Sometimes you see phrases and passages that are so provocative that they cry out to be placed in exams with “Discuss” after them. Here is a great example from H. G. Wells, whom we often regard as a patron saint of secular materialism. I am just reading his stunning novel from 1913, The World Set Free, a phenomenally important and, arguably, prophetic text. The book concerns the development of nuclear power and what the author calls “atomic bombs,” which are... Read more
A growing body of evidence points to a pitched battle between evangelical and churchly Protestants that we need to incorporate into our stories. Read more
An interview with historian Paul Putz, whose research and new blog (Sportianity) explores the intersections of Christianity and sports. Read more
This is from my Anxious Bench archives. I currently am teaching in London and gathering more material for future posts! You can look forward to a guest blogger (I think you will love his forthcoming book) on July 26, and I will return to my posts about medieval Christianity vs. modern Christianity in August. In the meantime, this post resonated with many last summer, so I thought it could help some more graduate students this summer. My husband suggested once... Read more
How did Christians respond to the advent of Charles Lindbergh, called "the New Christ" by one excited onlooker? Chris surveys sermons from May-June 1927. Read more
Unlike virtually all Christian churches and denominations, Baptists are not witnessing a fundamental shift of numbers to the Global South. Read more
Last time, I described the enormous attraction of the Theosophical movement in the early twentieth century, when it played such a central role in Western culture. But what were the core themes that so appealed to highly educated thinkers and the avant-garde – in short, to Modernism and modernity? What made the Theosophical package so much more attractive than traditional Western religions – or in many cases, than secular radicalism and progressivism? What follows, in no particular order, is my... Read more
Most American visitors to European cathedrals are immediately struck by their vastness and grandeur. In most instances, however, the small details of cathedrals are what truly fascinate and keep the attention. This is true of the golden mosaics at Monreale, and it’s certainly true of cathedrals in England. In terms of the latter, my favorite is the Exeter Cathedral. The 14th-century cathedral survived — with relatively minor damage — both the waves of Reformation iconoclasm and the 1942 Exeter Blitz.... Read more
American Christians invoke John Wesley on all manner of subjects including sanctification, the sacraments, and social holiness. On this most sacred of American holidays, let us consider Wesley’s views on the American Revolution. Wesley, initially ambivalent about American independence, landed in favor of loyalist political arguments. He pointed out that the colonists held the same liberties as other constituent parts of the British empire. Why did these colonists refuse to pay their taxes and insist on destroying “ship-loads of tea”... Read more
Perhaps there's a healthier way for Christians to love their country... Read more
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