A Podcast All About Christianity
As we go through the transition from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III, it is a good time reflect on some of the things that go along with being a British Sovereign. One is the title, The Defender of the Faith. Ironically, the title was first given in reference to the defending of the … Read More “Why is the British Sovereign Called “The Defender of the Faith”?” »
I sometimes make the mistake of commenting on other people’s social media posts. I recently did it again, and I did it because of my interest in history. Someone was commenting on the attack on Salman Rushdie by a Muslim. If you remember, many years ago there was a fatwa for the death of Rushdie … Read More “An Example of Why Christian History is Important” »
The third century was a time of great upheaval for the Roman Empire and it was equally so for the church in Rome. The bishop of Rome, which would eventually be known as “the pope” played an important role. In this episode we look at those popes and a couple of antipopes as well. Other … Read More “Episode 55 – The Popes of the Third Century” »
Have you ever heard of the Old Believers? They are not simply believers who happen to be old. This is a collection of groups that split off from the Russian Orthodox Church. You might enjoy this short documentary that gives you a sense of who the Old Believers are and what started the movement.
One of the religious movements that emerged in the third century was that of Manichaeism. This religion, founded by the Iranian prophet Mani, would go on to attract even the great Augustine. In this episode, we take a look at the basics of this religion that had many connections with Christianity. This episode is brought … Read More “Episode 54 – The Rise of Manichaeism” »
The Christian Church existed within and was growing inside the Roman Empire. What was happening in the Roman Empire during the third century? In this episode we look at the Severan Dynasty, the Crisis of the Third Century, and the beginning of Empire-wide persecutions. This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. Please consider … Read More “Episode 53 – The Roman Empire in the Third Century” »
It was the church father Tertullian who first used the term ‘Trinity’ for God. That does not mean that Tertullian invented the concept. The idea of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is found in the New Testament. However, it was Tertullian who began to formulate what the New Testament data about these three means … Read More “Tertullian on the Trinity” »
Quite often, New Testament writers quote the Old Testament. When we turn to those Old Testament passages, we may see some differences between what is found there and what we find in the New Testament. Sometimes that is because the New Testament author is paraphrasing the Old Testament passage but more often it is because … Read More “What is the Septuagint?” »
By the third century, the church had been growing rapidly. They were facing threats both internal and external. In this episode, we look at some lesser and more known figures from the first half of the third century. We will also take a brief look at the Gospel of Peter and the Acts of Thomas. … Read More “Episode 52 – The Church in the First Half of the Third Century” »
Two of the brightest, most influential, and most prolific church fathers were Origen of Alexandria and Tertullian of Carthage. They were both eventually considered to be heretics. In this episode, we look at these two intellectual giants who continue to influence the Church today.
