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The Lies—and Truths—That Keep Some Black People Out of Church
A California pastor’s book confronts the painful parts of Christian history but points to the healing power of the gospel.
Pornography Has Always Been a Moral Blight
A look back at evangelical prescience concerning a “moral sickness.”
In ‘the Year of the Bible,’ Evangelicals Debate Politics, Civil Disobedience
CT emphasized diverse views in ongoing discussions in 1983.
Attempts at Cultural Crossover
From Pat Robertson’s soap opera to creation science, CT reported evangelical efforts to go mainstream in 1982.
A New Approach to Native Missions Starts with the Past
A painful history with church-run schools has many Indigenous people wary of Christianity. Native ministries are working to share the real Jesus.
Today in Christian History
May 9
May 9, 1760: Count Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, founder of the Moravian Brethren and a pioneer of ecumenism and mission work, dies in Herrnhut, Germany. By his death the Moravians (which themselves only numbered in the hundreds) had sent out 226 missionaries around the world (see issue 1: Nicolaus Zinzendorf and the Moravians).
May 9, 1983: Pope John Paul II speaks before a gathering of 200 scientists and apologizes for the suffereing that Galileo Galilei had endured at the hands of the church when he was forced to recant his views of a heliocentric universe under threat of torture in 1633. John Paul II indicated that the church had renewed a review of the matter, which eventually led to a reversal of the Catholic Church's condemnation of Galileo in 1992.
Pornography Has Always Been a Moral Blight
A look back at evangelical prescience concerning a “moral sickness.”
In ‘the Year of the Bible,’ Evangelicals Debate Politics, Civil Disobedience
CT emphasized diverse views in ongoing discussions in 1983.
Attempts at Cultural Crossover
From Pat Robertson’s soap opera to creation science, CT reported evangelical efforts to go mainstream in 1982.
A New Approach to Native Missions Starts with the Past
A painful history with church-run schools has many Indigenous people wary of Christianity. Native ministries are working to share the real Jesus.
People in Christian History
Dorothy Sayers
Mystery writer and apologist
Augustine of Hippo
Architect of the Middle Ages
C.S. Lewis
Scholar, author, and apologist
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
German theologian and resister
Athanasius
Five-time exile for fighting “orthodoxy”
Harriet Tubman
The “Moses” of Her People
Catherine Booth
Compelling preacher and co-founder of the Salvation Army
William Wilberforce
Antislavery politician
John Knox
Presbyterian with a sword
Dwight L. Moody
Revivalist with a common touch
George Whitefield
Sensational Evangelist of Britain and America
Billy Graham
Evangelist to millions
Thomas à Kempis
Author of the most popular devotional classic
Perpetua
High society believer
Justin Martyr
Defender of the “true philosophy”
John of the Cross
Spanish mystic of the soul’s dark night
Teresa of Avila
Carmelite mystic and feisty administrator
Oswald Chambers
Preacher who gave his utmost
Joan of Arc
Teenage war hero with visions
Søren Kierkegaard
Christian existentialist
Changing Times and Technology
In 1981, CT helped evangelicals navigate debates over Ronald Reagan, genetic engineering, television, and male headship.
The Rise of the Religious Right
CT called for caution as evangelicals flocked to vote for Ronald Reagan.
What $18 Would Get You
In 1979, CT investigated deceptive Christians, made the case for psychology, and watched Islam with concern.
A Sign, Not a Weathervane
CT sought to point people to the Bible through the personal and public crises of 1978.
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From a Galaxy Far, Far Away to Carol Stream, Illinois
CT tracked cultural changes while going through several of its own.
The Year of the Evangelical
America prepared for a bicentennial, and religious identity dominated the presidential campaign.
Considering Both Sides of Church Divisions
CT hosted debates about the charismatic movement and women’s ordination.
Confronting Evils
In 1974, CT saw trouble in the White House, Chile, and Cyprus, and in the American fascination with exorcists.
Christian History Issues
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Troubling Moral Issues in 1973
CT condemned the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade and questioned the seriousness of Watergate.
Was Abraham Lincoln a Christian?
In his younger years, Lincoln was a skeptic. But as he aged, he turned toward biblical wisdom—and not only when in the public eye.
How CT Editors Carl Henry and Nelson Bell Covered Civil Rights
Trying to stake out a sliver of space for the “moderate evangelical,” the magazine sometimes left readers confused and justice ignored.
CT Reports from Nixon’s Trip to Communist China
In 1972, American evangelicals were concerned about religious liberty around the world and moral decline at home.
Looking Past Bell Bottoms, Beads, Coffeehouses, and Communes
In 1971, CT said the Jesus People were not just another baby boomer fad.
Tearing Apart ‘The Old Thread-bare Lie’
Black journalist Ida B. Wells exposed Southern lynching.
What CT Asked Advice Columnist Ann Landers
As America teetered on the edge of revolution, the magazine called for more innovation, responsibility, sensitivity, and stewardship.
Disillusioned at the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius
CT helped readers make sense of wild cultural changes in 1969.