151 Years Ago Today

Northwest Iowa Center for Regional Studies

The day after Christmas brings to mind a tragic event, pictured above, that took place not that far up the road to the Twin Cities.

The execution of 38 Dakota was not the final event of the U.S.-Dakota War, but it was arguably the most dramatic.

The war took place in August and September, 1862. Most immediately, it started because Dakotas on their reservation strung along the Minnesota River’s south bank were hungry. Their treaty annunity payment hadn’t come (and no one could say when it was coming), and traders at the Lower and Upper Agencies wouldn’t extend them credit. More fundamentally, the war started because Dakotas were under immense pressure–pressure to give up their land and traditions. The pressure fractured the tribe. Some–but by no means all–of the Dakotas resorted to violence.

At the time, most white Minnesotans, and most American citizens (including Congress and President Abraham Lincoln)…

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Social Gospel(s) in the American West?

It is nice to see a recent post by Paul Putz at Religion in American History on the Social Gospel and the American West.

First, I have written some things about the Social Gospel and the West, published back in the last century; it is good to see someone else interested.

Second, I am mentioned in the post …

You can read Putz’s historiographical musings here:

Religion in American History: Social Gospel(s) in the American West? Five Possible Themes.

December, 1890–a bad month and year for Lakota

In December 1890, two tragic, bloody events happened to Lakotas in, ironically, the place by then called the Dakotas.

The first event was Dec. 15. Early in the morning, the arrest of Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull by Indian police led to a shoot-out in which the chief and others were killed. Christina Rose at Indian  Country Today concisely recounts the event here:

Native History: Sitting Bull Shot By Indian Police, His Legacy Remains – ICTMN.com.

The second event was Dec. 29. That day, over 200 Ghost Dancers led by Miniconjou Lakota Big Foot/Spotted Elk were gunned down by the U.S. 7th Cavalry at  Wounded Knee. On Dec. 30, a blizzard froze the dead and wounded, leading to some agonizing photos of the dead a few days later when the weather allowed burial details and others to reach the site. The Library of  Congress holds what are arguably the two most famous photos, here and here.

A Gilded Age American Santa

At the Historical Society, historian Heather Cox Richardson nicely sketches the American context of the 1880s during which the U.S. version of Santa Claus took decisive shape.

Read about the Gilded Age Santa Claus here:

The Historical Society: Was Santa White?.

The windows Pope Francis has opened

Pope Francis is Time‘s Person of the Year. Even before this, he was attracting much attention, whether for his comments to reporters on an airplane or for his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.

American religious historian (and Episcopal priest) Randall Balmer has a judicious “read” on Pope Francis at Then and Now, the historical op-ed blog at Christian Century. The pope is not easily categorized, notes Balmer:

If the tired dualism of liberal-conservative doesn’t suffice, how should we understand the pope instead? Francis at the very least has elevated the theology of compassion to equal status with the rhetoric of condemnation. The departure so far lies not so much in ideology as in inflection. Francis has repeatedly invoked Jesus’ teachings about the supremacy of love, and he has chided bishops for being “obsessed” with sexual sins.

To find Balmer’s entire piece, go here:

The windows Pope Francis has opened | The Christian Century.

The German roots of Christmas

… and, speaking of Christmas past and present–“taking it back” and all–I learned some things from this Christian Science Monitor article of this week:

The German roots of Christmas – CSMonitor.com.

What the Middle East would be like without Christians

I am not a Christian Scientist. Nevertheless, I have been a loyal subscriber to the Christian Science Monitor for a long time now. I like it for at least three reasons:

1. It covers the world. For it, the U.S. is not the be-all and end-all of news.

2. It takes religion seriously as a newsworthy human phenomenon.

2. It is not as driven by the 24/7 news cycle. It takes time to consider things, and it does not hype or scream–about religion, politics, economics, celebrities, violence, sports, etc.

So, as we approach Christmas, here’s a link to the cover story from this week’s Monitor:

What the Middle East would be like without Christians – CSMonitor.com.

Flash Mob Rembrandt, by the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands

LEARNING ABOUT HISTORICAL THINKING FROM “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE”

When teaching on the importance of historical context, I often enlist the help of a movie that many of you are likely to watch this Christmas season. I have in mind Frank Capra’s holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. Hollywood rarely aids the life of the mind–and in truth, the movie’s theology is really messed up–but when it comes to the importance of historical context this film gets it right.

So writes Wheaton College historian Robert McKenzie in his latest post. For his helpful case about It’s a Wonderful Life and the importance of historical context, see here:

via LEARNING ABOUT HISTORICAL THINKING FROM “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” | Faith and History.

The Bible Suspender is clearer than the Bible Belt

Northwest Iowa Center for Regional Studies

The Washington Post has put 6 fascinating maps of the U.S. religious landscape online. The maps are based on statistics from religious organizations in the 2010 U.S. Religion Census.

I am particularly intrigued by the 5th map, on religious participation, by county.

First, take a look at the map here: View interactive map.

Then, consider this comment from the Post article:

This map, made from RCMS data, shows the counties where religious participation per capita—adherents divided by population—was highest. Utah, the Midwest and parts of the South reign supreme. Religious participation was lowest in California’s Alpine County (4.3 percent), Hawaii’s Kalawao County (3.3 percent) and Nevada’s Esmeralda County (3.1 percent). The latter two have incredibly small populations, so are easily distorted by the religious inaction of a few.

Third, what strikes me is how this illustrates what historian Philip Barlow in Religion and Public Life in the Midwest: America’s…

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