Bryan Rommel-Ruiz Publishes “American History Goes to the Movies”

Associate Professor of History Bryan Rommel-Ruiz has a new book out, titled “American History Goes to the Movies: Hollywood and the American Experience.” The research and writing for the book evolved from the film and history class that he teaches at Colorado College. Using films from many different genres, the book draws together movies that depict the Civil War, the Wild West, the assassination of JFK, and the events of 9/11, to show how viewers use movies to make sense of the past. “American History Goes to the Movies” addresses not only how we render history for popular enjoyment, but also how Hollywood’s renderings of America influence the way Americans see themselves and how they make sense of the world.

David Weddle Publishes Book on Miracles in World Religions

Weddle bookProfessor of Religion David Weddle has recently published a book on miracles in world religions. The book, “Miracles: Wonder and Meaning in World Religions,” examines the stories of miracles among the gurus, rebbes, bodhisattvas, saints, and imams of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam through the centuries. Finding a common ground in the definition that “a miracle is an event of transcendent power that arouses wonder and carries religious significance for those who witness it or hear or read about it,” he examines each tradition through the same lens. Weddle explores the mysterious healings in the waters at Lourdes, and those affected by evangelists, and explains why Sunnis, Shiites, and Sufis disagree about the nature of miracles in Islam.