Here • A three-part exploration of the 1940 census records for my grandparents — Peterson, Nelson, and Gehrz (haven’t found Laubscher yet) — shed some light on ethnicity, social mobility, and education in American society coming out of the Great Depression. • As speculation about Mitt Romney’s running mate begins in earnest, a look back … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • I walked into church last Sunday and a friend of mine warned me not to read an op-ed piece in the St. Paul paper. Turns out it was David Levy’s half-baked critique of college teaching, which provided an opportunity to vent more than a little spleen to start the week. • In that … More That Was The Week That Was
Aside from advertising the opening of registration for our April 20 colloquium on Pietism, announcing a new podcast episode, and revealing the most popular posts in the last month, there wasn’t much happening here while I was on spring break. Meanwhile, in other parts of the blogosphere… • One more post on Joseph Kony… Like … More That Was The Week That Was
Here I wrote about the “Kony 2012” controversy and how it was covered by different types of media before this news about the new Invisible Children film director broke… I don’t think Jason Russell’s behavior or arrest would change my reaction. Part two of my spiritual travelogue found me reflecting on my college/grad school years, … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • I didn’t write as much here as I would have liked because I was grading a set of midterm exams. (More of that to come next week.) But I did pause/procrastinate long enough to complain about grading, so that’s something… • Plus… Why our mission in the Bethel History Department seems in keeping … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • Eight of my students took a shot at defining what historians do. • Do political churches risk decline? Are apolitical churches drawing new members? Is there such a thing as an “apolitical” church? (For another critique of political partisanship in churches, see this from Chuck Gutenson.) • Another year, another Oscar ceremony. Perhaps … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • “Presidents’” Day links, including one to a post by religious historian Thomas S. Kidd on the faith of Washington and Lincoln and whether a president’s personal religious beliefs are significant. (For another perspective on that question, in light of recent comments about Barack Obama by Rick Santorum, see Roger Olson’s piece on the … More That Was The Week That Was
Here I still think I might want to visit a Charles Dickens amusement park, chemical smell-pots and the Pizza Hut notwithstanding. I put the cart before the horse slightly and speculated from where a “Pietist vision” would come — without actually describing said “Pietist vision.” The last part in my series on World War I … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • Hi, my name’s Chris, and I’m an eclectic. • I managed to get in one more post about museums (two good ones in London)… • …but instead of finishing that series (as I keep promising), I got curious about the history of presidential memorials in Washington, DC — and the controversies attending them. … More That Was The Week That Was
Here • Timothy Garton Ash’s comments on the new French genocide denial law got me wondering what you all think about the limits of free speech and historical inquiry. (Thanks to Seth Rima — one of my former students, coincidentally interviewed this week at our department blog! — for sharing his thoughts.) • My January … More That Was The Week That Was
The Pietist Schoolman 