Roman Britain, 55 BC- AD 410

Rome contributed so much more to Britannia than just a wall!  South of the wall, in the civil-government district, the Romans built roads that helped boost trade and defense (see, Eisenhower read his history); they also brought their gift for law and government organization.  Without a doubt, however, Rome's greatest gift was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Caesar's foray into Britannia started the relationship between the Romans and the Celts across the channel.  From that point on, Roman influences found their way to the people of the British Isles.  As Christianity made Its way across the Empire along the Roman roads into the Roman hearts, It also crossed the channel into Britannia.  In the early 5th century, the Romans are recalled to defend the empire on the continent.  Sadly, their departure will leave Britannia open to invasions by the Saxons and others, who bring their paganism with them.  Christianity, however, will prevail, and these pagans will themselves be transformed by the truth of a gentle Savior. 

In our lives, we may feel that God's plans encounter setbacks.  Maybe so or maybe not.  Perhaps "setbacks" are simply God's way of expanding His Kingdom as in the days of Roman Britain.  This year, be encouraged as God works in the lives of His saints.

Plutrach, Petrarch and the Monarch

I'm excited about teaching the History of Tudor-Stuart England this spring term.  This course is also a continuation of the Renaissance, this time with the emphasis on the Northern Renaissance. We will examine how Petrarch's humanism changed a bit under the influence of the joyless Erasmus.

At the center of our course sits the great Henry VIII.   Like this famous painting, Henry VIII was a larger-than-life figure who took the age in which he lived completely captive with his persona and his controversies.

We'll approach this course the way we have in the other courses in this series:  in the spirit of Plutarch, the students will have to write 15 biographies of individuals from the era.  We will broaden the era to include Henry V, Agincourt and the French side of the post- "100 Year War" era.  Then we'll move quickly back to the English side of the Channel.  I'll add a post in the next couple of days about the texts we're using.

Hoping They'll Learn to Love Learning

This is of course, a very stressful time for our students as they struggle to complete their papers and research assignments and study for final exams.  Through all of these travails, I hope that they can somehow learn to truly love learning-- to see college not as a means of avoiding the "real world" for four+ years, but as a source of great joy in their lives.  The Renaissance humanist, Francesco Petrarch, loved learning.  In fact, he left this good earth while studying at his desk.  He thought the best life was one wherein an individual could worship God and use the fine mind He had given.  But I know that if I  suggested this to some of my students this week, they would certainly throw something at me.

Pearl Harbor

Today marks the 68th Anniversary of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. FDR correctly prophesied that this date would "live in infamy." That generation could no doubt tell us the exact circumstances in which they heard the news just as my parents could tell you what they were doing when President Kennedy died and I can tell you where I was when the horror of 9/11 began to unfold.

These tragic "bookmarks" of our past serve as reminders not only of these terrible events, but also remind us that America has withstood the evil attacks meant to bring her  to her knees.  Ironically, the best of America's character emerged in response to these events.

  Our worst enemies have never been from without--they are inside our own borders--those who tirelessly work to tear down the moral fiber of our nation.  No prayer in school, abortion on demand, partial-birth abortion, stem cell research using cells from embyros--these are the enemies, cloaked in claims of Lockean civil rights, that will bring an end to our culture and our country.

Everyone's Wild About Harry . . .

I have really enjoyed teaching the President's class this semester.  At 47, I have seen that what was familiar to me in terms of political personalities is ancient history to many of my students.  Actually, this generation gap has some advantages.  I had a great time yesterday talking about Harry Truman and watching the students  fall in love with this great leader just as I did as a student many years ago. Republicans and Democrats alike admire Truman for his courage, integrity and candor (lots of candor!). My point to the students was that few presidents have had to face what he did--so many crises in every direction, at home and abroad.  He concluded World War II, admirably, defined and pursued a wise foreign policy, and dealt with labor and civil unrest here at home, all the while dealing with a cantankerous Congress.  But here is something to think about: Truman is much beloved today on either side of the party line, but my understanding of politics in the 1950's is that by the time Truman left office, both parties wanted him gone. How the passage of time has corrected their vision. 

Henry V

I am very excited about the next course in our history sequence--the History of Tudor-Stuart England.  We will back up a bit and speak of the last great Medieval King, Henry V.  Shakespeare made this larger-than-life monarch even grander in his play, Henry V.   Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film adaptation of Shakespeare's work is one of my all-time favorite movies.  I think we will begin by setting aside an evening to watch the movie as a class.

