What is going on in Evangelical land? Is another evangelical schism on its way? This side of Franklin Graham represents the best of evangelical Christianity: The president of the National Association of Evangelicals: Evangelicals are having good conversations about race. […]
Archives for August 2021
Dry Spell
What conservation looks like when nobody’s watching
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Cornel West on why the world needs Jesus Osita Nwanevu reviews Alan Taylor’s contributions to early American history Historian Richard White on the downsides of infrastructure spending The history wars […]
Is this what Ronald Reagan meant by a “shining city on a hill”?
Today as I read New York Times writer Jamelle Bouie’s recent column on vaccines, I was struck by these words. Is it any surprise that millions of Americans treat this fundamentally social problem — how do we vaccinate enough people […]
The anti-Critical Race Theory bills keep coming
Last week we took a close look at Josh Hawley’s “Love America Act.” Now we have the Protect Equality and Civics Education (PEACE) Act. The Senate sponsors are Republicans Marco Rubio, (FL), Kevin Cramer (ND), and Mike Braun (IN). Here […]
Mark your calendars for our next Current Deep Water patrons gathering: August 25, 2021 with Jeremy Sabella
Our next special event for Current Deep Water subscribers will be held from 8:00-9:30 ET on August 25, 2021. If you are Deep Water subscriber, you should receive a ZOOM link for the event. Our guest for the evening will be Jeremy […]
The United States of America: Are we reaping what we’ve sown?
Don’t mess with the rights of Americans. We are individuals. We are free. Mask and vaccine mandates are tyrannical. They are un-American. Don’t people know that the Bill of Rights is divinely inspired? I am not convinced that the kind […]
Tennessee governor calls on schools to teach “unapologetic American exceptionalism”
Here is Yue Stella Yu at the Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants schools to teach “unapologetic American exceptionalism” — an idea that American values are intrinsically different from those of other countries. Touting Tennessee’s education standards, Lee made the comment […]
What is popular this week at Current?
Here are the most popular Current features of the last week: Jay Green, CURRENT and the #Exvangelical Dilemma Steve Waldman, The Return of Local News M. Elizabeth Carter, Fishing for Faith John Fea, Where Benjamin Franklin Can’t Take Us John Fea, […]
Exotic Invasion
A “wonderful awful tree” shows us some wonderful awful things about ourselves
Recovered from the archives: “An Open Letter to the Students of Charis Bible College”
Yesterday a reader told me that he was searching for this 2016 post and couldn’t find it. It seems to have disappeared from The Way of Improvement Leads Home blog. But I managed to find it at another site on […]
How do you order your bookcases?
Technically, I go by genre. On the wall behind my desk I have American history. This is the shelf you see when I am on a ZOOM call. You can also see a good portion of this shelving system in […]
Trouble in paradise: Steve Bannon turns on the MyPillow Guy
Mike Lindell’s 72-hour cyber symposium is underway. Get up to speed here. Here is MSN News: Right-wing media figure Steve Bannon has slammed MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell‘s cyber symposium for failing to present evidence that actually proves Lindell’s long-touted claims of voter fraud […]
On book reviewing
I’ve had a lot of great reviews of my books. (My favorite remains Lauren Winner’s review of The Way of Improvement Leads Home in Books & Culture). I’ve also had some bad reviews written by people who wished I had […]
Pew Research: “Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say increased attention to the history of slavery and racism is bad for the country”
Here is a taste of the recent Pew Research study: Among U.S. adults overall, 53% say increased attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a bad thing and another 21% say it […]
Evangelical roundup for August 12, 2021
What is going on in Evangelicalland? Christian Reconstructionists are thriving in Moscow, Idaho under the leadership of Douglas Wilson. True: Slacktivist responds to Current managing editor Jay Green’s recent piece on “exvangelicals.” Bless your pastor: Do evangelicals still care about […]
Where Benjamin Franklin Can’t Take Us
If you want to know what college students think about the values that define America, ask them to write a review of Ben Franklin’s Autobiography. Over the last twenty years I have read hundreds of these reviews, written by the […]
Senate passes $3.5 trillion dollar budget framework. Hyde Amendment is saved. Anti-Critical Race Theory amendment passes.
It’s a done deal. Elections have consequences. The American people rejected Trumpism in 2020. Now the Democrats, who rode the anti-Trump wave into office last November, have the power to get some things done. National Public Radio explains what is […]
Evangelical activist Shane Claiborne is going to Greg Locke’s church on Sunday. He will wear a mask.
Claiborne is looking for people to join him on Sunday at the Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. At the very least, you might get a meal at Waffle House out of it: After reading Claiborne’s Twitter feed, […]
History Essentials: “Rethinking Colonial America”
Back in 2019, I spent a week traveling up and down the eastern seaboard with with a film crew from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History as part of the Institute’s “History Essentials” series, online lectures for the professional […]