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Religion

Raymond Buckland and Wicca in America

January 24, 2023 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoIf you lived in Brentwood, Long Island in the late 1960s and 70s, you may have encountered a charming, transplanted Englishman named Raymond Buckland. You many not have realized it at the time, but Buckland was in the process of establishing Wicca as a religion in America.

A private practitioner at first, introduced to Wicca by Gerald Gardner, Buckland was soon thrust into the public eye by the press. He then helped popularize Gardnerian Wicca through television appearances, newspaper interviews, and his own numerous writings on the subject. He went on to found his own museum and his own tradition of Seax Wicca. [Read more…] about Raymond Buckland and Wicca in America

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Brentwood, Cultural History, Long Island, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History

Religion and the American Revolution

September 22, 2021 by Liz Covart Leave a Comment

ben_franklins_worldInvestigations of the American Revolution often include explorations of politics, ideology, trade and taxation, imperial control, and social strife. What about religion? 

What role did religion play in the American Revolution?

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast About Early American History Katherine Carté, author of Religion and the American Revolution: An Imperial History (Omohundro Institute & UNC Press, 2021), joins us to investigate the role of religion in the American Revolution.

[Read more…] about Religion and the American Revolution

Filed Under: Books, History Tagged With: American Revolution, Cultural History, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History

Parish Lifeblood: Italian-Americans In Williamsburg (Podcast)

June 5, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Lifeblood of the ParishIn the latest episode of Empire State Engagements Dr. Alyssa Maldonado-Estrada talks about her ethnographic study of Italian-American men’s Catholic devotion, Lifeblood of the Parish; Men and Catholic Devotion in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (NYU Press, 2020). She discussed her experiences over six years of work engaging the parish community; reading tattoos as devotional texts; playfulness and devotion in masculine spaces; the rich history of Italian-American Catholicism in Williamsburg; and the endurance of this parish, tradition, and community – despite decades of challenges ranging from reactionary clergymen to Robert Moses to gentrifying hipsters. [Read more…] about Parish Lifeblood: Italian-Americans In Williamsburg (Podcast)

Filed Under: Books, History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Brooklyn, Cultural History, Gender History, Italian History, New York City, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History, Social History, Williamsburg

Catherine O’Donnell Discusses ‘Elizabeth Seton: American Saint’

May 24, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Elizabeth Seton American SaintEpisode two of “Empire State Engagements” features a conversation with Dr. Catherine O’Donnell of Arizona State University exploring her book Elizabeth Seton, American Saint (Ithaca, NY: Three Hills/Cornell University Press, 2018).

O’Donnell discussed young Elizabeth Seton’s formative years in New York City, the intellectual forces and family tragedies that informed her spiritual journey, the evolution of American Catholicism, and Mother Seton’s remarkable journey from despair to serenity and, ultimately, sainthood. [Read more…] about Catherine O’Donnell Discusses ‘Elizabeth Seton: American Saint’

Filed Under: Books, History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Catholicism, New York City, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History

Infidels and Atheists: 1820 Religious Revival in Saratoga County

February 26, 2021 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Rev Asahel NettletonThe Great Awakening was a wave of increased religious enthusiasm led by evangelical Protestant ministers that first swept through the American Colonies in the 1730s. It made Christianity intensely personal to the average person by fostering a deep sense of spiritual conviction and by encouraging introspection and a commitment to a new standard of personal morality.

While the Great Awakening was very effective in reviving religion, the emotion burned out quickly after the first generation and there was much “back sliding.” By the 1820s conditions were ripe for another round of revival, what became known as the Second Great Awakening. [Read more…] about Infidels and Atheists: 1820 Religious Revival in Saratoga County

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Malta, Religion, Religious History, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Second Great Awakening

New Book: The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902

December 15, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Great Kosher Meat WarBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

Scott D. Seligman’s new book The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots That Shook New York City (Potomac Books, 2020) is a full account of the Great Kosher Meat War of 1902, a milestone in the history of Jewish-American women. [Read more…] about New Book: The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902

Filed Under: Books, Food, History, New York City Tagged With: Books, Culinary History, Cultural History, Immigration, Jewish History, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, Religion, Religious History, womens history

Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

July 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

long island history project logoBrad Kolodny started with some curiosity and an Instagram account but wound up with a coffee table book full of his images documenting synagogues from every corner of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

He tracked the evolution of the architecture, from simple buildings to post-modern masterpieces, as well as the growth of the Jewish community on Long Island itself. The post-Second World War boom led to a boom in synagogues as well.

On this episode of the Long Island History Project podcast, we discuss the history of Long Island synagogues, the role they play in their communities, and what drives a man to document their storied histories. [Read more…] about Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

Filed Under: History, New York City Tagged With: Jewish History, Long Island, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History

Father Fitz: Missionary to the Adirondacks

April 11, 2020 by Roy Crego 3 Comments

Rev-John-FitzgeraldThe Rev. John G. Fitzgerald, or “Father Fitz” as he was known to contemporaries, was the first resident Roman Catholic priest in Old Forge. He is fondly remembered as a missionary to the widely scattered working people of the region and as a prolific builder of churches.

His obituary in 1925 and local histories rightly focus on his time in Old Forge, but Father Fitzgerald had a significant career prior to that. His early assignments reveal a resourceful and energetic clergyman who made an impact across the Adirondacks and North Country. He served the people of northern New York State for a total of 49 years providing faith, culture, and kindness. [Read more…] about Father Fitz: Missionary to the Adirondacks

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Mohawk Valley, Western NY Tagged With: Adirondacks, Ausable Forks, Immigration, Irish History, Logging, Old Forge, Religion, Religious History

Christianity and American Slavery

March 4, 2020 by Liz Covart Leave a Comment

ben_franklins_worldBetween 1500 and the 1860s, Europeans and Americans forcibly removed approximately 12 million African people from the African continent, transported them to the Americas, and enslaved them.

Why did Europeans and Americans enslave Africans? How did they justify their actions?

[Read more…] about Christianity and American Slavery

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Black History, Podcasts, Religion, Religious History, Slavery

Upper West Side Catholics Talk Set for NYC

February 10, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

upper west side catholicsThe Bloomingdale Neighborhood History group has announced “Upper West Side Catholics: the History of Ascension Church on West 107th Street,” a presentation by Monsignor Thomas J. Shelley, has been set for Tuesday, February 25, at 6:30 pm.

Monsignor Shelley, author of the recently published book Upper West Side Catholics: Liberal Catholicism in a Conservative Archdiocese and professor emeritus of Fordham, is set to tell the story of this well-known Upper West Side church. [Read more…] about Upper West Side Catholics Talk Set for NYC

Filed Under: Events, History, New York City Tagged With: Historic Preservation, New York City, Religion

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