Medieval Learning

This week in our Medieval course, we talked about Medieval literature and libraries.  Books were comprised of parchment or vellum paper; the content thereon was hand printed. In short, a great deal of work went into making these books in the years before the printing press. But surely, this labor of love that went into making the books made them that much more precious to scholars and students. 

Our class had a really fine discussion about reading today.  Bookstores are everywhere: Books-a-Million, Borders, Barnes and Noble--and of course--Amazon!  Books are easy to find and often relatively inexpensive.  Why then, is reading at the bottom of everyone's "to-do" list?  My favorite place on our campus is our library, not just because of the marvelous staff, but because of all of the books that are there! I know we can't all be bibliophiles, but I lament the fact that books and reading are being crowded out by computers, Kindles, ipods, cell phones and all manner of other devices that teach us to lose our ability to focus and concentrate.

Perhaps we can learn from the example of these Medieval scholars--take the time to read and to enjoy the privilege of learning.

The Best History Book

This is the best History book on the market! The Bible is the only source of complete Truth. Its power not only helps us understand the past, but helps us deal with the difficulties of this present age and to face an uncertain future with the certainty of His love and power!

I love the hymn, In Times Like These. One of the beautiful lines begins, "In times like these, you need the Bible." This timely song was actually written in the midst of World War II by Mrs. Ruth Caye Jones, a pastor's wife and mother of five.

Today, sit down with your "History Book" and maybe a hymnbook, too. Read His Word and sing praises to Him.

Please visit Our Crossstitching Home

Please take a look at my other blog, Our Cross-Stitching Home. I share lots of thoughts about our family life and interests. http://www.ourcrossstitchinghome.blogspot.com/

The Graceful Louisa Adams

This week I have been able to spend a bit of time looking at the first First Ladies. From Martha Washington to Rachel Jackson, each of these ladies faced tremendous pressures and struggles, perhaps none more so than by Louisa Adams. Louisa was the wife of John Quincy Adams. She was born in England to an English mother and American father. This mixed birthright made life very difficult for her in the high-point of America's anti-British mood.

John Quincy was a good man, but not a warm one by any stretch of the imagination. After they were engaged, he left her with a list of books so that she could "improve her mind" while awaiting their wedding!

John Quincy forged an impressive career as an American diplomat before becoming President, and Louisa was able to travel with him throughout much of Europe. However, she would often be left behind as he went on to his next assignment. She had to travel across the Russian winter to catch up with him in France. As if that weren't bad enough, she was leaving behind the grave of her infant daughter, Louisa Catherine. My heart breaks as I think of what Louisa said at the loss of her only daughter, " My heart is buried in Louisa's grave, and my greatest longing is to be laid beside her."

Louisa Adams will go on to bury two adult sons and live through four supremely difficult years in the White House. After John Quincy's only term, they retired to Massachusetts. Political life summoned her husband again as he served in the House of Representatives from 1830 until his death in 1848.

The last years of their marriage seem to have brought them closer together. The loss of their children seems to have driven Louisa deeper into her faith, and my guess is that this mended much of the heartache and coldness of their marriage.

Louisa Adams, pictured here with her harp, brought elegance and a sweet long-suffering spirit to the position of First Lady. Although not as well-known as some of our other First Ladies, her story is a fascinating one.

My Wonderful Scholars

This semester, I have such a wonderful group of young scholars in our Medieval history course. The class meets at 8:00 am--I think this early hour brings out the best students and brings out the best in students. They are punctual, respectful and eager to learn. They do the work I ask them to do on an exemplary level. In short, they are such a blessing to me.

We are working to challenge assumptions about the Medieval and Renaissance eras: the Medieval period brought some tremendous intellectual contributions, and the Renaissance was not an entirely secular movement. We will conclude the course with our look at the Scientific Revolution, paying particular attention to the strength of faith of these great men.

I am grateful for the opportunity to teach this material, and particularly, to teach to this group.

