Then and Now: A new weekly feature by American religious historians

This new weekly feature, edited by Edward J. Blum, harnesses the expertise of American religious historians who care about the cities of God and the cities of humans. It’s a space where scholarly expertise collides with the faith, hope and love of those of us who seek thoughtful reflection about our pasts to bear upon the confusing issues of our presents.

The past has had a powerful presence this February.

• • Pope Benedict XVI’s plan to step down turned into a global historical search. “Has a Pope ever resigned?” could be read and heard from Twitter feeds and Facebook status updates to CNN interviews to dinnertime conversations.