Jim Rice is a former editor of Sojourners magazine. From 1981 until his retirement in 2024, he served in a variety of roles at Sojourners, including as editor and managing editor of Sojourners magazine; director of Sojourners Outreach Ministry; and coordinator of Sojourners Peace Ministry.
Prior to joining Sojourners, Rice was an organizer for the Center for Peace Studies at Georgetown University. He was founder and co-director of Pax Christi: Washington's Peace Education Program and producer of the multimedia “Anatomy of the Nuclear Arms Race.” In addition, Rice served on the founding National Committee, Executive Committee, and Direct Action Task Force of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, and he was treasurer of the Nuclear Weapons Education Fund. Before moving to D.C., Rice was the hunger action coordinator for the Oregon Center for Peace and Justice in Portland, Ore., and he spent two years as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He was a member of the national advisory board for Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding and a research fellow for the New Media Project at Union Theological Seminary and Christian Theological Seminary.
Rice, a graduate of Seattle University, is a native of Richland, Wash., the bedroom community of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Rice was a long-time member of Sojourners Community, an intentional Christian renewal community located in inner-city Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Dawn, have two children and two grandchildren. He is a member of Hyattsville Mennonite Church outside of Washington.
Selected Sojourners articles by Jim Rice
- 'Simple is the New Chic' In John Carr's view, Pope Francis is already shaking up the Catholic Church — and the best is yet to come.
- The Party of No Compromise GOP attempts to circumvent the health-care law range from the inane to downright bullying.
- Our Dolls, Our Selves Even at their best, toys like the American Girls Dolls send a mix message.
- Future's So Bright "“Given the option of paying more for dirty power or paying less for clean power, what would you take?” (May 2013)
- 'A World Without Nuclear Weapons' The way to stop is to stop. (March 2013)
- Who Speaks for Catholics? Before the election, several bishops went so far as to threaten their parishioners with eternal damnation if they voted for Obama. (January 2013)
- Our Endorsement for President The constraints on political engagement by nonprofits can be frustrating for those committed to social change. (November 2012)
- 'A Clash of Fanaticisms' We'll never reach reconciliation between Christians and Muslims until we address root causes — and take on the haters. (November 2012)
- War Crimes and Misdemeanors Hey Pres. Obama: The Nobel Peace Prize committee is calling. They want their medal back. (August 2012)
- Fairness for Whom? Fairness matters, especially for people on society’s margins — and that conviction goes far beyond tax equity to every aspect of public policy. For people of the Book, it’s much more important than politics; it’s a matter of faith. (June 2012)
- Obesity in a World of Hunger A new definition of malnutrition is emerging, as formerly developing countries are globalized into “fast-food nation” lifestyles. (May 2012)
- Are Voter-ID Laws Racist? More than 5 million voters could be affected by new Voter-ID laws and (coincidentally?) a disproportionate number of them are people of color. (April 2012)
- Occupy the Future The Occupy movement has already established its legacy — by changing the nation's conversation about wealth inequality. (March 2012)
- 'Power to the People' Renewable energy sources aren't just safer than nuclear power — they're also cheaper. (June 2011)
- 'Tear Down This Wall' An interview with Palestinian Christian activist Sami Awad on why nonviolence is key to Middle East justice. (May 2010)
- Composting with Worms Sojourners editor Jim Rice and his family have been composting with worms for more than a decade. In this video how-to, he shares 7 steps to composting with worms. (December 2009)
- The Path to Peace in the Middle East Lessons from Gaza. (March 2009)
- The Meaning of 'Life' Once thought to be in the pocket of the Religious Right, many American evangelicals today are discovering a deeper understanding of what it means to be pro-life. With Jeannie Choi. (November 2008)
- The Roots of Justice Revival During the Second Great Awakening, the fruits of conversion included social reform. (April 2008
