What the Barista is Brewing Today
Grab some espresso and dive in for some brewmination
Suffering, Not Just Happiness, Weighs in the Utilitarian Calculus
A utilitarian machine with a suicidal ghost inside. J S Mill (1873) by George Frederick Watts / Wikimedia Commons Without goods that explode utilitarianism and open us to the mystery of suffering, even the happiest life is miserable. By Dr. Scott Samuelson / 06.06.2018 Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Humanities Kirkwood Community College In[…]
Is It Better to Beat Temptation or Never Feel Tempted at All?
By Dr. Christina Starmans / 01.06.2017 Postdoctoral Associate in Psychology Yale University When was the last time you were tempted, even briefly, to do something a little immoral? To lie, betray a friend’s confidence, cut in line, or take a little more than your share? I’m willing to bet it was today. Maybe in the past[…]
The Church of Saint-Pierre in Moissac: Art and Architecture along Medieval Pilgrimage Routes
South-side portal (detail), Church of Ste. Pierre, 1115-1130, Moissac, France (photo: Simon, Creative Commons) By Dr. Shannon Pritchard / 08.08.2015 Assistant Professor of Art History Assistant Chair, Art and Design Department University of Southern Indiana The church of Ste. Pierre (St. Peter) in Moissac, France, dating from 1115-30, has one of the most impressive and elaborate[…]
Fontenay Abbey and the Medieval Cistercian Order
Cloister, Fontenay Abbey, 12th century By Christine M. Bolli / 08.08.2015 PhD Candidate in Art History University of California, Santa Barbara The rules Illumination with St. Benedict delivering his Rule to St. Maurus, Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, 1129 The Romanesque abbey of Fontenay (Abbaye de Fontenay) is located in Burgundy, France and stands today as a[…]
The Constantinian Shift: Rome’s Transition from Pagan Tolerance to Christian Supremacy
Roman religion and tolerance for others drastically began to change following the Edict of Milan. Introduction Constantinian shift is a term used by some theologians and historians of antiquity to describe the political and theological aspects and outcomes of the 4th-century process of Constantine’s integration of the Imperial government with the Catholic church that began with the First Council of Nicaea.[1] The term was popularized[…]
Ancient Rome’s First and Second Triumvirates: Uneasy Transition from Republic to Empire
Balances of power and ambitious pursuits. Introduction A triumviratus is literally a college of three men. In the ancient Roman republic, there were several boards of tresviri. For example tresviri agro dando divided newly conquered land among farmers; tresviri capitales were responsible for the jail and prisoners; tresviri coloniae deducendae founded new towns (coloniae); tresviri epulones took care of the dinners that[…]
The Strange Politics of Gertrude Stein
Was the den mother of modernism a fascist? Why were so many prominent modernist writers and philosophers attracted to fascist or authoritarian regimes in the first half of the twentieth century? A list of those who were not—Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Thomas Mann, and Robert Musil—pales in comparison to a list of those who were—Ezra[…]
Parlor Politics: The Activist Legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe
She was a famous activist in her day, arguably the most famous in the world. What is her relevance today? By Tom Christopher Katherine Kane, executive director of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut, has no doubts. As she escorts me through Stowe’s home, a 4,500-square-foot Victorian “cottage,” Kane points out that the[…]
The Historical Context for the Protestant Reformation
To circumscribe the Reformation solely within the sphere of theological disputation is to mask the complexity of both its birth and afterlife. By Jay Gundacker and Sean Hallowell Martin Luther To understand the rapid spread of Luther’s ideas, a brief account of the role that the Church played in Medieval society is necessary. In the[…]
The Church in Medieval Europe
The Church dominated the culture and society of Medieval Europe so powerfully that its people thought of themselves as living in “Christendom” – the realm of the Christians. Introduction Overview Medieval Christendom was divided into two parts. The Christians of eastern Europe were under the leadership of the patriarch of Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, in Turkey). Those in[…]
Ancient Phoenician DNA Tells a Story of Settlement and Female Mobility
A study investigate how Phoenicians integrated with the Sardinian communities they settled. By Tessa Gregory The Phoenicians were an ancient civilization that emerged in 1800 B.C. in the northern Levant and by 800 B.C. had spread their culture across the Mediterranean to parts of Asia, Europe and Africa through trade networks and settlements. Despite their[…]
The Phoenician Alphabet and Language
Phoenician is a Canaanite language closely related to Hebrew. Introduction Very little is known about the Canaanite language, except what can be gathered from the El-Amarna letters written by Canaanite kings to Pharaohs Amenhopis III (1402 – 1364 BCE) and Akhenaton (1364 – 1347 BCE). It appears that the Phoenician language, culture, and writing were[…]
When Paris Was Reno: American Divorce Tourism in the City of Light, 1920-1927
Traveling to Paris for a divorce became all the rage in the early 1920s. It was one of the Franco-American scandals of the 1920s. It brought Americans on an eastward ho to undo in Paris what had been wrought in America. It led to questionable legal practices at the Paris bar and diplomatic tensions over[…]
The American Tourist in Paris: A Retrospective
The presence of Americans in Paris stretches back to the days of the American Revolution. For many Americans, spending time in Paris is a chance to enjoy the same delights, copious amounts of champagne and dancing to jazz at the all-night parties in the cafes and clubs of Montparnasse, that some of the nation’s greatest[…]
After 100 Years, Mussolini’s Fascist Party Is a Reminder of Freedom’s Fragility
