ESN continues its series of interviews with authors of Faithful Is Successful, with Esther Harris interviewing Howard Louthan. You can read Esther’s previous post on Howard’s chapter in Faithful Is Successful here. In fall 2015 Howard Louthan and his wife Andrea Sterk will be assuming new positions at the University of Minnesota. They both previously taught history at the University of Florida. Howard specializes in the cultural and intellectual history of Renaissance and Reformation Europe with a particular focus on religion. His most recent books include Converting Bohemia: Force and Persuasion in the Catholic Reformation (Cambridge, 2009) and an edited collection of essays Sacred History: Uses of the Christian Past in the Renaissance World (Oxford, 2012). Howard and Andrea have a family of three children.Â
1. Esther: It was a pleasure to sense your clear vocational calling to history in your reflection. You say this ‘great love’ began as an undergraduate. Would you share with us if and how this scholarly love was fostered by your Christian faith back then?
Howard:Â I grew up in a very supportive Christian family in terms of learning. My parents worked hard to instill in us a real love for learning and perhaps most importantly a curiosity for the world around us. They were careful not to steer us in any one particular direction. [Read more…] about Faithful Is Successful: Interview with Howard Louthan