as children of darkness and of light
Darrell L. Bock

Inside CT: Learning English from MTV
Inside Agnieszka Tennant's article on deliverance ministries
David Neff

When God Declares War
The violence of God can only be understood in the shadow of the Cross.
by Daniel G. Reid and Tremper Longman III

FROM THE EDITORS
Marshall Shelley

A Discerning Spirit
Making good choices in an era of liturgical change
John D. Witvliet

I Want
Thou shalt not covet
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

A Mind on Fire
Throughtout his eventful life, America's theologian was driven by a vision of the beauty in God's sovereignty.
Stephen R. Holmes

"Rich, Delighted Christians"
The Good of Affluence aims to give leadership to wealthy Christians moved and troubled by their fortune
Cindy Crosby

Seven Sirens
Randy Rowland

Reflections: Quotations to Stir Mind and Heart
In a consumer society, there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addictions and the prisoners of envy
Ivan Illich

The Other Terrorists
Philip Jenkins

Good Question: A Little Wine for the Soul?
The Bible says drunkenness is a sin (Galatians 5:21). But is occasional social drinking OK for Christians?
By J. Lawrence Burkholde

Austria: Voters not Nazis, churches say

Islam 101
Basics of a foreign faith
by James A. Beverley

A Daily Repentance Workout
"As we grow in knowledge of ourselves, God's grace allows us to resist habitual sin and grow in self-control"
Frederica Mathewes-Green

Weblog: A Christian in Ramadan
Captive Burnhams are not doing well, Billy Graham HQ moves to Charlotte, and other stories from around the world
Ted Olsen

Let's Dance
Bryan D. Spinks

Furthermore | Marilyn Chandler McEntyre: Resisting Relevancy
The church suffers when pastors confuse anecdotes with parables
Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

The CT Review: It's Called Junk Food for a Reason
Two books explore the differences between true nourishment and its counterfeits
Lauren F. Winner

'Boston Movement' Apologizes
Open letter prompts leaders of controversial church to promise reform
John W. Kennedy

"Lutherans, Presbyterians Cut Budgets"
Staff positions and ministries trimmed in the face of a struggling economy
"RNS, wire reports"

Reflections: Suffering & Grief
Quotations to stir the heart and mind
Richard A. Kauffman

Computer Control
Who's in charge?
Alan Jacobs

Foundations Glorious Foolishness
Mark Labberton

The Trinity, Explained
Augustine of Hippo

The Two Eliots
To all appearance, a biographer writes, "Eliot was conventional, mild, decorous, yet the hidden character was daring and savage."
Jewel Spears Brooker

Working with Your Emotional Type
Gordon MacDonald

The Virtue of Lust?
So says philosopher Simon Blackburn.
W. Jay Wood

"Film Forum: Critics Rocked by Jack Black, Gored by Tarantino"
Religious press critics attend The School of Rock, Kill Bill—Vol. 1, Out of Time, The Station Agent, and Wonderland. More reviews arrive for Luther, Secondhand Lions, and Matchstick Men. Plus: More Passion debate, farewells for Elia Kazan, a report from t
Jeffrey Overstreet

What the Rules Don’t Cover
Jared Mackey

Submitting to Islam—or Dying
Ceasefires and peace talks bow to greater powers in Sudan
Jeff M. Sellers

After Babel
Two Arab poets-one Palestinian, the other Iraqi- and the vicissitudes of exile and translation
Laurance Wieder

Weblog: Bogus Claims of Abuse Leveled Against Martyred Missionary
Church opposes suspension of atheist pastor, and many other stories from online sources around the world.
Ted Olsen

Weblog: Church Murders Old and New
Three killed in Colombian church attack as a verdict comes for Oscar Romero 24 years after his martyrdom. Plus: is the religion gap smaller than the money gap?
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Weblog: Korean Hostage Was Reportedly Evangelizing in Iraq
Plus: What the leaked NAE statement on politics really says, what the Catholic bishops said about Communion, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Jesus in Beijing
by David Lyle Jeffrey

Nightmares and Miracles
A good beginning to the long battle for human rights in North Korea.
A Christianity Today editorial

A Heartless Homeland
Why more North Koreans than ever are fleeing their country.
By Gregg Chenoweth & Tricia Miller

Codependent No More
When Pleasing Others Is Hurting You addresses the need to be needed.
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

My Church's inferiority Complex
How one congregation traded the poor little us mindset for new confidence.
Peter Youmans

How to Overcome Overload
H. Dale Burke

Graffiti Pastor
Taylor Field as told to Eric Reed

Weblog: White House Speechwriter Talks About the Bush Code
Plus: U.S. News phones it in on prayer, Indonesian churches attacked, Mormon author disfellowshipped, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

A Heartless Homeland
Why more North Koreans than ever are fleeing their country.
By Gregg Chenoweth & Tricia Miller

Ordinary Terrorists
Muslim extremists in Pakistan do not always belong to dangerous groups.
By Jeff M. Sellers

The Perfect Blend
An earthier version of a veteran musician brings heaven closer.
Reviewed by Russ Breimeier

Good Question: Vegetarians in Paradise
Based on Isaiah 11:6-7 and 65:25, will we be vegetarians in the new heaven and earth as Adam and Eve were before the Fall?
Answered by Bill T. Arnold

Sometimes You Just Need to Disappear
The best pastoring doesn't happen in the office.
Gordon MacDonald

Currents that shape your soul
Kevin A. Miller

O Come and Dwell in Me
John and Charles disagreed on the measure of holiness a Christian might expect on earth, but both longed for it. From Christian Perfection (Sermon 40)
Charles Wesley

