by Bob Schoone-Jongen. The great 18th century New England preacher and theologian passed on March 22, 1758. Today he is most remembered for his fire and brimstone sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The high school history books link him to the Great Awakening, the revival that swept the Thirteen Colonies during …
Continue reading Did you know that Jonathan Edwards died from a small pox inoculation?
by Bob Schoone-Jongen. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, in his spare time, tried to produce an accurate biography of Jesus by literally taking a razor to the four gospels? In fact, he did it twice, once while serving as president, and again in retirement at Monticello. The church-going “Sage of Monticello” remained publicly mum …
Continue reading Thomas Jefferson’s Bible
by Bob Schoone-Jongen. “Celebration” does not seem to be the right word for marking the centennial of the Great War. “Observance” is better, less celebratory. Maybe solemn should be added to convey the somberness the great tragedy deserves. At any rate, the academic book binge that generally accompanies chronological mileposts has begun in earnest. …
Continue reading Book Note: The War that Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan
by Bob Schoone-Jongen. For the past eleven years I have ended my History 152 classes with a homily on history and this Christian’s view of what it all means. I make no claims as to profundity, but I will lay claim to its sincerity. This is what I believe history teaches: We are debtors: to …
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by Bob Schoone-Jongen. About a year ago a student walks into my office. “Hey, professor…,” begins the conversation. (It may have been just “prof.”) Anyhow, the conversation immediately turns to an honors thesis: How to do one? Would I supervise a project? In my mind there are counter questions: What’s the topic? Why me? Do …
Continue reading Celebrating Our Honors Students
by Bob Schoone-Jongen. I just finished reading A Disposition to Be Rich: How a Small-Town Pastor’s Son Ruined an American President, Brought on a Wall Street Crash, and Made Himself the Best-Hated Man in the United States, a biography with lots of sin and no redemption, a tale sure to brighten a gloomy time of …
Continue reading Book Note: A Disposition to Be Rich by Geoffrey Ward
Historical Horizons 