Baptist News Global’s Rodney Kennedy asked historians Randall Balmer, Bill Trollinger, and yours truly to suggest a few historical facts that conservative evangelicals wish weren’t true. Here is my contribution to the piece: Fea says evangelicals wish it weren’t true […]
“America’s only Christian conservative wireless provider”
Over at NBC News, Mike Hixenbaugh introduces us to Patriot Mobile, a 7 Mountain Dominionist business that is trying to take over Texas school boards. I was happy to help him with the piece. A taste: DALLAS — A little […]
Evangelical roundup for August 25, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Russell Moore talks to Ezra Klein about the state of evangelicalism. Why do so many evangelicals vote Republican? Evangelicals in Brazil. Kenyan evangelicals call for diversity. Recent survey of evangelicals and women leaders. The […]
Happy Birthday, Felix Millan
Sometimes the heroes of our childhood become the heroes of our adulthood
World Socialist Web Site on the James Sweet “presentism” controversy
Historian Thomas Mackaman, writing at the publication of the world Trotskyist movement, has some pointed words for the American Historical Association president James Sweet and his critics. Get up to speed on the controversy here and here. Here is a […]
It’s Ron DeSantis vs. Charlie Crist in Florida
I will be keeping an eye on this race. Here is NPR: Democrat and longtime politician Charlie Crist has won the primary for governor in Florida and will face Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in November, according to a race call […]
Michael Gerson and Alan Jacobs remember Frederick Buechner
Vocation is where “your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” –Frederick Buechner Writer and theologian Frederick Buechner passed away last week. Michael Gerson remembers him: When the late Frederick Buechner — novelist, preacher, Christian apologist — was asked […]
William Deresiewicz shares his experience on the academic job market and what he saw in his ten years at Yale
The author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite could not find another job after Yale denied him tenure. In this piece at Quillette he talks about intellectual corruption, careerism, and academic theory. A taste: For me, graduate […]
Advanced Placement African American Studies is here!
This academic year students at 60 high schools around the country are taking AP African American Studies. Here is Olivia Waxman at Time: The course will be the College Board’s 40th Advanced Placement course, and the first new AP course […]
Christian nationalists tackle William Penn
Watch: Anyone who has studied colonial America with me will immediately recognize the irresponsible version of Whig history present in this video. This looks like a piece of conservative activist propaganda trying to pass for American history. By the way, […]
“The very best thing about your life is a short stage in someone else’s story. And it is enough.”
Yesterday’s Current feature by Robert Erle Barham brought back a lot of memories for me. It is a must read for anyone sending their kids off to school this week. Here is a taste: “Please stay,” I said. “Please.” Now […]
Episode 45: Election Day 2004
The Christian Right gets George W. Bush another term. Episode 45: “Election Day: 2004” 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 what you […]
Doug Mastriano’s connection to the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation movement
Good reporting here from Jennifer Cohn of the Bucks County (PA) Beacon on 7 Mountain Dominionism, the “Watchman’s Decree,” and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. Here is a taste: In Pennsylvania, N[ew] A[Apostolic] R[eformation]. apostle Jacobs’ prayer network is led […]
Evangelical roundup for August 22, 2022
What is happening in Evangelical land? Anabaptist World remembers Ron Sider. Greg Williams reviews Katelyn Beaty, Celebrities for Jesus. A celebrity for Jesus endorses Celebrities for Jesus: Beth Moore, the “queen of evangelicalism“ 31 North Carolina United Methodist congregations want […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Dwight Garner reviews Jared Kushner’s “soulless” memoir. But is it a “hit piece?” One of the North Andover middle schoolers on her work in “ending witchcraft” in Salem. David Brooks […]
The James Sweet/AHA blowup
I commented on Sweet’s piece here and here (including a long comment below the post). I thought it was well-done and a necessary reminder that the American Historical Association is made up of many historians, including those who are not […]
More on Doug Mastriano’s Christian nationalism
I was glad to help WITF’s Sam Dunklau with this story. Listen here: Or read the longer piece here. A taste: As state budget talks went into overtime last month, a dozen or so Republican lawmakers gathered in front of […]
Response to Malcolm Foley
Malcolm Foley directs the Black Church Studies Program at Truett Seminary in Waco. Today at the Anxious Bench he responded to my post on AHA president James Sweet’s article on presentism. I responded to the piece in the comments section […]
When Eugene Debs eulogized John Brown
While he was campaigning for president in 1908, the candidate of the Socialist Party of America stopped in Harper’s Ferry and eulogized John Brown. Jacobin has published Debs’s remarks. Here is a taste: As I stand here on this spot […]
On the death of the Aspen Times
I have always loved newspapers. I was an editor on my high school paper and subscribed to Columbia Journalism Review when I was sixteen or seventeen years old. I also love reading stories about newspapers and support efforts to strengthen […]