What is mushin? Is it the same as mindfulness? How can it help you remain calm and even de-escalate a high-stress situation? A core skill in Verbal Judo is cultivating a mindset called mushin (wushin in Chinese), which practitioners of many Japanese and Chinese martial arts aim to achieve. In his book Verbal Judo, George Thompson explains mushin and how you can cultivate it and use it to great advantage. Read more to learn what mushin is and how to apply it.
The Psychology of Religion: Is It Helpful or Harmful?
Does religion actually make people happier? What are the drawbacks of religion? What effects do rituals have on people? Religious and spiritual practices are often credited with making people happier and healthier. But research suggests that religious practices have some potential drawbacks. Continue reading to learn the psychology of religion, backed by research.
Christianity in the Victorian Era: When Masculinity Was Genteel
What were Christian men like during the Victorian Era? How and why did masculinity change around the turn of the 20th century? A professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University, Kristin Du Mez, presents an intriguing perspective of Christianity in the Victorian era in her book Jesus and John Wayne. She focuses on men and masculinity and argues that they were quite different than they became in the 20th century. Read more to understand Du Mez’s views.
The Rise of the Religious Right in America (Kristin Du Mez)
How are the election and presidency of Ronald Reagan connected to American Christianity? Who popularized the religious right? In Jesus and John Wayne, history and gender studies professor Kristin Du Mez traces the link between politics and evangelical Christianity in America. She lays out the roots of the religious right and how it entered the mainstream in the 1980s. Continue reading to learn about the rise of the religious right in America.
Trump and Christianity: Why Did Evangelicals Elect Him?
What’s the deal with Donald Trump and Christianity—especially evangelicalism? Why do so many Christians endorse him? In Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez traces the development of evangelicals’ conception of masculinity since the 1900s, outlining how the genteel masculinity of Victorian-era Christianity transformed into the militaristic masculinity that led evangelicals to embrace Trump wholeheartedly. Read more to get Du Mez’s take on the intriguing link between Donald Trump and Christianity.
Having a Purpose in Life: 3 Ways It Contributes to Happiness
Where are you headed in life? What are you striving toward? Do you believe that your life has value and meaning? In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky unpacks the factors that fuel happiness and provides practical strategies to nurture and sustain it. One way is to find and create purpose in your life. Keep reading to see how having a purpose in life can bring you lasting happiness.
Soft Patriarchy in Christianity? Exploring the Complementarian View
What’s the complementarian view of scripture? Does it represent “soft patriarchy” in Christianity? Professor of history and gender studies Kristin Du Mez writes that, in the early and mid-20th century, evangelical Christians shifted toward a militant view of masculinity. Then, a lack of a US military opponent in the ’90s caused this conception to soften. Continue reading to understand Du Mez’s perspective on “soft patriarchy” within evangelicalism.
Christianity in the 20th Century: A Gender-Based Critique
How did Teddy Roosevelt help shape American Christianity? What impact did the wars of the 20th century have on the American church? As a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University, Kristin Du Mez shares a new perspective on the history of American Christianity. She traces the evolving concept of masculinity within evangelicalism throughout the last century. Keep reading to get Du Mez’s take on American Christianity in the 20th century.
Christianity in the 21st Century: A Gender-Based Critique
What impact did the 9/11 attacks have on Christianity in America? Why did many Christians support the election of Donald Trump? In the 1990s, American evangelical Christianity shifted toward a less militant concept of masculinity. But, this was short-lived. Kristin Du Mez claims that 9/11 caused an immediate return to the militaristic masculinity of decades past, ultimately culminating in the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Read more for Du Mez’s perspective of American evangelical Christianity in the 21st century.
A History of Christian Masculinity: From the Victorian Era to Trump
How have Christians perceived masculinity over time? What influences have shaped these views? In Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez argues that evangelicals endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election because he was the paradigm of militant masculinity that became orthodox among evangelicals in the last century. She traces the history of Christian masculinity from the Victorian era on. Read more for Du Mez’s historical assessment of American Christian masculinity.