Pathways

Each month we keep track of the different paths modern life is taking right now and how writers are trying to keep up. Here are some routes we found in January that opened up new vistas on what it means to be modern and how we became that way.

Who was the first post-modern philosopher? Someone who definitely would not have like post-modern philosophy. Merion West

A priest, a new technology, and the original deplatforming of a national media figure. Slate Magazine

How focusing on "firsts" in history can obscure other, more interesting stories. The New Yorker

You think bronze, iron, steel, cotton, or silicon is important, then you probably forgot about the stuff we get from trees. The Washington Post

A glimpse into one farm family's genealogy. The Review

What comes after a battle over truth that tears at the unity of a republic. If France is a lesson, then the outlook is not good for the US. The Atlantic

How a genealogy of the history of hymns can prepare us for a future Christianity that is centered on Africa. Ekstasis Magazine

How typologies of heresies, even ones from the 2nd Century, can clarify contemporary divisions in Christianity. Church Life Journal

How Derrida and Foucault became the most misunderstood philosophers of our time. Prospect Magazine

A "modern error" in the new Neflix series "Bridgerton," a show set in Regency England that has already been praised for its other "modern" qualities. Huffington Post

Looking to learn more about genealogical work in the humanities? Check out this great summer workshop.