A Golden Age for Christian Colleges?

Last updated on: March 22, 2017 at 11:06 pm By Kristin Du Mez

Are Christian colleges uniquely positioned to revitalize our nation’s intellectual life and contribute to cultural bridge-building in this era of political and social polarization? If you ask Christian scholars, this would seem to be the case. In Inside Higher Ed, Tal Howard argues that America’s Christian colleges and universities “are now well positioned to save not only liberalism from self-parody but also conservatism from the maw of populist demagoguery.” And in a bold assertion (recently quoted by my own college... Read more

A Reasonable Reading List for Medieval Christianity: Part 2

Last updated on: March 22, 2017 at 7:52 am By Beth Allison Barr

If you ever have the chance, visit the church of St. Bartholomew the Great in London. St. Bart’s, as it is affectionately known, stands in Smithfield, just outside the old London wall. I recommend a Sunday morning walk to it from St. Paul’s Cathedral. Go about 9:45 a.m. to hear the Cathedral bells; you can even grab a coffee. Then head down St. Martin’s-le-Grand and cut left through Postman’s Park (a delightfully Victorian monument to unsung heroes). Take a right... Read more

Great Movies About The Great War

Last updated on: March 20, 2017 at 9:24 pm By Chris Gehrz

Five great films about World War I to help you mark the war's ongoing centenary. Read more

The Great War, and the Futile War

Last updated on: March 16, 2017 at 10:40 am By Philip Jenkins

We are hearing a lot this year about the centennial of the First World War, and time and again, we hear what a “futile” and “meaningless” struggle that was. Obviously, then, by extension, US entry into that war – which we commemorate next month – must have been a tragic blunder. This is for instance a recurrent theme in multiple reviews of Michael Kazin’s recent book about anti-war movements of that era, War Against War: The American Fight for Peace,... Read more

Defining Evangelicalism: Part 1,242…

Last updated on: March 15, 2017 at 10:13 pm By johnturner

Douglas Winiarski’s Darkness Falls on the Land of Light begins with the story of two couples in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. In the winter of 1748-1749, Hannah and John Corey withdrew from Sturbridge’s Congregational church, were baptized, and united themselves to a Separate congregation. The couple had belonged to the Sturbridge Congregational church for around seven years, but by the fall of 1748, Hannah Corey believed that God was telling her to “come out from amongst them.” (Coincidentally, the passage was a... Read more

Donald Trump Did Not Win an Election on November 8, 2016

Last updated on: March 14, 2017 at 11:23 pm By Chris Gehrz

Donald Trump did not win an election on November 8, 2016 — he won 30 elections, out of 51. Read more

5 Reasons Why Christians Should Study History

Last updated on: March 22, 2020 at 1:11 pm By Chris Gehrz

Five reasons why Christians should learn to think historically about their past. Read more

Christian Colleges Meet Trump’s America

Last updated on: March 3, 2017 at 5:17 pm By Thomas Albert Howard

I received much feedback from a piece I wrote for Inside Higher Ed. So, permit me the liberty of reprinting it for Anxious Bench readers. The original appeared here. It has been widely hypothesized that the type of identity politics nurtured on elite secular campuses helped produce the backlash that swept Donald Trump into office as president. “Fox News and other conservative media outlets,” wrote Mark Lilla in The New York Times, “make great sport of mocking ‘campus craziness’ that... Read more

What if this had been me? A gendered analysis of the funniest video ever.

Last updated on: March 11, 2017 at 3:50 pm By Kristin Du Mez

By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen this video. If you haven’t, here you go. You’re welcome. I could write about all the reasons I find this video so absurdly funny, but instead I suggest you read Jonny Cooper’s “Anatomy of a Masterpiece.” Again, you’re welcome. Everybody in the world is laughing at—or let’s say with—this charming family. Except some feminists, apparently. Did you think this was a tragically funny moment that we can all relate to? Silly you. This... Read more