Warrior Jesus: On the Medieval Saxon Gospel

February 20, 2024 By Adam Renberg

I find artistic depictions of Christ to be fascinating, not only because they reveal truths about Christ, but because they reveal our own priorities, blind spots, and worldviews. Take Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, for example. In his depiction of the resurrection, Grünewald’s Christ springs forth triumphant from the tomb, while the soldiers run in fear. The light pouring from his face and wounds might be theologically edifying, while dwelling on Christ’s victory over death. But, conversely, it isn’t hard to... Read more

Texas Megachurch Pastor Talks about Genocide

February 20, 2024 By Erica Ramirez

0 Comments

Hi! I am a cultural sociologist searching out Christian Nationalism in Texas Megachurches. I’m looking for a. the degree of race and gender diversity in their pews and on their stages, b. for the salience of charismatic influence in their worship styles and rhetoric, and c. for the way leaders may be playing any role in stoking authoritarianism and white supremacy. (Check out my first post here.) **************************************************************************************************** Two minutes into overtime, five hands went up. There were a pair... Read more

The Racial Escapism of American Evangelical Missions

February 17, 2024 By Guest Contributor

0 Comments

I learned early on as the child of American missionaries in Kenya that white people were a big deal. Where ever we went, people scurried to help us, lined up to shake our hands, and often scrounged around their meager possessions in search of gifts for us. Children stared at me with wide eyes and sat behind me in church so they could slowly stroke my long, blondish hair, almost in meditation. People looked to my parents for money, opportunity,... Read more

Did God Prepare Native Peoples for Christ? Part II

February 16, 2024 By Verónica A. Gutiérrez

0 Comments

Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: Did an Ancient Indigenous Tradition Prepare the Americas for Millions of Conversions to Christianity? Part II This (long) post serves as part two of my response to Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion Before the Lady Appeared. Part I provides an outline of the book’s argument, which I will not discuss here. Reading Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion Before... Read more

Of Missionaries, Native Americans, Lunatics, and Martians

February 15, 2024 By Philip Jenkins

0 Comments

Almost as soon as the new United States was created, it began expanding its imperial rule ever deeper into the continent, and that growth was inextricably linked to new visions of Christian mission. Yet even as that enterprise was getting under way, there appeared a savage critique of the whole idea of missions and missionaries, a text that still repays careful reading. As I will suggest, this barely-remembered critique also helps us understand another really famous book, and one you... Read more

Returning to My Church History Roots Finding Cesar Chavez

February 14, 2024 By Michael Jimenez

0 Comments

Last summer was a time of reflection for my academic journey. First, I wrote a chapter in a book featuring the Hispanic faculty experience in the US, spending most of the chapter discussing the impact of books on my life. Second, I also had a piece about Cesar Chavez come out. I have reflected on the pragmatic struggles of teaching world history courses and being faithful to the global aspect of it. In some ways, my research has gravitated from... Read more

The American Bible Society and Its Good News for Modern Man

February 13, 2024 By Joey Cochran

0 Comments

The only answer to modern man’s problems is the good news. At least that’s how the American Bible Society saw it when it published its New Testament Bible in 1966. If you examine the cover of one of these bibles, you’ll see what appears to be four columns of newsprint with various global newspaper names, in their branded typography, superimposed over the newsprint. As if exploding threw the modern news is a red-letter, bold, block-type caption in the top-left: “GOOD... Read more

Taylor, Donald, History, and our Democracy

February 12, 2024 By Dr. Paul Thompson

0 Comments

When I proposed to my fiancée a few years ago, not only was I excited to become a married man, but I was also anticipating building relationships with her three grown daughters. What I did not realize however, was that there would be a fifth woman in the picture –Taylor. You see, two of my stepdaughters are inveterate “Swifties.” Road trips are full of Taylor Swift songs complete with explanations of the story behind each song. Birthday and Christmas... Read more

Washington, D.C., Power, and Educational Travel

February 9, 2024 By Lisa Clark Diller

0 Comments

As someone who grew up on the Mid-Atlantic Coast, trips to Washington, DC were rites of passage for elementary and high school students. Many students further afield from the capitol also find ways to make a trip to our country’s center of power part of the education. I recently got back from a trip to Washington, DC with sixteen college sophomores (mostly History and Political Science majors) and decided to reflect on how such travel to museums, government buildings, and... Read more

Want to Do Research? Start With The Bibliography

February 8, 2024 By Philip Jenkins

0 Comments

I publish a lot on quite diverse topics. Through the years, I have devised a number of work strategies that work well for me, and in this blog I am going to pass on something that has proved extremely useful for me. If it works for you in approaching any topic – a book, a dissertation, an article, any kind of research – that is wonderful, and I hope you find this valuable. If not, pass on by. These days,... Read more