Articles & Essays Archives - Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Because a Twitter thread this long would be annoying

Note: I'd originally planned this as a Twitter thread, but because of its length, I thought I'd try my hand at Twitter's newsletter function. Total fail. So I'll just put it up here, for now. (Paragraphs are constrained by character…

Kristin Kobes Du MezNovember 27, 2021

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays Featured

Braveheart’s Warped History Keeps Suckering Evangelicals

The Daily Beast. June 20, 2021. https://www.thedailybeast.com/bravehearts-warped-history-has-been-suckering-evangelicals-for-a-quarter-century Mel Gibson’s sadomasochistic fantasy is beloved by evangelical Christians (and William Wallace wannabes like Ted Cruz), who wallow in its exaltation of violent, macho religion.

Kristin Kobes Du MezJune 20, 2021

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays Church History Featured

What We Believe About History

Excerpts: Beliefs have a history. As a historian of religion, I take this for granted. I’d forgotten how foreign this notion is to many evangelicals in the United States. Evangelicals are not alone in considering that their beliefs are eternal…

Kristin Kobes Du MezMay 27, 2021

white church with red roof in white snow

Articles & Essays Christian Feminists Church History

The Cost of Staying Silent

It was more than a decade ago, but I still remember that moment vividly. It was one of the few times in my life where I found myself genuinely speechless. My husband and I had been visiting a church near…

Kristin Kobes Du MezApril 15, 2021

image of bert devries in black shirt carrying camera

Articles & Essays Christian Scholarship

Peace Through Understanding: The Life of a Christian Scholar

I’ve written in this space from time to time on the subject of Christian scholarship, and I feel compelled to return to that topic today, but in a much more personal way. This past Sunday, my Calvin History Department colleagues and I were shocked…

Kristin Kobes Du MezApril 1, 2021

green background with arrow and human figure leaving an area

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays Church History Spirituality

#LeaveLOUD and the Evangelical Reckoning

Earlier this month, Jemar Tisby shared his story of leaving white evangelical spaces with the hastag #LeaveLOUD on his Pass the Mic podcast, the first in a series of episodes where Black Christians go public with their exit stories. Tisby is not…

Kristin Kobes Du MezMarch 18, 2021

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays

Discipline and Punish: A Guide to Power in American Evangelicalism

“Are you going rogue?” The question startled me. It had come from a professor at another Christian university, someone I hadn’t met before. This was in the months before Jesus and John Wayne published, but she was responding to some of my…

Kristin Kobes Du MezFebruary 18, 2021

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays Christian Thought Featured In the Media

Five Myths about Evangelicals

Excerpts: Myth No. 1: Evangelical beliefs come strictly from the Bible But evangelicals’ beliefs are often molded by political and cultural allegiances, not just biblical texts. Political scientist Michele Margolis has demonstrated that politics can shape religious choices, just as religious belief…

Kristin Kobes Du MezJanuary 22, 2021

American Evangelicalism Articles & Essays Book Reviews

Jemar Tisby’s How to Fight Racism

Jemar Tisby has a new book out this week, How to Fight Racism. Is it any good? First, some personal history. I first met Jemar Tisby at an academic conference, long enough ago that I can’t even remember which one. By…

Kristin Kobes Du MezJanuary 7, 2021

Articles & Essays Church History Spirituality

On Pandemic Christmas Eve

For many of us, this is a Christmas without family celebrations, mall Santas, rousing performances of Handel’s Messiah, and Christmas Eve candlelight services. All is not lost, however. Starbucks has come through with a lovely selection of red-and-green holiday cups, one…

Kristin Kobes Du MezDecember 24, 2020

Articles & Essays