''Christianity Today'' is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Christian media Christian media refers to media that is Christian, or refers to various aspects of Christian demographic. As a genre its conventions originated in sermons, Christian literature, literature, and gospel music, and it has been adapted into Christ ...

magazine founded in 1956 by

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...

. It is published by Christianity Today International based in

Carol Stream, Illinois Carol Stream is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. It was incorporated on January 5, 1959, and named after the daughter of its founder, Jay Stream. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,854. Hist ...

. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evangelicalism's flagship magazine". ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' describes it as a "mainstream evangelical magazine". On August 4, 2022,

Russell D. Moore Russell D. Moore (born 9 October 1971) is an American Theology, theologian, Christian ethics, ethicist, and preacher. In June 2021, he became the director of the Public Theology Project at ''Christianity Today'', and on August 4, 2022, was announ ...

—notable for denouncing and leaving the leadership of the

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...

—was named the incoming ''Christianity Today'' Editor-in-Chief. ''Christianity Today'' has a print circulation of approximately 110,000 and an online readership of 2.2 million at ChristianityToday.com. The founder,

, stated that he wanted to "plant the evangelical flag in the middle of the road, taking the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

theological position but a definite

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

approach to social problems". Other active publications currently active within ''Christianity Today'' include: ''Building Church Leaders'' which has

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with req ...

materials for

evangelists Evangelist(s) may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a ...

and

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. ''Church Law & Tax'' which discusses tax compliance. ''ChristianBibleStudies'' helps with Bible studies. ''ChurchSalary'' helps churches with information on proper remuneration. ''Ekstasis Magazine'' about Christian

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

and

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

, specifically to encourage

creativity Creativity is the ability to form novel and valuable Idea, ideas or works using one's imagination. Products of creativity may be intangible (e.g. an idea, scientific theory, Literature, literary work, musical composition, or joke), or a physica ...

within

Christian culture Christian culture generally includes all the cultural practices which have developed around the religion of Christianity. There are variations in the application of Christian beliefs in different cultures and traditions. Christian culture has i ...

to enable better

storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing narrative, stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatre, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cul ...

worldbuilding Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world or setting (narrative), setting, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing the world with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, culture and ecology is a k ...

, and

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

representation. ''PreachingToday'' is a publication specifically for those delivering

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...

s. ''SmallGroups'' is a leadership magazine for smaller

church planting Church planting is a term referring to the process (mostly in Protestant frameworks) that results in a new local Christian congregation being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, worship center or ...

groups such as

missional living Missional living is a Christian practice to adopt the thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in everyday life, in order to engage others with the gospel message. Background Traditionally, Christians have seen mission as either a sp ...

cafe church A cafe church is a Christian church centered in cafés. These edifices are associated with alternative worship and the emerging church movements, and seek to find new forms and approaches to existing as a church in the 21st century. These church ...

es,

pub church A pub church is a Christian Church which meets in a public house or similar establishment. Their purpose is to exist as an authentic Christian community, but in a way which is both provocative and accessible to un-churched people. Thornton recognis ...

es, or

house church A house church or home church is a label used to describe a group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes. The group may be part of a larger Christian body, such as a parish, but some have been independent groups that se ...

es. Graham began the magazine as counterpoint to ''

The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews ...

'', the predominant independent periodical of mainline

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, and as a way to bring the evangelical Christian community together.

History

The second issue of ''Christianity Today'' was created in the date of October 15, 1956, and the opening editorial, Why 'Christianity Today'?, stated "''Christianity Today'' has its origin in a deep-felt desire to express historical Christianity to the present generation. Neglected, slighted, misrepresented—evangelical Christianity needs a clear voice, to speak with conviction and love, and to state its true position and its relevance to the world crisis. A generation has grown up unaware of the basic truths of the Christian faith taught in the

Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

s and expressed in the creeds of the historic evangelical churches." Its first editor was Carl F. H. Henry. Notable contributors in its first two decades included

F. F. Bruce Frederick Fyvie Bruce (12 October 1910 – 11 September 1990) was a Scottish Evangelicalism, evangelical scholar, author and educator who was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester from 1959 until 1 ...