Faith of Our Fathers

This famous painting captures George Washington in a moment of prayer at Valley Forge.
George Washington was a man of faith in the Anglican tradition. His speeches and speech were laced with references to God, Providence, the Creator and Author of all Good. He beseeched his soldiers to attend services when possible and to pray. He requested that Congress send chaplains for the Continental Army. Does this sound like a man who viewed God as a disinterested "Clockmaker" who wound up the world and is watching it, from a distance, wind down?

Many contemporary historians are determined to label all of our Founding Fathers deists or atheists, in short, imposing their own world view and values on the heroes of the past. George Washington has become a battleground, of sorts, between those looking for his faith, and those trying to dismiss it. When will they learn that "Freedom of Religion" does not mean to all of us what it means to them--"freedom from religion"?

Off to a Great Start

This semester is off to a great start. We had a wonderful Chapel service on Thursday. The music by The Tim Johnson Band was marvelous, and our President, Dr. Emir Caner brought the house down with his message. (Our children loved the Chapel service!) My classes seem to be filled with students who want to learn. We have quite a few History majors in the program who aren't afraid of hard work, and are engaged in the learning process. They are such blessings!

The Knights Templar

Time for the Medieval/Renaissance class has rolled around again. The class really covers more of a period of time than two distinct eras. We will begin with the conversion of Constantine and end with the Scientific Revolution. My survey students have always loved the stories about the Knights Templar, even before Dan Brown made a mockery of their devotion and service. We will be reading an interesting book about the Templars by Stephen Howarth (The Knights Templar). I think the class will like this work.

So much has been said about the Templars, but really, so little is known. We know that they began as a unique blended order of military and monk. They took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They came into being in the year 1118 in Jerusalem to defend the Holy land and make the way safe for pilgrims who wished to there journey.

They were trusted, but mysterious. They were also, unfortunately for them, very popular with the people. This popularity was a threat to the evil King of France, Philip the Fair (the "Fair" adjective applying to Philip's handsome features, not his disposition). In a single night in 1307, these most noble of warriors were arrested. Over a terrible seven-year period, they were charged with ridiculous crimes, tortured and executed. The leader of the Knights, the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, recanted his forced confession and faced the cruel fires that ended his life. The King watched as his own guilt was reflected in the death-fires of an innocent man.

Many consider Philip the Fair a hero, the first of the modern kings who bent the will of the Church to his own. I see him in no such light. He proved that ambition was his god, and in so doing, seemed to set the trend for many a leader to come.

Freedom of Speech . . . as Long as Your Speech is White House Approved

Oh, dear. Thomas Paine would be so unhappy with the turn of events in our nation this week. Thomas Paine, as most of you know well, was the author of Common Sense, the little pamphlet that for the first time publicly condemned King George III of England. Paine's work mobilized Colonial public opinion and paved the way for Jefferson to declare our independence just a few months later. Our freedom to express our political opinions has always been of paramount importance, to the extent that the Supreme Court of the United States has repeatedly stood by its characterization of First Amendment rights as enjoying a "preferred position" in Constitutional interpretations. In fact, the Court has ruled that burning the American flag as an expression of political speech is protected by the 1st Amendment(Texas v. Johnson 1989), and "virtual" child pornography likewise enjoys 1st Amendment protection (Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition 2002). These sickening decisions seem more to protect the unpatriotic and perverse side of our culture rather than a right to disagree with the government.



Where are all of those civil libertarians these days as the White House ominously solicits the names of those who disagree with the President's socialized medicine? When I taught at a different college, one of my colleagues routinely made jokes about assassinating President Bush. He was just "expressing his opinion." Wonder how he feels today as the White House characterizes those who are exercising their First Amendment rights in the manner they were conceived? These individuals who show up at "town hall" meetings voicing their discontent are labeled "mobs."



This double standard is appalling, and what is more so is that we are standing still for it. We cannot count on those Napoleon labeled the "Fourth Estate" (the Press) to reveal these inconsistencies. If we do not take a stand for our rights, they will mean nothing in the face of this onslaught as we slowly move toward those same conditions we have seen taking place in Iran these last months, the complete suppression of freedom of expression against the government.

