In this series
At Christianity Today, many of our most-read articles have titles that draw the eye, report on major news events, or weigh in on highly debated topics. But beyond the stories that get thousands of likes on Instagram or show up in your Google search results, we’ve offered many quieter meticulously reported news stories, book reviews that engage thoughtfully with the text, and ideas that encourage us to think critically about how to live as Christians.
As editorial support staff, we have the privilege of reading every article that publishes at CT each year—yes, all 1,300-plus. So we know when a piece didn’t get the attention we feel it deserves.
Among the selections below are stories of a retired professor singing hymns to bears in the Alaskan wilderness, one of the last Christian medical schools that is changing how doctors do medicine, and a missionary who spent 17 years behind bars translating the Bible. Plus, arguments for why couples should use marriage vows from the 1550s and why millennial dads are a major sign of hope.
As we wrap up 2025, we hope these hidden gems make your holiday reading list.
—CT’s engagement and copy editors
Racial Unity Is Out of Style
Christians’ race debate is increasingly a battle between those blind to the sin of racism and those convinced racism and sexism are the only sins.
Don’t Write Your Own Marriage Vows
Custom wedding vows are popular. But Christian marriage is about more than personal identity, ephemeral affection, and jokes about chores.
The Secret Cure for a Health Care System Without a Heart
One of the last Christian medical schools in the US could change how doctors do medicine.
The Millennial Dad Dividend
Every young father I know is a great dad. I think it’s a major sign of hope.
Singing Hymns to Warn the Bears
On the outskirts of Anchorage, a Southern Baptist retired science education professor captures creation on her cameras.
The Transhumanist Question
Is our being merely human something that ought to be overcome?
‘Without God’s Permission, I Cannot Go to Prison’
Missionary David Lin spent his 17 years behind bars translating the Bible and ministering to his cellmates.
A Christian Chess Detective Faces a Mathematical Stalemate
Complexity theory remains one of the great unsolved mathematical puzzles. Kenneth Regan is trying to figure it out.
I Found Jesus in Science Class
How God used a skeptical teacher to help me make my faith my own.
A Woman’s Mental Work Is Never Done
Sociologist Allison Daminger’s new book on the cognitive labor of family life is insightful but incomplete.
The Secret Prayers of Gamblers
Locating the spiritual longing hiding in America’s obsession with betting.
How Can I Help? Ask the Church.
After a disaster like Hurricane Helene, volunteers and donations need systems—and that’s where local congregations come in.
The Uneasy Conscience of a Christian Introvert
Introverts don’t need to become extroverts. But sometimes I’ve let my introversion excuse my failure to love God’s people as I should.
Journalism Was My Religion. Then I Encountered Jesus Christ.
I wanted to be an eyewitness to Brazil’s history. Instead, God made me a witness to his work in the world.