- Loving our Neighbors Christian-Muslim dialogue raises hope — and suspicion. (April 2008)
- Being There "God's Smuggler" Brother Andrew has an odd way of breaking down barriers between Christians and Muslims. But somehow it works. (March 2008)
- Is Nuclear Power the Answer? Proponents claim that nuclear energy is the power source of the future - clean, green, and safe. Are they right? Cover feature. (August 2007)
- A Rubicon Crossed The church consensus is solidifying on the need to save the planet. (April 2007)
- Gandhi For Today How would Mahatma Gandhi confront terrorism today? And what action would the apostle of nonviolence take in response to the wars waged in the name of anti-terrorism? A review of David Cortright’s “Gandhi and Beyond: Nonviolence for an Age of Terrorism.” (December 2006)
- Hope Amid the Ruins Out of the carnage of Middle East war, can real peace ever be achieved? (September/October 2006)
- Nonviolence is Our Only Hope In the Middle East, only justice for all is justice at all. (August 2005)
- Reagan's Legacy On mourning in America. (August 2004)
- The Burden of Truth. An interview with two former CIA analysts on the lies behind the Iraq war and the heavy weight of conscience. (November-December 2003)
- "School Choice" Passes a Test. A victory for vouchers — but who wins? (September-October 2002)
- Sins of the Fathers. The deepest guilt is the church's. (May-June 2002)
- Unfoolish Consistency. Moral principles, not politics, guide the bishops. (January-February 2001)
- Core Values. The Broetjes, owners of the largest apple orchard in Washington state, had a crazy idea — to treat their workers like people. (November-December 2000)
- A Blank Check for China? China is the current battleground — as Seattle was last fall — over the rules of global trade. (May-June 2000)
- Sandino Lives! Actually, even in Nicaragua, revolutionary fervor isn't what it used to be. (March-April 2000)
- Rome Not Quite Ready for Women Priests. (November-December 1998)
- Whatever Happened to Lt. Calley? (November-December 1998)
- A Squandered Opportunity. The biggest obstacle to Palestinian Democracy may well be the emerging state's founding father, Yasir Arafat. (July-August 1997)
- Why Play? Contemplation, freedom, and the spirit of leisure. (January-February 1997)
- Bernardin's Most Important Year. (November-December 1996)
- Beyond the Nuclear Test Ban. (November-December 1996)
- Crack, Contras, and the CIA. (November-December 1996)
- With "Friends" Like These. What to do about sleazy TV? (May-June 1996)
- Justifying the Next War. The real-world effects of the just war theory. (March-April 1996)
- Into Bosnia. Mixed motives and good fruit. (January-February 1996)
- Getting Beyond Labels. Serpents, doves, and the Religious Right. (March-April 1995)
- “Cautious Optimism” on Haiti. Reconciliation in Haiti must be preceded by repentance and rooted in truth. (November 1994)
- The Armor of Righteousness. The Christian Right makes its bid for the political mainstream. (November 1994)
- Where Angels Fear to Tread. (November 1994)
- Shifting Terrain in Korea. Without Jimmy Carter's risky pilgrimage, the world would be a more dangerous place. (September-October 1994)
- Too Many People? The unavoidable reality is that where there is severe poverty, adding more people makes the suffering worse. (August 1994)
- Seeking Common Ground on Abortion. (July 1994)
- The Last Comeback of Richard Nixon. (July 1994)
- World Bank/IMF: 50 Years Is Enough. The Bank will not change its economic model without outside pressure. (July 1994)
- When Dignity Is Assaulted. Biblically based Christians must forcefully oppose this deceptive, homophobic campaign of the Far Right. (February-March 1994)
- NAFTA's Fatal Flaws. (December 1993)
- Be Like Mike? Michael Jordan or Madonna may be worth talking about, but they arguably serve no principle beyond themselves. (September-October 1993)
- Saying No to Bigotry. Why the church must stand up for gay rights. (February-March 1993)
- Cultures in Conflict. Inner-city tensions explode on the streets of Washington, D.C. (July 1991)
- SDI-Lite: Old Wine in New Skins. (May 1991)
- On The Front Lines Of Resistance. Conscientious objectors struggle for recognition. (April 1991)
- Mistakes Were Made Will the Nuclear Industry's Post-Cold War PR Campaign Work? (January 1991)
Posts By This Author
Bishops' Vote a Boost for Women
The women's movement in the U.S. Catholic Church will get "stronger and stronger" in the wake of the U.S. bishops' rejection last month of a controversial pastoral letter on women.
