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
What Karl Barth Says about Blog Comments
The comment code of conduct for the God's Politics blog includes familiar commitments to civility, courtesy, and respect, and even connects these pledges to biblical passages. But what if we went a step further in our understanding of blog comments -- and, for that matter, all of our online communication? What if we recognized our forays into online commentary as doing theological work?
Karl Barth invites that kind of thinking in his 1963 Evangelical Theology: An Introduction. In his chapter on the "community" -- a word that he argues is, theologically speaking, much better than "church" to describe the body of believers -- Barth makes the case that each member of the community of faith has the responsibility to bear witness to the Word. We do so, Barth says, in our very existence, in our service to "the handicapped, weak, and needy" in the world, and in our prayer. The community also does so in spoken and written words by which it "attempts to make its faith audible."
New Models of the Church in a New Media World
In his seminal 1974 book Models of the Church, theologian Avery Dulles offered five paradigms, or "models," each of which called attention to certain aspects of the worldwide Christian church. The church, Dulles wrote, is in essence a mystery -- a reality of which we cannot speak directly. Thus we must draw on analogies to understand the church in deeper ways.
Dulles developed five models, drawing on a range of theological schools and traditions, both Protestant and Catholic, to illuminate different aspects of the church. His models included church as institution, mystical communion, sacrament, herald, and servant. Dulles was careful to point out that no single model, by itself, adequately paints a complete picture of the church; each contains important insights about the nature of the church.
Are Books a Thing of the Past?
"The mental space [books] occupied is being eroded by the thousand Weapons of Mass Distraction that surround us all," Hari told me last week. "It's hard to admit, but we all sense it: it is becoming almost physically harder to read books."
[Okay, I admit I didn't actually talk with Hari. The quote is from his newspaper column. But pop over to Twitter, and you can see how, in effect, he gave me permission to paraquote him at #interviewbyhari.]
Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, long-form reading. Hari quotes David Ulin, author of The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time, who wrote that he "became aware, in an apartment full of books, that I could no longer find within myself the quiet necessary to read." Ulin wrote that he would sit down with a book, and find his mind wandering, enticing him to check his email, or Twitter, or Facebook. "What I'm struggling with," he writes, "is the encroachment of the buzz, the sense that there's something out there that merits my attention."
Can Mindfulness Be Tweeted?
I attended a basketball game this winter at the University of Maryland, accompanied by an intern at my workplace, a man in his twenties. For much of the game, we chatted about everything from politics to how North Carolina is far superior to Duke in all the ways that really matter (on the court, of course). During the conversation, between glances at the game, my colleague maintained steady eye contact … with his smart phone.
'Power to the People'
Renewable energy sources aren't just safer than nuclear power -- they're also cheaper.
Why We Need Renewable Energy Sources That are Cheaper and Safer
Is Nuclear Power a 'Bargain with the Devil'?
Reagan's Legacy
Getting Beyond Labels (Part II)
Yesterday, I posted a blog about how to get beyond labels when engaging in discourse with another individual. Today I'd like to share some tips on how to get beyond labels and have civil discourse with a group.
Getting Beyond Labels (Part I)
Ever since Peter and Paul had opposing views about ministry to the Gentiles, there have been divisions in the Christian church. But rarely in the course of church history have differences among Christians been so exploited and manipulated for political gain by those outside the church as is the case today.
Beck: Calling Obama Racist was 'Stupid,' 'Ignorant'
Outrage about Helen Thomas
Another Cost of the Flotilla Raid
'Tear Down This Wall'
Sami Awad’s vocation is to tear down walls in the Middle East. As executive director of the Holy Land Trust, based in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Awad works to build bridges between Palestinians and Israelis—and between Christians, Muslims, and Jews—as a necessary path to peace in the region. He was interviewed by Sojourners editor Jim Rice this winter while Awad visited Washington, D.C., to address a gathering of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding.
Extended Interview with Sami Awad
Sami Awad’s vocation is to tear down walls in the Middle East.
Watch a How-To Video on Composting with Worms
The Meaning of 'Life'
Joshua Hopping of Sweet, Idaho, helped put George W. Bush in the White House, and four years later helped keep him there. As an evangelical Christian, Hopping was part of the so-called “values voters” bloc that some pundits credit with Bush’s electoral success. But this year, Hopping isn’t a lock to support the Republican ticket. He says he’s open to consider which candidate best embodies his Christian values—and that very openness represents what could be one of the most significant shifts in this election season, because evangelicals, especially those under 30, are no longer a safe bet to vote for the furthest-right option on the ballot.
Why the loosening of party attachment? The questions that matter most to Hopping, 28, aren’t as narrowly defined as they used to be. He says he’ll be paying close attention to what the candidates are saying about the issues most important to him, which now include not only abortion and same-sex marriage but also the environment, poverty, and immigration—“and that’s not even counting the war in Iraq, health care, social security, and all those other things that are important,” Hopping told Sojourners. Looking at the records of the two parties on those issues, Hopping says, gave him pause about the unquestioned convictions he held in the past. “I said, ‘wait a minute,’ I want to take another look and see who’s out there, who actually cares about life beyond the womb.” Hopping says this line of thinking feels outside of his conservative comfort zone, but he cannot ignore his new convictions, particularly about the environment.
“Eight years ago, I began working in the environmental field, and it really hit me that God tells us to take care of the environment. The more I read the Bible, I see that the environment affects the poor, the young, and the old—the same people God said to go reach,” he says.
John Edwards Extended Interview
Listen in as John Edwards talks about his wife Elizabeth’s passion for universal healthcare.