News

Top 10 News Stories of 2011

The events, people, and debates of the past year that have shaped, or will significantly shape, evangelical life, thought, or mission.

1. Rob Bell tries to legitimize universalism, prompting hugebacklash. He later announces he’s leaving Mars Hill Bible Church to work in TV.

2. States adopt 80 abortion restrictions in their 2011 legislative sessions, an all-time high (the previous record was 34).

3. Mideast Christians conflicted about the Arab Spring, especially as anti-Christian violence follows Mubarak ouster in Egypt.

4. John Stott, evangelical statesman, pastor, and builder of the global church, dies at 90.

5. Beijing’s Shouwang Church holds outdoor services for more than six months, enduring mass arrests as it leads China’s booming house churches in unprecedented demands for religious freedom.

6. HarperCollins, which already owns Zondervan, buys Thomas Nelson; it now has about 50 percent of the Christian book market.

7. How best to translate “Son of God” in Bibles for the Muslim world becomes a flashpoint, prompting Wycliffe to clarify standards and missionaries to pledge more civility.

8. Tim Tebow’s prominent display of faith becomes one of the sports world’s major talkingpoints.

9. Largely Christian South Sudan votes for independence; persecutionensues for Christians in the Nuba Mountains and Khartoum.

10. The PC(USA) votes to allow noncelibate gay pastors, prompting defections from presbyteries. (Meanwhile, the United Methodists hold the line on same-sex unions amid a planned clergy revolt.)

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Christianity Today also chose the top 10 news stories of 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, and 2000.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Cover Story

The Cure for Election Madness

Calling All Callings: Amy Sherman on ‘Kingdom Calling’

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A Crackdown on International Adoptions

Review

Strength in Weakness: The Bible, Disability, and the Church

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Europe's Top Courts Are on a Pro-Life Roll

A Pro-Life Plea This Election Season

Jesus and the Goodness of Everything Human

How Bethany Hoang Was Wired for Justice

Is Cage Fighting Ethical for Christians?

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Go Figure

Excerpt

J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom on God's Will

Review

Girl Meets Grace: Lauren Winner's New Reflection on Her Divorce and Desolation

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Discipling the Dragon: Christian Publishing Finds Success in China

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Will Immigration Slowdown Prompt a Bilingual Ministry Bust?

Wilson's Bookmarks

How the Physical Form of a Bible Shapes Us

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Counterterrorism Laws Hamper Humanitarian Aid

Editorial

Thou Shalt Not Abuse: Reconsidering Spanking

Blessed Are the Jobless: How Ministries Aid the Unemployed

Six Indie Films You Won't Want to Miss

Readers Write

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Passages

Natural Length Reading: Christianity Today Launches eBooks

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Quotation Marks

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Corporation Switches to Adult Stem-Cell Therapy, Copeland Loses Suit, and More

My Top 5 Books on Christians in Politics

Commander and Chaplain: The Faith of Presidents

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Has the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Helped Pro-Life Advocacy?

Don't Worry, Read Happy: Alan Jacobs on The Pleasures of Reading

2012 Christianity Today Book Awards

The Annual Book and Music Awards

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As USCIRF Faces Possible Closure, Funding Divides Religious Freedom Experts

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