by Randall Balmer | Sep 21, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
The act was brazen and according to the canons of the Episcopal Church, illegal. On July 29, 1974, eleven women gathered at Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia and were ordained to the priesthood. Or were they? At the General Convention in 1970, women were seated...
by Randall Balmer | Aug 15, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
Cards on the table. I’ve had a long and, well, uneven relationship with Christianity Today (CT), generally regarded as the flagship magazine of white evangelicalism. Founded by Billy Graham in 1956 as a response to Christian Century, Christianity Today aspired to be...
by Randall Balmer | Jun 22, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
Whatever you want to say about Southern Baptists (and yes, there’s a lot to say) they know how to stand up for principles. Opposition to sexual misconduct among prominent figures within the denomination? Well, no. Despite a damning 2022 report about pervasive sexual...
by Randall Balmer | May 23, 2023 | Feature, Opinion
When I headed to graduate school in the summer of 1980, my aspiration was someday to teach at a Christian liberal arts school. With recent developments at several evangelical colleges, I see now how precarious that path would have been. I had been profoundly shaped by...
by Randall Balmer | May 11, 2023 | Feature-, Opinion
I recently completed three-plus years of off-and-on (mostly on) supply work at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Española, New Mexico. The end came rather suddenly; for a variety of reasons, we relocated on short notice, so what had been a 30-minute commute each way...
