Daniel Silliman
@danielsilliman
Journalist. Historian. Church deacon. Lives on a tiny farm in Appalachia.
Rest in peace Hulk Hogan. If you want to learn some of the backstory of where he got his schtick, check out my obit on Superstar Billy Graham, the evangelist-turned-wrestling legend who "paved the road for Hulkmania" christianitytoday.com/2023/05/died-s…
An ancient Sumerian myth has been rediscovered, involving a hero that goes into the underworld (like Dante, like Aeneas, like Gilgamesh, etc.). phys.org/news/2025-07-f…
A mainline Methodist college sold off its art collection to help with budget deficit news.artnet.com/art-world/albr…
A study of more than 700 foundation websites found that 1 in 12 has removed language about diversity, equity, and inclusion thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/c…
The latest dump of FBI documents from the Martin Luther King Jr. files seem to mostly be about the investigation into his assassin. They add little to what was already known. But I still find archives weird and thrilling.
The war between Israel and Iran lasted only 12 days, but it came in the middle of the dig season. Scholars and volunteers who had hoped to contribute to our understanding of the world of the Bible found themselves instead ducking into bomb shelters. christianitytoday.com/2025/07/war-in…
Ross Douthat often asks a version of this question—you disagree with where others draw the line, where would you draw a line?—and I really appreciate it. The answers are really illuminating (sometimes for what they don't say, but illuminating nonetheless).
Michael Tait wasn't the first Newsboys frontman to resign suddenly when it seemed like secrets were going to come out. Are there any functioning moral guardrails in CCM? christianitytoday.com/2025/07/newsbo…
The pastor of a Missouri megachurch that left the Assemblies of God said the rumored reasons for the departure are not true, but he can’t say what the real reasons are. ozarksfirst.com/news/james-riv…
The hottest thing in experimental music right now is ... a 12th century German nun? theguardian.com/music/2025/jul…
A Virginia court ruled that a ban on “conversion therapy” does not prevent Christian counselors from talking to minors about aligning their sexual identities with their religious and moral beliefs. virginiamercury.com/2025/07/02/cou…
“Do you want to receive? Give. Do you want to be forgiven? Forgive. It’s a simple enough combination.” —Augustine sermon on the Christian life
Where was the Upper Room? biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical…
John MacArthur has died. The 86-year-old preacher wanted to illuminate Scripture with Scripture and separate true Christians from false. My obit for @CTmagazine: christianitytoday.com/2025/07/died-j…
Top-line finding pretty much what you'd expect, but I was surprised to find which churches are least-likely to pass the plate research.lifeway.com/2025/07/08/mos…
For people thinking about Samaritans this weekend—or at least the "good" one—here's an interview I did with a scholar of Samaritans a few years ago for @CTmagazine: christianitytoday.com/2022/09/good-s…
"For communities shaped by Swaggart’s legacy, scandal does not have to be an end. It can also be a beginning." christianitytoday.com/2025/07/jimmy-…
