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Before going to press with these stories, the editor talked to his wife Mary to clarify some details in the stories and help write the short biography above. She related a couple of anecdotes that fill in important gaps in the biography and are characteristic of the Lester that many...read more
Introduction (From the Editor) In this edition of the journal, we begin a long-overdue discussion of a topic that has been and will continue to be highly controversial: human sexuality and gender identity. To what extent should we welcome and include LGBTQ+ believers in our faith communities? We at the...read more
Fall was in the air that October day of 1897. Mary Davidson Yoder hurried across Wooster, Ohio’s busy downtown square to the County Courthouse. Her younger sister Frances Davidson walked quickly beside her. Their mission was to acquire a passport for Frances, who planned to leave the United States for...read more
Of all its contributions to twentieth-century theological reflection, the most important gift of The Christian Century was its recurring series “How My Mind Has Changed.” Inaugurated by editor Charles Clayton Morrison in 1939, the series offered scores of first-person accounts detailing how influential Christian theologians had changed their views, if...read more
Editor’s Introduction Charlotte Brechbill White began writing stories about her early life for herself and then shared them with her sisters. She never expected that they would be published. Eventually, however, she sent several of them to Morris Sider, a former professor and the editor emeritus of this journal, who...read more
Since childhood, I have never known peace between Israel and Palestine, or for that matter between Israel and the Arab world. I am a Palestinian refugee who lived through the horror of the Nakba (i.e., disaster) of 1948. In this article I will tell my life story, reflecting on what...read more
Flowers for Martha: Sentiment and Slippage in the Archives “Let’s face it. I am a marked woman, but not everyone knows my name.” —Hortense Spillers, Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: An American Grammar Book The photographer directed each student to gaze into the camera with one student standing out. You notice...read more
The flurry of interest in White Christian nationalism by historians, sociologists, and scholars of religion in the past few years has produced crucial insights into its innerworkings. This work offers a goldmine of insight and analysis for Christians against Christian nationalism as we develop a pastoral approach to resisting Christian...read more
There’s been a lot of talk about White Christian nationalism since 2016. And for good reason. The rise of Trumpism brought fusions of Christian supremacy and White grievances out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Google searches for the term Christian nationalism spiked after the January 6, 2021 insurrection....read more
Called into ministry Just a short distance after turning onto Little Piney Creek Road the two sisters gazed eagerly out of the car window. Were they on the right road? Would the church building still be standing? The two daughters of Isaac and Maybelle Kanode—Pauline (Kanode Allison Peifer) and Beth...read more
Introduction Denominational identities are elusive things. Bore down deep enough in any given area of belief or practice within a church group and one is certain to find some form of variance over time. Even meticulously preserved rituals take place in changing cultural contexts which lend those rituals new connections...read more
In many ways, Pastor Scott perfectly represented his denomination.1 From the interior of his home office, he greeted me warmly and asked a few questions about my own life and work. Even across a Zoom screen, his face spoke kindness, gentleness, and empathy. And he couldn’t stop talking about Jesus....read more
Introduction Around thirty years ago, much of the American Christian merchandise culture centered around four letters, WWJD. There were bracelets, books, t-shirts, and albums to buy with those four letters. In case you are unaware, WWJD is the acronym for the question first introduced in Charles Sheldon’s book from the...read more
Introduction During World War II, travel was difficult for missionaries because of the German presence in the Atlantic Ocean. Many missionaries were not able either to come back to the United States and Canada for their regularly scheduled furloughs or to go to the mission field. In March 1941, however,...read more
Ernest John Swalm was born in 1897 on a farm in Duntroon, Ontario, about 60 miles north of Toronto. His father, Isaac, was a Brethren in Christ pastor and bishop. His mother, Alice Sammons, was Mennonite Brethren prior to her marriage to Isaac.Ernest grew up with the teaching of nonresistance...read more