For many writers, putting hundreds or thousands of words on the page is not the most difficult part of writing. It is rather the ideation phase, the task of coming up with what we call the pitch, the angle, or the take and then determining whether the idea we’ve gotten is worth anything: if it holds together, if it tells the truth, if it might possibly edify the church.
On some blessed occasions, the idea may simply appear, like Gabriel to Mary, an unlooked-for mental gift. Perhaps more often, ideation can be a slog. It recalls less the first chapter of Luke than that of Ecclesiastes: “Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’?” (v. 10)
However they came about, the 15 articles below (presented in order of publication), are ideas-driven pieces that stuck with CT editors this year. They present fresh insights alongside timeless truths and bring surprising perspectives to both familiar and novel debates. We hope you find them as intriguing, delightful, and thought-provoking as we did.
The Selfish Ambition of Our Immigration Debate
Justin Giboney
Migrants, border states, and sanctuary cities alike are suffering because of our leaders’ spiteful rivalries.
My Disabled Son Is the Image of God
Greg Harris
As a pastor, I’ve wrestled with the theological implications of my child’s disability.
‘Wildcat’ Is as Unsettling as Flannery O’Connor Would Have Wanted
Jessica Hooten Wilson
Ethan Hawke has made a movie as scandalous as one of the writer’s short stories.
Be Quick to Listen, Slow to ‘Therapy Speak’
Mia Staub
Using terms like trauma, abuse, and toxic too flippantly has consequences for our relationships.
Evangelicals Don’t Love Donald Trump Enough
Russell Moore
Christians who wave away the former president’s sexual immorality may be the most anti-Trump constituency of all.
I’m Trading My Career for Motherhood. Neither Will Fulfill Me.
Sophia Lee
This isn’t a female problem, but a human one.
A Theological Monument to Unity amid Diversity
S. Joshua Swamidass
Fifty years ago, the Lausanne Covenant’s solution to rampant division in evangelical ranks wasn’t uniformity.
An Alternative to the Bonhoeffer Option
Jared Stacy
Christians today can learn from WWII-era theologian K.H. Miskotte about resisting without resorting to political violence.
A Vision for Repair
Bonnie Kristian
We don’t fix things anymore—relationships, democracies, or socks. That’s a problem.
Triumphalism After Dobbs Was a Mistake
Marvin Olasky
The pro-life movement has forgotten its roots. We need to get back to basics.
Taste and See If the Show is Good
Kate Lucky
Christians like to talk up pop culture’s resonance with our faith. But what matters more is our own conformity to Christ.
What Would Lecrae Do?
Christina Gonzalez Ho
Why Kendrick Lamar’s question matters.
Time Is Not a Political Promise
Myles Werntz
Candidates say they’ll revive a gloried past or birth a better future. But Christians especially should know that isn’t how time works.
A Vision for Screen-Free Church
Brad East
Too many of our worship services are digitally indistinguishable from secular spaces. Church can and should be different.
The Antidote to Election Anxiety
Carrie McKean
My community is the kind you see in articles hyping the threat of political violence. Reality is more mundane—and hopeful.
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