Mary Beard’s excellent new book, Emperor of Rome, begins with a timeline of Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus that gives each emperor’s years of reign, a quick fact or two, and often, his manner of death. But these three pages are the last time that Beard presents her readers with anything like a forced march through Roman...

　　Weekend, December 14, 2024 　　At the Name of Jesus 　　That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. (Philippians 2:10 NLT) 　　Juliet asked Romeo, “What’s in a name?” And then she answered her own question: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would...

　　On September 25, 1789, the United States Congress proposed twelve amendments to the states for ratification. A little over two years later, on December 15, 1791, Virginia became the 11th state to ratify ten of those proposals, thus making them part of the Constitution. In the immediate years that followed, every December 15, Americans celebrated the passage of the Bill...

　　Tender Words in the Wilderness 　　By Deidre Braley 　　Bible Reading 　　Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. – Hosea 2:14 　　In the book of Hosea, the Lord rebukes Israel for her idolatry—namely for chasing after other gods and forgetting her first love, and for forgetting that it was God who...

　　When the Soviet Union collapsed, many people thought international conflicts were coming to an end as liberal democracy triumphed everywhere. But today, China, Russia, and Iran are dissenting from the global status quo, and nations are once again trying to find a “balance of power” in geopolitics. 　　As Americans decide how to respond to the conflicts multiplying around the world,...

　　The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 offers an occasion to reflect on how the American Revolution forged not only a nation but a people. That opportunity makes the work of Gordon Wood as salient as it has ever been. Wood, among America’s most distinguished historians, has devoted his career to elucidating how the revolutionary generation not...

　　What Every Couple Can Learn from Mary and Joseph This Christmas 　　By: Heather Riggleman 　　While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth,...

　　Elections do not tell us very much in the normal course of events. The wins and losses of American parties hinge on a variety of shockingly ephemeral factors: candidate quality, the state of the economy, national mood, etc. The result is that most elections amount to a response to a temporary set of circumstances that no more reveal true shifts...

　　What to Do When Friendships Need Repair 　　By Laura Bailey 　　Bible Reading 　　“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 　　“I just don’t know if it is worth...

　　Big data is often a big bust, but not always. Big data has resolved a longstanding debate about when “liberal” first acquired a political meaning. 　　And, what do you know, Friedrich Hayek was right. 　　I use big data in a scholarly article published in the Journal of Contextual Economics, showing decisively that a political meaning was christened “liberal’—for the first...

　　Weekly Overview: 　　We serve a God of boundaries. In his limitless capacity, endless creativity, and boundless existence he still chose to create boundaries. He still had vision for what was good, right, pleasing, and perfect. And as children made in his image, we are to live, think, and create as he does. In a world marked by busyness from seemingly...

　　A Prayer for Generosity Toward Those in Need During Christmas 　　By: Christine F. Perry 　　Bible Reading 　　“Each of you should give what you have decided in yourheartto give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” -2 Corinthians 9:7NIV 　　I was holding downthe sub shopaloneone December day.Mind you, this was not the standard of operation. However, we...