Contemporary Connections

Losing Our (Medieval) Religion? The Cost of Not Teaching History…..

Seventeen years ago I stood in this exact spot–only then, the gate was locked. I was 25 years old and working on my dissertation. I had been in England for about two months when I decided to find Lilleshall Abbey. I knew only ruins remained, courtesy of Henry VIII’s dissolution (1538) and the aftermath of […]

Losing Our (Medieval) Religion? The Cost of Not Teaching History….. Read More »

The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas

From the Anxious Bench Archives I went to a perfect wedding last weekend. It was deep in the rural heart of Central Texas. Wide open fields dotted with cattle and the occasional John Deer tractor were broken by scattered farm houses. The roads were narrow and dusty; population signs for the small towns counted inhabitants

The Divorce of a Pastor’s Wife in 1860 Texas Read More »

Because We Have Made God Too Small: A Baylor Professor’s Apology to Kaitlin Curtice

The chair scraped next to me. It was 2:30 on Friday afternoon—time for our scheduled break. For three years I have been writing every Friday afternoon with a group of faculty women, blocking our calendars and ignoring emails. For three years I break with them for 15 minutes, pulling our chairs into a small circle.

Because We Have Made God Too Small: A Baylor Professor’s Apology to Kaitlin Curtice Read More »

Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur

I almost didn’t write this post. After all, what more could I say? Sarah Bessey already voiced my outrage. The scoffing laughter of John MacArthur’s audience echoed in my head as I read her words. “It’s a sin to quench the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of women. Repent, the

Pride and Preaching: A Medieval Perspective on John MacArthur Read More »

The Weight of Words–Medieval Jangling to Modern Tweeting

I am so pleased to welcome back Lynneth Miller Renberg. Lynneth is an assistant professor of history at Anderson University in Anderson, SC. She teaches a range of courses, including classes on medieval Europe, Europe in the Reformation, and the history of women in the church. She is currently working on a monograph on dance,

The Weight of Words–Medieval Jangling to Modern Tweeting Read More »

The Patron Saint of Bachelorettes

I am so happy to have a post today from one of my favorite graduate students. Taylor Sims is a PhD candidate in History at the University of Michigan, specializing in late medieval and early modern European and women’s history. She holds an MA in History from Baylor University and is writing a dissertation on

The Patron Saint of Bachelorettes Read More »

South to North: More Things Southern Baptists Can Learn From Canadian Baptists

I am so pleased to welcome Dr. Melody Maxwell to the Anxious Bench today. Melody’s post today will add to our growing conversation on the Anxious Bench about how evangelicalism, at least in some ways, has evolved differently in Canada–first Chris Gehrz’s post on Hockey and the Future of Evangelicalism and second my recent post

South to North: More Things Southern Baptists Can Learn From Canadian Baptists Read More »

A Response to “#Woke Evangelical Timeline”

Today we are so pleased to welcome Otis Pickett, an Assistant Professor of History at Mississippi College, to the Anxious Bench. Otis is also co-founder of the Prison to College Pipeline program. I recently came across a piece on Patheos by D.G. Hart entitled “#Woke Evangelical Timeline.” While I have tremendous respect for Hart as

A Response to “#Woke Evangelical Timeline” Read More »

Resurrection Hope For Notre Dame

“a fire burnt the whole parish of St. Alkmund’s starting at daybreak on the eve of Pentecost….anno. 1312.” I was in a meeting with my fellow graduate deans when I first saw the pictures. My colleague just handed me his phone. He said something, but I don’t remember his words as the image drowned out

Resurrection Hope For Notre Dame Read More »

Scroll to Top