A few things online that caught my attention this week: New research shows a link between lynchings and Confederate monuments Authors are avoiding Goodreads George Will on Allen Guelzo‘s new biography of Robert E. Lee Rod Dreher on the manliness […]
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 […]
Teaching “opposing” views of the Holocaust in a history class is not that far-fetched of an idea. Let me explain.
A Superintendent of a Texas school has apologized for telling his faculty that they had to teach “opposing” views on the Holocaust. Get up to speed here. Here is Mary Papenfuss at Yahoo News: A north Texas school superintendent has apologized for […]
What is going on at North Park University?
North Park is a Christian college in Chicago. Here is Colleen Flaherty at Inside Higher Ed: North Park University’s faculty voted no confidence in President Mary Surridge this week, 55 to 26. According to information from North Park’s Faculty Senate, […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof is leaving The New York Times
The New York Times columnist who wrote about Jim Wallis, “The Daily Me,” Billy Graham’s granddaughter, Trump evangelical Rick Joyner, progressive Christianity, Jimmy Carter‘s faith, Timothy Keller, professors and the public, and the humanities is leaving his post. He may […]
Can one date define a nation?
1619? 1776? 1865? 1940? 1964? Which date defines the nation? Here is McGill University historian Gil Troy at the Jewish News Syndicate: In August 2019, The New York Times launched the 1619 Project—pivoting American history around racism’s evils, starting with the first slave ship’s […]
“Very fine people on both sides” comes to a Texas school district
Here is NBC News: SOUTHLAKE, Texas — A top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake advised teachers last week that if they have a book about the Holocaust in their classroom, they should also offer students access to a […]
Gerson: “Vaccine resisters sacrificing their jobs are not heroes”
Here is the evangelical Christian writer and Washington Post columnist: The nation’s leading purveyor of lethal medical advice during a pandemic (trademark pending) has recently elevated the resisters against coronavirus vaccines — an airline pilot here, a nurse there — as models of citizenship. […]
What is popular this week at CURRENT?
Here are the most popular Current features of the last week: Adam Jortner, Should History Make You Feel Bad? Eric Miller, Republic of Letters, Republic of Books Shirley Mullen, Can Too Much Caring Threaten Our Convictions? John Fea, The “Age of […]
What is “Elite Evangelicalism”?
The problem with elitism has little to do with status. It has everything to do with love.
Ronnie Floyd resigns as President and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee
Here is some context for Floyd’s resignation. Current received the following press release tonight: Dear SBC Executive Committee Trustees and SBC Family, I was planning to release this letter on Monday, October 11; however, I delayed the publishing of this letter […]
Evangelical roundup for October 14, 2021
What is happening in Evangelical land? Christianity Today and the future of evangelicalism Trump court journalist David Brody on how America and the West will be destroyed: https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1447678395718856707 Karen Swallow Prior on “Cosplay Christianity” The Bartons are getting ready for […]
Episode 23: “The Senate Conducts Hearings on Marriage: Part 2”
The Senate Judiciary Committee takes on marriage as a vote on a federal marriage amendment looms Episode 23: “The Senate Conducts Hearings on Marriage: Part 2” dropped last night. Subscribers to Current at the Longshore level and above receive this narrative history podcast. […]
The CCCU responds to The Detroit Free Press article on Christian higher education
If you are unfamiliar with the recent piece on Christian higher education at the Detroit Free Press you can read it here. We responded to the piece here. I have learned that the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities has […]
Will Sewanee revoke the honorary degree they gave to Eric Metaxas in 2015?
I am surprised to learn that Sewanee: The University of the South gave Metaxas an honorary degree in the first place, especially after his Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography was roundly panned by Bonhoeffer scholars. Now hundreds of Sewanee faculty, students, and […]
From the archives: “Twitter and the Historical Profession”
A reference to my article “Twitter the Historical Profession” is circulating on Twitter today. I completely forgot that I wrote this piece back in 2017 for The American Historian, the magazine of the Organization of American Historians. It seems so […]
Eric Metaxas wants your vote for culture warrior of the year!
Christian politics at its “best.” By the way, he’s right about Candace Owen. Last year she beat out Alan Sears, founder of Alliance Defending Freedom; actor Gary Sinise; Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA; Abby Johnson, pro-life advocate; and […]
David Blight coming to Messiah University!
On Tuesday, October 12, Yale historian David Blight will deliver the 2021 Messiah University American Democracy Lecture. Free tickets are still available. They can be reserved at the Messiah ticket office: 717-691-6036. On Wednesday, October 13, I will join my […]
How to support CURRENT
We just passed the sixth-month mark at Current. Things are moving along. We have built a small part-time staff that includes an associate editor, business manager, and podcast producer, and we are getting very close to paying our wonderful writers. But […]
Kathleen Parker on religious liberty…in 2004
As I prepared for this week’s episode of A History of Evangelicals and Politics podcast I came across a column from syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker. I read it in the June 28, 2004 issue of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. […]