11/16/12 – I’m afraid I’ll be Europe-bound while this is happening, but readers interested in Pietism who happen to live in New Orleans or will be attending the annual meeting of the American Historical Association (AHA) in January might want to stop by the sensational-sounding session entitled “When Religious Leaders Die.” Organized by the Pietism … More Pietism Studies at AHA
Today in my Modern Europe class we’re wrapping up a week on the Holocaust by watching a German movie about Sophie Scholl and the other Munich University students who formed the anti-Nazi White Rose movement. It’s as hopeful (and it’s definitely bittersweet) a note on which I dare end so dark a chapter of history. … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Teaching the Holocaust
I’m not sure if it’s my little-celebrated German ancestry, my occasional studies of that nation’s history, or that I’ll be spending five days there in January with my World War I students, but Adam Fletcher’s two-part post, “How to be a German in 20 easy steps,” made me laugh as much as anything I’ve seen … More How to Be German
“Is this the end” of the losing party, asked a journalist in the aftermath of a decisive election day, “and perhaps even the end of the two-party system in the United States? “Be of good cheer, ye of little faith,” he advised the losing side. “Things don’t work that way in this remarkable country, with … More “The end of the two-party system in the United States?”
How important is St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo? Let’s put it this way… I don’t write and perform parody rap videos for just any theologian-philosopher: Six years later, that lyric and video don’t seem quite as awesome as they did in the moment. But I stand by this couplet as containing some of my finest … More Happy Birthday, Augustine of Hippo!
As I’ve noted here before, many Protestants spent the better part of four centuries viewing the bishop of Rome as Antichrist. Reading Exsurge Domina, the papal bull excommunicating him from the Church in 1520, Martin Luther professed to want to believe that the author was actually his debating rival Johannes Eck, but in any case… … More Evangelicals’ New Favorite Pope?
Here • Just in case he’s been reading without commenting for months now… Congratulations to Pres. Barack Obama on his reelection. Mr. President, you were busy on Tuesday morning, so if you missed it, let me encourage you to consider the great Christian humanist Erasmus’ advice to the Christian prince (or president) as you look … More That Was The Week That Was
Earlier this year the New York Times ran a story about an English professor at Duke University named Cathy Davidson, who decided to replace more traditional term papers with a course blog for which students would regularly contribute 500-1500 word posts. While much of the Times article focused on the arguments for and against what … More Student Blogging: A Report from a Modern European History Course
This weekend my mom’s side of the family is gathering in Ellsworth, Wisconsin (“Cheese Curd Capital of the World”!) to celebrate my Grandpa Peterson’s 90th birthday. In honor of the occasion, let me reprise the first of my three-part series exploring some family history (and themes of immigration, urbanization, education, social mobility, and assimilation) via … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: The Petersons of Pierce County
I just cast my ballot, but I’ve got to admit: I’ve rarely been so unenthusiastic going into the booth. I’m normally the kind of citizen who is giddy on Election Day — shucks, I even show up for primary elections when all that’s at stake is a city council seat — but this year I … More Grateful to Vote
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