I have been sketching the (Christian) religious worlds of 1968, and the many critical changes then in progress. In many ways, circumstances of that time closely resembled other eras of radical transformation, and here I will try to draw out some of the general themes, to create a model for understanding such crisis eras. Please note that the following account is fairly theoretical, and the concrete examples on which I base my statements are found in those earlier blogposts. I... Read more
I ended my last post with a cliffhanger. I was writing about the religious dimensions of that critical year of 1968, noting how radically the common expectations that people of that time held about the future differed from what actually occurred. They got it wrong in so many ways, but one trend in particular – and one key event that December – symbolized the gap between vision and reality. So what was the event? Let me end the suspense. I... Read more
In the fall of 1658, Massachusetts passed a law that threatened banished Quakers with death. Over the next three years, the colony executed four Friends — including Mary Dyer — who violated that law. Alongside the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts’s executions of Quakers have done much to cement the reputation of New England puritans for cruelty. In addition to the executions, several of the New England puritan colonies whipped Quakers. In 1661, Massachusetts enacted a law according to which “vagabond”... Read more
Nearly 40 years ago, on July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter went on national television to share with millions of Americans his diagnosis of a nation in crisis. “All the legislation in the world,” he proclaimed, “can’t fix what’s wrong with America.” He went on to call upon American citizens to reflect on the meaning and purpose of their lives together. Carter made several specific policy prescriptions. But in a presidency animated by spirituality perhaps more than any other in... Read more
Chris suggests "what a Christian patriotism might look like under a president whose love of self trumps any love of country." Read more
Driving home from an evening out several weeks ago, a debate broke out in the backseat among my children of whether life existed on other planets. My son is interested in astronomy, so we have had this discussion several times. But this debate took an unexpected theological turn when speculation arose that if life existed on other planets would these extraterrestrial creatures have developed “religions”: would they know God? Would God have communicated to them? We moderns, drenched in sci-fi... Read more
In recent months I have been lecturing and teaching quite a bit on key anniversaries – on the centennial of the end of First World War, but also on that other tumultuous year, 1968. The religious aspects of 1968 are not quite as legendary as other events and trends of that year, but they are extraordinarily significant. Looking at them today, the main lesson we learn is the gulf that separates contemporary perceptions of key trends from later views. What... Read more
Melissa argues that Christians outraged by the current family separation crisis need to transform government policies—but also hearts and minds in their own churches. Read more
It was a bright, sunny day in King’s Lynn last week. A faint breeze of sea salt, along with the echoing cries of sea gulls, reminded us that this was a port city. Although hidden at first by the twisting streets, the soaring towers of St. Margaret’s church (now King’s Lynn Minster) soon came into view. This is what I had come to see. The west facade alone made the trip worth it. 12th century stonework intertwines seamlessly with 13th... Read more
Chris looks back at the role of religion in the history of one of America's greatest state fairs. Read more
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