Featured Articles
A Letter to Christian Reformed and Reformed Communities
In a time when public discourse continues to reveal deep wounds around race and dignity, the Church must not be silent. We are witnessing what appears to be an intentional diminishing — and in some cases erasing — of Black history in our national story.
Featured Articles
Religious Trauma on the Young Calvinist Bus
Yes, I knew I had broken the rules, and I admitted I’d made bad choices. But that was not the end of it. I was told that if I’d taken my faith more seriously, I would not have been drinking. They put the screws to me and asked if I wanted to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I did not want to tell the truth and say no, so I just said I was not sure.
On the Streets of Minneapolis
What I’ve learned from Minnesotans is that we take neighborism seriously. There is no illusion of safety here – we have realized we can’t buy
The Bombing of Darmstadt, the Human Heart, and Hope Rising from the Ashes
The Bertsch house stands shoulder to shoulder with many others, all well-maintained and landscaped. Passersby would hardly pay it much attention. But should they pause
How to Build Creation-Care Bridges With Conservative Christians
In conversing with resistant conservative Christians, it probably won’t work to start with details about polar icecaps, the fate of some endangered salamander, or a
Resolute: Nadia, Protests, and Sovereignty Reconsidered
When sovereignty is used in church, it is typically code for a God who is distant, enigmatic, and unaccountable.
Play: From Usefulness to Belovedness
To bear God’s image is not a description of capacity. It is a description of relationship. Human beings are made to reflect God’s character, to
How Reading Matthew—And a Professor’s Smirk—Changed My Life
I spent a full semester during my doctoral program in a supervised study of the book of Matthew, and I can confirm from my experience
Latest from the Blog
Daily blog by our regular bloggers & guest contributors.
Holding on to Hope, While Dancing with Death
As I walk alongside my bother Tony in his state of serious illness and the prospect of dying too soon, I am challenged to be
Popcorn, Pianos, and French Peas
I don’t have any memories of sermons from the second services, probably because I was often downstairs under the tutelage of Bob the Tomato instead.
What I’ve Learned from British Murder Mysteries
It’s all very educational. I have learned a lot about British life. For instance, the murder rate in small towns in England is disturbingly high.
He Ain’t Heavy; He’s My Brother
The story is told of a young girl carrying her infant brother. When someone asked whether she was able, she replied, “He ain’t heavy; he’s
Compassion and Conversation across the Great Divide
I admit I have a very limited range of compassion for the powers, local and national, who have sold America down the river, and even
Emily’s Wuthering Valentine
With Valentine’s Day looming on the weekend, who can blame the marketers of the newest Wuthering Heights film for deciding to release the film to
Schitt’s Creek, Heated Rivalry, and a Church Without Homophobia?
The complete absence of homophobia in Schitt’s Creek is perhaps best described as indifference rather than declarations of acceptance.
We Need A Lot More Wonder and Silence
Back in 1994, Fred Rogers noticed a subtle but significant shift stirring in the human soul. Long before push notifications and pocket-sized portals to the
Reviews
A Torrent Light and Mercy: Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein
It’s hard to think of another modern art form so successful at delivering spectacle as movies. Few movie subjects are more spectacular than science. “I
Exploring The Universe of the Soul, One Letter at a Time
But the beauty of this novel is that, in the end, we see the power of language to heal the human soul.
Howard Schaap’s Brooding Upon the Waters
At one point, Milt simply stops praying before meals. “The loss of Dad’s prayer voice,” Howard writes, “was an absence, like losing one of your
Sacrificed for Souls: A Missionary Kid Confronts the Legacy of Missions
If missions are to be faithful, they must be willing to relinquish certainty, confront patriarchy and racism, and place human flourishing—especially that of children—at the
Ministers, Not Messiahs
There is a pervasive and complex issue of pastoral workaholism – where unrealistic expectations and relentless demands erode spiritual vitality, personal well-being, and family relationships.
Genesis Without Anachronism: Walton’s Case for a Contextual Reading of Genesis
John H. Walton’s New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis: Advances in the Origins Debate, written in collaboration with his son, J. Harvey Walton,
The Spiritual Practice of Reading
As I read, I kept thinking of magical reading moments in my life.
Alone: More Than a Weight-Loss Show
Alone provides an interesting and subtle contribution to a broad critique of the American dream.
Poetry
The Return of Appetite
This morning I released, without a doubt, the same bright trout I gathered in my net …
Doxology
The room ticks, a cry from the bassinet, time’s mouth speaks again …
Preliminary
My sons are on a mission, wielding sticks and nixing iridescent bubbles …
Remorse Code
I used to want you to understand all of it: the dripping roof, stalagmites rising up like dandelions …
Dwell
In the future we will live in pods of reclaimed wood and very white bed-linens …
Passing the Peace
On good weeks it happens twice. Once on Sunday morning, sunlit sanctuary …
Podcasts
“The Return of Appetite” by Andy Stager
In this episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma talks with Andy Stager about his poem “The Return of Appetite.” Andy
“Doxology” by Ali Leon
In this week’s episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma talks with Ali Leon about her poem “Doxology.” Ali is a poet
“Preliminary” by Steven Searcy
In this episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma interviews Steven Searcy about his poem “Preliminary.” Steven is the author of Below
“Dwell” by Hannah Notess
In this episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma interviews Hannah Faith Notess about her poem “Dwell.” Hannah is a poet
“Be Opened” by Deb Baker
In this episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma talks with Deb Baker about her poem “Be Opened.” Deb lives in New
“A Famine of Words” by Steven Peterson
In this episode of the Reformed Journal Podcast, the poetry edition, Rose Postma interviewed Steven Peterson about his poem “A Famine of Words.” Steven is