Today, after watching another day of damning testimony before the House January 6th Committee, I was reminded again of this passage from Grant Wacker‘s biography of Billy Graham: The details of the low-level crime and high-level mendacity that led to...
Doug Mastriano is still running for governor of Pennsylvania on the Trump playbook
Here is Andrew Seidman at The Philadelphia Inquirer: He went on the podcast hosted by former Donald Trump aide and “Stop the Steal” leader Steve Bannon. He named a former Trump campaign lawyer who tried to overturn Pennsylvania’s election a...
Commentary editor: “Trump is in deep, deep, deep, deep trouble”
That’s four “deeps” from John Podhoretz, the editor of the conservative Commentary magazine. Here is a taste of his piece: The testimony this afternoon of Cassidy Hutchinson, the aide to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, cannot be dismissed. If...
The GOP is trying to defend the most corrupt president in United States history
Historians will have the last say, but in the meantime here is a taste of Jonathan Chait’s recent piece at New York Magazine: At this point, even with the hearings in progress, it seems safe to rate this as the...
The problem with 5-paragraph essays
I never learned to write one. Stanford education professor David Labaree says that the 5-paragraph essay “was meant to be a step on the way. Now it’s the stifling goal for student and scholar alike.” Here is a taste of...
So much for all that MAGA/GOP/Christian Right masculinity crap. The real hero today is a 26-year-old female aide
Former vice-president Mike Pence won’t testify before the House Committee to investigate January 6th. My congressman Scott Perry, and many other members of Congress, including minority leader Kevin McCarthy, will not testify. White House counsel Pat Cipollone will not testify....
Could the battle over abortion in the states result in another “Bleeding Kansas?”
Michael Waldman writes about the recent Supreme Court gun ruling: The Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday striking down a New York gun law isn’t just the most significant ruling on the Second Amendment in a dozen years — it may be the...
What is going on at the Toronto Meeting House?
We’ve done some blogging about this in the past. Check out some of our coverage here. Christianity Today is also covering recent developments. Here is a taste of Meagan Gilmore’s piece, “At Canadian Megachurch, One Abuse Investigation Spurs Another and...
We lifted the Current paywall for this week’s forum “The End of Roe”
Good morning. I hope you will spend some time this week checking out Current‘s four day series on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Today, Monday, we have Felicia Song, Randall Balmer, David Tucker, Una Cadegan, and John Haas. And...
Evangelical roundup for June 27, 2022: Dobbs v. Jackson edition
How is Evangelical land responding to the overturning of Roe v. Wade? I have long understood these roundups as a form of curation. It’s important to get these responses (or at least some of them) all in one place. David...
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: The pre-history of popular music Marilyn Robinson on gun violence 1979 all over again? Ross Douthat on the end of Roe The religious roots of the phrase, “good guy with...
Episode 41: “‘When Did Your Life Begin?'”
The debate over embryonic stem cell research heats up Episode 41: “‘When Did Your Life Begin?’” dropped today. Subscribers to Current at the Longshore level and above have access to new episodes of this narrative history podcast. Here is a teaser: If you like...
The National Association of Evangelicals responds to the overturning of Roe
Here is the press release: The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) welcomes today’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson that overturns federal abortion rights based on Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The ruling represents the most significant change in abortion jurisprudence...
Current writers will address the end of Roe
Next week at Current we will be running a multi-day forum on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We have lined-up an impressive array of writers who will offer short commentaries on the decision from multiple perspectives. I am confident...
Scott Perry, “Italygate,” and a pardon request
Sadly, this guy is my congressman. Here is The Washington Post: Of all the fantastical false claims of fraud and vote manipulation in the 2020 presidential election, “Italygate” was one of the most extreme. And Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) was...
Senate passes bipartisan gun bill
Here is NBC News: The Senate on Thursday night passed the most sweeping gun bill designed to prevent gun violence in decades, a major victory for advocates and a rare defeat for the National Rifle Association. The vote was 65 to 33, with all...
It’s time to drain the swamp
I knew Trump’s catchphrase, “drain the swamp” would one day be good for something. Those watching the January 6th hearings are witnessing the machinations of the most corrupt president in American history and the people who stood with him and...
What is popular this week at Current?
Here are the most popular features of the week at Current: John Fea, “The Trump Generation Is a Lost Cause“ Jeremy Sabella, “America’ Molech Moment“ Nadya Williams, “What Fruit Do Universities Bear?“ Nadya Williams, “Dinner and a Show: Summer Edition“ Adam...
Thoughts As We Await the End of Roe
Where would we be on abortion today had we taken seriously George W. Bush's "culture of life"?
Evangelical roundup for June 23, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? More coverage of the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference. Fame and evangelicalism Newsweek goes after Christians who adopt. Pro-life in a post-Roe world: On Southern Baptists as “political whores.” An Evangelical...