Edward John Carnell Edward John Carnell (28 June 1919 – 25 April 1967) was a prominent Christian theologian and apologist, was an ordained Baptist pastor, and served as President of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He was the author of nine maj ...

Frank Gaebelein Frank Ely Gaebelein (March 31, 1899 – January 19, 1983) was an American evangelical educator, author, and editor who was the founding headmaster of The Stony Brook School in Long Island, New York. He is the author of more than twenty books, a ...

, Walter Martin,

John Warwick Montgomery John Warwick Montgomery (October 18, 1931 – September 25, 2024) was an American-born lawyer, academic, Lutheran theologian, and author. From 2014 to 2017, he was Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University, Wisconsin ...

, and Harold Lindsell. Lindsell succeeded Henry as editor and during his editorial administration much attention centered on debates about

biblical inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible, in its original form, is entirely free from error. The belief in biblical inerrancy is of particular significance within parts of evangelicalism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelic ...

. Later editorial leadership came from Kenneth Kantzer, Terry Muck, and David Neff.

V. Gilbert Beers ''V.'' is a satirical postmodern novel and the debut novel of Thomas Pynchon, published on March 18, 1963. It describes the exploits of a discharged U.S. Navy sailor named Benny Profane, his reconnection in New York with a group of pseudo-bohe ...

was hired as the fourth editor in 1982, reportedly to increase the magazine's lay readership. From 2015 until January 3, 2020,

Mark Galli Mark Galli (b. August 24, 1952) is an American Catholic author and editor, and former Protestant minister. For seven years he was editor in chief of ''Christianity Today''. Biography Galli, a native of California, was raised as a Catholic, but bec ...

was the editor in chief. Following Galli's retirement Daniel M. Harrell served as editor in chief for a year. Russell Moore took the position in August 2022. The publication now includes print and online versions and various ancillary products. Print and online contents include feature stories, news ranging from cultural issues from a Christian viewpoint to the global church, opinion, reviews, and investigative reporting. In

's 1997 autobiography, ''Just As I Am'', he writes of his vision, idea, and history with ''Christianity Today'', and his early meeting with oil company executive, John Howard Pew, to establish the publication. Most critics label ''Christianity Today'' as a mainstream, intellectual, centrist evangelical publication.

Editorials on impeachments of U.S. presidents

On June 7, 1974, in an editorial entitled "Should Nixon Resign?", published during the impeachment hearings of President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, ''Christianity Today'' wrote "that the constitutional process should be followed, and followed with dispatch." The magazine did not call for his resignation, but instead stated that "If he is acquitted, the nation will have to wait out the term of a President whose ability to function has been seriously eroded." On October 5, 1998, regarding the imminent

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

of President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, ''Christianity Today'' stated in an editorial that "Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the president and those close to him" have compromised his administration's moral leadership, criticizing his televised August 17 confession as a "nonapology". In an editorial published on December 19, 2019, a day after the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...

President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, editor in chief

asserted among other criticisms that he sought to leverage his political power "to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit" presidential candidate

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

. He argued: "That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral." The editorial received extensive media coverage and caught the attention of Trump and his allies, who in response sought to discredit the publication, with the former describing it as "far-left", and almost 200 evangelical leaders rebuking it for the editorial.

Sexual harassment controversy

In 2022, the magazine published two articles announcing that a number of women reported demeaning, inappropriate, and offensive behavior by former editor in chief

and former advertising director Olatokunbo Olawoye, whilst their behavior remained unchecked and the men were not disciplined, according to an external assessment of the ministry's culture. Speaking to

Religion News Service Religion News Service, branded as RNS, is a news agency founded in 1934. It covers religion, ethics, spirituality and moral issues, and publishes news, information, and commentaries on faiths and religious movements to newspapers, magazines, bro ...

, Galli admitted that he may have "crossed lines" during his time as editor but denied having had "any romantic or sexual interest in anyone at ''Christianity Today''." In an editorial on the magazine, the CEO of ''Christianity Today''

Timothy Dalrymple Patheos is a non-denominational, nonpartisanism, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various, mostly religion, religious, perspectives. Upon its launch in May 2009, the website was primarily geared toward ...

admitted that the society that owns and edits the magazine fell short on protecting the employees and apologized for the fact, promising strong and swift action against sexual harassment.

