Category: Christianity

"America" in 1922 Rodeheaver hymnal

“Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 3)

July 18, 2013

By far the most popular American patriotic hymn is Samuel Francis Smith’s “America,” appearing in over 1600 of the hymnals indexed at Hymnary.org — nearly four times as many as Katharine Lee Bates’ “America the Beautiful” and Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” five times more than Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” And … More “Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 3)

1502 letter of indulgence

e-Indulgences?

July 17, 2013

“Martin Luther must be turning over in his grave,” tweeted a former student of mine last night, re: the following announcement from the Vatican (via The Guardian passing on news from an Italian newspaper) about a certain practice that both prompted and survived the Protestant Reformation: Indulgences these days are granted to those who carry … More e-Indulgences?

1860 version of "The Bright Flag of America"

“Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 2)

July 15, 2013

I’m still researching an answer to last Monday‘s closing question: why is it that so many hymnals don’t include popular patriotic hymns? As a placeholder, though, I thought it might be fun to share a rare evening post spotlighting a few songs in this genre that just never found an audience. (Here again, relying on … More “Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 2)

Gregory Thornbury

Gregory Thornbury Named President of The King’s College

July 11, 2013

I’ve blogged a couple of times about The King’s College (TKC), the conservative Christian school in Manhattan: in August 2011, contrasting the way that its then-president, Dinesh D’Souza, and long-time Bethel president Carl Lundquist talked about evangelical social and political engagement; and then in December 2012, asking if D’Souza’s resignation from TKC signaled evangelical depoliticization. … More Gregory Thornbury Named President of The King’s College

John Calvin

Happy Birthday, John Calvin

July 10, 2013

My colleague Sam Mulberry and I are about halfway through the first online version of one of Bethel’s signature courses: GES130 Christianity and Western Culture. (Look for some reflections on that experience in August.) We’ve reconfigured what had been a lecture-discussion course, building it instead around documentary films, virtual museums, and daily writing assignments. We’re … More Happy Birthday, John Calvin

Christian Collins Winn

Christian Collins Winn on Spirituality and Social Justice

July 9, 2013

My colleague Christian Collins Winn has an article in the Spring 2013 issue of the Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care that should be of interest to many readers of this blog. In it he asks: What has “spirituality” to do with “social justice”? What has “prayer” to do with “action”? What has the … More Christian Collins Winn on Spirituality and Social Justice

The Baptist Pietist Clarion logo

The July 2013 Baptist Pietist Clarion

July 8, 2013

7/8/13 – Readers of this blog will likely enjoy The Baptist Pietist Clarion, an annual newsletter edited by occasion Pietist Schoolman contributor G.W. Carlson. Its newest issue is now available for download: in addition to several pieces on Martin Luther King, Jr., it includes Jonathan Larson’s eulogy for Virgil Olson, the Baptist historian paid tribute … More The July 2013 Baptist Pietist Clarion

"America" in "The Choir" (1833)

“Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 1)

July 8, 2013

Which patriotic hymns are most popular? Have they changed over time? Researching an Independence Day post in which I didn’t exactly gush with enthusiasm at the inclusion of patriotic songs in American hymnals, I discovered Hymnary.org, “a comprehensive index of hymns and hymnals” supported by the Hymn Society, Calvin College’s Institute of Christian Worship, and … More “Of thee I sing”: A Brief History of Patriotism in American Hymnals (part 1)

Vandiver Hall, Anderson University

How Financially Sustainable Are Christian Colleges?

June 27, 2013

“Higher education in the United States is at a tipping point.” So conclude Jeff Denneen and Tom Dretler in their 2012 paper, “The financially sustainable university” — one in a series of “Bain Briefs,” as it was produced by Bain & Co., with Sterling Partners (management consulting and private equity firms, respectively). Noting some of … More How Financially Sustainable Are Christian Colleges?