Jupiter’s Other Prophecy

Last updated on: June 1, 2018 at 12:50 pm By Philip Jenkins

In my previous posts, I have discussed the 1668 novel The Adventures of Simplicius Simplicissimus – hereafter, just Simplicissimus – by Johann von Grimmelshausen. The book is a treasure trove for all sorts of ideas and themes about the seventeenth century, and much of it can be applied to understanding early modern Europe, between about 1500 and 1750. Some of the political material is striking, and one example in particular is really intriguing. In a lengthy section, Simplicissimus captures divine... Read more

The Reinvention of “Evangelical” in American History: A Linguistic Analysis

Last updated on: May 30, 2018 at 11:54 am By Kristin Du Mez

by Hannah Butler and Kristin Du Mez Scan the headlines, and it seems that everywhere you look, evangelicals are in the news. From Paige Patterson to the “court evangelicals” to Trump’s most dependable voting bloc, evangelicals have been the topic du jour at least since the 2016 election. At the same time, there are few words as contested as the term “evangelical.” How does one define “evangelical”? Can the essence of evangelicalism be expressed through the four “distinctives” first suggested... Read more

Paige Patterson Is My Fault, Too

Last updated on: April 27, 2021 at 5:11 pm By Beth Allison Barr

For years, I attended complementarian churches. For years, I stayed silent in those churches–outwardly supporting the complementarian structures while inwardly moving away from complementarian teachings. When we finally decided that enough was enough (in our final complementarian church), my husband, a pastor on staff, tried to address the gender hierarchy and authoritarian structure with the elders. He was promptly fired….. Thankfully I have gained some perspective since that happened. I have realized that by staying silent for so long, I... Read more

The Plot Against America

Last updated on: May 28, 2018 at 9:05 pm By Chris Gehrz

A week after Philip Roth died, Chris considers his novel, The Plot Against America, in which Charles Lindbergh is president of an isolationist America coming under the spell of fascism and anti-Semitism. Read more

Wars of Faith

Last updated on: May 27, 2018 at 9:47 pm By Philip Jenkins

I have been posting about the book The Adventures of Simplicius Simplicissimus, published in 1668 by Johann von Grimmelshausen. Grimmelshausen describes the atrocious conditions prevailing across Central Europe during the Thirty Years War (1618-48), which was notionally a death struggle between Protestant and Catholic states and their armed forces. But what did that religious quality mean in action? What kind of holy war was this? Simplicius Simplicissimus paints a truly grim picture of that and other “wars of faith.” It... Read more

Simplicissimus

Last updated on: May 24, 2018 at 7:33 am By Philip Jenkins

I recently blogged about the Thirty Years War, which erupted in May 1618 – four hundred years ago this month. Although this sprawling religious war was critical for the subsequent history of Europe and the West, and for Christendom itself, it remains little known in the English-speaking world. The same comment applies to much of the literature and culture stemming from that conflict, including what may well be the greatest classic European novel that remains unfamiliar even to most educated... Read more

A Hard Rain Fell: Robert Kennedy’s Assassination

Last updated on: May 23, 2018 at 10:10 am By johnturner

The assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy will always remain linked, and not just because they both occurred in the span of two months some fifty years ago this spring. The murders are the fulcrums of Frye Gaillard’s moving new portrait of the 1960s, A Hard Rain. A journalist by training and background, Gaillard has authored a score of books about the history and culture of the American South, most prominently Cradle of Freedom. He is a... Read more

Death (and Life) Comes to the Archbishop

Last updated on: May 4, 2018 at 8:52 am By David Swartz

“I shall not die of a cold, my son. I shall die having lived.” Read more

The Religious History of Sherlock Holmes

Last updated on: May 21, 2018 at 5:35 pm By Chris Gehrz

Chris considers the religious history of Sherlock Holmes on the birthday of his creator. Read more

Every Bride and Groom is a Royal Couple

Last updated on: May 20, 2018 at 10:41 pm By Agnes Howard

The royal wedding is behind us. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex doubtless are among the many relieved by that fact. Not among those who woke before dawn to bake scones and watch the event live, I saw it all mediated by day-after analysts. Breathlessly, consistently, commentators dubbed the event a success because of its forward-looking, flexible vibe. Harry and Meghan broke with tradition, many writers gushed, shaking off fusty old aristocratic protocol and doing things in a modern, personal,... Read more