Sojourners Magazine, November 2011

Forty years is a long time for any endeavor, but in the precarious world of small nonprofits, reaching that milestone is almost a miracle. And when you’re a magazine with a strong commitment to biblically based justice—that is, when you insist on talking about “religion and politics” in polite company—it’s no wonder that we’re convinced that grace, more than anything of our own doing, is why we’re still going strong four decades into the journey. From the beginning, as Jim Wallis explains in his cover feature, the magazine grew out of a community—both the physical community of people who came together at a Midwest seminary and the broader body of friends, supporters, and collaborators across the country and around the world. That continues to be true, and the strength of that wider community—which often looks a lot like a movement—is one of the greatest signs of hope in our troubled times.

One of the key things we’ve offered in these pages over the past 40 years has simply been stories from that movement, highlighting people of faith and conscience living out their beliefs and seeking to be agents of change. These stories serve as models for all of us, but they’re also vivid reminders of the powerful force for good that is brought to bear every day, all over the world, by that broader circle of friends, aka the universal body of Christ. We look forward to continuing the sojourn with such good company over the years ahead.

Features

Salt, Light, and Social Change
An evangelical scholar looks at Sojourners' role in evangelical social justice By Soong-Chan Rah

Standing Up for the Earth
Largest U.S. climate action says no to pipeline. By Rose Marie Berger

Harry and the Principalities
The 10-year pop culture love affair with Harry Potter leaves questions at the crux. By Bill Wylie-Kellermann

Commentary

The Democracy Deficit
Doomsday threats and Wall Street influence erode U.S. government for the people. By David Hilfiker

Holy Land Farce
Glenn Beck's exploitative event in Israel ignored justice and U.S. public opinion. By Tom Getman

Compassion That Works
The Housing First approach to homelessness is more humane -- and cheaper -- than older models. By Toya Richards

Columns

Bridges: The Roots of Terror
The Oslo shooter took inspiration from America's own anti-Muslim rightists. By Eboo Patel

Culture Watch

How to Read the Bible
Ten books on the shelf of one of our most respected biblical scholars. By Walter Brueggemann

BRIDGING the Bible Gap
Seminaries train pastors on how to read the Bible. But those tools often don't reach people in the pews. By Jewel Gingerich Longenecker

Practice, Practice, Practice
How to deepen our spirituality, one step at a time. By Betsy Shirley

Action Heroes
When spurred on by God and conscience, there's no telling what trouble you might get into. By Julie Polter

Food for Life
Why are we still sinking in health-care induced debt? By Danny Duncan Collum

Departments

Cover Story

Features

Commentary

Columns

Culture Watch

Departments