Duane Shank was Associate Editor for Sojourners magazine and was on the staff from 1995 to 2014. 

Duane has been active as an organizer and administrator in the peace and justice movement for 35 years, beginning as a draft resistance and antiwar organizer during the Vietnam war. He has worked as a community organizer in the rural south, in interfaith coalitions, and in the nuclear weapons freeze and Central America solidarity movements of the 1980s. His positions have included Associate for the National Inter-religious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors; National Coordinator for the Committee Against Registration and the Draft; Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director for SANE/Freeze; and Research Fellow for the Institute for Policy Studies.

Duane attended Eastern Mennonite University. He is a Anabaptist/Mennonite, and currently an active member and serves on the worship leadership team of the Community of Christ ecumenical congregation in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C. His views on faith and politics have been shaped by (among others), John Howard Yoder, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Oscar Romero.

Duane is married to Ellen Kennel. They have a daughter, Celeste, a graduate of Goshen College, IN, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago Divinity School.

In addition to family, church, and work; his passions are baseball (Washington Nationals), blues (Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan) and bluegrass music (Ralph Stanley), and barbecue.

 

Posts By This Author

Books on Grace, Power, and Faith

by Duane Shank 01-30-2009
Getting time to read is always a challenge, but here are the top 10 books I read this year:

The latest news on Children's Health Insurance, Shame on CEOs, Economy Worsens, Army Suicides, Homeless Census, Immigrant Criminals, Illinois Gov. Impeached, World Economic Forum, Zimbabwe, Israel-Gaza, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, and Select Op-

by Duane Shank 01-30-2009

The latest news on the Economic Stimulus, Unemployment, Faith Office, Children's Health Insurance, President Visits Pentagon, Israel-Gaza, Sri Lanka, Iraq Election, Afghanistan Election, Iran, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-29-2009

The latest news on the Economic Stimulus, Pay Discrimination, Draft Registration, Global Food Shortage, Afghanistan, Iraq, Arab-Muslim Relations, Israel-Gaza, Iran, Russia, Zimbabwe, and Mexico.

by Duane Shank 01-28-2009

The latest news on Mass Layoffs, Economic Stimulus, Environment, Legal Aid Cuts, College Endowments Drop, Amb. Rice at the U.N., Worker's Rights, Bagram Prison, Mitchell to Mideast, Israel-Gaza, Mexico, International Criminal Court, Zimbabwe, and Select O

by Duane Shank 01-27-2009

The latest news on the Economic Stimulus, Mexico City Policy, Organizing to Governing, Afghanistan, Israel-Gaza, Iraq, Bolivia, Zimbabwe, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-26-2009

The latest news on the National Prayer Service, Closing Foreign Prisons, Ethics Rules, Oath Do-Over, Foreign Policy, Economy, Cabinet, Immigration, Abortion, Medicaid, Israel-Gaza, Iran, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Polio, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-22-2009

The latest news on Day One, Inauguration, Transcripts, World Reaction, Gaza-Israel, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-21-2009

The latest news on the Bailout, Economic Stimulus, Children's Health Insurance, Bush Farewell Speech, Napolitano Hearing -- Homeland Security, Holder Hearing -- Attorney General, Rice Hearing -- U.N. Ambassador, Israel-Gaza, U.K. Nuclear Weapons, Afghanis

by Duane Shank 01-16-2009

The latest news on the Inauguration, Israel-Gaza, Economic Stimulus, Health Insurance, Immigration, Foreclosures, Employment, Guantanamo, Torture, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Pakistan-India, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-15-2009

The latest news on the Secretary of State, Gaza, U.S.-Israel, Health Care, Economy, Torture and Guantanamo, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Treasury, Obama Campaign Network, Theology, Afghanistan, China, and Select Features and Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-14-2009

The latest news on Gaza, Bush Final Press Conference, Foreign Policy, Children's Health Insurance, Homelessness, U.S.-Mexico, Senator Burris, Pre-inaugural Prayer, Diplomacy Works, Afghanistan, Iraq-Iran, North Korea, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-13-2009

The latest news on the Economy, Gaza, Immigration, Faith-Based Initiative, Children's Health Insurance, Unemployment, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-12-2009

The latest news on Obama Elected President, Unemployment, Gaza-Ceasefire, Gaza-Humanitarian Crisis, Economic Stimulus, Home Loans, Labor, War Resister Ordered Out, Nuclear Weapons, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Passing, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-09-2009

Crossing the Line Between Legitimate Criticism and Anti-Semitism

by Duane Shank 01-08-2009
It is appropriate and necessary to criticize Israel's excessive military attacks in Gaza.

The latest news on Israel-Gaza, Economy, Presidents Meet, White House Staff, Senate, Labor Unity, Venezuela, Amish Business, India-Pakistan, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-08-2009

The latest news on Israel-Gaza, Deficits, Congressional Black Caucus, State Budget, Unemployment, Teen Birth Rates, "God on the Go," Ghana, and India-Pakistan.

by Duane Shank 01-07-2009

The latest news on Israel-Gaza, Economic Stimulus, Senate, Politics of Race, Churches in the News, Panetta to be CIA Director, Environment, Darfur, Kenya, Venezuela, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-06-2009

The latest news on Israel-Gaza, Richardson Withdrawing from Commerce, Economic Stimulus, Faith-based Initiative, Death Penalty, Job Discrimination, Iraq, Iran, and Select Op-eds.

by Duane Shank 01-05-2009

The Promise of Christmas

by Duane Shank 12-23-2008
At the time of year when Christians proclaim the birth of the Prince of Peace, in too many places our world remains wracked by violence, and our efforts to end it seem futile.