The Common Good

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Why I Stay In the Church
by Rosemary Radford Ruether
Grace in the midst of failings
Holy Fools
by Richard Rohr
Ushers of the next generation in the church.

Features

Under the Sun in Panama
by David Batstone
What came up, and what didn't, in the elections.
Faithful to the Word
by Bill Wylie-Kellermann, William Stringfellow
The Writings of William Stringfellow

Commentary

Ending Welfare As We Know It
by Julie Polter
A welfare mother is a black woman, with several children, who spends her entire life on welfare, having another kid whenever she needs more money—at least according to prevalent stereotypes
South Africa: The Spirit of Reconciliation
by Beyers Naude, Will Winterfeld
Inauguration day in South Africa had special significance for Dr. Beyers Naudé, and not just because the new South Africa was born as he celebrated his 79th birthday.
The Last Comeback of Richard Nixon
by Jim Rice
The day after Richard Nixon’s funeral, The New York Times editorialized that the White House-sponsored occasion was a "rite of reconciliation" that brought "to a fitting end his 20-y
Ralph Ellison: Wounded Healer in a Broken Nation
by Vincent Harding
When Ralph Ellison died this spring, he was primarily remembered and honored as the African-American writer who in 1952 had gifted the nation and the world with that magnificent novel, Invisib

Columns

Hearts & Minds:
The Miracle of South Africa
by Jim Wallis

The miraculous events in South
Africa made hope possible for me again. I
was there for the transformation—the inauguration of a new South Africa—and
will never be the same.

Signs & Wonders:
Small Reaches for Hope
by Joyce Hollyday

I will never forget those faces. Wide-eyed. Frightened.

New Wineskins:
In Jail, Keeping Watch
by John Dear

John Dear, S.J., Philip Berrigan, Lynn Fredriksson, and
Bruce Friedrich are currently being held in the Chowan County
Jail in Edenton, North Carolina, for their Pax Christi-Spirit of
Life Plo

Simple Feast:
Food for the Road
by Carey Burkett

Highway food can be fun for a while—eating forbidden
french fries at a fast food joint or sipping iced tea in the cool
muffledness of a restaurant.

Close to Home:
Radical Aging
by Andrea Ayvazian

Welcome to the 40s," a friend said to me on my birthday
two years ago, "the old age of youth and the youth of old
age." From where I stand, I can see the peaks of 50, 60, and
70 ahead.

H'rumphs:
The Day the President Dropped By
by Ed Spivey Jr.

Actually, it was more like "The Day the White People
Came" when Bill Clinton and his entourage of young
Caucasians descended on our inner-city neighborhood.

Culture Watch

The Flutter of History
by David Bremer, Ched Myers
Wim Wender's film view of angels in our midst
The Cherubim Phenomenon
by Bob Hulteen
The hottest subject in the religious book market these days is angels (though "souls" are quickly closing in). Angels are so hot that secular talk show hosts are taking note of the phenomenon.
And The Winner Is. . .
by Bob Hulteen
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The Seasons of Incarnation
by Maureen Hartmann
Finding God in the stages of our life.
Ruined for Life
by Patrick G. Coy
The Catholic Worker movement's many voices
In Her Own Words
by Karen Lattea
Bonnie Raitt's new release is personal and political

Departments

Living the word:
Where Will God Dwell?
by Verna J. Dozier
We trace the Story—our story—from its beginnings in the Hebrew scriptures, through its climax in the memories of the early church as reflected in the gospels, and then on to what sense
Poetry:
Chopping the Beets
by Elizabeth Ann James
My dearest aunt, Butheyna, is chopping beets, chopping the shamander. Klush, klush she wields a gutting knife, the chopping board is a plank from a dhow. Klush,
Community:
The Quiet Center
by Joe Nangle
Every successful community relies on the member who is its heart. This is true for communities that live together and for those that live apart but gather regularly.
Groundswell:
Border Patrol: Organizing for Justice in Maquiladoras
by Jeff Shriver
Tijuana. Nogales. Matamoros. Ciudad Juárez. Nuevo Laredo. What comes to mind when you hear these names of U.S.-Mexico border towns?
Seeds:
Resources for Renewal and Change
by Jill Carroll Lafferty
Connections:
Bringing People Together
by Jennifer Johnson
Inside Story:
Inside Story
by The Editors
You might say that this is our summer travel issue--depending on how strictly you define geography. There are no descriptions of pristine beaches or cheap hiking getaways.

Letters

Chiapas Churches
|
Justifying Hatred
|
Art's Holy Power
|
No Longer Alone

Between the Lines

World Bank/IMF: 50 Years Is Enough
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Seeking Common Ground on Abortion
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Briefly Noted