Here is Inside Higher Ed: Some retired U.S. Army War College professors are speaking out against Republican Doug Mastriano’s controversial bid to become the next governor of Pennsylvania—a campaign in which Mastriano’s higher education credentials from a Canadian university also […]
Michael Wear, a former Obama faith adviser, launches the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Here is Jon Ward of Yahoo news: At 34 years old, Michael Wear has already been a faith adviser to an American president, written two books and developed a reputation as a thoughtful and connected leader in American politics and […]
Episode 50: “Happy Birthday Jesus!”
The Christian Right tries to “put the Christ back in Christmas” Episode 50: “’Happy Birthday Jesus!;’’” 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 […]
Evangelical roundup for October 17, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Cal Thomas: Christian nationalists are misguided. Kristin Kobes Du Mez on PBS Russell Moore on Kanye West Roger Olson on the “religious Left“ A former anti-abortionist is now pro-choice. Tim Keller: Can you be […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Bad Catholics, great writers Nineteenth-century missionaries to the Ottoman Empire The “Mitt Romney martyr thesis“ Alberto Polimeni reviews two new books on populism Arlington Cemetery‘s Confederate monument A stop at […]
The “Immaculate Reception” at 50
Current editor Eric Miller will appreciate this post. The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh is celebrating the history of Franco Harris’s “Immaculate Reception.” Here is a taste of WPXI’s coverage: This December marks 50 years since the greatest play in […]
Christian nationalism, 1925 style
In November, 1925, Dr. Edgar Lowther, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Oakland, California, preached a sermon on Christian nationalism. Here is the Oakland Tribune: Now that is a Christian nationalism I can live with.
Springsteen joins The Killers for “Born to Run”
Springsteen seems ready for his upcoming tour. So does Jake Clemons. Watch:
1776 returns to Broadway and it’s a little different from the 1969 production
Harvard historian Jane Kamensky has one of the first reviews. A taste: In May 2019, theater websites reported that Diane Paulus, the artistic director of Harvard’s American Repertory Theater (ART) and a noted Broadway hitmaker, would mount a revival of 1776, to open […]
Jelani Cobb: “I would like to see our graduates walking out the door with 50 years of contextual knowledge on the beats they cover”
This is what you get when you hire an American historian to run a school of journalism. Historian and New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb is the new dean of Columbia School of Journalism. What a great pick! Here is a […]
Are you going to the Harrisburg Book Fair?
The folks at the Midtown Scholar have put together a great event. Learn more here. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH 10 AM-6 PM — OUTDOOR TENT SALE 20,000 used books priced at $1, $2, and $3. Across from the store at 3rd […]
What is popular this week at Current?
Here are the most popular features of the week at Current: Elisabeth Lasch Quinn, “REVIEW: The Need to Be Whole“ John Fea, “‘Societal Collapse Is in the Air–Or It Smells Like It’“ Marvin Olasky, “LONG FORM: A Wrinkle in Journalism History“ […]
We live in a world of persons; not “rigid” identity categories
David Brooks nails it: Besides being offended by the racist comments made by members of the Los Angeles City Council — as so many people were — I was also struck by the underlying worldview revealed during their leaked conversation. […]
Interview with Frank News
Frank News brings context to a 24/7 news cycle through conversation — free of armchair experts, revisionism, and moralizing. I had a great experience working with Tatti Riberio and Noelle Forougi. Here is a taste of the interview: The preoccupation […]
Evangelical roundup for October 13, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Evangelicals and Herschel Walker. And this. Michael W. Smith and Calvinist theology. An evangelical church in Kalamazoo is now a “post-evangelical” church. How Donald Trump courted the court evangelicals. First Things responds to our […]
I Think I Just Committed Treason
History is always changing
The January 6 committee is back this week and Zoe Lofgren says they will reveal some “pretty surprising” new information
Here is CNBC: The House Jan. 6 select committee’s next public hearing will reveal new material about former President Donald Trump’s plans and how much he knew about the Capitol riot, one of the panel’s members said Tuesday. The committee’s ninth […]
Franklin Foer: Merrick Garland will bring charges against Trump
The Atlantic writer says “it’s just a matter of when.” Here is a taste of his piece, “The Inevitable Indictment of Donald Trump“: United States v. Donald Trump would be about more than punishing crimes—whether inciting an insurrection, scheming to undermine […]
Will November 2022 be like November 1866?
University of Connecticut’s Manisha Sinha explains: Midterm elections are usually not history-making stuff. Few have been memorable. But in the 2022 midterms, as in the 1866 elections, the fate of American democracy hangs in the balance. If there is a moment […]
Students at the University of Florida protest Ben Sasse’s visit
Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse is the sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Florida. Sasse has been a vocal critic of Trump and Trumpism. Court evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress once called him a “disgrace to the Republican Party, […]