This post was written by Ron Sider and originally published in Christianity Today on August 12, 1996. Inconsistency marks our major political options. As a consequence, Christians seeking a biblically balanced political agenda find it difficult to find a political home. President Clinton champions the “right” to abortion and then leads the campaign against smoking
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What Can We Learn from Sixty Years of Evangelical Political Engagement?
From the beginning, Christianity Today was seen by its founders as something quite apart from just another combatant in a culture war. They would speak the truth, and sometimes they would annoy all the right people, but their goal was to convince others to see the wisdom of their position and not just add to
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What Can We Learn from Reading C. S. Lewis’s First Published Work?
Spirits in Bondage is a work of literary, intellectual, and spiritual immaturity—and promise. Published in 1919 under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton (C. S. Lewis’s first name and his deceased mother’s maiden name), Spirits in Bondage was his first published work and thus provides important insights into the artist as a young man—a young man who
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The Christian as Citizen: Three Historical Views
Charles Colson, Jerry Falwell, and Jim Wallis represent three widely divergent views concerning the Christian as citizen. Each interacted at length with Christianity Today Institute participants, clarifying their views through a question/answer session. This post is adapted from an article originally published in Christianity Today on April 19, 1985. A view from the evangelical center
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When Calamity Strikes, You Need Jesus
Christ and calamity go together. As Jesus said: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When calamity strikes, you need Jesus. God’s word and prayer are the means by which he sanctifies all things—even tribulation and distress. In the dark valleys of life you
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A Father’s Habitus, A Son’s Tribute
28 August 1997 Dear Dad, I promised I would write to you when we said good-bye at the airport, so here goes. None of us knows how many days we have upon this earth, but with your illness it makes each visit harder to part. I will never forget the blessing you gave me as we
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Apologetics for a New Generation
“There is good news and there is bad news. Which would you like to hear first?” We’ve all been asked this question about a host of issues. Personally, I often prefer to hear bad news first to get it out of the way. But I’m going to step out of character and offer the good news first. The
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Now Death is Dead: This Joyful Eastertide
Let’s face it: if you slice the resurrection out of the Christian faith, there’s not a whole lot left. Jesus without the resurrection is just another religious teacher offering up ethical guidelines. But we don’t need a life coach or religious guru. We need a Savior, one who can tackle our fundamental human dilemma: we’re
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Thanksgiving in Calamity
Some people steel themselves for the worst: “Expect nothing; you’ll never be disappointed.” That isn’t St. Paul’s approach. Rather than defaulting to cynicism or becoming resigned to perpetually impending disaster, he suggests a thankful heart: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
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Watch This New Interview with Karen Swallow Prior
Spirits in Bondage reveals the earliest published thoughts of C. S. Lewis. However, we find an unfamiliar Lewis—not the mature Christian but the young atheist cynic, who fought in the harrowing Great War. In these poems Lewis dreads the dangerous world that keeps us from living meaningful lives. In this interview with Karen Swallow Prior, we
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