Publications

Harold Myra Harold Lawrence Myra (born 1939 in Camden, New Jersey) is an American journalist and publishing executive who was the chief executive of ''Christianity Today'' for 32 years. Before coming to ''Christianity Today'', he edited the magazine '' Campus ...

, who became president and chief executive of the magazine in 1975, believed that a "family" of magazines would disperse overhead expenses and give more stability to the organization. ''Christianity Today'' both online and magazine is the flagship publication, fully effective in three basic areas: editorial, circulation, advertising; as such, many of the articles from their broader publications often get distributed through CT's flagship. Christianity Today founded or acquired periodicals during the 1980s and 1990s, beginning with ''Leadership'', a quarterly journal for clergy, in 1980.

Active

At the ministry's web home
ChristianityToday.org
all other brands for Christian thought leaders and church leaders are featured, including publications such as the intellectual Christian review, ''Books & Culture'', and the website for pastors and church leaders, ''CT Pastors''. Additional web resources include ''Men of Integrity'' and ''Preaching Today''. Many of the sections published online under the ''Christianity Today'' banner are the online legacies of defunct print publications, even named after the aforementioned publications.

''Ekstasis'' (2016–present)

''Ekstasis'' is a journal that was acquired by ''Christianity Today'' in 2021, originally founded in 2016 by Conor Sweetman in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

it focuses on Christian

and

International editions (2007–present)

Besides English, it is available in 12 other languages: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Filipino, French, Galician, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Their publication can be found within those linguistic regions, as well as in Japan and Israel.

Online presence

The magazine's mission statement is to "provide evangelical thought leaders a sense of community, coherence, and direction through thoughtful, biblical commentary on issues and through careful, caring reporting of the news." Its presence on the Internet began in October 1994 when it became one of the top ten content providers on all of AOL. Then, in 1996, their website was launched. Originally, it was named ChristianityOnline.com before becoming ChristianityToday.com. Today ChristianityToday.com serves as the web home for ''Christianity Today'' magazine, which now has distinct sections for Local Church Pastors, Reporting, Women, History, and Spanish readers. Together, all Christianity Today brands reach more than 2.5 million people every month when print and digital views are combined, plus more than 5 million pageviews per month on the Internet. The ministry offers access, both premium and free, to more than 100,000 articles and other content on their various websites. They operate several stand-alone websites from ChristianityToday including SmallGroups.com, Preaching Today, Church Law & Tax and many other sites.

Defunct

In 2005, Christianity Today International published 12 magazines, but following the financial downturn of 2008 it was forced to shutter several publications. By 2017 that had further diminished to three, as many of them became sections of Christianity Today proper.

''Leadership Journal'' (1980–2016)

The first "sister publication" added to the Christianity Today publishing group was ''Leadership: A Practical Journal for Church Leaders'', launched in 1980. The subtitle clearly defined the journal's mission: it was a quarterly publication, aimed primarily at clergy and focusing on the practical concerns of ministry and church leadership. The first issue of ''Leadership'' sold out its initial press run of 50,000 copies and the publication was in the black after a single issue. The journal continued in print for 36 years. After volume 37, issue 1 (winter 2016), Christianity Today discontinued the print publication, replacing it with expanded content in ''Christianity Today'' for pastors and church leaders and occasional print supplements, as well as a new website, CTPastors.com.

''Campus Life/Ignite Your Faith'' (1982–2009)

In 1982, Christianity Today purchased the magazine ''Campus Life,'' aimed at a high school audience, from, Campus Life Publications, Inc., a nonprofit organization, which had purchased Campus Life magazine from Youth For Christ in 1980. The name of the magazine was changed to ''Ignite Your Faith'' in 2006. It ceased publication in 2009.

''Partnership/Marriage Partnership'' (1984–2009)

''Partnership'' was launched in 1984 as a magazine for wives of clergy. In 1987 it was renamed ''Marriage Partnership'' and expanded its focus to marriage in general, not just clergy marriages. The magazine ceased publication in 2009.

''Today's Christian Woman'' (1985–2009)

''Today's Christian Woman'' was founded in 1978 and acquired by Christianity Today from the Fleming H. Revell Co. in 1985. It discontinued print publication in 2009 and was replaced with a "digizine" entitled ''Kyria'', which was online only, but still required a paid subscription to access, although at a lower price than the print magazine. In 2012 the name of the digital publication was changed back to ''Today's Christian Woman'', and in 2016 it stopped being issued as a regularly scheduled digital periodical.

''Christian History'' (1989–2008)

''Christian History'' was a journal of the history of Christianity, first issued in January 1982 by the Christian History Institute. Each issue had multiple articles covering a single theme. Initially published annually, it became a quarterly publication. Christianity Today took over ownership of the magazine beginning with issue 22 in 1989. It was discontinued after the publication of issue 99 in 2008. In 2011 the Christian History Institute resumed quarterly publication of the magazine. ''Christian History'' archives still may be found on ChristianityToday.com under its special section.

''Christian Reader/Today's Christian'' (1992–2008)

''Christian Reader'', a digest magazine in the vein of ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

,'' was founded in 1963 by the founder of

Tyndale House Publishers Tyndale House (also known by its sister organization Tyndale House Foundation) is a Christian publisher in Carol Stream, Illinois. History Tyndale was founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, w ...

, Ken Taylor. Christianity Today purchased the magazine in 1992. The name was changed to ''Today's Christian'' in 2004. In 2008, Christianity Today sold the magazine to the ministry Significant Living.

''Books & Culture'' (1995–2016)

''Books & Culture'' was a bimonthly book review and intellectual journal modeled after the ''

New York Review of Books New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

'' and ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' and was published by Christianity Today International from 1995 to 2016. At the end of its publication life in 2016, the magazine's circulation was 11,000 and its readership was 20,000. It was edited by John Wilson, and notable contributors included

Mark Noll Mark Allan Noll (born 1946) is an American historian specializing in the history of Christianity in the United States. He holds the position of Research Professor of History at Regent College, having previously been Francis A. McAnaney Professor o ...

Lauren Winner Lauren Frances Winner (born 1976) is an American historian, scholar of religion, and Episcopal priest. She is Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality at Duke Divinity School. Winner writes and lectures on Christian practice, the history of ...

, Alan Jacobs,

Jean Bethke Elshtain Jean Paulette Bethke Elshtain (January 6, 1941 – August 11, 2013) was an American ethicist, political philosopher, and public intellectual. She was the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics in the University of C ...

, and

Miroslav Volf Miroslav Volf (born September 25, 1956) is a Croatian Protestant theologian and public intellectual and Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University. He previously taught at the E ...

''Virtue'' (1998–2000)

''Virtue,'' a magazine for Christian women, was founded in 1978. Christianity Today purchased the publication from Cook Communications Ministries in 1998 after that publisher abruptly closed the magazine. Christianity Today revived the magazine and continued publishing it for two more years before discontinuing publication following the December/January 2000 issue.

''Christian Parenting Today'' (1998–2005)

''Christian Parenting Today'' (originally entitled ''Christian Parenting'') was founded in 1989. Christianity Today purchased the magazine from Cook Communications Ministries in 1998 in the same deal in which it acquired ''Virtue''. It ceased publication in 2005.

''Men of Integrity'' (1998–2017)

''Men of Integrity'' was a bi-monthly magazine for Christian men published by Christianity Today. It was created in 1998, in partnership with the evangelical men's organization

Promise Keepers Promise Keepers is an Evangelical Christian parachurch organization for men. It opposes same-sex marriage, and champions chastity and marital fidelity and the man as being head of the household. Promise Keepers originated in the United Sta ...

. It ceased publication with the November–December 2017 issue.

Book Awards

Every year ''Christianity Today'' publishes a list of Christianity Today Book Awards, which are described as "Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture", and also selects its Christianity Today Book of the Year.Book Awards
christianitytoday.com. Retrieved 27 May 2025.

References

* Marsden, George M., ''Reforming Fundamentalism'', William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1987.