Category: Guest Posts & Interviews

Throckmorton & Coulter, Getting Jefferson Right

Should Christian Scholars be Watchdogs? An Interview with David Barton Critic Warren Throckmorton

April 25, 2014

Attention to David Barton’s treatment of Thomas Jefferson has died down since the controversy that led to Thomas Nelson rescinding their endorsement of The Jefferson Lies back in 2012. But Barton remains active and his popularity among the evangelical right’s rank and file has rebounded. Barton’s continued popularity, it seems to me, raises several issues … More Should Christian Scholars be Watchdogs? An Interview with David Barton Critic Warren Throckmorton

Johnson, "Judgment by Pilate"

Baptist Stations of the Cross (G.W. Carlson)

April 15, 2014

For Holy Week I’d like to share a unique devotional experience from Central Baptist Church in St. Paul, MN: “An Invitation on the Pathway” by Mike Widen and G. W. Carlson is a Baptist version of the Stations of the Cross, blending fourteen original works of art with fourteen original reflections.  You can walk these stations … More Baptist Stations of the Cross (G.W. Carlson)

Winona Bible Conference, 1915

Introducing the Winona History Center at Grace College

April 11, 2014

The first time I heard about Winona Lake in northeast Indiana was during my research for my Masters thesis at TEDS. My project was a study of two Mennonite congregations in eastern Pennsylvania that were heavily influenced by American evangelicalism during the 1950s. The pastor of one of these congregations, an evangelist named John S. … More Introducing the Winona History Center at Grace College

WV emergency response team

The Conclusion of My Interview with David King on World Vision

April 4, 2014

Yesterday I posted the first part of my interview with historian David King, in which he discussed the origins of World Vision and its child sponsorship program. In today’s conclusion to that interview I asked David to talk about World Vision’s relationship to evangelicalism, and then the international character of World Vision, an aspect of the story … More The Conclusion of My Interview with David King on World Vision

World Vision logo

World Vision and Evangelicalism: An Interview with David King

April 3, 2014

Last week the U.S. chapter of the international Christian humanitarian organization World Vision made headlines: first when president Rich Stearns confirmed to Christianity Today last Monday that the organization would employ Christians in same-sex marriages, only to reverse the decision two days later, in the wake of torrents of criticism from conservatives, some of whom threatened to withdraw … More World Vision and Evangelicalism: An Interview with David King

Bowler, Blessed

The Prosperity Gospel and Historical Legitimacy

March 28, 2014

For those of us who are children of the 1980s, mention of the Prosperity Gospel conjures up images of fallen televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker or Protestant outlanders such as Benny Hinn. But in recent years, more marketable versions of health and wealth Christianity have been mainstreamed by preachers from Joyce Meyer to … More The Prosperity Gospel and Historical Legitimacy

Elving Anderson

RIP V. Elving Anderson, 1921-2014 (G.W. Carlson)

March 27, 2014

V. Elving Anderson died on March 9, 2014 after serving a distinguished career as educator and researcher. (See his obituary here.) He was born in 1921 in Stromsburg, Nebraska, into a family deeply rooted in the Swedish Baptist heritage. He attended Bethel Junior College (A.A. degree), studied at the Seminary, and then completed his B.A. … More RIP V. Elving Anderson, 1921-2014 (G.W. Carlson)

The Smithsonian Institution

Historical Schizophrenia: Academic and Public History

February 28, 2014

Generally speaking, academic historians and public historians approach the past from two different vantage points. For historians, a productive career has traditionally revolved around producing monographs and engaging with other professional historians on the fine points of interpretation, theory, and effective arguments.  Public historians, on the other hand, do their work with a different audience … More Historical Schizophrenia: Academic and Public History

Challies, The Next Story

Technology and Faith: A Perennial Dilemma

February 14, 2014

I recently had the opportunity to hear Tim Challies speak at one of our local churches here in Winona Lake, IN. Challies is a (Neo-Calvinist) pastor, writer, and a keen thinker who has helped his audiences wrestle with issues related to faith, technology, and our ubiquitous digital devices. Many of Challies’ points were what one … More Technology and Faith: A Perennial Dilemma

Walfred H. Peterson

Walfred Peterson: Champion of Religious Liberty (G.W. Carlson) – part 2

February 11, 2014

Today G.W. Carlson concludes his tribute to Baptist scholar Wally Peterson, who helped found the political science program at Bethel during his time there (1950-1965). In part two G.W. turns to Peterson’s time with the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs (now, Religious Liberty) and his productive tenure on the faculty of Washington State University. … More Walfred Peterson: Champion of Religious Liberty (G.W. Carlson) – part 2