It was 100 years ago this month that Benito Mussolini created the fascist party in Italy. Today, his life offers cautionary lessons for contemporary politics. One hundred years ago, in March 1919, Benito Mussolini created the fascist party in Italy. For more than two decades, when he came to be known as “Il Duce,” or “the leader,”[…]
From Teahouses To Trading Ports: The Scallywag Empress Ching Shih
Captain Ching Shih stares death in the face, as she has done many times in her life. This time, though, she does it with a smile. By Danielle Slaughter The boiling clouds roll back, the tumultuous sky reduced to a slow simmer. A terrible maelstrom has just passed, wreaking havoc on this small fleet of[…]
The Surprising Detective Work of a Renaissance Drawings Curator
Puzzling questions are the focus of the exhibition Spectacular Mysteries: Renaissance Drawings Revealed. By Tristan BravinderSocial Media ProducerGetty Research Institute Though it may be hard to imagine, the roles of a curator and a detective have much in common. Both follow clues and evidence in an attempt to uncover the truth behind a mystery. While[…]
Illuminated Manuscripts: A Step-By-Step Look at a Beautiful, Centuries-Old Craft
What place does the paper book have in our increasingly all-digital present? What place does the paper book have in our increasingly all-digital present? While some utilitarian arguments once marshaled in its favor (“You can read them in the bathtub” and the like) have fallen into disuse, other, more aesthetically focused arguments have arisen: that[…]
Rise and Fall of the Landline: 143 Years of Telephones Becoming More Accessible – and Smart
A century ago, a three-minute call from New York City to San Francisco on a landline cost $500. Today, you can make the same call on a cellphone for a few cents (or free). The global economy has changed dramatically over the past century and a half. When I lecture my Boston University business students on this topic, I[…]
LOL in the Age of the Telegraph
Long before ‘sup’ and ‘hwu’ there was ‘Hw r u ts mng?’ From “lol” to “brb,” the internet and text messaging gave rise to a unique form of short form language – “textspeak” – in which almost all of us are well-versed. But long before the internet revolutionized communication, humans experienced a different sort of[…]
A History of Jewish Political Activity in the Early Modern and Modern Periods
In the early modern period, political activity among Jews was limited exclusively to the Jewish community. Introduction In the early modern period, political activity among Jews was limited exclusively to the Jewish community. Autonomous congregational structures existed in the early modern “triple congregation” Dreigemeinde consisting of Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbek. It was only in the[…]
Jewish Migration from 1500 to the 20th Century
The beginnings of Hamburg’s Jewish community are linked to the Jews’ expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century. Introduction The term migration is used to describe different, interconnected processes, especially mobility, immigration and emigration, internal migration, labor migration, seasonal migration, flight and expulsion. Among the most extreme forms of forced[…]
Ancient Chinese Warfare: Confucianism and Absence of Glory
The absence of a glorification of war in China was largely due to Confucian philosophy and literature. By Mark CartwrightHistorian Introduction In ancient China warfare was a means for one region to gain ascendancy over another, for the state to expand and protect its frontiers, and for usurpers to replace an existing dynasty of rulers.[…]
The Most Popular Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China
There were over 200 gods and goddesses worshipped throughout ancient China, but if one were to count every deity or spirit, the number would be over 1,000. By Emily MarkHistorian Introduction There were over 200 gods and goddesses worshipped throughout ancient China, but if one were to count every deity or spirit, the number would be[…]
Theodore Roosevelt’s Bipartisan Appeal
Roosevelt has become the rare figure popular with both left and right. A president’s career can extend well beyond his death, as family, friends, and fans work tirelessly to maintain his legacy and image. For roughly 10 years, I have studied the legacy of the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. Even after a decade, I continue[…]
Lincoln’s Critics: The Copperheads
Many Americans mistakenly believe that Abraham Lincoln enjoyed nearly universal support Many Americans mistakenly believe that Abraham Lincoln enjoyed nearly universal support during the Civil War. If they are aware of any opposition, it is in the form of the New York City Draft Riots in the summer of 1863. In fact, Lincoln had to[…]
Slavery’s Traces: In Search of Ashley’s Sack
Until now, Ashley’s identity has been unknown. Overview One of the most enigmatic objects on display in South Carolina’s Middleton Place, this unbleached cotton sack features an embroidered text recounting the slave sale of a nine-year-old girl named Ashley and the gift of the sack by her mother. Until now, Ashley’s identity has been unknown.[…]
Things You May Not Know about Slavery in British North America
Exploring common misconceptions about slavery in the American colonies. While there are many misconceptions about this time period in American history, some of the most egregious surround the institution of slavery in the mainland colonies of British North America. It is common to read back into colonial times an understanding of slavery that is based[…]
Initiation of Religions in Ancient India
Vedic religion had a strict code of rituals. Introduction The religious practices of the early Indo-Aryans, known as the Vedic religion (1500 BCE to 500 BCE) were written down and later redacted into the Samhitas, four canonical collections of hymns or mantras, called the Veda, in archaic Sanskrit. The Late Vedic age (9th to 6th centuries BCE) marked the beginning[…]
The Script of the Ancient Indus Valley
An overview of the earliest form of writing known in the Indian subcontinent. By Cristian ViolattiHistorian Introduction The Indus Script is the writing system developed by the Indus Valley Civilization and it is the earliest form of writing known in the Indian subcontinent. The origin of this script is poorly understood: this writing system remains[…]
