Any reasonable, empathetic person can find any number of reasons to find troubling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The suffering, dislocation, and grief that any war inflicts on anyone in its path. The odiousness of Vladimir Putin, who had the gall to say that one goal of his “special military operation” was the “denazification” of Ukraine: … More Thoughts on Ukraine
Today I’d like to revive a kind of holiday tradition from the early years of The Pietist Schoolman: going through some “best of” lists to curate a list of histories and biographies that might make for good Christmas presents for my readers. This year I’ll draw on year-end recommendations from the New York Times (NYT), Publishers Weekly … More The Best History Books of 2019?
This week I somehow connected country music to the history of violence against women preachers, talked with author Angela Denker about faith, football, and politics in the Age of Trump, and probed my emotional response to my favorite baseball team winning a division title. (By the way, if you’ve been enjoying the new season of our … More That Was The Week That Was
It’s been a busy last week as we (finally) near the end of our year at Bethel. But I found time to critique a proposed overhaul of academics at a leading Christian college, celebrate the “spiritual mothers” of my faith, note that some churches weren’t rebuilt after the destruction of the world wars, and even … More That Was The Week That Was
I reported on a Supreme Court case involving a World War I memorial, talked baseball history on The 252, and reflected on the relationship between faith and science for The Anxious Bench. Elsewhere… • The big religion news of the week is that the United Methodist Church is having its final (?) reckoning over sexuality this weekend. … More That Was The Week That Was
As explained in this space, I’m temporarily focusing more of my online energies on podcasts, like this week’s 252 discussion of sports as religion. But at The Anxious Bench I did find the time to write a Christian case for journalism and to profile a now-forgotten religious figure who was reviled by everyone from Charles Lindbergh to … More That Was The Week That Was
Here… • Why study history and other disciplines in the humanities? Because it entails intellectual and spiritual risk. • News from a Mennonite Brethren seminary dredged up memories of an important debate at my own institution. • You can watch video of my recent four-part adult class on “The Pietist Option for Baptists.” • Why … More That Was The Week That Was
Here… • Election Day had me wondering how Christians can best “honor the emperor” in contemporary American politics. • We said farewell to a farm that’s been in my mom’s side of the family for over a century. • It’s awards season: here’s how you can nominate our book for one. • Just how many … More That Was The Week That Was
Next month is a big one for Americans with an interest in World War I, since it marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. belatedly joining that war. Here in St. Paul, for example, I’ll be taking a group of Bethel students to the April 8th opening of WW1 America, a major new exhibit from the … More Commemorating Catastrophe: Jay Winter on Remembering WWI
‘Tis the season when we curate some of the histories and biographies showing up on Best Books of 2016 lists, just in case you’re struggling to come up with a gift for that history buff in your life. (Key: A – Amazon; G – Guardian; NYT – New York Times; PW – Publishers Weekly) Svetlana Alexievich, Secondhand Time: … More The Top Histories of 2016?
The Pietist Schoolman 