Category Archives: Church History

Humor and the Kingdom of God – Clarence Jordan Stories

Humor story 1 “One time, when Clarence Jordan was finished giving a speech, a man in the audience stood up and said, ‘Folks, this man is a good talker, but you need to understand, he’s a Communist.’ Clarence replied, ‘Sir, … Continue reading

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Empire Afraid of Baptized Christians (As It Should Be): Baptized Slaves

Watch out for baptized Christians.  There’s a good chance they will recognize they are children of God and expect others to treat them equally. In 1706, for example, six colonies in North America introduced legislation so confirmed baptism of slaves … Continue reading

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Nicene Doctrine Is A Totally Irrelevant Affirmation (A Peek at 4th Century Christianity)

Let’s take a peak at 4th century Christianity.  Allow me to introduce briefly three characters, two of whom, Jerome and Rufinius, are engaged in theological debate. Origen - 184/185 – 253/254, was a theologian in Alexandria Jerome – 347 – 30 September … Continue reading

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The Annihilation Of All Error

Ramsay Macmullen in Christianity & Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries highlights the Christians concern for the annihilation of all error.  In annihilating error Christians were simply following God’s instructions: Ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and … Continue reading

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Originally Blessed or Original Sin/Sacrificial Death?

Original sin, we can thank St. Auggie for that one.  St. Augustine got the church off in a wrong direction.  Even today many in the church are obsessed with original sin.  If there is no original sin, there’s no need … Continue reading

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Has your Christianity been stunted by using only one approach to God?

In his book Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality, J. Philip Newell describes two paths to God which have been taken by Christians. In the year 664, in a mixed religious community under the leadership of a … Continue reading

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3 Rules From John Wesley

John Wesley had three rules for his itinerant ministers which apply to all Christians: Do no harm. Do as much good as you possibly can do. Stay in love with God.

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A Woman of Haughty and Fierce Carriage and Voluble Tongue

In 1634, Anne Hutchinson arrived from England to Massachusetts.  Daughter of a noncomformist minister, Anne apparently took after her father.  She was described as a “woman of haughty and fierce carriage. . . of voluble tongue.”  Anne would need her … Continue reading

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A Monstrous Partiality: Roger Williams on Religious Certainty

Cotton Mathers, a prominent New England Puritan preacher, thought Scripture was so clear on fundamental points that an authority such as himself could not be mistaken. Roger Williams found such argumentation absurd.  If Scripture is so clear, how was it … Continue reading

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“You Ate The Apple” – If you think that line works with my wife raise your hand

She looks at me.  I look at her.  The question at hand:  who is going to get up and get the TV remote?  Will it be me?  Will it be her?  From my perspective the answer is easy.  I say, … Continue reading

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