Steve Teles, a political scientist at The Johns Hopkins University, writes: “The university’s ideological narrowing has advanced so far that even liberal institutionalists–faculty who believe universities should be places of intellectual pluralism and adhere to the traditional academic norms of […]
Way of Improvement
Evangelical blast from the past
Thanks Tim Terhune!
What is Project 2025?
In Steve Bannon’s recent interview with David Brooks, Bannon referenced something called Project 2025. What is Project 2025? James Goodwin explains at Boston Review. Here is a taste: The week after taking office in 2017, Donald Trump announced his administration’s […]
“There were probably more constitutional constraints operating on George III in 1776 than now operate on the US president”
Here is constitutional historian Grace Mallon responding to the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump vs. United States. Early American historian David Waldstreicher’s response is on the mark: One wonders why U.S. history departments “sold off constitutional history to Poli Sci […]
The disputed thesis that underpins MAGA evangelicalism
I have a piece today at Commonweal. Read it here. A taste: On April 5, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he would be streaming the Palm Sunday service at Harvest Christian […]
David Blight on the Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian weighs-in on Trump vs. United States:
David Brooks interviews Steve Bannon
MAGA activist Steve Bannon went to prison yesterday. The New York Times columnist David Brooks interviewed Bannon a few days before he reported for his sentence. Here are a few snippets of their conversation: You said something I’ve got to […]
“The Supreme Court has effectively ruled that 250 years of U.S. history under a republic is enough”
University of Maryland history professor Holly Brewer writes, “The conservative justices have ignored history altogether and created a shocking new precedent: The president is above the law.” Here is a taste of her piece at The New Republic: Five members […]
The Author’s Corner with Jesse Chanin
Jesse Chanin is a postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University’s Coalition for Compassionate Schools. This interview is based on her new book, Building Power, Breaking Power: The United Teachers of New Orleans, 1965-2008 (University of North Carolina Press, 2024). JF: What […]
Yet another Christian college will close its doors
Last month we called your attention to Clarks Summit University, the Christian college that was staying open this summer thanks to the work of volunteers. Today we learn that the school, formerly known as Baptist Bible College, is closing. I […]
The Author’s Corner with Aaron W. Marrs
Aaron W. Marrs is on the staff of the Office of the Historian at the U.S. Department of State. This interview is based on his new book, The American Transportation Revolution: A Social and Cultural History (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024). […]
Kamala Harris may be the reason Biden is not stepping aside
This is a really interesting piece from Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine. A taste: After absorbing the initial waves of shock from Thursday night’s debate debacle, allies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have begun whispering to the media their reasons why the Democratic ticket must consist of […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: What is an archive? Coffee and the Civil War Michael Sean Winters reviews James Davison Hunter’s Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis The least important […]
Happy (belated) 16th birthday to The Way of Improvement Leads Home blog!
On June 24, 2024 The Way of Improvement Leads Home blog turned sixteen! We’ve developed a loyal readership over the years and many of those readers followed us to Current in 2021. Not many blogs make it to 16, so […]
Evangelical prayer as a political weapon
Sean Feucht, wearing an “it’s not political, its spiritual” t-shirt, joins Samuel Rodriguez and Eric Metaxas in praying before Thursday night’s Trump-Biden debate. Praying for our leaders is a good thing. Using prayer as a political weapon is not a […]
Evangelicals respond to the Biden-Trump presidential debate
It is interesting to note that very few pro-Trump/anti-Biden evangelicals are talking about the more than 30 lies Trump told during the debate. There was very little Trump said on Thursday night that was true! Jemar Tisby: Bart Barber, outgoing […]
The Philadelphia Inquirer: “To serve his country, Donald Trump should leave the race”
The editorial board of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Biden had a horrible night Thursday. But the debate about the debate is misplaced. The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump.” Here is a taste: President Joe Biden’s […]
Boston Seminar Day 5
Friday was the last day of the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History/Wilderness Education Project seminar with K-12 teachers from the Roanoke, Virginia area. We took colonial and revolutionary Boston by storm! 🙂 See our updates on the previous days of […]
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: ”
Boston Seminar: Day 4
Day 4 focused on Lexington and Concord and we were honored to have John Bell of Boston 1775 blog as our tour guide. John walked us through the April 1775 battle and debunked some cherished myths. His tour was outstanding. […]