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The Integrated "We." For 39 years, Dr. Morrison's pulpit has kept growing: Century readership has increased steadily, almost from the time he took over. The paper is now owned by the "editorial family" (the names listed on the masthead), with Dr. Morrison as chief stockholder. Like very few butcher-paper weeklies, it pays its own way without patrons.
Behind the Century's editorial "we," consistent readers have come to recognize the Morrison touch: a subtle blend of scholarship, sweet reasonableness and hard-punching prose. But Dr. Morrison attributes the rise of the Century to no one man. Editorial conferences, he says, are always "a highly integrated collective mind" engaging in "an informal continuum of conversation."
New Editor Hutchinson, a Methodist with a D.D. from both DePauw and Garrett Biblical Institute, and a Century veteran for 23 years, has no intention of changing the weekly's vigorous liberalism, its anti-denominationalism, its habit of speaking its mind. His biggest policy change, he says, will be a greater attempt to appeal to the laity. About 25% of the Century's readers are laymen; Editor Hutchinson hopes to boost it to 50%. Says he: "I'd like to keep our theological editorials short and crisp. Now, Dr. Morrison's editorials on theology are certainly impressive, but a bit overpowering."
Searching and often inspiring—as well as overpowering—Dr. Morrison's editorials have been the chief factor in making the Christian Century one of the few publications in its time, lay or religious, which combine high intellectual standards, humanitarian crusading and a basically Christian orientation.