
Dying Empty (Holy Week Series)
By Avril Z. Speaks
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the funeral of my dear friend. To say that his death was a shock is an understatement. Even writing that sentence still gives me chills.
This Online Articles area (formerly our Library) gathers reflections, op-eds, and essays that engage the pressing questions of faith, justice, and public life. Here, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtful and engaging pieces from scholars, practitioners, and everyday Christians — leaders and writers who bring fresh insight and faithful imagination. These articles are meant to spark deeper discipleship, fuel courageous action, and equip the church to embody the gospel in a complex world. We invite you to explore, learn, and join the ongoing conversation toward a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
Subscribe to the CSA Newsletter
CSA’s free weekly publication, a carefully curated collection of original articles at the intersection of spiritual formation and social action.

By Avril Z. Speaks
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the funeral of my dear friend. To say that his death was a shock is an understatement. Even writing that sentence still gives me chills.

With Nikki Toyama-Szeto and Candice Benbow
To read a transcript of this episode, click here.

With Nikki Toyama-Szeto and Jenny Yang
For a transcript of the episode, click here.

With Nikki Toyama-Szeto and Cole Arthur Riley
To read a transcript of this episode, click here.

With Nikki Toyama-Szeto and Drew Jackson
To read the transcript of this episode, click here.

By Natalia Kohn, Nemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson
Originally published January 15, 2019
Esther was a Jewish woman being raised by a cousin named Mordecai. The Jews were an ethnic minority community displaced and dispersed all over the provinces of King Xerxes of Persia.

By Liz Cooledge Jenkins
In a church I used to attend, a sermon series through Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church landed us one Sunday morning in 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat’” (NIV).

By Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Originally published September 24, 2018
“No one with a brain really believes in religion,” the man declared.
It was an odd way to respond to my revelation that I was a seminary professor.

By Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Originally published October 2, 2017
Father, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come. Our daily bread give us today. And forgive us our debts, for we forgive our debtors.

By Matthew Tyson
It is through labor that we, as humans, make the world. In doing so, we make ourselves. We make reality. In this way, to solely commodify your labor and sell it in service of profit and capitalist competition can alienate you from your labor, and thus from yourself.

By Kristyn Komarnicki
In 1998, Ron Sider hired me as a part-time editor for PRISM magazine, Christians for Social Action’s flagship print publication at the time. It was the answer to a fervent prayer of mine, to do meaningful work that would not only integrate my faith but also grow it.

By Ben Lowe
I was introduced to Ron Sider at an event at Wheaton College and had a passing but lively chat about what I was working on at the time. Shortly after, I received one of Ron’s books from him in the mail, which he thought would be a helpful resource.

By Al Tizon
Dr. Ronald J. Sider passed away on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Tributes and articles regarding his legacy have cropped up everywhere from The New York Times to Christianity Today and a growing number of personal blog entries and Facebook posts in between.

By Ron Sider
I often fail to come even close to the submission and faithfulness prayed for here, but these words represent my desire. I hope you can make these words your sincere longing as well.

By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Dear friends,
Dr. Ron Sider, our dear friend and colleague, passed away on Wednesday night, July 27.
Ron died of cardiac arrest, following a hospital stay for treatment for some ongoing health conditions.

By Kristyn Komarnicki
I live in a state of hopelessness.
Pennsylvania is one of the few states that retain both the death penalty and a life-without-parole policy. And the death penalty is the ultimate statement of despair.

By Kenji Kuramitsu