Peter J. Thuesen
@peterjthuesen.bsky.social
Historian of American religion. Writing a book on Boston's Richard Cardinal Cushing (1895-1970), who was loved more for his humanity than his consistency. Previous books: Tornado God (OUP), Predestination (OUP), In Discordance with the Scriptures (OUP).
Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church, Indianapolis (which occupies the space that was once First Congregational Church). The attached St. Seraphim Bookstore is the only place I know in downtown Indianapolis where one can buy books on Orthodox theology.
November 11, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Joy of All Who Sorrow Orthodox Church, Indianapolis (which occupies the space that was once First Congregational Church). The attached St. Seraphim Bookstore is the only place I know in downtown Indianapolis where one can buy books on Orthodox theology.
There's no better place on the @iuindianapolis.bsky.social campus on a Friday morning than the University Library.
October 24, 2025 at 1:17 PM
There's no better place on the @iuindianapolis.bsky.social campus on a Friday morning than the University Library.
Happy 279th birthday to @princeton.edu, my graduate alma mater, founded as the College of New Jersey in 1746. I've always been grateful to that institution for making my grad studies possible. Here's the Graduate College (photo taken on a visit a decade ago).
October 22, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Happy 279th birthday to @princeton.edu, my graduate alma mater, founded as the College of New Jersey in 1746. I've always been grateful to that institution for making my grad studies possible. Here's the Graduate College (photo taken on a visit a decade ago).
UPS just delivered Jonathan Stapley's Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship, hot off the press from @oxfordacademic.bsky.social. A welcome addition to OUP's extensive list in Mormon studies.
October 20, 2025 at 7:17 PM
UPS just delivered Jonathan Stapley's Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship, hot off the press from @oxfordacademic.bsky.social. A welcome addition to OUP's extensive list in Mormon studies.
No Kings today in the shadow of George Washington on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis. State police estimated 5K crowd size; seemed larger to me. Ought to give Gov. Braun pause on Trump's push to redistrict—which polls already show Hoosiers don't want.
October 18, 2025 at 8:33 PM
No Kings today in the shadow of George Washington on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis. State police estimated 5K crowd size; seemed larger to me. Ought to give Gov. Braun pause on Trump's push to redistrict—which polls already show Hoosiers don't want.
The flags of the United Nations member nations inside the Indiana University Indianapolis Campus Center for this month's International Festival. Always an inspiring reminder of how higher education embraces the world.
October 6, 2025 at 12:50 PM
The flags of the United Nations member nations inside the Indiana University Indianapolis Campus Center for this month's International Festival. Always an inspiring reminder of how higher education embraces the world.
It's worth noting that there have been women as primates of national churches for a while—among them Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden & Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church. But the appointment of Sarah Mullally as Abp. of Canterbury will certainly reignite ecumenical debate.
October 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
It's worth noting that there have been women as primates of national churches for a while—among them Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden & Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church. But the appointment of Sarah Mullally as Abp. of Canterbury will certainly reignite ecumenical debate.
Congratulations to the Rt. Rev. Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London and a former nurse, on her historic appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury! What great news for ecumenical Christianity! (Was pleased too to see she studied theology at @kent.ac.uk, where my daughter also studied last year.)
October 3, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Congratulations to the Rt. Rev. Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London and a former nurse, on her historic appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury! What great news for ecumenical Christianity! (Was pleased too to see she studied theology at @kent.ac.uk, where my daughter also studied last year.)
Back from South Bend and the Cushwa Center's Dolan Seminar in American Religion, which featured a rousing discussion this morning of Tom Tweed's remarkable new book, Religion in the Lands That Became America: A New History (@yalepress.bsky.social). What a treat!
September 27, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Back from South Bend and the Cushwa Center's Dolan Seminar in American Religion, which featured a rousing discussion this morning of Tom Tweed's remarkable new book, Religion in the Lands That Became America: A New History (@yalepress.bsky.social). What a treat!
The Jesuit founder keeping watch over the Congregation of Holy Cross in the basilica at @notredame.bsky.social.
September 27, 2025 at 11:47 AM
The Jesuit founder keeping watch over the Congregation of Holy Cross in the basilica at @notredame.bsky.social.
The Golden Dome at @notredame.bsky.social earlier this afternoon.
September 26, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The Golden Dome at @notredame.bsky.social earlier this afternoon.
Always glad to be back at the Cushwa Center at @notredame.bsky.social for the Dolan Seminar in American Religion, this time featuring Thomas Tweed's Religion in the Lands That Became America (@yalepress.bsky.social). I arrived on campus in time to hear organ practice in the Basilica. Glorious!
September 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Always glad to be back at the Cushwa Center at @notredame.bsky.social for the Dolan Seminar in American Religion, this time featuring Thomas Tweed's Religion in the Lands That Became America (@yalepress.bsky.social). I arrived on campus in time to hear organ practice in the Basilica. Glorious!
Are we really still in the United States of America??
September 18, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Are we really still in the United States of America??
