Culture & Public Square

Culture & Public Square helps Christians think biblically about life in society and engage today’s issues with conviction and compassion. Explore articles on current events, ethics, justice, race, technology, public life, and cultural trends—grounded in Scripture and shaped by Christian wisdom. You’ll find guidance for faithful witness, thoughtful dialogue, and making disciples in a complex world, while keeping the gospel at the center. Whether you’re navigating challenging conversations or seeking clarity for ministry and daily life, these resources equip you to live and speak with grace and truth in the public square.

January 21, 2009

Christian Standard

Notes From a Trip to a Place I Never Thought I”d Visit

By Mark A. Taylor The notion of visiting the nation of Jordan had never entered my mind. But now that I”ve gone, I”d recommend the trip to anyone. In eight days last November, almost 20 Christian writers, editors, and reporters had the chance to taste the delights of Jordan in a tour arranged just for us. For many it was a first-time visit. For most, it won”t be the last. Many readers of Christian Standard might wonder whether to include a visit to Jordan in a Holy Land tour itinerary. Definitely, I”d say, “Go there!” Visit to see biblical sites

October 29, 2008

Christian Standard

Giving a Shrug About Politics

By Mark A. Taylor Someone close to me said late in September, “I know who I”m voting for in this presidential election, but I”m not sure why.” She was expressing the feeling of many Christians about this year”s election. They”re not too excited about it. And they”re not the only ones. Peggy Noonan asserted in The Wall Street Journal that, even among dedicated Democrats or Republicans, many wonder if their candidate is truly ready for the job. “I haven”t heard a single person say, “˜Yes, my guy is the answer,”” she wrote September 27. “A lot of shrugging is going

October 22, 2008

Christian Standard

Interview with Nikki Grimes

By Brad Dupray New York Times best-selling author Nikki Grimes is nationally renowned for her children”s works and poetry. Nikki was the recipient of the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the American Library Association Notable Book What is Goodbye?, the Coretta Scott King Honor Books Jazmin”s Notebook, Dark Sons, and The Road to Paris, as well as The Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade. Additionally, she is the creator of the popular Danitra Brown series of children”s books. At press time, her book Barack Obama: Son

August 3, 2008

Christian Standard

Innovation and Invention

By Rick Chromey Few innovations and inventions have altered a civilized cultural landscape like the Internet. Just as Gutenberg”s printing press revolutionized our world and introduced a new concept of mass production, the World Wide Web has globally transformed social institutions from business to education to media. In the March 2008 edition of Fast Company“”an issue dedicated to the “world”s 50 most innovative companies”””the three giants standing at the summit were Google, Apple, and Facebook (in that order).1 Compiling the list involved studying hundreds of companies over several months, noting both fresh perspectives and historical commitments to reinvention. Consequently, it

August 3, 2008

Christian Standard

The Culture War Is Over

By Jud Wilhite Afew years ago I had a transformative experience on Las Vegas Boulevard. I was standing in front of a multibillion dollar hotel, knowing what Las Vegas is built on, where its roots are, and thinking of the waves of people walking past me. It was like a light came on and I realized the culture war is over””we lost. Let me repeat. WE LOST! The culture war dominated much of the 1980s and 1990s as an argumentative and aggressive political posture, mainly myopic about homosexuality and abortion. That posture led to a perception of moral and religious

July 30, 2008

Christian Standard

First Steps Toward Mending Broken Relationships

By Mark A. Taylor When I”m convinced I”m right and you”re wrong, I can find many justifications for refusing to give you a call. The first step toward mending a broken relationship is sometimes the most difficult. This is especially true when it comes to religion. It”s not just that I feel those folks in the church building down the street are mixed up. I”ve got chapter and verse to prove it. Unfortunately, nowhere has this been more evident than between some in each of the three “streams” of the Restoration Movement. But would it be possible to focus on

July 20, 2008

Christian Standard

A Simple Response With Incredible Impact

By Andy Hansen Are you weary of the never-ending swirl of bickering, negativity, and cynicism that envelopes our culture on a daily basis? Perhaps this attitude is heightened by the presidential election. Maybe the cloud we”re under grew with the ever-increasing cost of gasoline, talk of global warming, the ceaseless debate over the Iraq War, a record number of tornadoes in the United States, and devastating earthquakes in China. BAD NEWS Some of the bad news included recent coverage of an incredibly cruel video showing a group of girls pummeling another student who supposedly had posted insulting comments about them

May 25, 2008

Christian Standard

Spiritual Seismic Shifts Are Changing Our World

By Dave Ferguson “We don”t know exactly when, but we do know the earthquake is coming.” That is what seismologists who study our shifting earth are saying about impending catastrophic earthquakes. These experts can now tell us with absolute certainty where earthquakes will happen, but they don”t know exactly when. They have even created a list of the world”s most earthquake-vulnerable cities. At the top of the list is Kathmandu, Nepal, where they predict a 6.0-magnitude earthquake will occur and could kill approximately 69,000 people. Also on the hit list is Manila, Philippines, where a quake that will register close

April 6, 2008

Christian Standard

They”ll Know We Are Christians by Our Vote

By Mandy Smith When church historians look back on the 1990s, they”ll undoubtedly refer to the “worship war” years. But what will they call our current age? My guess is that when discussing the first decades of the 21st century, historians will talk about “The God Gap.” The worship war looked like a discussion about instruments and songs, but it really swung on, “How much can we allow culture to affect our church experience and the expression of our faith?” Today, the collision of faith and culture continues in new arenas. And as if faith isn”t a hot enough topic

January 20, 2008

Robert F. Hull Jr.

Christian involvement in war

What About War?

Christian involvement in war: conscience, Scripture, and the tragic view of life A longtime question haunts the author: how Christians should think about war when Scripture, church history, and human suffering all pull in different directions. The article traces poetry, biblical warfare texts, the just war tradition, and personal experience toward a “tragic view of life” that resists easy answers. The author wrestles with the irony of war and the challenge of God’s participation in biblical conquest. Church history shows shifting Christian positions—from early opposition to later “just war” frameworks. Personal stakes come into view with the deployment of the

December 23, 2007

Christian Standard

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and John the Prophet

By Robert Lowery What in the world does Charles Dickens, the 19th-century British author, have to do with the first-century prophet John? I made a connection just the other night after reading Dickens”s short story, A Christmas Carol. The rereading of this classic work intersected with a paper I had graded earlier that evening written by a student in my class on Revelation. The theology of John and Dickens merged late that evening. Most of us are familiar with the characters in the story published in 1843″” Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, and Bob Cratchit and his family, notably Tiny Tim””if

July 1, 2007

Christian Standard

The Problems with Christian Nationalism: A European Viewpoint

By Patrick Nullens I”ll never forget my first trip to America. After landing in Chicago, I thought, It”s like the movies. I took a cab to a huge hotel. As most tired travelers do, I switched on the cheap television set. That was when I experienced my first cultural shock. A well-dressed woman with giant artificial pink nails was resting her hands on a stack of postcards and praying for sick people. After reading each card, she prayed for each request, one by one. As she prayed eloquently and piously, a number for financial contributions flashed across the bottom of

July 1, 2007

Christian Standard

The Problems with Christian Nationalism: An American Viewpoint

By Ethan Magness A visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam is an unsettling experience. From the outside everything seems so normal. If not for the small line of tourists waiting to get in, it would be indistinguishable from other houses in the beautiful old neighborhood. Cobblestones and a quiet canal belie the dramatic story of good and evil that took place inside the silent building. The house tour leads from the printing shop through the secret door and into the apartment. The furniture is simple and functional. Even the “hiding place” seems comfortable and would have been quite

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