The Making of an Original
Coloring in the lines other Christians drew for me was much easier than the hard, divine work of becoming the person God wants me to be.
By Lee Knapp

Q & A: Bobby Welch
President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), on his five-week national bus tour, which ended October 7, to jump-start evangelism in the 16.3-million-member denomination. The SBC has experienced a four-year decline in baptisms.
Interview by Stan Guthrie

Wooing the Faithful
President Bush needs evangelicals more than ever, but it's unclear how badly they want him for another four years.
By Tony Carnes

American Idols
Larry Crabb says there's something better than control and success.
The Leadership Interview

Acceptable Losses

I Lost It
Noted missiologist Ruth Tucker shines a light on the netherworld of apostasy in Walking Away from Faith
Wendy Murray Zoba

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Quit
Anthony Laird

Pastor's Progress
Gordon MacDonald

Small Worldview
Read Mercer Schuchardt

Burying Smokey
Clark Cothern

PHILIP YANCEY: Why Not Now?
Philip Yancey

Human Sacrifice Redux
How the church battles deadly prophets in its midst.
By Obed Minchakpu in Jos

Weblog: Ravi Zacharias, Rich Mouw Speak in Mormon Tabernacle
Plus: Couple attempts to sacrifice children at church altar, the new head of the Catholic bishops' conference, a focus on Dobson, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Out of the Darkness
Entering the world of Krzysztof Kieslowski.
by Roy Anker

Fat!
The science of obesity.
By Elissa Elliott

Good for the Soul
Frederica Mathewes-Green

Civil Reactions: A Beautiful Reminder
Ron Howard's Oscar-winning film packs an unintentional biblical message.
Stephen L. Carter

"Walking the Old, Old Talk"
The cultural success of evangelicalism is its greatest weakness
Christianity Today editorial

Good for the Soul
Frederica Mathewes-Green

A Soul of Fire
William Wade Harris - a Liberian activist - left an unsuccessful local ministry to trail across the Ivory Coast. In 18 months, he baptized 100,000 converts.
Elizabeth Isichei

Good for the Soul
Frederica Mathewes-Green

The Art of Self Leadership
Your toughest management challenge is always yourself.
Bill Hybels

The Transcendental Gore
The Democratic nominee for president combines a modernist Christian faith with a drive to master his world. By Tony Carnes
Tony Carnes

Whither Pentecostal Scholarship?
The overlap between people with the Spirit and people with Ph.D.'s.
By Arlene M. SÁnchez Walsh

When Your Wife Resents Your Call
A disconnect at home has a variety of causes.
Linda Riley

Minutes From Death
by Tom Severson

Weblog: Is Christianity to Blame for Teen Self-Mutilation?
"Pat endorses Arnold, MAP International founder dies, and other stories from online sources around the world"
Ted Olsen

Hit by the SARS Tornado
Breakthrough reacted quickly when the disease hit Hong Kong.
Jeff M. Sellers

SARS Comes to Church
"The deadly illness has changed Asia's church life, but the uncertainty is bringing people to Christ"
Anil Stephen

Currents that shape your soul
Kevin A. Miller

Taking Care of Busyness
How to minister at a healthy pace.
John C. Ortberg

Brown-Out

Baptism + Fire
Suffering may build character, but ultimately it's not about us.
By Mark Galli

Killing with Kindness
Why is the church against euthanasia in instances where people are in terrible pain?
Answered by David P. Gushee

Limit Conditions
How to portray the Holocaust on stage and film.
By Jan Lüder Hagens

Editorial: We've Got Porn
Online smut is taking its toll on Christians. What is the church doing about it?
A Christianity Today Editorial

5 Moral Fences
James MacDonald

Predator, Wanderer, or Lover
by Stanley J. Grenz and Roy D. Bell

The Passion of Mel Gibson
Why evangelicals are cheering a movie with profoundly Catholic sensibilities.
David Neff

Good Question: Is Satan Omnipresent?
If not, how does he tempt many people at one time?—Barry Wolfe, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
By J.I. Packer | posted 9/19/00

Editorial: We've Got Porn
Online smut is taking its toll on Christians. What is the church doing about it?
A Christianity Today Editorial

Cheated by the Affirming Church
Contrary to what some churches teach, it is homosexuality—and not its suppression—that enslaves people like me.
by Anonymous

Plus: Candidate Campolo
'The idea of winning was ridiculous.'
Ted Olsen

A Wretch Like Me
George Verwer

The Learning Curve
A Leadership symposium

Furthermore: The Fullness of Time
I'd like life to be a series of pauses like a poem, rather than a fast-paced, page-turner airport novel.
By Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

PHILIP YANCEY: Why Not Now?
Philip Yancey

Weblog: Battle Brews Over Warfare Language (Or: Mission Minded Groups Attempt to Heal Each Others' Vocabularies)
Plus: Amy Grant is pregnant, memories of Wedgwood, and other stories from media sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

PASTOR DAVID OR PASTOR SOLOMON?
Sometimes we are called to fight worthy battles, sometimes to build God's house.
Robert L. Moeller

Overcoming the Evil One

Why I Walked
Sometimes loving a denomination requires you to fight
J. I. Packer

With God on Our Side?
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.
Tim Stafford

Holding This Fort

Stranger in a Strange Land-In Rembrandt's Light
John Wilson

Rabbit Trails to God
John Updike has made a career of writing the most theological novels in America
Mark A. Buchanan

The Groves of Academe
Arguing About God, Arguing with God: Remembering Lew Smedes
Richard Mouw