The Lost History of Christianity | Book Review


“Religions die,” writes Philip Jenkins in The Lost History of Christianity. “Over the course of history, some religions vanish altogether, while others are reduced from great world faiths to a handful of adherents” (p. 1). While contemporary Christians might like to think that this statement applies to other religions—after all, who worships the Greek pantheon today?—the sobering truth is in history, Christianity has experienced reduction in the historic heartlands of its faith. As Jenkins shows, for a thousand years, Christianity was the dominant religion in the Middle East, North Africa, and western Asia, but now it is at best a … Continue reading The Lost History of Christianity | Book Review

The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, June 7, 2011


A pacifist college bans the national anthem from sporting events. “The Goshen College Board of Directors announced today that it has asked President James E. Brenneman to find an alternative to playing the Star-Spangled Banner that fits with sports tradition, that honors country and that resonates with Goshen College’s core values and respects the views of diverse constituencies.” Needless to say, the Armed Forces are not one of those diverse constituencies. _____ “God’s Politics? No Such Thing.” As Christians we will always live in some tension with the way in which our nation navigates history. If we do not have … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Tuesday, June 7, 2011