Will Taft

One stop on our vacation this week was the childhood home of Willima Howard Taft in Cincinnati, Ohio. When most of us think of Will Taft, we call to mind this image of the jolly 27th President of the United States. There is much more to this fine gentleman, and he would prefer for us to remember him for his tenure as 10th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

As President, Taft, who had done everything so well theretofore, seemed to be able to do nothing right. He had three strikes against him: first, he was not TR, his enormously popular predecessor. No one seemed to be able to forgive him for being his own man. Second, Will Taft hated politics. He was oft-quoted as saying "politics make me sick." He didn't like the Machiavellian games that seemed to be in the unwritten portion of the Chief Executive's job description. Third, Taft loved the law, the Constitution, and placed the elements of that great document above politics and his personal opinions. He had always wanted a career in the law, specifically as a judge. But, Will would always answer the call to public service and he always seemed to be pushed in the direction of politics by his beloved wife, Nellie. Nellie knew she had married a man with a Midas touch, one who would do his best at any job.

As Chief Justice, Taft had to referee dynamic and extreme personalities on the Court--Oliver Wendell Holmes, jr. and Willis Van Devanter to name but two. But he thrived in this environment.

I believe that Taft was a fine President and a great Cheif Justice, but the role I admire most from this gentleman was his role of father to his three children, Robert, Charlie and Helen. They all grew into their own accomplishments to our Country. I will post on them in the near future.

Historians and students alike brush by the one-termers. They are seen as "losers" and their single terms are thrown into the back of the book index of former presidents. Taft deserves a second look. The man, the President, the Chief Justice and the husband and father: he did possess the Midas touch in all that he did.

Marvelous!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was hoping to be able to teach Latin at TMC this year, but my plate is full, and the Latin at TMC will have to wait for a season. However, I was happy to continue this with our children here at home. Well, I received some wonderful news this week. John Thomas is in the accredited program this year, and will receive true SACS-accredited high school credit. As part of this program, he is required to take an elective. A Beka does not offer Latin, so I contacted them with the hopes of his receiving credit for the Latin studies we have done and will continue.

The upshot of all of this is that if I maintain the records of his study along with test and quiz scores (as with his other coursework), he will receive credit toward his graduation for the course! I am so excited about this, and so is he. We have worked at Latin for some time now, and learning the fundamentals of this ancient language has strengthened his writing and grammar skills. Latin will also improve his vocabulary skills in preparation for the SAT. We will complete at least 180 hours of Latin study over the course of the year. James Martin will do this as well, and I will include Ima Virginia in some of the vocabulary work. (She loves it, and some of her friends are learning Latin as well).

The text we will be using is the Wheelock's. This program of study is "tried and true."

I would make them all learn English,
and then I would let the clever ones
learn Latin as an honor.

Sir Winston Churchill

First Ladies

Those of you who know me know that I love to learn about First Ladies. From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenshower and beyond, I have read over the years as many books as I could on the First Ladies (excluding the historically questionable Kitty Kelley-type works). Hopefully, I can weave a bit of history of our first ladies into the President's class without bothering the gentlemen too much.

Virginia loves First Ladies, too. One of the first biographies she read was on Abigail Adams. She also posted on our blog some interesting facts about the elegant Grace Coolidge.

A while back, my sister-in-law Sherry gave me a clipping on the various "causes" our First Ladies have adopted. I'll be sure to use that in our discussions as well.

"Bully!"

Due to a change in schedules, I am going to get to teach the class on the American Presidency. I am thrilled beyonds words. (The Latin will have to wait--but that's ok--I have the children to teach!). One of very favorite Chief Executives was the swashbuckling Teddy Roosevelt. Born on the eve of one war (1858) and at the close of another (1919), TR seized the "bully puppet" with the same enthusiasm he did in every other aspect of his life.

My favorite TR story has to do with his approach to college at Harvard. Apparently then (as now), it was actually fashionable to make c's or lower grades. To earn good marks was considered almost unacceptable --good grades reflected an unfashionable measure of hard work.
TR was appalled by this approach and openly chastised his peers for this approach. To this future President of the United States, hard work was everything, an integral part of his "strenuous life."

A Lovely Scene from the Past

Contemplating a more serene and lovely moment of history . . .

In July 1776, Thomas Jefferson, along with some of the most notable names of the Revolutionary era, penned what amounted to a declaration of treason against King George and Parliament and a declaration of war against the English people. However, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, et al, did not see their actions in this light.

