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Steven Dundas
http://padresteve.com
“When I put what I read into the context of the era, the authors, and their motivations, I ask three questions: Why this? Why me? Why now? This helps to identify myths and falsehoods embedded in prior histories. The proper academic term for this is “historiography,” which I believe should be a required subject in all disciplines.”
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“Much of what we regard as history is based on the twin myths of the “Noble South” and the “Lost Cause,” which, in addition to being crude but effective revisionist history and propaganda, act in a similar manner to religious texts. Facts are ignored, and biography becomes hagiography, pervaded by racist narratives. So, it is important for those who read them to use historiography and hermeneutics to differentiate truth from fiction.”
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“But to understand the American Civil War, one has to tackle the elephant in the room that many people want to ignore: American slavery and racism. Slavery ended, but racism did not, and the lingering effects of both are alive and well in the United States.”
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“Likewise, historical ignorance and the belief of myth becomes a problem when leaders who are indifferent history and immersed in rapidly changing situations, flaunt their ignorance. This is not new; previous world leaders were human beings, too, and humanity is the one constant in human history. In the words of Barbara Tuchman, “Any person who considers himself, and intends to remain, a member of Western society inherits the Western past from Athens and Jerusalem to Runnymede and Valley Forge, as well as to Watts and Chicago of August 1968. He may ignore it or deny it, but that does not alter the fact. The past sits back and smiles and knows it owns him anyway.”
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“The twenty- third century is an odd place to begin a book about events that were set in motion in the early seventeenth century. I am a historian, retired career military officer, and priest. As a historian I believe the truth, even when uncomfortable or damning, should be told. I take as inspiration a statement by Sir Patrick Stewart, in his role as Captain Jean Luc Picard, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The First Duty.” In the story Picard tells Cadet Wesley Crusher, “The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it’s scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based.”
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Steven’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Steven’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
7,875 books
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241 friends
1,225 books
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27 friends
1,646 books
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4,997 friends
762 books
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29 friends
665 books
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147 friends
122 books
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15 friends
396 books
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134 friends
477 books
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36 friends
More friends…
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