Advancing the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God.
December 24, 1223: Francis of Assisi stages history’s first living nativity scene, complete with live animals, in a cave near Greccio, Italy (see issue 42: Francis of Assisi).
December 24, 1491: Spanish ascetic and theologian Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is born in Guipuzcoa, Spain. His order quickly became a great power in Roman Catholicism and led the Counter-Reformation.
December 24, 1818: Franz Gruber composes “Silent Night” in the St. Nicholas Church of Oberndorf, Austria.
News
The civil rights leader believed in a gospel bigger than race or self-interest.
The Bulletin
The financial and moral toll of war, immigration slows but ministry continues, and why denominations split.
America prepared for a bicentennial, and religious identity dominated the presidential campaign.
The Philadelphia-based pastor discusses how the church can engage Black men and have a biblical approach to government.
The author of the Mitford Years series married at 14, protested segregation, and wrote her first book at 57.
Review
The Oscar-nominated film reminds viewers to learn from the past—and to share our stories with the next generation.
The Just Life with Benjamin Watson
Exploring the sobering connection between modern convenience and human suffering.