Borrowing heavily from the ideas of Enlightenment thinker John Locke, Jefferson asserted the idea that England had given us no choice but to overthrow their rule in the colonies. England and her King, through a "long train of abuses" had deprived us of our inalienable rights, granted to us by our Creator--the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

While I cherish this document and revel in the benefits of our Nation's freedoms, so valiantly fought for and defended these last 233 years, I do take issue with the notion that these are rights.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are gifts given to us by our Creator. Scripture is replete with promises from God, but we are not promised political freedoms. He has seen fit to give these to us, but what have we done with them? Our freedom of religion has turned into freedom from religion. Our freedom of speech has been used to justify the burning of our beautiful flag (Texas v. Johnson), but if someone wants to pray aloud at a high school football game, the threat of law suits looms, and we have to settle for a "moment of silence."

What have we done with these rights, fellow Americans? Have we made the most of what God has given us or have we turned over these gifts to the "prince of the air"? On this special day of our Nation's history, thank God for what He has granted us and resolve to defend those gifts for the advancement of His Kingdom.

The Jeds

In one of my summer courses, we hve been reading through books dealing with the espionage and "shadow warfare" of World War II. Today we concluded our look at Colin Beaven's Operation Jedburgh. The author took us back in time to occupied France on the eve of and the weeks following D-Day. The Jeds were teams of three men each, an American officer, an European officer and a radio operator. These teams were dropped into France and other occupied territories, their mission being to organize and train indigenous resistance forces.

We were all amazed at the bravery and determination of these men in completing their mission. We also came to understand that the success of Operation Overlord rested largely on what these extraordinary soldiers were able to do.

This book also provided unvarnished glimpses into the horrors of war. Unless we are there on the battlefields with our soldiers, we can never understand what they experience. If you have the opportunity to express appreciation to someone who has defended or is currently defending our nation, please do so.

The American West

Our entire family loves westerns. But I often wonder if we really have any idea how life was in the trans-Mississippi West after the Civil War.

I took a class many years ago with Dr. Julian Pleasants about the American West. Dr. Pleasants routinely challenged the modern view of the Old West. Violence and lawlessness prevailed and savage range wars and battles between Latter Day Saints and Native Americans splashed the landscape in blood and death.

How then did we get such a marvelous wealth of art, literature and music celebrating the west?

The West of the past appeals to our spirit of adventure, and so many artists and authors capture that in their paintings and books.

Perhaps the real beauty of the American West is in the pioneer spirit demonstrated by Americans as they moved in search of a place to build their homes and make a place for their families.

A Child of the King

A challenge in the Medieval course is "where to begin?" To begin with the collapse of Rome in 476 seems to miss the mark. What events really ushered in this very unique era? This year, I have decided to begin with Constantine. He was the first Christian Emperor of Rome. He seized power at a time when Christians were experiencing some of their worst persecution under the Emperor Diocletian and his temporary successor, Galerius. Constantine was quite the underdog when he defeated Maxentius and his troops at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. This victory resulted in Constantine becoming the Emperor of the western portion of the Roman Empire (Europe). In 324, Constantine became the sole Emperor over the entireity of the Empire.



The Battle of the Milvian Bridge should have been a demoralizing defeat for Constantine, but he had experienced his own "Damascus Road" encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Constantine's heart and future changed in an instant. Many accounts have been written about this encounter, and probably embelished for the sake of interesting posterity. Christ may have spoken to Constantine in a cloud formation dramatically splayed across the heavens, but my guess is that He spoke with this man in that "still, small voice."

Skeptics (read: secular historians, who dominate this field) have always tried to portray this conversion as contrived and opportunistic. But they're ignoring facts. To be an open Christian in
312 was not exactly "running with the big dogs." Constantine stood nothing to gain in worldly terms by becoming a follower of Christ.

During his reign as Emperor of the western Empire and then the entire Roman Empire, Constantine used his influence to strengthen the Church and to unify it against the threat of heretical doctrines that were "creeping into" the teachings of the day. Costantine knew his reign was temporal, but that the God he served is eternal. I am grateful for this warrior King who became
"A Child of the King."

Yellow Roses for Ima Virginia

A sweet memory from the past: when Virginia was a newborn, she was in our room. Because we didn't learn what she would be before she was born, we bought lots of beautiful yellow baby things. One day a few months after she was born, Michael brought me some yellow roses--they just seemed to be perfect in our room with our little girl's things. Now, she is 10, and she remains the sweetest rose I have ever seen. I love you, Ima Virginia!

