Forrest McDonald Slams ‘A Distant Mirror’ as Unqualified History
Forrest McDonald, the historian who called himself the “historian who punctured liberal notions,” ripped a copy of Barbara Tuchman’s bestseller A Distant Mirror and tossed it on the table. He declared the author unqualified to write history.
She admits she never studied the mindset of the period, dismisses Christianity, and therefore offers no insight into medieval motivations, McDonald said, his voice echoing in the quiet room. His critique underscores a broader demand for rigorous scholarship.
The criticism resurfaced last week when the Texas State Board of Education approved a mandatory K‑12 reading list that includes the Bible alongside works such as A Christmas Carol and Absalom, Absalom! The list also mandates works such as A Christmas Carol and Absalom, Absalom!
“Bible lessons should be taught on Sundays,” said SBOE member Tiffany Clark, a Democrat, “not all of us believe the same.” Clark’s remark reflects a partisan split over the role of religion in public education.
Clark’s claim that the Bible will be taught as spiritual guidance is dishonest; the Board treats it as a classic literary text, just as it does Greek mythology, Aesop’s Fables, and Beowulf. The Board maintains the Bible is required as literature, not as doctrine.
Critics argue the inclusion makes the Bible the most important book students will read in English class, a stance Annie Laurie Gaylor of the Freedom from Religion Foundation condemned as “anti‑intellectual.” Gaylor warns that this turns the classroom into a de facto bible lesson.
McDonald’s own scholarship demands deep knowledge of the Bible; he studied Latin and the scriptures late in life to grasp the ancients, noting that figures from Augustine to Dostoevsky are unintelligible without that foundation. He insists that without biblical literacy, students cannot grasp the West’s historical trajectory.
Scholar Vishal Mangalwadi explained that the Declaration of Independence’s claim of “unalienable Rights” derives from a Christian worldview that asserts human equality before a Creator, a premise absent in Indian society. He argues that this premise is absent in Indian society, which relies on hierarchy rather than equality.
Niall Ferguson, citing an unnamed Chinese scholar, warned that the West’s dynamism stems from Christianity, which underpins its scientific and economic rise. Ferguson links this decline to the waning influence of Christian institutions in the West.
At an Oxford debate, Richard Dawkins dismissed Christianity’s role in science, while John Lennox pointed out that the museum they occupied was funded by the Bible Society, proving the faith’s practical influence. Dawkins’ dismissal, Lennox noted, ignores the funding that made the debate venue possible.
McDonald concluded, “The Bible is the prequel to everything,” a statement that frames the ongoing Texas controversy as part of a larger battle over the West’s intellectual foundation. His statement sums up the article’s central claim that the Bible underlies Western civilization.
