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May 27
Amelia Bloomer, Julia Ward Howe, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, John Calvin, and Julius the Veteran
David Barnhart
May 27, 2025
Pond slider, May 2025. Own photo.
I somehow missed last week that May 21, 1935 was the birthday of Walter Wink, a Methodist theologian who had a huge impact on progressive Christianity by emphasizing that Paul’s references to “powers and principalities” has less to do with supernatural demons and more to do with this world’s political forms of oppression. His book The Powers that Be is one of my favorites.
Today is the birthday, in 1818, of Amelia Bloomer, the first woman to own and edit a newspaper. After adopting and advocating a style of dress introduced to her by Libby Miller, people began to call the new women’s pants “bloomers.”
Today is also the birthday, in 1819, of Julia Ward Howe, co-founder of Mother’s Day and author of Battle Hymn of the Republic. She was an abolitionist and suffragist, raised in the Episcopal church before later becoming a Unitarian.
Today marks the death, in 1919, of Kandukuri Veeresalingam, an Indian novelist and social reformer who promoted women’s rights, at great personal risk to himself. He advocated for the education of women and the remarriage of widows.
Today marks the death, in 1564, of John Calvin, Reformation theologian. While I’m no fan of his doctrine of predestination nor his theocratic rule of Geneva nor the legacy of right-wing neo-Calvinists who make Calvin’s God into a capricious devil, I believe Calvin was first a pastor, and second a Renaissance humanist. I read his theology as a pastoral response to dealing with existential human problems.
Today is the feast day of Julius the Veteran, who was martyred on this day in the year 304. Because he refused to make a sacrifice to the Roman gods, he was brought before the prefect. When the prefect learned he was a veteran, he gave him another chance to fall in line, but Julius refused and was executed. He is a reminder that someone with veteran status may gain favor from the state, but that such privilege is worthless if not used for righteousness.
Reflection:
Julia Ward Howe wrote:
Before I say anything on my own account, I want to take the word Christianity back to Christ himself, back to that mighty heart whose pulse seems to throb through the world to-day, that endless fountain of charity out of which I believe has come all true progress and all civilization that deserves the name. As a woman I do not wish to dwell upon any trait of exclusiveness in [Paul’s] letter which belongs to a time when such exclusiveness perhaps could not be helped, and which may have been put in where it was not expressed. I go back to that great Spirit which contemplated a sacrifice for the whole of humanity. That sacrifice is not one of exclusion, but of an infinite and endless and joyous inclusion. And I thank God for it.
Amelia Bloomer wrote:
“It will not do to say that it is out of woman’s sphere to assist in making laws, for if that were so, then it should be also out of her sphere to submit to them.”
Prayer: Voice of the Prophets, speak a word to our world, and especially to our leaders, of opportunity, equity, inclusion, and righteousness. Amen.