I just received news early last week that Holocaust survivor, Dr. Jacob Eisenbach, passed away. I was asked if we would like to host a visit by the 102 year old speaker mid-October and I jumped at the chance to have him tell his story. I figured that so many of the witnesses of the horrors of the Holocaust are now dead that I did not want to miss this opportunity for my students. I believe that hearing from a... Read more
Ms. Samantha Fulnecky’s grade of zero that she earned on a reflection paper she submitted in a junior level University of Oklahoma psychology class has been the topic of rage du jur among higher education pundits, the right-leaning social media, and Republican officials this past week. As usual in our culture of rage, most people airing their opinions know precious little facts about the topic that is enraging them. Sadly, I have also been guilty of this, but in this... Read more
Today’s post concerns a nineteenth century American novel that few non-specialists will have heard of. If it is not great literature, it is a phenomenally useful (and under-used) resource for the country’s religious history in that era, for Protestant denominations in general, but specifically for my own Episcopal Church. More important, discussing it really gets to the question of how we write that history, moving away from the role of great preachers and revivalists to studying the role of ordinary... Read more
It’s dark here in Norway. The last time the sun rose above the mountains in Tromsø was on November 27, and it won’t return until January 15. This is what Norwegians call the “mørketid”- the dark time, or more poetically, “blåtid,” the blue time. And Norwegians have many, many suggestions as to how one makes it through the darkness, ranging from enjoyable to less so: skiing, time outside in the dusky blue of midday, gatherings with friends, cosy time inside... Read more
‘Tis the season for watching silly sappy movies about small town folks who work hard but haven’t made time for love in their lives until Christmas comes along and changes everything. While the Hallmark channel made its reputation twenty-some years ago with this genre, now every streaming platform provides its audience with family friendly romances centered on extremely fictional small-town life. A few years ago I began dipping into this line of made-for-tv films during December. Like all genre... Read more
I have been writing on the genre of folk horror, and suggesting that its American roots are very strong, even if they are not sufficiently acknowledged alongside the British contribution. Today I explore this idea in the context of an author I have been reading for a very long time, namely H. P. Lovecraft. I repeat my definition of the Folk Horror phenomenon, which is grounded in the idea that potent ancient forces and deep-rooted evils survive in the landscape,... Read more
Nadya Williams, a former Anxious Bencher who is currently a books editor at Mere Orthodoxy (and who is also my wife), has just published her third book: Christians Reading Classics, which Zondervan released on November 11. In this piece, I talk with her about her reasons for writing a book that combines her love for the classics with her passion for Christian reflection and edifying the church. DKW: Why did you decide to write Christians Reading Classics? What do you... Read more
In keeping with past tradition since joining the illustrious team of historians at the Anxious Bench, I am once again sharing my best books list for the year. The past few years have seen numerous amazing publications, and I am glad to share about some of them for this year’s Best Books of 2025. I have compiled a list of my twenty-four favorite reads of the year, among them are a number of first-time authors. This is a selection of... Read more
I have been working on a book on the history of Folk Horror, which represents such a powerful theme in modern popular culture. To oversimplify, the genre is grounded in the idea that potent ancient forces and deep-rooted evils survive in the landscape, scarcely acknowledged by the modern world. In isolated communities, active witches or pagan groups mobilize those dark forces, deploying rituals dating from pre-Christian times. Crudely, my own structure of folk horror might be summarized as involving a... Read more
In December 2024, Apostle Ron Carpenter, Jr. made waves across the Christian world when his ministry released the “Ron Carpenter Ministries Advanced Archive” app, rebranded today as Ron Carpenter AI. The app provides 24/7 access via text or audio call to an AI version of Apostle Ron that was trained on over 30 years of sermons by the megachurch pastor. Originally launched with a $49 a month subscription, the app is now free to the public, and anyone can receive... Read more
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