Category Archives: history

Which came first & why?

Posted on December 28, 2008 by David Hume

The piece that Walter mentioned below makes an interesting assertion: Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, history | Tagged , | 15 Comments

An Anodyne Age?

Posted on December 24, 2008 by David Hume

I’m almost finished with What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. Reading this and other books on this period of American history I’m struck by how milquetoast the public discussion of religion is in the political domain today … Continue reading →

Posted in history, politics | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Words in a pluralist world

Posted on December 17, 2008 by David Hume

In the comments below some note that several prominent Founding Fathers who would have self-identified as Christian would not be perceived by many as such today (e.g., Is Barack Obama a Christian?).  At the time of the Founding men such as … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , | 6 Comments

God of the Founders

Posted on December 17, 2008 by Bradlaugh

I’ve blogged before here about the way religious ideologues are for ever trying to “recruit” historical figures, in the spirit of “Beethoven was black.” Our nation’s Founders are popular subjects for this treatment. Here is an excellent antidote to the … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

The arational conservative

Posted on December 13, 2008 by David Hume

Yale Brought Me to Conservatism: I can only describe the moment as an epiphany, with all that that implies. “An age of prudence” was my own age of rationalism. There was no reason to exist. But I did: not because … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, history | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Knowledge & the Second Bank of the United States

Posted on December 12, 2008 by David Hume

Reading about the controversy surrounding the Second Bank of the United States, I get the sense that we know more about how economics operates today than we did 180 years ago. But how much more? Enough to matter? I assume … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, economics, history | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Great American history book recommendations

Posted on December 9, 2008 by David Hume

This is a thread for suggestions.  I’m looking here for works which focus on social & economic changes, as opposed to personal biography and diplomatic history.  The latter was important, but my personal impression is that they’re easy to bone … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, history, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

The fall of the first republic?

Posted on December 9, 2008 by David Hume

I’m reading Sean Wilentz’s The Rise of American Democracy. I’m only about 1/4 of the way through, so on page 200 or so. I’m not surprised by the narrative so far, the rise of mass democratic populism and the fading … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , | 16 Comments