Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
History and Religion

Christianity

Select a Category Buddhism Christianity Daoism Hinduism Indigenous religions Islam Judaism Mysticism New Age Origins of religion Paganism Popes Popular Religious Movements Protestantism Psychology and religion Religion and current events Religion and folklore Religion and News Media Religion and politics Religious Art and Music Religious Freedom Religious mistakes Religious philosophy Religious scriptures Religious Violence science and religion Spiritualism Technology and religion The Catholic Church The Dalai Lama The Reformation Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022

May 2024

May 23, 2024

The Appeal to Heaven Flag and Why It’s Controversial

The Appeal to Heaven Flag, also called the Pine Tree Flag, is a bit of...

May 19, 2024

Louisiana Passes a Ten Commandments in Public Schools Bill

The Louisiana legislature just passed a bill mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in...

May 10, 2024

The Problem With “Spiritual But Not Religious”

Let's talk about "spiritual but not religious." Certainly you are free to call yourself that,...

April 2024

April 17, 2024

The Great Disappointment of William Miller

The Great Disappointment is the name given to a time when the world as we...

April 11, 2024

The Rapture: A Brief History

The recent solar eclipse visible in North America inspired much social media commentary about the...

April 04, 2024

Dr. Livingstone, I Presume: The True Story, Possibly

"Dr. Livingstone, I presume." The famous encounter between journalist Henry Morton Stanley and missionary David...

March 2024

March 07, 2024

Shogun the Miniseries and Real Japanese History

How close is the new Shogun miniseries (not to be confused with the old one...

February 2024

February 26, 2024

Frozen Zygotes and the Middle Way of Compassion

The recent consternation about frozen zygotes, in vitro fertilization and "fertilized egg personhood" laws made...

February 20, 2024

Have We Reached Peak Jesus?

By "peak Jesus" I mean that there may be a limit to how much Christianity...

February 14, 2024

William I of Orange and Religious Freedom

William I, Prince of Orange (1533–1584), is remembered as a champion of religious freedom. He...

February 04, 2024

When Christianity Was Banned in Japan

Christianity was banned in Japan in 1614. This was about 65 years after it had...

February 03, 2024

The 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki

The 26 martyrs of Nagasaki were Christian missionaries who were crucified in Nagasaki, Japan, on...

January 2024

January 26, 2024

Why Are There More Nones?

Why are there more nones? The "nones," you probably know, are people who have no...

January 02, 2024

Christian Public Schools in the U.S. ?

Will there be Christian public schools in the U.S.? Recently Heidi Przybyla reported for Politico...

December 2023

December 18, 2023

The Commercialization of Christmas: A Short History

The commercialization of Christmas is something both endorsed and lamented. Many people imagine Christmas to...

December 14, 2023

When Christmas Was Banned in Boston

Christmas was banned in Boston, and the rest of Massachusetts, by the legislature of the...

November 2023

November 19, 2023

The Wall of Separation Has Two Sides

The wall of separation between church and state is in the news again. Recently Rep....

November 09, 2023

Dorothy Buxton and the Children of War

Dorothy Buxton (1881-1963) was a peace activist in a time of war and a humanitarian...

November 06, 2023

Is “In God We Trust” Religious or Patriotic?

A new law in Louisiana requires posting "In God We Trust" in every classroom in...

October 2023

October 25, 2023

Hallowe’en Is an Irish-American Holiday

Hallowe'en, at least as it's observed in North America, is a thoroughly Irish-American holiday. You...

October 22, 2023

Albert Einstein and Spinoza’s God

Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955) often was asked if he believed in God....

October 19, 2023

Don’t Fall for Jesus Mythicism

What is Jesus mythicism? In general, it's a proposal that Jesus Christ is entirely fictional...

September 2023

September 18, 2023

Faith and Football: What’s the Deal With Prayers Before Games?

What's the deal with prayers before football games? I don't know when it became the...

September 03, 2023

Kennedy v. Bremerton: The Praying Coach Returns

On Friday night, September 1, 2023, an event happened that will be a footnote in...

August 2023

August 20, 2023

Oklahoma Approves a Religious Charter School

Last month, the state of Oklahoma approved the first religious charter school in the nation....

July 2023

July 28, 2023

The Meaning of Faith

What is the meaning of faith? In particular, what is the meaning of the word...

July 03, 2023

The Rev. Edgar Gardner Murphy and the Movement to End Child Labor

Child labor is making a comeback in the U.S. Several states are passing laws to...

June 2023

June 18, 2023

Getting Juneteenth Right

Juneteenth -- June 19 -- is an official holiday now, commemorating the ending of slavery...

June 18, 2023

The Christian Temperance Movement

The Temperance movement was one of the most long-lasting and influential religious/social activist movements in...

June 08, 2023

Pat Robertson’s Legacy

Pat Robertson died today, June 8, in his home at the age of 93. He's...

Related posts from The Religious History Nerd

Family

I Watched the Towers Fall. Here's What You...

The Religious History Nerd

Family

Barring Mamdani From 9/11 Lets the Enemy Win

The Religious History Nerd

Family

Is 'Separation of Church and State' Really a...

The Religious History Nerd

Family

The President and the Pope: An Unprecedented Rift

The Religious History Nerd

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos