If you’ve been following along this month, we’ve been taking a close look at the ways people engage with the Bible. We’ve covered theories of what scripture is, doctrines of biblical inerrancy, encouragements to read the texts, political (mis)appropriations of the Bible, and much more.
A centerpiece of this exploration has been our ‘What is the Bible for?’ series. We asked dozens of scholars, faith leaders, and writers to tell us what they think the Bible is for, in seven words or less. We’ve been publishing their responses throughout the month, and this week we have a fun new entry from ministry pioneer and writer Brian McLaren. I’m thrilled to pair it with a new column from the Century’s own editor/publisher Peter Marty, who reflects on the fallibility of Jesus—and the alleged infallibility of the Bible.
If you’re all Bibled out at the moment, fear not: we have plenty of other great new content too! Scroll down for our editors’ response to a recent unconstitutional arrest, Gary Yerkey’s recollection of a life-changing road trip to Selma, and Mac Loftin’s observation that current US leaders mirror Homer’s caricatures of Greek gods.
Jon Mathieu Email me: Which passage in the Bible has most influenced you? Click to schedule a Friday lunch chat with Jon Click to find Jon on (X/Twitter alternative) Bluesky
“Khalil’s arrest represents this administration’s escalating attack on civil liberties. That’s what’s at stake here—not support for Israel or for Palestine, not efforts to fight antisemitism or Islamophobia, but the basic rights of people in the United States.”
“We’ve just watched a snuff film, but Sebastian Gorka has invited us not to see the terrible things before our eyes, but to pretend we were sitting with him in the Situation Room, proud, clean, and in fine clothes.”
