Christ Conquered Death. He Didn’t Cancel It.
Ms. Rosner’s assertion that the church’s bifurcation of life and death during Holy Week is somehow disorienting and dehumanizing is not something I can agree with. I believe that, because of Christ’s triumph over the tomb, we no longer have to feel doomed by our own mortality. Easter, the most glorious day in all Christendom, gives us hope, nay assurance, of eternal life.
Ron Elkins Bonita, LA
Sometimes it feels like Protestants look to Judaism so much but ironically ignore Catholics and Orthodox, who have kept many Jewish traditions or transformed them in ritual.
@meagankclark (Instagram)
Embezzlement Bedevils Global Church Giving
My grandpa helped uncover embezzlement at his church over 50 years ago. This isn’t new, but it is vital to do everything to stop it!
@molliejohanson (Instagram)
I can’t thank you enough for this kind of journalism. Whenever Christians turn a blind eye to things like this, it makes me feel a little more crazy. Like, “Is nobody seeing what I’m seeing?!”
@alexandragrace7 (Instagram)
As someone who fundraises for a nonprofit, this saddens me so much. I hate that people are skeptical to donate because some people and organizations are fraudulent. But I also hope people know that the vast majority of charities are stewarding funds properly. If you’re in doubt, ask to see the org’s financials. Make sure you can trust where you’re directing your charitable giving.
@jenyin28 (Instagram)
Don’t Make the Church Leadership Crisis Worse
Perhaps we accept cheap imitations of leaders if it means we can push back our disenchantment for a couple hours on Sunday.
Paul Konkol Mead, CO
What Atonement Theories Tell Us About Our Politics
The April 2022 issue has several very fine articles and columns, mostly written by women. As a layperson that has at least a basic understanding of penal substitution, it is nice to have names to refer to other atonement theories. I have also read C. S. Lewis, and now I can call what Aslan does a representation of Christus Victor. Then Tish Harrison Warren’s column shows we need three parts to be at least close to complete in our lives. I’ve long had a problem with Christians who teach that “God is love” but seem to hate a lot of people. It is good to know that Christianity Today is not afraid to engage with a wide variety of issues in a fair manner.
Mark Phillips Kansas City, MO
Leon Morris stated that none of the writers of the New Testament puts forth a theory (explanation) of “how” the atonement of Christ works, and then he went on to say [in a 1961 CT article] why penal substitution is correct. Why do we need a “theory” to explain what the Holy Spirit alone can make real in our hearts? The words in the Scriptures are spiritual words, not words of human logic and wisdom. Is the Spirit unable to reveal what is necessary for salvation to the human spirit? First Corinthians 4:6 (ESV): “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written.”
Douglas Staples Kalamazoo, MI
Visiting Prisoners in Jesus’ Day
We can and should learn from history both when the church did things well and when they failed. It is not an accident that, throughout Europe, there are towns called Spital. The name is Latin for hospital, where monks would provide care for the sick and the elderly. They would also try to meet the needs of the poor and imprisoned. However, one mistake the Reformers made was to try to disconnect the church from this activity. It took until the late 1700s for the church to pick up this role again. Prison reform came about through the work of Quaker Elizabeth Frye.
David Parish Cambridge, England
Black Christian Homeschoolers Are Redefining the Movement
I remember not liking how Eurocentric and procolonization typical homeschool curriculum was when I was a homeschooled teenager myself! And not much has changed in the mainstream since then, sadly. Thanks for the resource for bringing diversity to schooling!
Amanda Girvan (Facebook)
Great article. I’m thankful for McPhaull’s Oh Freedom! curriculum and all of the hard work she put into putting it together. It’s heavy stuff, but it’s important information for my kids and myself to learn. We are going through it at a slower pace, but really learning so much.
Grace Chance Markey (Facebook)
It’s not just about wanting our kids to have a Christian education. Any parent of color knows they have to heavily supplement our children’s education and fill in the blanks of omission and counter the outright lies present in American public school education. My mom took pains to provide curriculum that told the whole story of [people of color].
Laura Spencer (Facebook)
Correction: The April article originally titled “Preaching Truth in the Land of Disinformation” said on page 16 that the 1908 Alphabet Congress was organized by the Bible Society. It was not. One of the organizers was a Protestant who also worked for the Bible Society.
