Christian Century

1 month ago | christiancentury.org | Mac Loftin |Philip Jenkins |Rachel Mann |Claire Giangrave

For the second conclave in a row, the College of Cardinals shocked the watching world with its choice for the next pope. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was a long-shot favorite, precisely because he was from the US—conventional wisdom being that a pope should not be drawn from a global superpower.

1 month ago | christiancentury.org | Katherine A. Shaner |Mac Loftin |Isaac S. Villegas |Jesse Hake

To receive these posts by email each Monday, sign up. For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century. Revelation can be a terrifying book of the Bible to encounter in the Easter season. We usually think about it as a doom and gloom kind of book. That is until a child, bleating like a sheep, reminds us what it is all about.

1 month ago | christiancentury.org | Mac Loftin |Isaac S. Villegas |Jesse Hake |Cait West

The card holders on the long dining room table offered guidance to the women assembled around it: “Keep it Constitutional” and “Keep it Kind.” With those themes in mind, about 10 women, using beige or light blue fabric pieces and colorful markers, sat down to craft messages to their state representative or senator: “Checks and balances are vital to protect the power of Congress.” “We the People” “Rule of law for all” “Everyone deserves due process” Their 10×10 fabric pieces were later...

1 month ago | christiancentury.org | Liz Charlotte Grant |Mac Loftin |Phil Christman |David Klein

The small African Hebrew Israelite community in Israel’s Negev Desert last month celebrated a major milestone in its struggle for recognition in the Jewish state, as more than 100 members seem to have avoided deportation. In a court battle spanning decades, Israeli judicial authorities ruled a majority of residents with undocumented or unclear status in the country will be placed on a pathway toward permanent residency and potential citizenship. “It’s been really rough.

1 month ago | christiancentury.org | Adelle M. Banks |Mac Loftin |Cait West |Rachel Mann

A gathering for people interested in creation care issues took place April 25-26 in Topeka, Kansas, and was sponsored by the Episcopal Grasslands Network, the first eco-region created by legislation passed during the 2024 general convention. The event drew 134 registrants from 35 dioceses across the Episcopal Church, and about half of them attended in person. It also attracted 22 people who indicated they were not Episcopalians, including some who had no religious affiliation.