Christianity Today

January/February 2026

Volume 70, Number 1

Cover of Christianity Today's first issue from 1956 October 15, 1956
Cover of the January / February 2026 of Christianity Today.
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When Jesus taught, he used parables. The kingdom of God is like yeast, a net, a pearl. Then and today, to grasp wisdom and spiritual insight, we need the concrete. We need stories. In this issue of Christianity Today, we focus on testimony—the stories we tell, hear, and proclaim about God’s redemptive work in the world. Testimony is a personal application of the Good News. You’ll read Marvin Olasky’s testimony from Communism to Christ, Jen Wilkin’s call to biblical literacy, and a profile on the friendship between theologian Miroslav Volf and poet Christian Wiman. In an essay on pickleball, David Zahl reminds us that play is also a testament to God’s grace. As you read, we hope you’ll apply the truths of the gospel in your own life, church, and neighborhood. May your life be a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom.

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Essays

Who We Are and Whose We Are

Robert S. Smith

Only Christ can teach us the truth about ourselves and enable us to fulfill our God-given purpose in an era of confusion about gender and sex.

From Communism to Christ

God drew me out of Marxism to himself. But that’s only half the story.

Tarot Cards, Shrines, and Priestesses

The quest for an authentic spiritual heritage has led some Black Christian women down a dangerous path.

Revival Begins with Suffering, Not Celebrity

Luke Geraty

Craig Keener’s book Suffering reminds us from where true greatness comes.

Review

He Left the Pastorate. But He Hasn’t Given up on Religion.

Ryan Burge’s Vanishing Church shows the importance of faith for America.

Faith Stagnant? Play More.

David Zahl

Having fun might be the greatest testament to the gospel of God’s grace.

News

Nursing Home Revival

Amy Lewis

Churches invest heavily on children and youth. But what about those in the twilight of their lives?

Miroslav Volf: ‘Disagreeing With You Feels Like Disagreeing With Myself’

Andrew Hendrixson

The deep friendship between the theologian and poet Christian Wiman is built around mutual respect and a willingness to tackle life’s hardest questions.

Don’t Forsake the Assembly

A durable, dogged, in-person, on-paper, public commitment to a local church is a necessary part of the Christian life.

Why the Church Matters More Than Ever

Brad Edwards

CT’s 2025 Book of the Year winner on why we need each other—minds, bodies, and souls—as AI proselytizers promise an enchanting new world.

Raids Are a Perilous Substitute for Reform

Anti-immigrant policies helped spark the American Revolution. Today, they are deforming our national conscience.

The Great Omission

With busy schedules, chatty small groups, and personalized quiet times, we’ve neglected the rigor of learning the Bible.

Public Theology Project

The Church Needs to Recover the Primacy of God’s Word

A postliterate culture cannot afford a postbiblical church.

The Christianity Today Book Awards

CT Editors

Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.

Prologues

Disciplines Don’t Save. Christ Does.

Michael Horton

Michael Horton exhorts Christians to not confuse discipleship with the gospel.

Witnessing Is The Church’s Work

A note from CT’s editorial director in our January/February issue.

Qualms & Proverbs

What If a Good Pastor Is a Bad Preacher?

Karen Swallow Prior, Kevin Antlitz, and Kiara John-Charles

CT advice columnists also weigh in on anguished estrangement and a suspicious devotional.

Once Lost, Then Found, Then Judged

History is full of Christians trying to figure out if other Christians really experienced the saving work they say they did.

News

Church Construction Increases Since 2022

And other news from around the world.

Disintegration is the Church’s Greatest Threat

A note from Mission Advancement about the Big Tent Initiative and One Kingdom Campaign.

Backstories

This Ex-Atheist Has Some Explaining to Do

Novelist Christopher Beha’s move from unbelief to faith in Christ confounded those who know him. His new book walks skeptics through his conversion.

Testimony

I Ran from God and My Jewish Identity. Then I Read the New Testament.

Aaron Abramson

Aaron Abramson served in the Israeli Defense Forces before abandoning his faith and wandering the world in search of meaning.

‘The Image of God Was Always In My Mother’

Kate Lucky

Responses to our September/October issue.

Additional Articles

All Archives

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