Cornerstone (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Cornerstone was a newspaper and later a magazine published by Jesus People USA
, focusing on topics of evangelical Christian faith and engagement with politics and culture.
Cornerstone began as an 8-page black-and-white newspaper in 1971, printed at various locations by the itinerant Jesus People community. In 1973 its publication address settled permanently in Chicago
, Illinois. Cornerstone quickly grew in artistic style, content, page count, and circulation throughout the United States and other countries. The newspaper carried nearly a thousand addresses of "bulk distributors," providing an early networking vehicle for members of the Jesus Movement
and the Christian counterculture. The newspaper regularly focused on Jesus music
and musicians, Christian evidences, racism, the drug culture, conversion testimonies, and stories from the Jesus People commune
which published it. Subtitled "The National Jesus Paper," Cornerstone peaked in circulation at 250,000 copies by 1979, the year it changed to magazine format.
Though its press run dropped by half with the change in format, its influence and literary variety matured. Regular features were poetry, short fiction, Christian visual and performing arts, news on cults and persecuted Christians, investigative reporting, and full-color comics. The Cornerstone logo on the cover was changed each issue of its life.
The magazine received both criticism and praise for its exposés of Lauren Stratford
, John Todd
and Mike Warnke
, who had made names for themselves with stories of first-hand involvement in Satanism
and Satanic ritual abuse
which turned out to be untrue. Cornerstone magazine also spawned the Cornerstone Festival
. In 2003, Cornerstone ceased publication after publishing 124 issues throughout its 32-year career.
Jesus People USA
Jesus People USA is a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1972, coming out of Jesus People Milwaukee in the Jesus Movement, and is the largest of the few remaining communes from that movement...
, focusing on topics of evangelical Christian faith and engagement with politics and culture.
Cornerstone began as an 8-page black-and-white newspaper in 1971, printed at various locations by the itinerant Jesus People community. In 1973 its publication address settled permanently in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois. Cornerstone quickly grew in artistic style, content, page count, and circulation throughout the United States and other countries. The newspaper carried nearly a thousand addresses of "bulk distributors," providing an early networking vehicle for members of the Jesus Movement
Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
and the Christian counterculture. The newspaper regularly focused on Jesus music
Jesus music
Jesus music, known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This musical genre developed in parallel to the Jesus movement...
and musicians, Christian evidences, racism, the drug culture, conversion testimonies, and stories from the Jesus People commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
which published it. Subtitled "The National Jesus Paper," Cornerstone peaked in circulation at 250,000 copies by 1979, the year it changed to magazine format.
Though its press run dropped by half with the change in format, its influence and literary variety matured. Regular features were poetry, short fiction, Christian visual and performing arts, news on cults and persecuted Christians, investigative reporting, and full-color comics. The Cornerstone logo on the cover was changed each issue of its life.
The magazine received both criticism and praise for its exposés of Lauren Stratford
Laurel Rose Willson
Laurel Rose Willson was an American woman born in Washington, whose allegations of satanic ritual abuse were published under the alias Lauren Stratford, which she would later adopt as her legal name...
, John Todd
John Todd (occultist)
John Wayne Todd , also known as "John Todd Collins", "Lance Collins", and "Christopher Kollyns", was a speaker, occultist, and conspiracy theorist who claimed to have been born into a 'witchcraft family' before converting to Christianity...
and Mike Warnke
Mike Warnke
Michael Alfred "Mike" Warnke is a Christian evangelist and comedian. With the success of his books and recordings, Warnke became one of evangelical Christianity's best-known experts on the subject of Satanism before his claims of having been a Satanist high priest were discredited in 1991 by the...
, who had made names for themselves with stories of first-hand involvement in Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
and Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse refers to the abuse of a person or animal in a ritual setting or manner...
which turned out to be untrue. Cornerstone magazine also spawned the Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
. In 2003, Cornerstone ceased publication after publishing 124 issues throughout its 32-year career.
See also
- Jesus People USAJesus People USAJesus People USA is a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1972, coming out of Jesus People Milwaukee in the Jesus Movement, and is the largest of the few remaining communes from that movement...
- Cornerstone FestivalCornerstone FestivalCornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
- Mike WarnkeMike WarnkeMichael Alfred "Mike" Warnke is a Christian evangelist and comedian. With the success of his books and recordings, Warnke became one of evangelical Christianity's best-known experts on the subject of Satanism before his claims of having been a Satanist high priest were discredited in 1991 by the...
regarding Cornerstone's exposé on Warnke