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

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-10-2007

the latest news on Budget, Iraq, Republican debate, Global poverty, Climate change, Politics-polls, Winfrey & Obama, Politics-Evangelicals, Church shootings, Iran, Housing & food, Africa, Op-Eds, and Editorials

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Global poverty. World 'must do more' for children "More must be done more quickly to make the world fit for children by 2015, the UN children's agency, Unicef, has said." Group battles Cambodian poverty one pig at a time "Cambodia is one of the poorest nations in the world.

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-07-2007

the latest news on Faith & Politics-Romney, Energy bill, Farm bill, WIC, Iraq, Poll, CIA tapes destroyed, Iran, Climate change, Darfur, Editorials, and selected Op-Eds.

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Faith & Politics-Romney. Romney vows balance on religion "In the most closely scrutinized moment of his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney declared yesterday that religion is central to his life and to America, but that he will not be a spokesman for Mormonism or serve the leaders of his church if he is elected president."

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-06-2007

the latest news on Mortgages, Faith and Politics, Teen birth rate, Darfur, Budget, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Climate change, US Prisions, Chruches and tax code, and Detainees.

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Mortgages. Bush Wins Agreement To Freeze Mortgages "President Bush will announce an agreement with major mortgage firms to freeze interest rates for five years for financially troubled homeowners." Mortgage plan would freeze rates "Seeking to gird the nation's economy against a potential tidal wave of ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-05-2007

the latest news on Iran, Iran-IAEA, Iran-Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Mideast, Race & criminal justice, Immigration, Energy, Non-profits and election, Bangladesh aid, and selected Op-Eds.

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Iran . Iran still dangerous, Bush says "President Bush said Tuesday that despite a new intelligence assessment concluding Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program, the country still posed a danger and must stop enriching uranium." Bush Insists Iran Remains a Threat Despite Arms Data ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-04-2007

the latest news on Iran, Australia-climate change, Church-state, Congress-White House, Faith & politics, Venezuela, Mandela and selected Editorials.

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Iran. U.S. Finds Iran Halted Its Nuclear Arms Effort in 2003"A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains frozen," U.S. report: Iran halted nuclear weapons drive in 2003 "Iran was attempting to build a nuclear weapon but halted the ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 12-03-2007

the latest news on congress, Iraq, Pope Benedict, Iran, Venezuela, U.S. military, education, child support, faith and politics, and select op-eds

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Congress. President, Congress Ready to Begin the Next Round "Bush and congressional Democrats once talked of working together to get big things done, but that sentiment vanished amid trench warfare over the stalemated children's health-care bill, spending bills still on hold and the Hill's unsuccessful efforts to force a new course in Iraq." White ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-30-2007

the latest news on Katrina housing, Food banks, measles, Immigration, Iraq, Australia_Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, AIDS, Gays in military, Christian-Muslim.

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Katrina housing. As FEMA closes trailer parks, housing advocates worry about hurricane evacuees' future "Dozens of Hurricane Katrina evacuees still living in FEMA trailer parks will have to find new housing today as the agency works to shutter the temporary facilities."


Food banks. Food Banks, in a Squeeze, Tighten Belts"Food banks ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-29-2007

The latest news on GOP debate, Pakistan, Mideast, Iraq, Nuclear weapons, Australia, Climate change, Immigration, Crime, Trafficking, and Opinions.

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GOP debate. In Debate, Romney and Giuliani Clash on Immigration Issues "The Republican candidates for president engaged in a two-hour free-for-all Wednesday night, repeatedly confronting one another directly even as they fielded video questions submitted by Internet users in the most spirited debate of the 2008 presidential campaign."

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-28-2007

the latest news on Mideast, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Darfur, Energy bill, Global warming, Faith and politics, and selected Op-Eds.

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Mideast. Israel and Palestinians Set Goal of a Treaty in 2008"Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, setting a deadline for ending a conflict that has endured for six decades." Middle East renews peace talks "George Bush will preside today over the formal relaunch of ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-27-2007

the latest news on Iraq-US presence, Mideast peace talks Iran, Funding diplomacy, WIC funding, Home searches, Foreclosures, Recruiting, Lott resigns, Faith bloggers, and selected Op-Eds.

