EPISODE 37 - T. Michael Wise on Manifest Destiny and Providence Then and Now

Josh Bowman continues a series interviewing our first ever cohort of Ciceronian Society Conference fellows, talking with Nisbet Fellow T. Michael Wise of Sunbury, Ohio. Michael is a retired licensed funeral director completing his Ph.D at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the Historical & Theological Studies Department under Dr. John D. Wilsey. His research interests are in the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction eras, particularly in the doctrines of providence and just war theory. Our conversation ranges over these topics, including the idea of Manifest Destiny and its eerie prescience for modern politics. We also discuss the role of scholars in the church.

Visit our website to learn more about our conference fellowship program, and come back in Fall 2025 to learn how to apply for our 2026 cohort of conference fellows. https://ciceroniansociety.org/conference/conference-fellowships/ 

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0:00 Introduction
6:14 Manifest Destiny
10:26 Popular Support
16:12 Four Kinds of Manifest Destiny
24:17 Role of Intellectuals in the Church
27:29 Funeral Director
30:53 Ciceronian Society Mission