Greenblatt is angry. He should be. David French is right. Moral clarity indeed:
Michael Oren: Don’t compare the current Israel-Hamas war to the Yom Kippur War of 1973
Since war broke out in Israel and the Gaza strip over the weekend, writers and journalists are comparing it to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. (For those unfamiliar with the Yom Kippur War of 1973, get up to speed here.) […]
Members of the Robert and Ethel Kennedy family continue to denounce Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential run
Robert Kennedy Jr. announced today that he will not run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, but will rather run for president in the general election (November 2024) as an independent. Here is Kerry Kennedy: Who are these Kennedys denouncing […]
Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers on the school’s silence on the Israel-Hamas war
In an earlier post today I noted that 31 Harvard University student groups have blamed the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war entirely on Israel. Lawrence Summers, the former president of Harvard University and Secretary of the Treasury at the end of the […]
What I am reading and watching to stay up to speed on the Israeli-Hamas war
Nothing very systematic or comprehensive here, but I’ve found these pieces helpful as I process all of this: Heather Cox Richardson offers a nice summary. We have already called your attention to this BBC explainer piece. Joe Biden condemns the […]
Political thinkers weigh-in on the ousting of Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy is no longer the Speaker of the House. What happened? Politico has gathered some experts to discuss the current state of the Republican Party. Contributors include historians Mary Frances Berry, Joanne Freeman, and Joshua Zeitz. Here is Freeman: […]
What is happening in Israel and the Gaza Strip?
The BBC answers all of your questions, including: Read more here.
What is going on at Grand Canyon University?
Grand Canyon University, a Phoenix-based private evangelical university, is one of the largest Christian universities in the world. It is now claiming that United States government is “coordinating attacks against it.” Here is Katherine Knott at Inside Higher Ed: Grand […]
Episode 119: “How the Social Gospel Undermined Social Democracy”
There was a profound difference between Christian Socialism and the so-called “Social Gospel.” Janine Giordano Drake explains these differences in her new book The Gospel of Church: How Mainline Protestants Vilified Christian Socialism and Fractured the Labor Movement. Drake argues that […]
Evangelical roundup for October 9, 2023
What is going on in Evangelical land? The number of evangelicals who believe the “earth is in crisis” is dropping. Italian evangelicals oppose the participation of the World Evangelical Alliance’s in a Vatican-sponsored prayer vigil. Denver Seminary hosts a conference […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: How did Israel not see it coming? What is going on at The Wall Street Journal? The revolutionary-era treasure of Hell’s Gate, NYC Drew Gilpin Faust: Civil rights activist The […]
Trump: Immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country”
Some of my critics often say that I have “Trump derangement syndrome.” I usually ignore these criticisms since those who make them are in danger of normalizing Trump, Trumpism, and his rhetoric. I refuse to do that. Donald Trump’s brand […]
Is Kevin McCarthy leaving Congress?
Here is Olivia Beavers at Politico: Kevin McCarthy is considering resigning from the House before the end of his term, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. The deposed former speaker has made clear he plans to stay at […]
Call for Papers: “Intellectual Histories of the American Revolution”
I just got this call for papers in the mail. It looks like a great conference and they are even willing to pay your way to Ireland! CFP: Intellectual Histories of the American Revolution: Kylemore Abbey, Ireland, 15-17 August 2024 […]
John McWhorter: Ibram X. Kendi is not a “grifter”
I continue to be fascinated by this Ibram X. Kendi story. One of Kendi’s harshest critics over the last several years has been Columbia University linguistics professor John McWhorter. In a piece at The New York Times, McWhorter defends Kendi […]
Copper spoon found at Jamestown
This is a great little Facebook post from the Jamestown Rediscovery Project: What’s an archaeologist’s white whale? A copper alloy spoon, apparently! Director of Archaeology Dave Givens always wanted to find a copper spoon – it was one thing he […]
Pamela Paul: “a person can oppose racism on firm ethical or philosophical or pragmatic grounds without embracing Kendi’s conception of antiracism.”
Pamela Paul, the former editor of The New York Times Book Review, is the latest to use the Ibram X. Kendi controversy at Boston University to critique Kendi’s philosophy of “antiracism.” Here is Paul: “…many major universities, corporations, nonprofit groups […]
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:
Cornel West drops the Green Party. He will run for president as an independent
We’ve been keeping an eye on the democratic socialist presidential candidacy of Cornel West. First, he was the candidate of the People’s Party. Then he was the candidate of the Green Party. Now he is running as an independent. Get […]
Evangelical roundup for October 5, 2023
What is happening in Evangelical land? Evangelicals who support Trump is “about as unChristian as it gets.” A new book on Billy Graham crusades and evangelical worship. A “See You at the Pole“” update. Warner Pacific University gets a grant […]