A new book by John Turner is always an event, and this book is an especially big event! So glad to see this, @yalepress.bsky.social! The vitality of Mormon history as a subfield has been nothing short of remarkable.
September 8, 2025 at 1:22 PM
A new book by John Turner is always an event, and this book is an especially big event! So glad to see this, @yalepress.bsky.social! The vitality of Mormon history as a subfield has been nothing short of remarkable.
Caught a glimpse of this majestic bird this evening at IND. Pleased that Aer Lingus now has a direct connection between Indianapolis and Dublin. I'm now accepting speaking invitations to Dublin! (Cardinal Cushing, anyone?)
September 2, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Caught a glimpse of this majestic bird this evening at IND. Pleased that Aer Lingus now has a direct connection between Indianapolis and Dublin. I'm now accepting speaking invitations to Dublin! (Cardinal Cushing, anyone?)
Really enjoying this new Oxford UP book by one of my Princeton grad school mentors, @rwuth.bsky.social, who is as prolific as ever in retirement. Adept at both history and sociology, he shows how different leaders and groups cultivated happiness as a religious practice. @princetonccsr.bsky.social
August 31, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Really enjoying this new Oxford UP book by one of my Princeton grad school mentors, @rwuth.bsky.social, who is as prolific as ever in retirement. Adept at both history and sociology, he shows how different leaders and groups cultivated happiness as a religious practice. @princetonccsr.bsky.social
It's a crystal clear morning and a blessed 57 degrees for the start of a new semester at IU Indianapolis. Yes, we're still here teaching the liberal arts in downtown Indianapolis.
August 25, 2025 at 11:54 AM
It's a crystal clear morning and a blessed 57 degrees for the start of a new semester at IU Indianapolis. Yes, we're still here teaching the liberal arts in downtown Indianapolis.
Had an all-day meeting today at the State Library in Indianapolis, where the card catalogue is a reminder of an earlier age of information.
August 22, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Had an all-day meeting today at the State Library in Indianapolis, where the card catalogue is a reminder of an earlier age of information.
I've seen a lot of discussion lately on social media about the Latin Mass. In my latest blog post, I write about my recent visit to a vibrant Latin Mass parish in Indianapolis—and about the dilemma facing Pope Leo XIV:
www.peterthuesen.com/blog/2025/7/...
www.peterthuesen.com/blog/2025/7/...
August 12, 2025 at 12:20 AM
I've seen a lot of discussion lately on social media about the Latin Mass. In my latest blog post, I write about my recent visit to a vibrant Latin Mass parish in Indianapolis—and about the dilemma facing Pope Leo XIV:
www.peterthuesen.com/blog/2025/7/...
www.peterthuesen.com/blog/2025/7/...
Shot this in our neighborhood yesterday. Was alarmed to read in the @nytimes.com this morning about the looming threat to honeybees from the Tropilaelaps mite. But the Trump administration has of course cut research dollars directed toward the problem. A tiny drop in the bucket of the fed budget.
July 23, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Shot this in our neighborhood yesterday. Was alarmed to read in the @nytimes.com this morning about the looming threat to honeybees from the Tropilaelaps mite. But the Trump administration has of course cut research dollars directed toward the problem. A tiny drop in the bucket of the fed budget.
American religion tonight on @cbseveningnews.bsky.social, celebrating the 5,000th broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word," which premiered on radio in 1929. Story had a brief clip of LDS hymn "The Morning Breaks" (one of my favorites, even though I'm not LDS) sung by the Tabernacle Choir. Congrats!
July 13, 2025 at 11:19 PM
American religion tonight on @cbseveningnews.bsky.social, celebrating the 5,000th broadcast of "Music & the Spoken Word," which premiered on radio in 1929. Story had a brief clip of LDS hymn "The Morning Breaks" (one of my favorites, even though I'm not LDS) sung by the Tabernacle Choir. Congrats!
Seen in the neighborhood in Indianapolis
June 21, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Seen in the neighborhood in Indianapolis
And this from the conservative heartland! It was energizing to be a part of this—even with a torrential downpour midway through.
June 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM
And this from the conservative heartland! It was energizing to be a part of this—even with a torrential downpour midway through.
The sun rising next to Cavanaugh Hall at IU Indianapolis this morning. Trying my best to tune out—at least for part of the day—the implosion of the Republic. Contrary to what the state legislature thinks, we professors actually do like to be productive at our jobs.
June 12, 2025 at 1:02 PM
The sun rising next to Cavanaugh Hall at IU Indianapolis this morning. Trying my best to tune out—at least for part of the day—the implosion of the Republic. Contrary to what the state legislature thinks, we professors actually do like to be productive at our jobs.
St. Mary Catholic Church, founded as St. Marienkirche in 1858 and built in its present form in 1910. This downtown Indianapolis parish now offers a significant Hispanic ministry.
June 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM
St. Mary Catholic Church, founded as St. Marienkirche in 1858 and built in its present form in 1910. This downtown Indianapolis parish now offers a significant Hispanic ministry.