A Podcast All About Christianity
I have seen numerous churches that are named after St Methodius but knew very little about him. Recently, in my reading of the Church Fathers, I was able to read his surviving works. So who is Methodius? The truth is that we do not have a lot of biographical information about him. This may be … Read More “Who Was Methodius?” »
An important part of Christian history has been the role of clergy in supporting the military in terms of both spiritual and emotional needs. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Patricia Cecil, Specialist Curator Faith, Religion, and WWI at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. They currently have an exhibit called … Read More “Episode 63 – Sacred Service: American Chaplains in the First World War” »
The Protestant Reformation took place in the 16th Century with two of the prominent leaders being Martin Luther and John Calvin. While Luther and Calvin disagreed on many things, they agreed on more than just separating from the Roman Catholic Church: They held onto close ties to the governing authorities, such as the local princes. … Read More “What is the Radical Reformation?” »
One of the earliest sects of Christianity was Montanism. Like many of the early splinter groups, it was named after its founder, in this case, Montanus. We do not know much about Montanus, other than he lived in the second century and was active in Phrygia in Asia Minor. Montanus was accompanied by two women, … Read More “What is Montanism?” »
I recently read Paradiso, the epic poem written by Dante. Actually, this is part three of Divine Comedy that began with Inferno and Purgatorio. I should indicate that I have not read those first two sections. This was written by Dante Alighieri in Italian, in the fourteenth century. It is a masterpiece that explores aspects … Read More “Paradiso by Dante” »
One of the greatest defenders of what would be known as orthodox Christianity was Athanasius the Great, bishop of Alexandria. He was there at Nicaea and he had a difficult experience as bishop, with numerous exiles. However, his influence continues today. Consider supporting this podcast through: Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/hopesreason) Life of Jesus (http://www.lifeofjesus.ca) with code BEDARD … Read More “Episode 62 – Athanasius the Great” »
When we speak of theological schools in the early church, we do not mean anything like modern seminaries or Bible colleges. These were schools of thought. There was teaching going on, but more of a master-disciple relationship. There were five patriarchal sees in the early church and these were Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Rome. … Read More “Antioch and Alexandria and Their Theological Schools” »
There has been a recent discussion about Baptists and creeds as the Nicene Creed was discussed at the Southern Baptist Convention. It has been claimed by some that Baptists are, by definition, anti-creedal. Is this true? It might be helpful look back at some Baptist history. Baptists, emerged out of the battle for state church … Read More “Do Baptists Reject All Creeds?” »
If someone asked you to name a Baptist, you might offer John the Baptist from the New Testament. Now John was not a Baptist in the modern sense, although there are Baptists who would disagree with that. However, one of the first modern Baptists was named John: John Smyth. What do we know about this … Read More “The Other John the Baptist” »
While some Christians were gathering in councils and devising creeds, others were fleeing the cities to be alone with God. These were the Desert Fathers and Mothers. In this episode, we provide a short overview of these important men and women who continue to inspire people today. There recommended book for this episode is Life … Read More “Episode 61 – The Desert Fathers and Mothers” »
