Uncommon Knowledge From Havana to Yale: Carlos Eire on Cuba, Becoming an American—and Miracles | Peter Robinson | Uncommon Knowledge
12 snips
Oct 2, 2025 
Carlos Eire, a Yale historian and National Book Award winner, shares his gripping journey from Cuba to America. He reflects on the heart-wrenching separation from his family during Operation Peter Pan and the struggle of balancing his Cuban heritage with his life in the U.S. Eire discusses his recent book on miraculous testimonies and how cultural beliefs shape perceptions of the extraordinary. He critiques Cuba's decline under the Castro regime and contemplates the open-mindedness towards mystery in Hispanic cultures versus skepticism in Anglo societies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
University Reawakens Buried Identity
- Returning to Yale and meeting Cuban colleagues reawakened Eire's suppressed Cuban identity.
- Language and aging family ties acted as triggers for reclaiming his past.
Treat Miracle Testimony As Historical Data
- Eire argues 16th–17th century miracle testimonies are serious historical evidence because they were sworn under oath in formal inquests.
- He urges historians not to dismiss such testimonies simply because they describe impossible events.
Reformation's Asymmetry On Miracles
- Protestant skepticism post-Reformation rejected modern miracles but accepted demonic mimicry, creating a polemical asymmetry.
- This shaped how Catholic miracle claims were dismissed as demonic by Protestants.
