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CSA’s free weekly publication, a carefully curated collection of original articles at the intersection of spiritual formation and social action.
By Laurie Nichols
Lent has been around for centuries, dating back to the Early Church. It’s a 40-day season of reflection, repentance, and renewal, modeled after Jesus’ time fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). At its core, Lent is about making space—letting go of distractions so we can refocus on what really matters: God’s love, justice, and the hope of resurrection.
From CSA
“Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed…” Isaiah 1:17
Earlier this month, several patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued a statement condemning various acts in Jerusalem that restricted the rights of churches on their own property.
By Veronica Timbers
Here are some practical applications for pushing back against the harm of the Nashville Statement and taking collective action toward justice. Just for fun, I will use “The Statement’s” format to present my ideas for a collective—and active—rebuttal.
By Benjamin Capps
Dear white, suburban, Christian brothers and sisters,
Like many of you, on the evening of Saturday August 12th, my eyes were glued to the unfolding events scrolling across the screen of my phone—my mouth open, stomach turning, head swirling and palms sweating as my body reacted to what I was seeing.
From CSA
Watch an in-depth interview with CSA Deputy Director Sarah Withrow King about why caring for animals is a faithful witness of the peaceful kingdom that God desires, and Jesus modeled.
By Jon Carlson
The last week of August, while the floodwaters were rising in Houston, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood released a statement “declaring once again the true story of the world and of our place in it—particularly as male and female.” Over fourteen articles, the authors offer a series of “affirmations” and “denials” regarding theological, philosophical, and psychological questions pertaining to LGBTQ+ individuals.
By Kathy Khang
Instead of sitting and seething over yet another debacle initiated in the name of law and order, here are seven things you can DO:
By Brian Lugioyo
Let me preface my response by saying that I hold a conservative view of sex and marriage, one closer to Augustine than to the common evangelical position that implicitly rejects friendship and explicitly idolizes marriage.
By Lianne Simon
The recently published Nashville Statement represents the beliefs of a coalition of conservative evangelical leaders regarding same-sex marriage, gender identity, and even intersex.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
I think I dropped a plate and almost broke it when I heard the news of President Trump’s plan to end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
By Ron Sider
Reverend Philip Olson (MDiv, Princeton), the first director of CSA’s program on holistic ministry, went to be with the Lord on August 28 after years of battling cancer.
Phil was a friend, a wonderful husband and father, and a gifted church leader.
By Kimberly Dent
I am frustrated by the stark, stiff-necked posture that my brothers and sisters in Christ who penned the Nashville Statement are advising. Even as I share the writers’ interpretation of God’s original design for marriage and sexuality, I cannot, in clear conscience, go further than that.
By Derek Kaser
My heart aches because of the Nashville Statement.
My heart aches because it is reckless and dangerous and may put real people—image bearers of God—at risk.
To help explain why that is, let me explain a little bit about my history.
By Kristyn Komarnicki
As the nation is reeling from racial violence and crippling floods, a group of leaders decided it was a good time to draw some sharp lines around sexuality issues, making sexual orientation and gender identity a central tenet of the Christian faith.
From Gene Sharp
Reporting Sick (“Sick-In”)
Where strikes are forbidden by or are not feasible for other reasons, workers can achieve the same goals, ranging from a reduction in production to the equivalent of a real strike, by agreeing to call in sick.
From Gene Sharp
Displays of Flags and Symbols
This technique showcases the flag or colors of a national, religious, social or political group, in a form of nonviolent protest that draws on the existence of deep emotions or from the intention to stir them.
From Gene Sharp
Refusal of an Assemblage or Meeting to Disperse
A formal or informal meeting may demonstrate opposition by rejecting requests, whether official or not, to disperse. Sometimes, this technique is closely linked to non-obedience or civil disobedience with “illegitimate” laws.
CSA is a group of Christian scholar-activists, stirring the imagination for a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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