Civics Lessons from the Era of Trump: Part II

| Present

Last time, we examined several ways in which we American citizens have been educated about the workings of our government, in large part because of the words and actions of the twice-impeached, four-times-indicted former President, Donald Trump. We looked at three Constitutional Amendments (1, 14 and 25), laws versus norms, pardoning, the importance of the […]

Current Research on Pompeii, Part II: Paul’s Letter to the Romans

| Past

In Part I, we examined some recent research on Pompeii, focusing on archaeological studies. Here we will look at British scholar Peter Oakes’ 2009 book, Reading Romans in Pompeii: Paul’s Letter at Ground Level, which combines archaeological insights from Pompeii with an exegesis (analysis) of important aspects of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. St. […]

Honoring Black History Month

| Future,Present

In honor of Black History Month, and in recognition of our deep racial divides, we offer here the list of past blog posts focusing on African Americans, slavery, the Civil Rights movement, the Lost Cause narrative and Confederate monuments, racism, and related topics. 2/5/2016 Reincarnation and Genetics: A Novel Approach to Facing Racism 7/29/2016 SPLC […]

Index to the Fourth Year

| Future,Past,Present

Thank you as always for checking in with WisdomWordsPPF!  Below is a guide to the past year of blog posts. Here are the other indices: First year (October 2015-October 2016); Second year (October 2016-October 2017); Third year (October 2017-October 2018). US Politics, Trump Administration, 2018 and 2020 Elections Buyer’s Remorse and Self-Forgiveness: Humble Suggestions for […]

The Legacy of Slavery, Part I: A Look at Reparations

| Present

The issue of reparations has lately become a fairly significant part of our national conversation. The fact that we are even discussing this in 2019 shows that the legacy of the enslavement of African Americans still persists – 156 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 154 years after the end of the Civil War and the […]

A Profile in Courage, Mitch Landrieu: Someone to Watch

| Present

On May 20, 2018, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Mass., the 2018 Profile in Courage Award was presented to former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He was honored “for his leadership in relocating four of the Confederate monuments in New Orleans while offering candid, clear and compassionate reflections on the moment […]

Teaching American Slavery: Confronting an Educational Deficit in Our Schools

| Present

As of the presidential election of 2008, the US has now had an African American President – for eight years. When Barack Obama was first elected, there was speculation, even hope, that the US might finally be entering a time of reduced racism. Of course, many others among us realized that merely the election of […]

The SBL and its Annual Meeting: Why They Matter to the General Public

| Past

The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) is one of the premier professional organizations for scholars and students of religion around the world. While “religion” is often equated in the public’s mind with church-going or participation in other religions such as Judaism and Islam, it is also a discipline bounded by scholarly and ethical standards, evidence, […]