Category: The Historical Muse

Thoughts on history and the historical profession. Clio is the muse of history–this category title is a play on that concept.

My Lewis “Season”

I haven’t written many blog posts lately, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been lazy. I just want to make sure I have something worthwhile to say. So, today, I am providing an update on what has been keeping me busy during this season. One of my projects was the development of a course at my church on writers C. S. Lewis admired. If you have seen previous posts, you know I focused on George MacDonald, G. K. Chesterton, J. R…. Read more »

The Lewis-Sayers Connection: Part Two

My previous post revealed how C.S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers established a relationship as authorial colleagues and friends. Interestingly, Lewis had never read Sayers when she was primarily focused on her Lord Peter Wimsey novels. In fact, Lewis only read one of the Wimsey tales after being impressed with her Christian writing. As he wrote to his friend Arthur Greeves, “Dorothy Sayers The Mind of the Maker I thought good on the whole: good enough to induce me to… Read more »

The Lewis-Sayers Connection: Part One

I’ve written a couple posts this year about the course I have developed for my church’s Parish Academy this fall. The title for the course is “Writers C. S. Lewis Admired.” The four writers I’ve chosen to focus on in the course are George MacDonald, G. K. Chesterton, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Dorothy L. Sayers. A previous post centered on Chesterton, the one of the four I knew the least about. It wasn’t that I was completely ignorant of… Read more »

Getting to Know Chesterton

I’ve been working steadily on a course I will be teaching at my church this fall; I call it “Writers C. S. Lewis Admired.” It has been challenging, but in a good and profitable way, as I am becoming better acquainted with those writers. George MacDonald provided Lewis with a baptized imagination in his youth. I was already familiar with the Lewis-Tolkien relationship (although I am picking up even more information now) and I have studied and read Dorothy L…. Read more »

Father, Forgive Them

The first recorded words of Jesus as He hung upon the cross were “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He uttered these words after being beaten, scourged, forced to carry the crossbeam through the streets of Jerusalem, and then having nails pounded into His hands and feet. And yet, as He hung there, He wanted those who were responsible for this to be forgiven. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Everyone says forgiveness is a… Read more »

My 72nd

I don’t comment on my birthday every year, but I do want to take some time today to reflect on God’s blessings as I consider my 72nd birthday. First and foremost, I am grateful to the Lord for His unfailing love and compassion toward me. I have had highs and lows spiritually in my life, and at one time I almost succeeded in walking away from Him. Yet He never gave up on me. This particular Scripture rings true on… Read more »

Inspiring a Love of History

Is the study of history an endangered species? We read about the sad state of affairs in higher education with respect to history programs. Many universities are either scaling back on the history major, combining it with something else, or removing it from their offerings entirely. The say, of course, that this is due to declining enrollments in history programs. They are correct in that assessment. And that is what is so sad about it all. The university where I… Read more »