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Archives for July 2023

Siena-New York Times poll shows Trump with a massive lead

John Fea   |  July 31, 2023

The poll was conducted from July 23-27 among “the likely electorate in the Republican primary”: Other observations: The poll asked GOP primary voters about where they get their news. Here are the results:

George Will gives a bump to Doug Burgum’s presidential campaign

John Fea   |  July 31, 2023

Until I read Will’s column, the only thing I knew about North Dakota governor Doug Burgum was his gift card strategy. Here is a taste of Will’s “Meet the unusually qualified presidential candidate you’ve never heard of“: If he ever […]

The Author’s Corner with Mark Valeri

Rachel Petroziello   |  July 31, 2023

Mark Valeri is the Reverend Priscilla Wood Neaves Distinguished Professor of Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. This interview is based on his new book, The Opening of the Protestant Mind: How Anglo-American Protestants Embraced Religious Liberty (Oxford […]

Evangelical roundup for July 31, 2023

John Fea   |  July 31, 2023

What is happening in Evangelical land? Tish Harrison Warren talks to Russell Moore about the state of American evangelicalism. Why are evangelicals leaving the faith? Arthur Gay, RIP Justin Giboney on the Florida African American history standards: Christianity Today tackles […]

Oh the Places We Went: Beach Edition

Robert Erle Barham   |  July 31, 2023

Waves, flags, shells—and the open hand of God

Liberal girls… sad!

Elizabeth Stice   |  July 31, 2023

It’s not news that teenage mental health is on the decline in recent years. But recently released data by the CDC indicates that the situation is most bleak for teenage girls. This was especially true for girls somewhere on the […]

Sunday night odds and ends

John Fea   |  July 30, 2023

A few things online that caught my attention this week: 29 rules for reading James Lasdun reviews Alexander Stille’s The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy and the Wild Life of an American Commune Robert Bellah: A socialist who insisted democracy needs religion. […]

GOP candidates were together in Iowa yesterday. Will Hurd won the night.

John Fea   |  July 29, 2023

Last night all of the GOP candidates for president spoke at the Iowa Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Dinner. Most of the candidates delivered shortened versions (10-minutes) of their stump speeches. Watch here. The night belonged to former Texas congressman Will […]

Sinéad O’ Connor: Catholic Activist and Spiritual Seeker

Mathew N. Schmalz   |  July 29, 2023

Her life bore witness to truths we need to remember

The Washington Post “Made By History” column comes to an end

John Fea   |  July 28, 2023

Here is a final word from the current editors of “Made By History”: Six years ago, The Washington Post took a leap of faith and partnered with us to launch Made by History. We shared a commitment to getting the […]

What is popular this week at Current?

John Fea   |  July 28, 2023

Here are the most popular features of the week at Current: Here are the most popular posts of the last week at The Way of Improvement Leads Home blog: Here are the most popular posts of the last week at The Arena blog:

The Author’s Corner with Diane Winston

Rachel Petroziello   |  July 28, 2023

Diane Winston is Associate Professor of Journalism and Knight Center Chair in Media and Religion at the University of Southern California, Annenberg. This interview is based on her new book, Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical […]

Make America Christian Again

John Fea   |  July 28, 2023

Lessons from a turn-of-the-twentieth-century “theocrat”

What I am reading: books on motherhood and homemaking

Dixie Dillon Lane   |  July 28, 2023

Summer is the season for reading, whether re-reading old favorites or finding new ones—on your porch, in a cabin in the woods (bears optional), or at the playground or the beach. Because there have been so many wonderful essays on […]

Commonplace Book #276

John Fea   |  July 27, 2023

All the pathologies of the woke turn–or rather the anti-scholarly turn–in the humanities were on display in l’affaire James Sweet. To recap: in August 2022, Sweet, the president of the AHA and a historian of slavery, used his monthly column […]

Evangelical roundup for July 27, 2023

John Fea   |  July 27, 2023

What is happening in Evangelical land? Russell Moore on revivalism and evangelical nostalgia Evangelicals: From Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump Are Trump evangelicals really evangelical? What kind of fundraising ads do evangelicals prefer? The latest on the demise of the […]

REVIEW: The Education of Beth Moore

Andrea Turpin   |  July 27, 2023

Moore’s memoir sheds light on a moment. It also, quite simply, sheds light.

What I am reading: Brian Scoles

Brian Scoles   |  July 27, 2023

Summer is the season for reading, whether re-reading old favorites or finding new ones—on your porch, in a cabin in the woods (bears optional), or at the playground or the beach. Because there have been so many wonderful essays on […]

A former undocumented Salvadoran immigrant is now an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington

John Fea   |  July 26, 2023

Over at The Washington Post, Karen Tumulty tells the moving story of Evelio Menjivar-Ayala: Three times in the space of a year, the undocumented teen fleeing war-torn Central America tried and failed to make it over the southern border of […]

Commonplace Book #275

John Fea   |  July 26, 2023

It is vital for historians to reckon with the flaws of their profession as an institution, not only for their own sake but for the sake of the nation that supports their institution, and to reflect on the ways that […]

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