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The Half-Year in Review

The Half-Year in Review

Last updated on: June 26, 2018 at 2:07 am by Chris Gehrz

The Half-Year in Review 2018-06-25T20:19:48-04:00 Chris Gehrz

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I know it feels like it’s been 2018 a lot longer than six months, but we’re now about halfway through a rather turbulent year. So it’s a good point at which to pause and do two things:

First, we need to thank you all for reading. The Anxious Bench has had about 14% more page views so far in 2018 than we did in the first half of 2017! So whether you’re a long-time reader or a new arrival, know that we’re grateful for the chance to write for you. (And to hear back from you!)

So what has been driving all that traffic? Let’s review some of most-read posts from January-June 2018, starting with our overall Top 10 Most-Read list:

Paige Patterson Is My Fault, Too (Beth)
On Getting Churches Totally Wrong (Philip)
Why Beth Moore’s Letter Makes Me Hopeful (Chris)
Falwell vs. Claiborne: A Report from Lynchburg (David)
Will Beth Moore Help Save Evangelicalism? (Beth)
So, what is going on at Patheos? (Kristin)
When Did Evangelicals Start Observing Lent? (Chris)
Is There Hope for Evangelical Women? (Beth)
The Myth of Biblical Womanhood? (Beth)
The Stevens Point Pathway: How the Liberal Arts Will Die at Christian Colleges (Chris)

Beth Moore – Living Proof Ministries

Then for each of our regular bloggers, you’ll find their three most-read new posts. Plus I’ll use my editorial discretion to recommend one more lesser-read post by each author that deserves a second look.

Beth Allison Barr

In case you missed it the first time… Technically, Beth started looking at how certain Pauline texts have been used against women in the last week of December 2017, but you should still go back to the beginning to get into her main series of 2018.

Kristin Kobes Du Mez

In case you missed it the first time… Kristin marked the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by thinking about the “unearned suffering” of women in the civil rights movement.

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Chris Gehrz

In case you missed it the first time… Writing about religion in the Dakotas and their borderlands was my favorite thing that I’ve done for The Anxious Bench in 2018.

Agnes Howard

In case you missed it the first time… Agnes read a new memoir of an unexpectedly expectant mother in light of the 50th anniversary of a papal encyclical.

Tal Howard

In case you missed it the first time… Tal ushered in this year with a reflection on teaching Dante.

Philip Jenkins

In case you missed it the first time… Philip considered what a 17th century European novel might teach us about Christianity in contemporary Africa.

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David Swartz

In case you missed it the first time… One of my favorite Anxious Bench ledes of all time opens David’s post on elves in Iceland.

John Turner

In case you missed it the first time… John shared a more personal reflection on the legacy of Billy Graham, who died this past February.

Moody Bible Institute

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