Medieval History

A class I really enjoy teaching rolls around again this fall--History of the Medieval Era.
In this class, I spend much of the semester attempting to disprove Francesco Petrarch's characterization of the Middle Ages as "one thousand years of gothic gloom." Petrarch managed to set the tone for History books by labeling this era "the Dark Ages." Oh, dear. He was so very wrong.

The Medieval Era witnessed some of Europe's most profound intellectual and spiritual leaps. The University as we know it came into existence (the Universities of Paris and Bologna were among the first). Early Medieval scholars such as Boethius, Cassiodorus and Isidore of Seville composed their own works which rivaled those of the much-touted Ancient Greek philosophers.

Christianity continued to spread, not only amongst the population but also into intellectual circles. The result was the marvelous approach to learning called "scholasticism." The scholastics, notably Peter Abelard and St. Thomas Aquinas, believed that faith and science were naturally compatible. They knew that learning was a gift of God, and rather than marginalizing God and His Son, they praised Them! The faith of these men was the beginning of their wisdom.

Certainly, there were bleak periods within this thousand-year era; however, don't be misled by Petrarch's short-sided summation.

I look forward to teaching this class for many reasons. I love Scholasticism and the students love our study of the Templars (and the Templars were everyone's favorite topic well before Hollywood took its shot at telling their story).

Mary I (1516-1558)

Never has an earthly monarch faced such difficulty, but never has a monarch possessed such strong faith. Mary's faith brought her through the terrible separation from and loss of her beloved mother, Catherine of Aragon. Her faith sustained her when she was stripped of her legitimacy by her father, Henry VIII. Her faith sustained her as she lived in constant fear for her life, and her faith sustained her in a most painful marriage to the heir to the Spanish throne. Mary remained faithful to her country, to her Church and to her Lord Jesus Christ.

John Marshall

John Marshall was actually the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Because he had such a long tenure in this office (1801-1835) and led with such character and intelligence, many mistakenly think of him as the first Chief Justice. I teach my students that he was the first "Great" Chief Justice.

His possessed an intellect that might best be characterized as pragmatic. He felt that the Constitution represented the best of American ideas and that the Supreme Court should protect those ideas by becoming the final interpreter of that great document.

Like many Federalists, he was wary of allowing states too much authority in the area of protecting individual rights. After all, the terrible treatment of farmers (and American Revolution veterans) by the Massachusetts government had resulted in a crisis that might have ended our noble foray into nationhood. The very rights for which men had fought, freedom from oppressive taxation, the right to own property and the freedom to protest against the government, were denied by the Massachusetts legislature, resulting in Shays' Rebellion. The national government, at that time defined by the Articles of Confederation, was far too weak to intervene on behalf of the individual.

John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington and others came to the rescue in the hot summer months of 1787 at what is now known as the "Constitutional Convention." Once drafted and ratified, it was up to the three branches of government to make this new form of government work. For a time, it seemed that Congress and the Executive would divide up the lion's share of power.

John Marshall changed all of that.

Prior to his appointment to this position, the Supreme Court had little luster and even less appeal to those seeking a role in the new government. Marshall, appointed by one of our truly great presidents, John Adams, led the Court from no man's land to the promised land and established it as the branch of the government charged with overseeing our rights and the preservation of the Constitution.

Marshall believed the Court would earn more respect when it spoke with a single, unanimous voice rather than the seriatim opnions that had become the practice. Like Earl Warren many years later, Marshall, affable and respected by the Brethren, could effectively build a consensus. In the most important case in the history of what Hamilton mistakenly called "The Least Dangerous Branch," Marshall led the Court in a unanimous decision establishing the practice of judicial review. (Marbury v. Madison)

In the next year or two, a number of seats on the Bench will undoubtedly open. Justice Gnsburg faces a grave illness; Justice Stevens, a Ford appointee, is 89 years old. I am very concerned., no--dreadfully concerned. The current President has proven himself to be a friend to abortion on demand; he supports the horrendous late-term abortions. He will no doubt appoint those of like minds who may in fact overturn Roe because it doesn't support abortion rights enough! Justices Scalia, Alito and Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts may find themselves in a 4:5 minority.

Many years ago, it was said that all controversies ini this nation will eventually end up as Consitutional questions. This has certainly proven to be true. How I wish Chief Justice Marshall were here to shine a bit of light on these dark times.