Peace Prize Brings Joy, Celebration to Guatemala
Guatemala celebrating as they bring home a Nobel Peace Prize
A Step Toward a Test Ban
Peace activists in Nevada and elsewhere applauded the nine-month moratorium on U.S. nuclear testing signed into law in October
Leonardo Boff Resigns Priesthood
Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff announced this summer that he is leaving the Catholic priesthood - but not the church - "to be free to continue working without impediments."
Church Leaders Return to Fore of Anti-Apartheid Fray
South African church leaders have been thrust back into the forefront of the struggle against apartheid in the wake of the June 17 massacre in the township of Boipatong
A Slow Journey From Swords to Plowshares
While this summer's strategic arms agreement between Presidents Bush and Yeltsin has been praised as a "giant step" away from nuclear weapons, some have raised concerns...
Presbyterians Battle Over Call of Pastor
For Downtown United Presbyterian Church, the situation was fairly straightforward. The Rochester, New York congregation was looking for a co-pastor, and members felt Rev. Jane Adams Spahr was the most qualified candidate.
The case has become anything but simple. Conservatives in Downtown Church's presbytery filed a complaint against the validity of Spahr's call to the pulpit, claiming that her sexuality—she openly acknowledges that she is in a committed relationship with another woman—prevents her from serving as a pastor.
Even on the narrow grounds of Presbyterian church law, Spahr's case is far from open and shut. Last summer the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) failed to accept a report on human sexuality that called for, among other things, the ordination of gays and lesbians. And a 1978 church policy expressly prohibits ordaining homosexuals. But when the policy was passed, a clause was added to explicitly forbid the use of the regulation "to affect negatively the ordination rights" of those ordained before 1978. Spahr became a minister in 1974.
Regardless of the result of Spahr's May 19 hearing, her case—and the issue of the role of homosexuals in the church—will likely reverberate through the denomination for some time to come; the expected appeal process could take as long as a year. In addition, this summer's general assembly will consider a proposal to discipline "More Light" congregations that have come out in support of gay and lesbian people, an overture to altogether ban homosexuals from the church, and a report from the denomination's theology and worship committee on how the Presbyterian church should proceed on the issue of sexuality.
'Ordain Women or Stop Baptizing Them'
The struggle for equality in the church has taken several leaps forward and a significant step back in recent weeks. The U.S. Catholic bishops, in a highly publicized draft report on "women's issues," refused once again to stand up against the Vatican's ban on women priests.
The pastoral document, which will go before the whole body of American bishops in June, condemned sexism in society as a "moral and social evil" and said the church should examine its own "practices, possessions, power structures, and lifestyles" for repressive aspects—but held on to the male-only priesthood.
"Since the bishops are in the position of not extending the fruits of baptism to all people," feminist theologian and author Sister Madonna Kolbenschlag told Sojourners, "they shouldn't be saying anything about women—only about sexism and patriarchy. I don't think women can take seriously anything they say about women."
On a brighter note, the first women priests in the Anglican Church in Australia were ordained in March by Archbishop Peter Carnley of Perth, who declared, "Today we ordain 10 women, but we liberate tens of thousands." Six weeks before the historic ceremony, Dawn Kenyon—who had been ordained a priest in New Zealand in 1987—was installed as Australia's first woman rector in a mining-community parish east of Perth.
Catholics and Protestants Walk Together in Belfast
Along the "murder mile"
U.S. Reactors Unsafe at Any Speed?
Closing nuclear power plants
Defending Caribou Culture
In one of the most unforgettable scenes in Dances With Wolves, tens of thousands of buffalo thunder across the vast plains of the 19th-century American Midwest.
Cultures in Conflict
Inner-city tensions explode on the streets of Washington, DC