Jeffrey Boutwell is a retired independent historian with a B.A. in History from Yale and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This interview is based on his new book, Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of […]
civil religion
Raphael Warnock’s “American covenant” and where his vision for a Micah 6:8 nation goes off the rails
Raphael Warnock delivered a real stemwinder last night at the Democratic National Convention. Speeches like this remind me of why I felt compelled to argue in 2018 that the early civil rights movement provides the best historical model for evangelicals, […]
Civil religion is different from Christian Nationalism
The frequent references to God in national life or even to a divine source of human rights are not necessarily the same thing as Christian nationalism.
Where are all these Christian nationalists?
Christian nationalists certainly exist. But, as veteran religion reporter Ken Woodward writes today at The Washington Post, they are sometimes hard to find in everyday life. Here is a taste of Woodward’s piece: A year ago, after Rep. Marjorie Taylor […]
The Author’s Corner with Mark Noll
Mark Noll is retired Professor of History at Wheaton College and the University of Notre Dame. This interview is based on his new book, America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911 (Oxford University Press, 2022). JF: What […]
What is the state of America’s civil religion?
Here is a taste of Tom Gjelten’s piece at National Public Radio: America, unlike some countries, is not defined by a common ancestry, nor is it tied to an official faith tradition. But it does have a distinct identity and […]
Obama 2.0?
As my piece today at Current suggests, I see a lot of continuity between the Obama and Biden presidencies. Obama inherited the 2008 recession. Biden inherited COVID-19, an economic recession, racial tensions, and the Trump-induced threats to American democracy. Both […]