When the Flames Break In

Last updated on: May 28, 2022 at 7:26 am By Philip Jenkins

This coming Sunday, June 5, the church celebrates the great feast of Pentecost, with all its rich imagery of fire from heaven, tongues of flame, and speaking in tongues. In the Western tradition at least, the day marks the church’s birthday. In old English, it was called Whit (White, or Holy) Sunday. Italians traditionally called it Pascha Rossa, Red Easter, giving some idea of its significance in the church calendar. In the Orthodox churches, the feast carries a significance second... Read more

My Family’s Version of the Hiding Place

Last updated on: June 1, 2022 at 3:27 am By David Swartz

These hunted people were my people. Read more

What Will the Reversal of Roe v. Wade Really Mean? Five False Expectations

Last updated on: May 30, 2022 at 2:13 pm By Daniel K. Williams

What will happen if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade next month and gives states the power to set their own abortion policy? Many pro-life advocates believe that the end of Roe will be the key to saving unborn lives – the holy grail they’ve sought for decades. And many reproductive rights advocates expect it to lead to a horrific era of dangerous self-abortions and state policing of women’s bodies. In reality, though, the practical results of the Supreme... Read more

Asia and the Making of Modern American Evangelicalism: An Interview with Helen Jin Kim

Last updated on: May 30, 2022 at 1:08 pm By Melissa Borja

Historians have long argued that American evangelicalism is a transatlantic religious movement. However, according to Helen Jin Kim, that’s only half the story. Kim, who is Assistant Professor of American Religious History at Emory University, explained that “it simply is not possible to understand evangelicalism without looking at transnational linkages and movement across the Pacific, especially when we move into the twentieth century.” In her view, scholars must “take seriously the importance of writing transpacific American religious history.” This topic is the... Read more

Faithful Deliberation: Rhetorical Invention, Evangelicalism, and #MeToo Reckonings

Last updated on: May 24, 2022 at 1:28 pm By Philip Jenkins

Today we have a guest post from my Baylor colleague, T. J. Geiger. As he writes, “I’m an Assistant Professor of English at Baylor University. My research interests include the undergraduate writing major, writing pedagogy, undergraduate research, and religious rhetorics. My articles have appeared in College English, Composition Studies, Peitho, and CCTE Studies.” Faithful Deliberation: Rhetorical Invention, Evangelicalism, and #MeToo Reckonings by T.J. Geiger If you’re interested in religious rhetoric, feminist critique, the #MeToo movement, or Beth Moore, you might... Read more

A Love Letter To My Theological Seminary: On Gordon-Conwell Selling Its Main Residential Campus

Last updated on: May 25, 2022 at 4:15 am By Andrea L. Turpin

I applied to history PhD programs twice. I was actually admitted to a couple very good programs the first time, with only a BA under my belt. I visited one of them on campus. While I was there, I came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with the program, but there was something wrong with me. I wasn’t ready. Specifically, I wanted to spend more time reflecting on how to integrate my identity as a Christian and my... Read more

An Oral History of The Anxious Bench: Highlights and Reflections

Last updated on: May 22, 2022 at 1:44 pm By Chris Gehrz

Chris' oral history of this blog ends with some closing reflections from contributors, who also share their favorite posts. Read more

The Keys Of The Kingdom

Last updated on: May 21, 2022 at 11:33 am By Philip Jenkins

Last time I talked about using a longish poem as a resource for teaching the history of missions, and of Global/World Christianity. Through the years, I have acquired quite a useful list of books, films, music, and other items as valuable teaching aids on these topics, and here is another that I would rate very high indeed. It also raises an intriguing question: How many good (or even tolerable) films have ever been made on the subject of Christian missions... Read more

Heavy Is the History of Jerusalem: A Very Select Starter Reading List

Last updated on: May 20, 2022 at 12:14 am By Nadya Williams

On Wednesday morning, May 11, Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was covering an Israeli military raid on the West Bank, was killed by an Israeli soldier. According to witnesses, the shooter targeted her with full knowledge of her identity. Her murder and the violence that erupted during her funeral received significant news coverage and well-deserved expressions of indignation all over the world. But these events are only the most recent example of the continued weight of the history... Read more

Charlotte Brontë and Teaching Global Christianity

Last updated on: May 19, 2022 at 5:58 am By Philip Jenkins

I have often taught courses on Christian history, and on Global/World Christianity. There is one resource that I have found extremely useful, and it has the virtue of being a quick read. I offer it here in the hope that it might be of practical use. In a short space, it is perhaps the clearest explanation of why European and American Christians launched missionary ventures, why men and women risked their lives to go on mission, and how missions overlap... Read more

What does the name "Abraham" mean?