As some of you know, I am working on a three-volume project, geared to a general reading audience, on evangelicals and politics in the twentieth-first century. Sometimes I don’t know if I am doing journalism or writing history, but I […]
Search Results for: Howard Zinn
Does Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” make students hate America?
As longtime readers of this blog know, I have my issues with Howard Zinn‘s A People’s History of the United States. I stand by what I have written about this book over the last decade or so. We’ve covered him […]
Jim Grossman reflects on his leadership of the American Historical Association
After fifteen years at the helm of the most important historical association in the world, Jim Grossman is stepping aside. Here is Ryan Quinn at Inside Higher Ed: A chapter of history is closing: Jim Grossman is retiring after 15 […]
Jeremy Allen White will play Springsteen in a film about Nebraska
Here is The Guardian: Jeremy Allen White looks set to swap his white t-shirt for a vest later this year, when he takes on the role of Bruce Springsteen for a new biopic, once shooting is completed on the fourth […]
Episode 120: “Popular Historians in Post-War America”
Should professional historians write for the general public? If so, who is the “public” they are trying to reach? And when historians do write for the public how do they manage to make their work readable and accessible without sacrificing […]
Chris Rufo: “Intellectual historian” or “intellectual bully”?
Chris Rufo is a conservative activist whose claim to fame is an appearance on the old Tucker Carlson show on Fox News. That appearance caught the attention of then president Donald Trump. Since then, Rufo has become Ron DeSantis’s point […]
What is popular this week at Current?
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:
How to teach the history wars
I think it’s fair to say we are in the midst of another round of history wars. Today’s so-called “activist historians” invoke a usable past to preach political and social agendas, while more traditional historians (of all political persuasions–from Trotskyite […]
Staughton Lynd, 1929-2022
We brought Staughton Lynd’s death to your attention yesterday. We now have an obituary. Here is the New York Times: Staughton Lynd, a historian and lawyer who over a long and varied career organized schools for Black children in Mississippi, […]
In a sermon on “defending truth,” Tim Barton makes multiple false claims
The son of Wallbuilders founder David Barton recently gave a rambling “history” sermon at Christian Missions Church in Jacksboro, Texas. This is what can happen when the past is only useful as a form of activism. Here is Barton: Let’s […]
Larry Schweikart: activist historian
Back in 2002 I met Larry Schweikart. He was a professor of history at the University of Dayton. I was interviewing for a job in the history department at the University of Dayton. He may have even been on the […]
What I love about James Sweet’s piece on presentism
I wanted to get these tweets on record here at the blog. Also, some readers of the blog are not Twitter. I’m not going to go into background, but I encourage you to get up to speed here. Again, I […]
Sunday night odds and ends
The cult of Stalin intellectuals Teaching with history with Howard Zinn’s People’s History Integrating college hoops What did Jefferson mean by the pursuit of happiness? Thomas Meaney reviews Jean-Yves Frétigné, To Live Is To Resist: The Life of Antonio Gramsci […]
David Barton spreads blatant falsehoods about the AP US History course, state history standards, and a bunch of other stuff.
David Barton, the Christian Right operative who talks about the past, recently spoke at Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, California. GOP representative Madison Cawthorn introduced Barton. The pastor of the church is Rob McCoy. Learn more about McCoy and […]
What is popular this week at CURRENT?
Here are the most popular Current features of the last week: Daniel K. Williams, “How the Party of the College Educated Became the Party Opposed to College” Courtney J.P. Friesen, “A Creed for the Credulous” Daniel N. Gullotta, “The Passion of […]
James Loewen, RIP
I never met James Loewen, but I have used his book Teaching What Really Happened once or twice in my “Teaching History” course at Messiah University. I remember about twenty years ago I gave a talk at a conference (I […]