Table Of Contents
December 2019
Volume 63, Number 10
December
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About This Issue
The cover story this month examines the Mary we never knew. Most evangelicals today don’t pay much attention to the mother of Jesus outside of Advent and the occasional Mother’s Day sermon. But authors Jennifer Powell McNutt and Amy Beverage Peeler argue from tradition and the biblical record that Mary was not only the earliest disciple of Christ, she was perhaps also the most faithful disciple. If that’s true, then she deserves a much more prominent place in the church’s year-round teaching for both men and women.
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Cover Story

The First Christian
Mary’s preeminent example as a Christ follower neither began nor ended at Christmas.

Features

A Scrappy Network of Christians Welcomes Congolese Asylum Seekers
When these Central Africans journey north, this community of believers is waiting for them.
When Restoration Hurts
Christian counselors grapple with how to encourage reconciliation while protecting victims.
The Christian Roots of the Fair Trade Movement
Beneath the buzzwords around sustainability, transparency, and ethical sourcing we find something far more important than consumerism: Christ-centered love for our neighbors.
Jesus Cares About Your Conspiracy Theory
By understanding the world of Scripture, we can understand how to approach conspiracies today.

Views

God’s Mercy is More Robust Than We Think
Grace does not sabotage the pursuit of righteousness but empowers it.
Divine Facial Recognition
The Incarnation gave us a God we could recognize and know.
All God’s Laws Are Equal. Are Some More Equal Than Others?
Why Jesus doesn’t give a straightforward answer to questions about the greatest commandment.

Reviews

Seeing the Lord Behind the Lord’s Prayer
Wesley Hill shows how each petition points to the character of Christ.
You Can’t Reject a Faith You Never Knew
Historian Alec Ryrie offers a revisionist take on the roots of unbelief. But there’s another story that needs telling.
Old Testament Law Is a Gracious Invitation to Intimacy with God
Why believers shouldn’t throw it away out of embarrassment.
New & Noteworthy Books
Compiled by Matt Reynolds.
Theologians: Don’t Lose Sight of Theology’s Most Basic Task
Students and teachers alike need to remember the difference between knowing theology and knowing God.

News

This Minnesota Monk Saves Ancient Manuscripts for a Digital Age
Columba Stewart says preserving Muslim texts is "part of the work of evangelism."
Georgia Endorsed Bible Classes. Twice. But Schools Aren’t Teaching Them.
Why a growing political push to put the Bible in classrooms only has a minor impact.

More from this Issue

The Gospel According to Mark (Galli)
Lessons from CT’s editor in chief.
In Kolkata as It Is in Suburbia
How CT can cast a global vision.
Reply All
Responses to our October issue.
I Was a Theological Drifter, Then a Reform Jew, Then an Orthodox Jew, Then...
How I finally crossed the road to Christ.