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Iraq-US presence. Iraq deal eyes long US presence "A deal setting the foundations for what could be a long-term presence of US troops in Iraq has been signed by the US president and Iraq's prime minister." Bush commits troops to Iraq for the long term "The Bush administration formally committed America ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-26-2007

the latest news on Australia, Mideast summit, Christians at public colleges, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Farm Bill, black evangelicals, Darfur, and select op-eds

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Australia. Australian Premier, an Ally of Bush, Is Defeated"Australia's prime minister, John Howard, one of President Bush's staunchest allies in Asia, suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of the electorate on Saturday, as his Liberal Party-led coalition lost its majority in Parliament." Rudd ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-21-2007

The latest news on Food banks, Stem cells, Gun ownership, War funding, Mideast summit, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Foreclosures, Immigrantion, and Australia

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Food banks. Trying to satisfy an insatiable need "With demand running high at hundreds of central Ohio food pantries this season, supply is playing the role of Grinch.

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-20-2007

the latest news on Hate crimes, AIDS, Iraq, Pakistan, Israel_Palestine, US prisons, Somalia, Sudan, Homeless in NYC, and selected Op-Eds.

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Hate crimes. Hate Crimes Rose 8 Percent in 2006 "Hate crime incidents rose nearly 8 percent last year, the FBI reported Monday, as civil rights advocates increasingly take to the streets to protest what they call official indifference to intimidation and attacks against blacks and other minorities." FBI: Hate crimes ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-19-2007

the latest news on Bangladesh, Iraq, President, Congress, Pakistan, Children's health insurance, Food pantries, Iran, Climate change, Abortion, Episcopal church, Religious right, and selected Op-Eds.

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Bangladesh. Bangladesh: 10,000 feared dead "Up to 10,000 people are feared to have died in Bangladesh's worst cyclone in more than a decade." Bangladesh storm toll tops 3,000 "Aid poured into Bangladesh today as the death toll from Cyclone Sidr spiralled above ...

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-16-2007

the latest news on the budget, Iran, Iraq funding, Katrina aid, Pakistan, Darfur, Somalia, the Democrats' debate, Barry Bonds, and select op-eds

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Budget. House Falls Short in Vote to Override Veto "House Democrats were unable to override President Bush's veto of a key domestic spending bill yesterday, forcing the party back to the drawing board on some of its most important domestic initiatives, including early-childhood education and heating-bill payments for the elderly."

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-15-2007

the latest news on Catholics and election, Evangelicals and election, Iraq war funding, Hunger in the US, Iraq politics, Pakistan, Head Start, SCHIP, Australia, Iran, Child labor, US military in Africa, Darfur, and selected Op-Eds.

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Catholics and election. Bishops issue guidelines for Catholic voters " Catholic voters who back candidates because of their support for abortion or other "assaults on human life" would be "guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil," according to a statement adopted Wednesday by U.S. Catholic bishops."

Daily News Digest

by Duane Shank 11-14-2007

the latest news on Budget, Immigration, Iraq-US veterans, Iraq-cost, Iraq-refugees, US Catholic Bishops, Iran, Pakistan, Burma, Military spending, African economy, Foreclosures, Child care, and selected Op-Eds.

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Budget. Bush Veto Sets Up Clash on Budget "A budget dispute erupted into a full-scale battle Tuesday as President Bush vetoed the Democrats' top-priority domestic spending bill and the party's Senate leader threatened to withhold war funding if the president does not agree to pull out of Iraq."

The War as They Saw It

by Duane Shank 09-13-2007

Nearly a month ago, seven active-duty U.S. Army soldiers in Iraq wrote an op-ed piece in The New York Times titled, "The War as We Saw It." Their conclusions were starkly different from those we've heard this week. [...]

Tax Exempt and Politically Active?

by Duane Shank 08-01-2007
What churches need to know.

A Seed of Dissent

by Duane Shank 01-01-2007
It's time for the troops to come home.