When President Trump condemned evil “on both sides” in Charlottesville, he was excoriated as a vile racist. That he dared to suggest a moral equivalency between white nationalists and Antifa was beyond the pale. House Democrats have fallen into a moral equivalency trap of their own. Instead of condemning the anti-Semitic rhetoric of Rep. Ilhan … Continue reading Progressive Moral Equivalency (squared)
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History and Social Justice Activism
I recently traveled with ten undergraduate students to the Conference on Faith and History (CFH) held at Calvin College, Grand Rapids Michigan. This was an exciting and enriching trip for our students. They, along with other history students from across the country, presented research papers at the undergraduate portion of the conference. For the past … Continue reading History and Social Justice Activism
Spiritualizing Politics
As a Fundamentalist, I once believed that professing Christians who did not hold to certain political positions were probably less than truly Christian. If they were “saved” they were at best weak in theology and at worst not “right with God.” Judging the veracity of Christian commitment is almost second nature to those caught up … Continue reading Spiritualizing Politics
The Great “Awokening”
Much of my academic research has been on The First Great Awakening, an eighteenth-century revival movement that played a major role in shaping the religious and social landscape of early America. Today, we are witnessing another revival of sorts, one that has the potential of being a “game changer” as much or more than the … Continue reading The Great “Awokening”
My Cousin Leila
Last week my wife and I drove from Virginia to Georgia to attend the funeral of my first cousin, Leila Wilbanks McDowell. Leila suffered many hardships, including a prolonged struggle with cancer that eventually took her life. Her youngest brother Tim noted in his powerful eulogy that even during the toughest of times he never … Continue reading My Cousin Leila
John McCain and the Way of Death
I have always been interested in how we remember the departed. With the recent passing of Republican Senator John McCain, friends and foes alike wrote glowing tweet eulogies praising him as a war hero, straight talking politician, and a reach-across-the-isle Republican. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer even advocated from the Senate floor for the renaming of … Continue reading John McCain and the Way of Death
Is Gun Control a Spiritual Mandate?
After the 2015, San Bernardino terrorist attack, Jerry Falwell, Jr. encouraged Liberty University students to consider securing concealed carry permits for protection on campus. The extent to which Falwell’s critics doubled down on stricter gun control as a spiritual mandate was quite alarming. One evangelical scholar wrote in response to Falwell, “if Christians care about … Continue reading Is Gun Control a Spiritual Mandate?
Charlottesville One Year Later: Why I Did Not Sign the Open Letter on Racism
This week marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic and fatal protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Soon after this event two evangelical historians sent out an open letter on racism soliciting signatures from “Christian scholars of American history, politics, and law.” I know and deeply respect both scholars and their decision to produce and promulgate this … Continue reading Charlottesville One Year Later: Why I Did Not Sign the Open Letter on Racism
A Cautious Enthusiasm 