In his recent piece at The Atlantic, Wehner argues that “the GOP base may be identifying less and less with Trump personally…but it is not identifying any less with the conspiracist and antidemocratic impulses that defined him over the past […]
Archives for August 2021
Rip Patton, freedom rider, RIP
Today I learned from my friend and colleague Todd Allen that yet another veteran of the civil rights movement has passed away. Here is the Associated Press: Ernest “Rip” Patton, a member of the Nashville Freedom Riders and civil rights […]
Even John Quincy and Louisa Adams could not resist the Aaron Burr charm offensive
Gwen Fries of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society has a nice post on March 19, 1805 between John Quincy and Louisa Catherine Adams’s encounter with Aaron Burr a ship sailing from Baltimore to Philadelphia. Here is a […]
What is popular this week at Current?
Here are the most popular Current features of the last week: Daniel K. Williams, “Worldview”: No Substitute for Facts Paul Davis, The End of the Two-Party System Agnes Howard, How to Become a Grown-Up Christopher Shannon, Postmodernism: Then and Now John […]
Taking Risks, Seeking Wisdom
Tomorrow’s historians will no doubt pay special attention to the time in which we now live: a season of cut-throat politics, a pandemic that has changed everything, a collective cry for racial justice on American streets and in public discourse, […]
A sad day in Afghanistan
I have not had much time to today to watch the news and process what happened in Kabu. I read David French’s newsletter and found many of his observations helpful. French reminds us that military retreats and defeats “are always […]
Video of our patrons-only event with Jeremy Sabella is now available
We had a great meeting last night with theologian, cultural critic, and Current author Jeremy Sabella. Jeremy talked about his work on Reinhold Niebuhr, his experience growing-up in Guatemala and Nicaragua, his love of the “sermonic essay,” and his current […]
Harvard’s new chief chaplain is an atheist
Harvard recently chose Greg Epstein, an atheist, as its new chief chaplain. Here is Emma Goldberg at The New York Times; The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s had a nagging concern about the churches they […]
Evangelical roundup for August 26, 2021
What is going on Evangelical land? The battle for Ohio evangelicals I think it’s fair to say that Franklin Graham is endorsing Herschel Walker for governor of Georgia. Walker seems to get Graham’s vote not because he is qualified, but […]
The End of the Two-Party System
The source of American political dysfunction is the two-party system. Until we face this, nothing will change.
“A History of Evangelical and Politics” podcast is on break this week
No episode again this week. Feel free to use the break to get caught-up on previous episodes. We will be back next Wednesday with Episode 18. Those who do not subscribe to the podcast can listen to listen to Episodes […]
Tonight!: Current Deep Water patrons gathering with Jeremy Sabella
If you are Deep Water subscriber, you should receive a ZOOM link for the event. If you become a Deep Water patron today, send us a note and we will get the link to you ASAP. Our guest for the […]
Commonplace Book #198
However much the United States has been a moral or religious nation guided by (individual) impulses of spirit and conscience, it has also seen repeated mergers, or confusions, of religious and material intentions. One would be hard-pressed to argue that […]
Tocqueville said that “selfishness originates in blind instinct: individualism proceeds from erroneous judgment.” Both are at work in our mask wars.
What is happening to America? The Donald Trump presidency is primarily responsible this mess. He lifted the veil of civility and empowered the kind of people you see and hear about in the video I posted below. If the republic […]
Meet our new intern: Rachel Petroziello!
The Way of Improvement Leads Home has a new intern! Rachel Petroziello, a sophomore history major from Enola, Pennsylvania, has joined our team this academic year. Rachel will be facilitating our Author’s Corner feature and helping with research and other TWOILH assignments. […]
A prayer before study
From St. Thomas Aquinas: Ineffable Creator,Who, from the treasures of Your wisdom,have established three hierarchies of angels,have arrayed them in marvelous orderabove the fiery heavens,and have marshaled the regionsof the universe with such artful skill, You are proclaimedthe true font of light and wisdom,and the primal originraised high beyond all […]
How To Become a Grown-Up
Amid tedium and strain, remember this: Maturity is worth it.
How do we explain the population boom in Monowi, Nebraska?
Apparently the population doubled. Or did it? Here is the Lincoln Journal Star: “His name is Noise, and he was created by an algorithm to try to protect Eiler’s personal information. Monowi didn’t add another resident to its population, but […]
Now I finally understand what really happened to Jim Bakker in the 1980s. He got canceled.
If you want to get a feel for what is going on in the pro-Trump wing of charismatic Christianity, check out Steve Strang‘s recent appearance on the Jim Bakker Show. Strang, the editor of Charisma magazine, has a new book […]
Postmodernism: Then and Now
Is there yet a way to seize its promise?