Maybe . . .

At Florida, I spent almost as much time in the Classics Department as I did the History Department. My courses in Latin were among my very favorite in the MANY years I spent at UF. Our kids have jumped right in with the Wheelock's Latin course and are doing well with it.

There is a good chance that I may be able to teach first-year Latin next year at Truett. I think that would be a dream come true.

These past few years, I have come to realize how much I truly love teaching and studying History. I wouldn't change my career path for anything. So why do I want to teach Latin? Actually, Latin is history itself. All of my Latin professors at Florida incorporated History into the study of the language. So teaching Latin is teaching history!

My mom could never understand why in the world I would take Latin courses. If you or your children have the chance to study Latin, do it! You'll be amazed at what you will learn about the structure of the English language. Our boys have sailed through much of the grammar of the A Beka program this year because they have a background in Latin grammar. They know the parts of speech (in all their guises, no less) from the time we have spent in Latin.

Our founding fathers were educated in the old Classical mold: Latin, Greek and History were among the most important of subjects. Would it be so bad if we went back to this tried and true approach?

The Astronomer

This is Vermeer's The Astronomer (1668). This painting was done in the waning years of what historians now refer to as the "Scientific Revolution." This grand era of progress in scientific knowledge has been grossly misrepresented by modern scholars. Beginning with Copernicus and perhaps ending with Newton, this period (c. 1453-1700) witnessed a new understanding of the structure and motion of the universe and the creation of much-improved tools with which to observe the heavens. All of the men involved, Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo and Newton, were Christians who saw nothing in the skies which challenged their faith in the Creator of all things.Unfortunately, psuedo-scientists of the "Enlightenment" era took these great steps forward in scientific knowledge and used them as a spurious basis to separate science and faith. Ignoring the reality that these scientists were men of profound faith in Christ, they cast religion in a role as a stumbling block to intellectualism. Today, our culture retains this mentality that to be a person of faith is to reject science.Science is a gift of God. He is the Creator. I hope that He delights in those that study His Creation and who credit Him for all its beauty and wonder.

Virginia Hall

An unsung heroine of WW II was Maryland-born Virginia Hall. She worked overseas for the State Department in a clerical position in Turkey. She had just resigned and traveled to Paris at the outbreak of the war. Angered by the horrific behavior of the Germans, she wanted to take an active role in their defeat. She became a spy for the British government, and was in fact one of only 40 women sent out by their espionage organization, the SOE (Special Operations Executive).

Virginia aided the French resistance in countless ways, and made life and death decisions that unquestionably altered the course of the War in France. All of this despite the loss of a leg years earlier in a hunting accident.

Note that she was employed by the British goverment, not the American. When she repeatedly applied for a State Department position, she was each time denied. When at last, the higher ups had exhausted all excuses for not hiring her, they came up with a new prohibition: "amputation is a cause for rejection." Why did they reject Virginia? Because, quite simply, she was a woman.

I am NOT a feminist, but am deeply troubled when I see how women in history and in the present age are passed over because of their gender. Because of American short-sightedness in the pre-war years, the State Department lost a valuable asset and a devoted patriot. Fortunately, for America and the Allies, she retained her deep love of the United States and of the freedom we say we offer for all.

Judith L. Pearsn has written an interesting but very poorly documented account of Virginia's adventures in war-torn France entitled Wolves at the Door: the True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy.

After the War, Virginia was in fact, hired by the CIA. At long last, her own country seemed to see what she could do!

The Beginning and End of All History

Perhaps this started it all . . .

This little Landmark history probably started it all. I checked it out over and over again from our public library. First person accounts made these stories come alive. Interestingly enough, I became fascinated in history rather than the nursing. To my delight, my husband found a nice copy for me in a used book store.

Stephen Ambrose, in his later works on World War II, used the first-person narratives so very effectively. He interviewed countless D-Day veterans to give us a realistic glimpse into the experiences of the participants of Operation Overlord. I learned more from Ambrose's collections of memories than from any textbook about the era.

History

I have always loved History, all kinds of History. The Lord is so gracious and generous to have placed me in a profession where I can indulge this great passion. This will be a new blog, a new blog about old things! I hope to explore many different areas of History--the History of science, music, art, revolutions, world wars and ideas.