The Virtue of Vulnerability
It can be hard to trust, but failing to is worse.
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Galileo and the Powers Above
The convoluted tale of a faithful Catholic caught in a web of theological inflexibility, papal power, and his on political naivete.
Virginia Stem Owens

Heart & Soul

Weblog: What Does an Anglican 'Gay Wedding' Mean for the Church?
Zambia's new veep is a televangelist, the new Christian theme parks, singing about God at graduation, and other articles from online media around the world
Ted Olsen

Weblog: What Does the First Anglican 'Gay Wedding' Mean for the Church?
Zambia's new veep is a televangelist, the new Christian theme parks, singing about God at graduation, and other articles from online media around the world
Ted Olsen

Weblog: Is Eric Rudolph a Christian Terrorist?
Presbyterians keep ban on gay ordination, Newsweek examines fetal rights, Ten Commandments display gets federal court approval, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Ted Olsen

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

The Red Barn Run

Staying Alive

Weblog: Missionary Accused of Spying Returns to Canada
"Prolifers respond to Paul Hill's execution, 5,280 pounds of Ten Commandments links, is gospel music from slaves or Scotland? and many other stories from online sources around the world"
Ted Olsen

"Weblog: Hindu Leader of Anti-Missionary Mob Gets Death Sentence, Others Life in Prison"
"Newsweek on the Holy Land's Christians, a confrontation between Anglican evangelicals and Rowan Williams, the end of church bingo, and other stories from online sources around the world"
Ted Olsen

Tough Justice in Texas
Living Next Door to the Death House is a valuable contribution to the capital punishment debate
Cindy Crosby

Horses that Heal
Hope Rising is a sweet collection of real-life stories about the power of love and horses to heal the hurts of disadvantaged children
Cindy Crosby

The Hidden Slavery
"Each year, two million women and children worldwide have sex with strangers only because someone kidnaps them and threatens to kill them. You may have passed some of these victims on the street"
Wendy Murray Zoba

"Weblog: Supreme Court Rejects Bible Club, Grad Speech, and Fetal Homicide Cases"
"Ten Commandments on tour, a cross dispute in Florida, and other stories from online sources around the world"
Ted Olsen

"Film Forum: In America, The Missing Explore Parent-Child Bonds"
"Religious press critics review In America, The Missing, Timeline, The Haunted Mansion, Bad Santa, The Cooler, more Cat in the Hat criticism, news about a movie studio marketing to churches, Billy Graham's views on The Passion of the Christ, and a Columbin"
Jeffrey Overstreet

How Good Parents Give Up on Their Teens
And why they need to take responsibility for the spiritual nurture of their kids.
Carla Barnhill

Weblog: Churches Reunite in Pakistan, Manhattan, and Accokeek
Plus: Columbine's religious tile dispute, discipleship after 9/11, and other stories from media around the world.
Ted Olsen

Weblog: Season's Beatings
"Samaritan's Purse slandered again, A&W's anti-Scripture orders, and other stories from online sources around the world"
Ted Olsen

Weblog: Are Conservative Christians Abusive Parents?
Plus: An ex-gay leader goes into a bar, and blaming spanking for youth violence.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

NEWS: 'The Right to Parent': Should It Be Fundamental?

Creature Discomforts
A conservative Christian makes the case for animal mercy in Dominion
Matthew Scully

Report Sounds Alarm Over Mozambique's 'Black November'
Country's progressive reputation belies violent acts like the police suffocation of 88 dissidents last year.
Alex Duval Smith

Books: Stumped by Repentance
A dying Nazi asked concentration-camp inmate Simon Wiesenthal for forgiveness—and so he asks us, What would you have said?

Dangerous Meditations
What harm is there in achieving a higher state of consciousness through meditation?
By Douglas Groothuis

Pick Your Shibboleths Wisely
Do we really want to be known as the generation who gave marriage over to the government?
By Daniel A. Crane

Tornado Hits Union University
Blown out windows and demolished roofs but no injuries left in severe storm's wake.
Todd Hertz

Weblog: RNC Tells Voters that Liberals Will Ban Bible
Plus: Alan Wolfe on Democratic secularists, horoscopes vs. the Bible, Prohibition's problems, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Never Again?
Genocide in Sudan tests our commitment to justice.
A Christianity Today Editorial

Weblog: Evangelical Leaders Call for Darfur Action
Plus: A tainted quest for Noah's flood, another Methodist lesbian trial, and the group that may or may not be behind the Iraq church bombings.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Resisting the Urge to Strike Back

Weblog: Bethlehem Prepares for Dour Christmas
"Tons more on Christmas, the lies of Da Vinci, State Department's religious freedom report, Christian video games, and hundreds of stories from online sources around the world"
Rob Moll

The Other Terrorists
Philip Jenkins

Weblog: Another 'Gay Bishop' Hate Crime?
"Richard Land criticizes Roy Moore, sexy teen virtue, reflecting on Baylor's woes, and other stories from around the world"
Ted Olsen

Weblog: Budget Bill Includes Protection for Prolifers
Plus: Religion hate crime statistics, and other stories from online sources from around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Christian History Corner: Is Speaking Truth a Hate Crime?
Hate laws making their way through U.S. and British governments highlight the need for peaceful yet critical Christian witness. A 12th-century abbot leads the way.
By Steven Gertz

Weblog: Why Kerry Is Sincere When He Says He Believes Life Begins at Conception
Plus: AmeriCorps loses suit on Catholic school placements, U.K. considers new religious hate law, Portland's Catholic archdiocese declares bankruptcy, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Weblog: Feds Granted More than $1 Billion to Religious Charities in 2003
Plus: The Joash tablet may not be a fake after all, Christians attacked in India and Egypt, our continuing (and exhausting) roundup of stories about gay marriage and The Passion, and other articles from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

The Other Terrorists
Philip Jenkins

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

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?

