Reading Toni Morrison in Advent

A seasonal practice: cultivate the patient gaze to describe life as we find it.

by Stephanie Paulsell

What mercy in the criminal justice system could look like

What if all were extended the gift of a second chance?

by Peter W. Marty

Who’s the parasite?

Bong Jong-ho’s genre-bending film reveals the fantasies of salvation that feed off of us all.

by Kathryn Reklis

Why are rural white Americans willing to prioritize cultural whiteness above all else?

Jonathan Metzl offers useful data and analysis, if not much empathy.

by Angela Denker

Living by the Word for Advent, December 8

In the stitched-together story of Advent, we wrestle with each other’s certainties.

by Matthew Johnson

Books we’re giving

A sneak peek at the CC staff’s Christmas gift list

The precarious position of evangelical women celebrities in the church

“These women are a puzzle hidden in plain sight.”

Amy Frykholm interviews Kate Bowler

A barbershop births a church of drug users, ex-cons, and homeless folks

Others have given up on them, but not God.

by Jason Byassee

How local governments punish poor people with fines

When a parking ticket spirals into homelessness

by Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil