What is "Publishing as Resistance?"

A reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4:14-21, 28-30 , Common English Bible interpretation:

Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me.

He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,

to proclaim release to the prisoners

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to liberate the oppressed,

and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.” … When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.

This scripture appeared in the lectionary on January 26, 2025, the weekend following the inauguration. My social media feed seized upon this passage in which Jesus is nearly thrown over a cliff because he dares to voice God’s love for the marginalized. In a week that, to that point, foreshadowed just how much trouble American democracy appears to be in, this was a comfort on a Sunday morning, a reminder that Jesus and his message remain a potent source for hope, courage, and boldness.

Chalice Press continues to answer that same call, though we’re not yet being hoisted up over a cliff. What I appreciate most about working at Chalice is the opportunity every single day to make a difference in the world. And it is glaringly obvious there’s a lot of work ahead of us and a lot of people who want to see our work fail. 

Now more than ever, we support important constituencies under siege. The past few months prove Christian Nationalism and the evangelical church have the power in our society at the moment, and their is a particular zeal among that crowd to hack at basic human rights and encourage hateful behavior. How far this nastiness will go is the stuff of nightmares and dystopian fiction.

At the same time, we know that behind the breaking news is the long-term decline of Mainline Christianity. Will these two forces collide and create a new revival of the church, or will this further hasten the church’s downturn?

Chalice Press continues to produce resources mainline and progressive Christians need. Baptizing America and A Journey Called Hope were timely books that should keep serving us well for the next several years. Awakened: A 52-Week Progressive Christian Devotional is already on its third printing. This year’s first book Rooted in Faith and Justice , on the crisis in Palestine, is shaping up to be an evergreen as Gaza continues to be a hot topic. Wired to Lead seeks to dismantle biases and bridging gender divides for a more inclusive and just community. Blessed Minds , on neurodiversity in the church, is generating a lot of buzz even before its launch date. Sacred Wounds (second edition) will pick up where the first edition left off, serving a unique audience that is overlooked by many publishers, and Sacred Balance will help us stay grounded in these particularly turbulent times. 

Chalice's core values emphasize the way of Jesus as a path to wholeness in a fragmented world. We are committed to social justice, anti-racism, and anti-oppression, creating resources to support marginalized communities of all kinds. We acknowledge intersectionality and work to dismantle unjust systems, aiming to create a better world with words. And we affirm the faith and gifts of God's diverse creation. Thank you for joining us in this crucial work.

Gratefully,

Brad Lyons

President & Publisher

Image by Patricio Hurtado from Pixabay