A Podcast All About Christianity
Christians can explain the rapid spread of Christianity with theological reasons. Related but distinct from that are the historical reasons why Christianity was able to be successful. I see five reasons that helped Christianity to ultimately take over the Roman Empire. Jewish Diaspora – During the Second Temple period, Jews were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean … Read More “Five Historical Reasons Why Christianity Spread So Quickly” »
One of the most important figures in church history is John Calvin. Calvin didn’t start the Reformation but he put his stamp on it. Today, many people use Reformed theology and Calvinism as synonyms. In this short video, John Piper shares some background of John Calvin. Piper is obviously passionate about Calvin’s ministry. It is … Read More “A Short Introduction to John Calvin” »
There is some debate when it comes to the dating of the Gospels. Some would like to date the Gospels in the 50s or 60s. There are others who will argue vehemently that the earliest Gospel must have been written after 70 AD. The most popular dating of the Gospels puts Mark (as the earliest … Read More “The Dirty Little Secret About Dating the Gospels” »
One of the tools that historians use is something called multiple attestation. Multiple attestation simply means that something is more likely to be historical if it is attested in multiple sources. It is often used to examine the words and deeds of Jesus in the Gospels. In general (not just when applied to the Gospels), … Read More “What is Multiple Attestation?” »
Most scholars are agreed that the traditions about Jesus were passed along as an oral tradition before being written down in the four Gospels. But what does that mean for their historical reliability? Some people have compared this oral period to the telephone game. The telephone game is a fun activity that children (used to) … Read More “Is the Telephone Game a Good Analogy for the Jesus Oral Traditions?” »
Although I love history, my formal training is in the area of the New Testament. I have come across some very helpful books over the years and I thought I would share what I think are the top five. Please note that I’m an Amazon affiliate and if you purchase any of these, you are … Read More “5 Books on the New Testament That I Recommend” »
One of the most influential figures in all of Christian history is Martin Luther. Love him or hate him, we must admit that he had a great impact and his legacy lives on. PBS put out a documentary on Martin Luther that you might find interesting.
Pentecostalism became a major Christian movement early in the twentieth century and continues to have an impact worldwide. Although many Pentecostals are trintarian, there is also segment that are Oneness or Jesus Only Pentecostals. Oneness Pentecostals deny the trinity but still affirm the divinity of Jesus. It is related to an early division within the … Read More “How Did Oneness Pentecostalism Start?” »
The Apostle Paul is one of the most influential thinkers and writers in the history of Christianity. It could be argued that his impact is second only to Jesus. But how well do we really know him? Here are five things you may or may not have known about the Apostle Paul. Paul never mentions … Read More “5 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Apostle Paul” »
Although many Christians accept that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the Gospels attributed to them, scholars will state emphatically that the Gospels were originally anonymous. But what does that even mean? When we hear that the Gospels were originally anonymous, very specific thoughts come to mind. It sounds as if no one knew who … Read More “What Do We Mean When We Say the Gospels Were Originally Anonymous?” »
