Comment Drive: Why’s the Civil War So Fascinating?

I suspect that I’ve blogged long enough that I’m running out of mildly embarrassing self-revelations, but here’s one oddity I might not have shared: I like to relax by reading about the American Civil War. How European/international historians relax on their spring breaks. pic.twitter.com/JIIUFen4J7 — Chris Gehrz (@cgehrz) March 16, 2015 Yes, while others spend spring break on … More Comment Drive: Why’s the Civil War So Fascinating?

The Best of The Pietist Schoolman: The Gettysburg Address

For spring break I’m reading Allen Guelzo’s Civil War history Fateful Lightning, so for today’s visit to the blog archives, I thought I’d dredge up a “This Day in History” post from November 2012 about Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech. Seven score and nine years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln ascended the dais at the dedication of … More The Best of The Pietist Schoolman: The Gettysburg Address

Happy Birthday, John Alexis Edgren!

Like many American colleges and universities founded in the nineteenth century, the place I work came into being thanks largely to the efforts of a pioneering figure who is as venerated within the school as he is unknown outside of it. For Bethel, that figure is John Alexis Edgren, whose 176th birthday our campus celebrates today. Born in Sweden … More Happy Birthday, John Alexis Edgren!

That Was The Month That Was: History

Just a few of the more interesting history-related posts and articles that appeared during my month off from blogging: • Christopher Columbus, Captain Cook, and nine other explorers to know. • The Charlie Hebdo shootings have rocketed Voltaire’s Treatise on Tolerance — published in 1763 — to the top of French bestseller lists. (Lots of important … More That Was The Month That Was: History

That Was The Week That Was

Here… After my month-long break, I eased back into blogging with a couple of posts: • First, I shared my talk, delivered Tuesday at the Christian College Consortium (CCC) at Wheaton College, on how a Pietist would advise colleges and universities seeking to remain “Christ-centered.” • Then I previewed my plans for the Conference on Faith and History (CFH) … More That Was The Week That Was

Revising Memorial Day

Where did Memorial Day start? What does it mean? If pressed, most of us could probably guess that it emerged from the wake of the Civil War and perhaps explain that it differs from, say, Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day in specifically remembering those who have died in military service to this country. Writing in the midst of the Vietnam War, … More Revising Memorial Day