Apr 1, 2020
In the Middle Ages, Dance Crazes Were Literal, Actual Crazes
Accounts of unstoppable, contagious dancing fools date as far back as the seventh century, and hail from nearly all parts of Europe.
Mar 18, 2020
This Lent, Let’s Fast from Toilet Paper (No, For Real)
Let’s give generously to the ones who need it and the ones who are helping. And maybe, I dunno, put that giant pack of Quilted Northern back on the rack.
Mar 4, 2020
Pet Rocks Were Actually a Thing, and Were Almost Political in How Apolitical They Were
Dahl wasn’t selling people rocks—not really—he was selling them a joke.
Dec 27, 2018
On the Third Day of Christmas, CAPC Gave to Me: Three Memes a-Meme-ing
Every once in a while, the internet still manages to provide a bit of clarity to (semi-) important issues.
Apr 27, 2018
The Saint Who Baptized Herself in a Tank of Rabid Sea Lions
Having thus cheated death twice, you might think that Thecla would abandon Christianity in favor of staying alive, but of course you’d be wrong.
Apr 13, 2018
Why the John 3:16 “Rainbow Man” Is Serving Multiple Life Sentences
We all expect to have important, dramatic lives. We all think we’ll turn out to be heroes. We’re just like Rainbow Man.
Mar 23, 2018
No, Easter Isn’t Pagan, Either: A Very D-List Saints Holiday Sequel (The Gritty Reboot)
So, if Easter did coincide with an Anglo-Saxon feast to a goddess no one’s ever heard of—well, I mean, coincidences happen.
Mar 9, 2018
The Time Communion Wafers and Wine Turned into Bloody Human Remains
It’s called the “Miracle of Lanciano,” mostly because “Holy crap, we have bleeding human remains on the altar” isn’t particularly catchy.
Feb 23, 2018
How to Practice Virtue (by Chasing Hookers Away with Red-Hot Pokers)
The great thinkers of the Mediterranean have already identified the seven virtues and how you can acquire them! It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Feb 9, 2018
How the Founder of American Evangelicalism Was Felled by Dirty Magazines
In the end, it wasn’t being at odds with his board of elders that brought Jonathan Edwards down—it was dirty magazines. Because, isn’t it always dirty magazines?
Jan 26, 2018
The Bizarre Reason Michelangelo’s Moses Has Horns
For several centuries, if you wanted to make sure the viewer knew you were sculpting Moses, you gave him horns. Weird, right?
Jan 12, 2018
The Saint Who Got Barbecued Alive
St. Lawrence was literally barbecued to death. And then the Catholic Church made him patron saint of chefs, presumably to rub it in.
Dec 22, 2017
No, Christmas Isn’t Secretly Pagan: A Very Merry D-List Saints Christmas Special (For the Whole Family)
The point is, it’s Christmas (or actually Advent, but since no one seems to understand the difference between Christmas and Advent, whatevs, call it Christmas if you want, sure)!
Dec 11, 2017
You Are Not Actually Reading This Right Now: The Paradox of the Mind, and Why I Wrote a Psychological Thriller
Fiction is what we turn to when we have nagging questions that we can’t quite put into more precise language.
Dec 1, 2017
The Church Father Who Cut off His Junk
Jesus’ solution to your own sinful tendencies isn’t presented as inconveniencing, insulting, or harming the people around you—it’s presented as handicapping yourself.
Nov 22, 2017
The Digital Art That Graces Our Lives: Boss Fight Books and the Need to Take Games Seriously
Boss Fight Books is a quirky, charming series that weaves together journalism, criticism, game theory, and often a heavy dose of memoir.