by Christopher D. Cantwell, Newberry Library
The history of Christianity in America has always been one of a faith in relation. From the moment that Christopher Columbus first gazed in wonderment at the Arawak Indians who swam miles out to sea to meet his fleet—a fleet staffed with both Catholic and Jewish seafarers—American Christianity has been shaped by its encounters with other religious traditions.
by Euan Cameron
We are all familiar with the expression “be careful what you wish for”. The phrase has become a staple of journalistic headlines and even rap lyrics. When we aim for what we think is a clearly defined goal, dramatic unexpected consequences may follow.
This essay suggests that the quest for ever more precise religious scholarship ended up by causing a crisis of uncertainty – entirely against the expectations and the wishes of those who began that quest. In the Reformation, scholar-theologians laid massive expectations on the text of Scripture to direct, authenticate and justify their conclusions. They believed that Scripture, by the action of the Holy Spirit, authenticated itself, independent of any institution. That implied, however, that the text of Scripture had to be established with the greatest possible exactitude. Consequently, reformers relied upon ‘sacred philology’ to purify and clarify the text.
I don’t know if any of you reads the hype that appears periodically about speech-recognition software, but please, don’t believe it. A few years ago I lost the ability to keyboard, and now I am stuck with Dragon NaturallySpeaking if I want to write. Permit me, if you will, a little rant — good-natured but frustrated. (First an explanation. Technically, I can keyboard, but if I do, I’ll be in for 24 hours of pain, and probably further injury as well. The problem seems to be tendon damage and chronic inflammation subsequent to a repetitive-stress injury. It’s not a made-up condition. Honest.)
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
CALL FOR DISCUSSANTS
EMOTIVE COGNITION & SENSUOUS DEVOTION
IN CATHOLICISM
OCTOBER 26-27, 2012
The American Civil War continues to fascinate academics, graduate students, and popular audiences. Each year dozens of books, theses, articles, and documentaries are produced that provide biographical sketches, perspectives on particular battles, and revisions of and reflections upon the war. The 150th anniversary of the conflict is upon us and universities and museums throughout the United States are holding conferences and hosting exhibits looking back on the intriguing and disturbing events of the war.
The Supreme Court’s decision on January 11 in a major church-state case, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, nearly coincided with a special session at the ASCH Winter Meeting honoring the legacies of Edwin Scott Gausad (1923-2011), a giant among historians of American religion and a specialist in First Amendment issues.
I often write down possible topics for eventual research and for new courses I might like to teach sometime to our students at the College of the Holy Cross. Though institutional church history may not draw huge crowds these days, some other religious topics could well fill a classroom. The history of sin, from Adam to the Apocalypse, is one of my possible but not-yet-offered courses. (Would it include discussion sections, or even some community-based learning?) Another possible course is on Catholicism as smell.
The annual Winter 2013 meeting of the American Society of Church History (ASCH) will be held Thursday to Sunday, January 3-6, 2013, in New Orleans, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Historical Association (AHA).
We invite ASCH members and other interested scholars to submit paper and session proposals on any aspect of the history of Christianity and its interaction with culture, including proposals for formal papers, panel and round table discussions, consideration of a major recent book, critical assessments of a distinguished career, and other relevant themes and issues.
by James Lewis
Reading Richard Heitzenrater’s presidential address in the December 2011 issue of Church History (terrific on the page and no doubt even better in person) made me wonder about the apparently modest interest in American church history in seminaries and among clergy.He reminds us that all historians employ “research, conjecture, and analysis” as their basic tools in producing an account of historic developments that is “credible, appropriate, and useful.” (It’s the criterion of usefulness I want to highlight in these brief reflections.) He also acknowledges that many ASCH members pursue their craft for perfectly appropriate personal and professional motives that have little to do with contemporary churches or their theological schools.
Click here to follow our live blog, post comments and get updates as they happen
Our official live blog for the 2012 Annual Winter Meeting will begin updating at 3pm Thursday, January 5, and will cover the meeting until Sunday at 1pm.
AHA Today RELIGION IN AMERICAN HISTORY The Historical Society The Immanent Frame