This page is a gathering place for lectures, talks, and sermons related to themes in Myths of the Rune Stone: Viking Martyrs and the Birthplace of America.

October 4, 2018: College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University

October 7, 2017: Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois

October 16, 2015: University of Minnesota Institute for Advanced Study

NEW! October 15, 2015: Book Talk Sponsored by the Douglas County Historical Society in Alexandria, MN

October 12, 2015: Forum — Myths of Discovery: Re-Thinking the Meaning of Columbus Day

• This podcasts contains two twenty-minute lectures. The first is by Rev. Dr. John Norwood, a Lenni Lenape tribal leader who delivers a strong critique of Christopher Columbus. In the second lecture, I place in historical context the rise of Columbus as both a national and an ethnic figure. I also describe how both Scandinavian immigrants and the New England cultural elite used Viking discovery narratives to prove that America was “discovered” by Anglo Saxons.

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American Myths Sermon Series

The podcasts below are the first in a series of sermons on “American Myths.” Each of the myths addressed are also analyzed in the book. These sermons put critical historical analysis into to conversation with theological and ethical themes.

The sermon “Myths of Discovery and the Desire to Acquire,” takes a critical look at the history of Columbus Day celebrations and the notion that North America was discovered.

Was the U.S. founded as a Christian nation? Politicians like Mike Hucakabee would like you to think so. This message “Myths of a Christian Nation” sets the record straight.