Christianity Today began as a literal dream of evangelist Billy Graham’s in 1955. So vivid was it that he woke up and immediately typed out his vision: he saw a magazine that was a “rallying point … a new strong vigorous voice to call us together that will have the respect of all evangelicals of all stripes within our major denominations.” Soon he pitched the magazine to fellow evangelical leaders. The vision was tremendous: “hard-hitting editorial on current subjects … full news coverage … a digest of what other magazines all over the world are saying … good biography … reviews.”
But even at our most ambitious (and cost-demanding), we’ve only been able to publish fortnightly. With today’s launch of this site, we live up to our name, Christianity Today.
As many of you know, we’ve been online for a long time—in online terms, anyway. We were one of the first religious publications to go online, in 1994 (back in the online Dark Ages). But for the most part, we simply posted a selection of our print articles. Today, that changes. Though we’ll still be posting many of the articles from our print publication, ChristianityToday.com will also include original articles, fresh news, and features you won’t find anywhere else (even in our print magazine). Mondays through Fridays, we will report daily on what God is doing in the world and bring the best evangelical thought to bear on this issues facing the church.
Being daily also allows us to respond to contemporary issues faster than in print. Today’s lead article by Wendy Murray Zoba, [link] “Cassie Said Yes, They Say No,” is an excellent case in point. As Salon.com, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and others in the mainstream press question the facts surrounding an event that has ignited the passions of American evangelicals, we can respond quickly not only regarding the facts, but what the controversy means.
ChristianityToday.com launches today, but there are many changes ahead. Soon you’ll be able to browse past articles—both from our print and online versions—by subject matter and interest areas. We’ll also offer greater interactivity through message boards and online events. And we’re working on providing resource areas to answer questions you have about faith, life, and the world we live in.
As we continue to grow and improve, I encourage you to subscribe to our daily newsletter, CT Direct. If you do, you’ll receive updates on how we’re improving the site, as well as a daily listing of our new articles. Believe me, from movie reviews to reports from international Christian leaders, you won’t want to miss anything.
I’m eager to hear your thoughts about our site, our articles, or other ideas you may have. Write me at cteditor@christianitytoday.com. And thanks again for being a part of our launch.
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