The Changing Seasons of Ministry
Younger pastors and older pastors face different temptations and enjoy different rewards.
Kent Hughes

Muslims at Home in America
Christians have a part to play in helping Islam adapt to democracy.
A Christianity Today editorial

Weblog: Presbyterian Church of America Shoots for the Hip
Plus: More on Dean on religion, Clark on abortion, Jack Kelley admits he was forced to quit USA Today, and other stories from online articles around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

400K and counting
Christians recoil at explosive growth of frozen human embryos
Bob Smietana

A Seeming Lack of Support from Religious Conservatives Forces White House to Postpone Faith-Based Initative
"Ted Turner's latest stupid comment, and other stories from mainstream media sources around the world."
Ted Olsen

Minorities Accuse Council of Off-Road Theology
Critics force the Latin American Council of Churches to withdraw its Theology on the Road mission document
Paul Jeffrey

How To Keep Illustrations Sharp
J. Alistair Brown

Weblog: Gracia Burnham Returns to the Philippines Amid Another Hostage Controversy
Plus: Who's talking religion at the Democratic National Convention, council vows to keep praying in Jesus' name, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Weblog: IRS Raids Home and Business of Creationist
Plus: Terror at a Pittsburgh church, England's gay priest gets a top position, and other stories from online sources around the world
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Lessons from a Hostage Pastor in Colombia
A young minister works to prevent guerrilla kidnappings.
By Deann Alford in Medellin, Colombia

Killer Church Fight

Hostage Pastor Released Unharmed In Colombia
Wife pledges to stay in Colombia because the kidnappers cannot stop the Lord's work
Deann Alford

Hostage Pastor Released Unharmed In Colombia
Wife pledges to stay in Colombia because the kidnappers cannot stop the Lord's work
Deann Alford

Colson: Madison Avenue's Spiritual Chic
The typical television commercial is "a morality play for our time."
CHARLES COLSON & Nancy Pearcey

Whatever Happened to the Clear Invitation

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

Praying for Terrorists
Christians seek healing in Beslan.
By Dawn Herzog Jewell

Ultra Mega Weblog: Five Churches Attacked in Netherlands
Plus: Links to more than 422 (really!) other news articles and opinion pieces, including some not about how stupid evangelicals are.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

Books & Culture Corner: In the Beginning Was the Holocaust?
Blasphemy, rage, memory, and meaning of the Shoah
John Wilson

Why Am I Angrier Than I Used to Be?

Resisting the Urge to Hit Back
When revenge tempts you, here's how to forgive completely.
Gary D. Preston

Called into a Crisis
Gary L. Gulbranson

Communist Crackdown Stymies Growing Church
by Michael Fischer

We Grew Up In a Pastor's Home

Why We Love This Deadly Sin
Staying angry protects us from getting hurt again, but at what price?
Barbara Brown Taylor

Praying for Terrorists
Christians seek healing in Beslan.
By Dawn Herzog Jewell

Slowing Down the Runaway Forgiveness Truck
Is there such a thing as too much mercy?
By Scot McKnight

"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

Letter from London
Susan Wise Bauer

Faith, Fear, War, Peace
Snapshots of the grim and 'happy' ministry of today's military chaplains.
By Deann Alford

Security Gaffes
Evangelical schools worry over post-9/11 visa rules.
By Bob Smietana

Weblog: How to Get Fired In One Easy Step
Plus: The sexiest church online, the dangers of linking to Christianity Today, and other stories from around the globe.
Compiled by Ted Olsen X.P.

Israel: Firebombs Threaten Messianic Jews
Balkan evangelicals feel strain of ethnic cleansing.
By Timothy C. Morgan, with Dan and Melike Smeenge in Albania; Tomas Dixon in Vienna; Willy Fautre in Brussels; and wire reports.

From the Editor

Ending It
Mercy killing at the movies.
Peter T. Chattaway

Death Wishes
Circuit Court supports state's primary role in assisted suicide.
By Marshall Allen

Weblog: Korean and Iraqi Christians Killed in Iraq
Plus: Utah court throws out ethnicity-religion limit, the sexed up new Bible translation, D.C. hearings on same-sex marriage, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

Between Pacifism and Jihad
The just-war tradition reconsidered
J. Daryl Charles

Weblog: Atheist No More, Flew Still Rejects Revelation
Plus: LA Times praises Jesus, Eames says ECUSA won't be disciplined, China's Craze Mass, and other stories from online sources around the world.
Compiled by Ted Olsen

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

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

Vengeance Is Whose?
A new film version of The Count of Monte Cristo emphasizes faith, but with a strange twist.
Todd Hertz

Detecting Our Guilt

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

Taking It Personally
What do we do with all this anger
Edward Gilbreath

Life Is Unfair (and That's Okay)
When we are battered or baffled by personal injustices, God whispers, If you do what is right, it will go well with you. An excerpt from Your God Is Too Safe
Mark Buchanan

Missing Persons
A novel set against Liberia's brutal civil war
John Utz

Praying for Terrorists
Christians seek healing in Beslan.
By Dawn Herzog Jewell

Back to the Basics
Christian-Muslim violence requires a 'new' missions strategy: Forgiveness and love.
By Obed Minchakpu in Jos

The Other Terrorists
Philip Jenkins

Hulking Rage
An epidemic of anger at the cineplex
Jeffery Overstreet

Editorial: In Guns We Trust
Fear and idolatry are our real gun problem.