Double Crossed

Last updated on: November 7, 2019 at 8:51 pm By johnturner

In Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States during the Second World War, Matthew Sutton explores a unique set of secret agents. Recruited by William “Wild Bill” Donovan’s Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency), they sought to serve God and their country and believed they could do so through espionage and diplomacy. The cast: William Eddy was the son of Presbyterian missionaries to Lebanon, a WWI veteran, a professor and college president.... Read more

Trump and the Cosmopolitan-Populist Evangelical Divide

Last updated on: November 7, 2019 at 9:37 am By David Swartz

Why white evangelicals don't care what Michael Gerson or Peter Wehner say about Trump Read more

Brandt Jean, Donald Trump, and the Heart of Evangelical Faith

Last updated on: November 4, 2019 at 2:30 pm By Chris Gehrz

Guest blogger Barry Hankins argues that "Evangelicals will only recover their witness when they forget about their brand — and the strong man politician they think protects it." Read more

“In His Will is Our Peace”

Last updated on: October 31, 2019 at 3:26 pm By Thomas Albert Howard

[I do not normally give homilies nor post them as blogs, but seeing that I was asked to give the homily this Sunday (an All Saints’ Day service) at my church, I post it below. I hope it might provide some historical and theological food for thought. The title comes from a line of Dante’s] Homily – All Saints’ Day – Cornerstone Anglican Church, Valparaiso, Indiana – 3 November 2019 “In His Will is Our Peace” Who do you admire... Read more

Robert Elsmere and the Resurrection

Last updated on: September 29, 2019 at 7:54 am By Philip Jenkins

I recently posted about The Damnation of Theron Ware, a classic example of a book that was hugely popular and influential for some decades, but is now largely forgotten. Actually, literary history is littered with such cases, and their oblivion is often unfortunate, as some of these texts – like Theron Ware itself – are really excellent pieces in their own right, beyond their value for historians and scholars of religion. Probably the greatest example of this type of book... Read more

The Irony of Catholic History: An Interview with George Weigel

Last updated on: October 31, 2019 at 12:51 am By johnturner

George Weigel, distinguished senior fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, one of the world’s premier analysts of the Catholic Church, and a prolific author. His new book is The Irony of Modern Catholic History: How the Church Rediscovered Itself and Challenged the Modern World to Reform. JT: What is the “irony” of modern Catholic history? GW: There are many ironies in this particular fire. The first mega-irony is that the Catholic encounter with modernity, which began with raw anathemas... Read more

Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur

Last updated on: October 31, 2019 at 12:02 pm By Beth Allison Barr

I almost didn’t write this post. After all, what more could I say? Sarah Bessey already voiced my outrage. The scoffing laughter of John MacArthur’s audience echoed in my head as I read her words. “It’s a sin to quench the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of women. Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand!” Kate Bowler already spoke up for the “precarious power” of evangelical women leaders like Beth Moore. “Unfortunately,” she told us... Read more

God Is Our Refuge — Not Our Fortress: A Reformation Sunday Sermon

Last updated on: October 29, 2019 at 9:15 am By Chris Gehrz

The psalms, Martin Luther decided, “are not words to hear, but [words] to live.” So how do we live the words of Psalm 46? Chris suggests we start by thinking of God's refuge and strength in terms other than Luther's "mighty fortress." Read more

Embracing the Darkness

Last updated on: October 28, 2019 at 6:19 pm By Philip Jenkins

I have posted often on the theme of witchcraft, which is a critical topic for anyone studying Early Modern history in Europe or the Americas – or actually, for understanding large sections of the modern world. I recently read a major book that contributes much to this literature. It makes a great read in the days leading up to Halloween! Here is my review. John Callow, Embracing the Darkness: A Cultural History of Witchcraft (New York: I. B. Tauris, 2018).... Read more

Percy Jackson and the Problem of Western Civilization

Last updated on: October 24, 2019 at 5:08 pm By Chris Gehrz

In the Percy Jackson stories, Western civilization is described as "a collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years." While Chris agrees that it asks important questions, "Western civ" is not timeless. In fact, it turns 100 this month. Read more