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July 2026

July 21, 2026

Candles in the Darkness: Ephrem on the Incarnation

It is release day! Lynneth and I are thrilled that Candles in the Darkness: Experiencing...

July 07, 2026

Christmas in July: Candles in the Darkness Release

It’s book release month for the Advent devotional that my husband and colleague Adam and...

June 2026

June 02, 2026

On Different Educations and the Global Church

As my grant (and time in Norway) wrapped up this spring, I spent a lot...

March 2026

March 03, 2026

Medieval Mothers of the Church: Queen Margrete and Margareta

It's March, Women's History Month, and this year, as I write about two medieval women,...

January 2026

January 06, 2026

Singing the Particularity of Place

My family and I celebrated Christmas in Norway this year, which brought a number of...

December 2025

December 02, 2025

Candles in the Darkness: Advent, Hope, and Church History

It’s dark here in Norway. The last time the sun rose above the mountains in...

October 2025

October 07, 2025

Lessons in Listening from a Scandinavian Witchcraft Trial

It seems seasonally appropriate to start October with a post about a witchcraft trial– particularly...

May 2025

May 20, 2025

Nicene Worship: Then and Now

I had the privilege of attending a conference in Rome on the Council of Nicaea...

April 2024

April 20, 2024

United Methodist General Conference 2024: What to Look For

Two of the largest Protestant denominations in the US are holding international meetings in April

August 2023

August 15, 2023

Mothers of the Church: Macrina the Younger

Icons, pictures, and mosaics of the “Three Holy Hierarchs”, also called “the Cappadocians”, are common...

July 2023

July 18, 2023

Where are the Mothers of the Church? On Patristic Theology and the Visibility Problem

When someone makes the mistake of asking what I do for a living, I typically...

March 2023

March 22, 2023

Christianity from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: A Conversation with Gina Zurlo

On the demography of global Christianity

December 2022

December 19, 2022

Issues in Transnational Denominational History: The Case of Baptists in Latin America

I have been writing a chapter on the history of Baptists in Latin America for...

January 2022

January 06, 2022

Immigration and the American Church: A Remix

Today we're honored to welcome to the Bench Jehu J. Hanciles, D.W. & Ruth Brooks...

September 2021

September 22, 2021

The 2020 Census, Immigration, and the Future of American Evangelicalism

A couple of years ago on a Sunday morning, I landed at Logan Airport and...

May 2021

May 05, 2021

René Padilla: Enfant Terrible

Padilla earned his reputation as an enfant terrible who showed no fear in challenging white...

January 2021

January 13, 2021

The Sensory Experiences of Child Sponsorship

A conversation with Hillary Kaell about her book that traces the movement of money, letters,...

July 2020

July 29, 2020

Exorcising Quetzalcoatl: Spiritual Warfare in Guatemala—and Beyond

In the 1990s Harold Caballeros was minister of a church of 350 members in Guatemala...

December 2019

December 26, 2019

Coming Soon: 2020 Must-Reads in Christianity and Politics

The frenzied commentary around Mark Galli's Christianity Today editorial has not only revealed widely diverging opinions...

November 2019

November 27, 2019

Because Global Christian History Disrupts Christian Patriarchy Too–Evidence from Medieval Ethiopia

Today I am pleased to welcome Anna Wells to the Anxious Bench. Anna is a second-year...

October 2019

October 23, 2019

Walter Kim, the NAE, and Evangelical Leaders of Color

David R. Swartz reflects on last week's announcement about the first nonwhite president of the...

August 2019

August 28, 2019

Elisabeth Elliot, Missionary Rebel

How a conservative missionary came to question the American missionary enterprise

July 2019

July 11, 2019

The Scandinavian Christian Music Industry and Transatlantic Pentecostalism

Today we welcome Hilde Løvdal Stephens to the Anxious Bench. Hilde is a Visiting Associate Professor...

June 2019

June 18, 2019

What Southern Baptists Can Learn From Canadian Baptists……

Just last week I found myself at the corner of Burrard Street and Nelson Street...

May 2019

May 22, 2019

The Latin American Evangelical Left: An Interview with David Kirkpatrick, Part II

David Swartz interviews David Kirkpatrick about his new book on the Latin American evangelical left.

May 08, 2019

The Latin American Evangelical Left: An Interview with David Kirkpatrick

David R. Swartz interviews David Kirkpatrick about his new book "A Gospel for the Poor"

March 2019

March 21, 2019

When #ChurchToo Goes Global

Today we welcome Mary Li Ma to the Anxious Bench. A research scholar, mission consultant,...

October 2018

October 24, 2018

The Kingdom of God Has No Borders: An Interview with Melani McAlister

David Swartz interviews Melani McAlister about her new book

August 2018

August 09, 2018

Evangelicalism is an Imagined Religious Community

Perhaps you’ve heard. One month ago, evangelical women “hit pause” on the culture wars. It...

June 2018

June 20, 2018

The Religious Left in Modern America

I’m pleased to welcome Doug Rossinow, a professor of history at the University of Oslo,...