Wood Magic

August 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I have been posting about pagan survivals into Christian times, not in terms of actual continuities so much as modern romantic reconstructions of those matters. As I noted, scholars like Margaret Murray used such a vision as the basis for a whole recreation of a supposed ancient paganism surviving in modern times in the form of the witch-cult. My colleague Beth Barr has blogged often about such modern mythologies concerning medieval times, and on witchcraft.I use this discussion as an excuse … [Read More...]

The Crisis of Corporate Evangelicalism (Part 3 – where did it come from?)

August 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment

[You can also read previous posts in the series]Imagine a world where families operate like corporations. Parents are management, but efficiency and profitably determine all aspects of family life. Children are both assets and employees; resources are allocated according to potential. And if things don’t work out with a troublesome teen or toddler? Well, you can send them packing, no harm, no foul. Children too can move to another family or negotiate with their parents for bedroom upgrades, e … [Read More...]

Etiquette for Graduate Students

August 10, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Next week I will meet with our new Baylor History graduate students for orientation. I am pretty certain that no one will be late. I am also pretty certain that no one will fall asleep. This will be one of their first official graduate meetings, afterall, and they will want to make a good … [Read More...]

St. Ephrem, the Syrian Refugee: A Church Father on War and Lament

August 9, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Today's guest post comes from Blake Hartung, a PhD candidate in Historical Theology at Saint Louis University, where he is also an adjunct instructor. His interests are, broadly speaking, focused on early Christian history and literature, as well as the history of Christianity in the Middle East and … [Read More...]

Witches in the Village

August 8, 2016 By Leave a Comment

In 1945, English villager Charles Walton was gruesomely murdered in what sensationalist media decided was a sinister “witch murder,” even a human sacrifice, in the community of Lower Quinton. That story, as described by detective Robert Fabian, became the foundation of a whole genre of fantastic fic … [Read More...]

My Trump Syllabus

August 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I recently found myself on the fringes of an academic controversy.The Chronicle of Higher Education approached me to suggest books for a hypothetical “Trump Syllabus” that they were preparing, Trump 101. Together with many other academics, I duly contributed. The Syllabus itself was, though, bit … [Read More...]

The Black Dog and the Wicker Man

August 5, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Last time I described how rogue academics produced a mythology of continuing paganism and human sacrifice in supposedly Christian England, right up to modern times. The main rogue in question was an Egyptologist gone bad by the name of Margaret Murray. Supposedly, there was a continuing tradition of … [Read More...]

Pelican of Mercy

August 4, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Whenever I'm in Salt Lake City, I like to stop at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.While at the cathedral last week, I noticed something that will no doubt be common knowledge to students of medieval Christianity but was new to me. In two paintings -- on the central mural behind the altar and in … [Read More...]

How Activists Claimed Primary Season (for awhile)

August 3, 2016 By Leave a Comment

During the Democratic National Convention, supporters of Bernie Sanders denounced the superdelegate system as rigged. For their part, some Republican Party elites sought to derail Donald Trump’s nomination by changing convention rules to release already-pledged superdelegates to vote against Trump. I … [Read More...]

Religion in The Olympics… and The Olympics as Religion

August 2, 2016 By Leave a Comment

For the next two weeks my wife, kids, and I will become avid fans of sports that we normally ignore, as the Summer Olympics take up temporary residence in the embattled city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But as I've been updating my knowledge of water polo, team handball, and competitive ping-pong, it's … [Read More...]

How to Pray for a Presidential Candidate You Don’t Like

August 1, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Under current circumstances, praying people might puzzle over how to pray for leaders they do not much like.  History affords a range of options, from requesting deliverance from evil rulers, to affirming allegiance to the powers that be whom God ordained, to giving thanks for just and prudent … [Read More...]

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No Room in Wayne Grudem’s World for a Female President

July 31, 2016 By Leave a Comment

In a stunning statement, Wayne Grudem--Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary, former professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and co-founder of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood--pledged his wholehearted support of Donald Trump. "[M]y … [Read More...]

Dark Majesty and Folk Horror

July 29, 2016 By Leave a Comment

This coming Monday, August 1, marks the medieval feast of Lammas, Loaf-mass, the year’s first harvest festival, and that coincides with one of the great feasts of the ancient Irish calendar, Lughnasa. This also brings me to a curious anniversary, which tells us a little bit about medieval history, a … [Read More...]

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, By Their Words

July 28, 2016 By Leave a Comment

by Katelyn Guichelaar and Kristin Du MezThe national party conventions of the past two weeks have offered us political theatrics, stolen words, and soaring rhetoric.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl3vtwAQNosThey also provide us with a moment to reflect on the paths each candidate has … [Read More...]

Starting Graduate School Well–Some Advice

July 27, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I swam with dolphins last week.  It wasn't planned--they just appeared, a mom and her calf, swimming on our beach early in the morning. The water was clear as glass. It was so clear and so smooth , in fact, that the large dark shadows of their bodies below the surface appeared almost as visible as … [Read More...]

Soviets and Sassenachs: My Two Favorite Historical TV Series

July 26, 2016 By Leave a Comment

In the first two posts in this series, I've suggested that historical movies — and TV shows, for that matter — might best be judged by asking four questions:Are they entertaining? (understanding that there are multiple meanings to the verb "entertain") Are they truthful? (but in terms of "veri … [Read More...]

Fertility, Faith and Politics

July 25, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I have been writing on the global demographic revolution marked by collapsing fertility rates and shrinking family sizes. In particular, I have focused on the religious implications of these changes. For a variety of reasons, lower fertility shows a close correlation to secularization, and the rapid … [Read More...]

Fertility, Faith and Islam

July 22, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I have been posting about declining fertility rates around the world, specifically about their impact on religiosity and secularization. Beyond that, those rates also serve as excellent indicators of trends in gender roles and relationships, and a wide range of social and cultural themes. Tell me a … [Read More...]

How Donald Trump Is Prompting a Debate about the Practice of History

July 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

I've already spoken my piece on the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump at my own blog, and don't especially want to make political arguments in my role here at The Anxious Bench. Indeed, I can think of few things I enjoy less than discussing politics. (Hopefully, I'll still be enjoying a 10th ann … [Read More...]

America’s Public Bible

July 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Many historians have observed that early Americans lived in a culture drenched in scripture. Through the nineteenth century, Americans' oral and written speech dripped with biblical allusions that we might miss if we are not familiar with the language of the King James Bible. We might also note that … [Read More...]


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