One of the most important movements to understand the history of Christianity, especially for the second and third centuries, is that of Gnosticism. Gnosticism is one of those things that many have heard about but few know what it really means. In this episode, we look at some of the beliefs and possible origins. For … Read More “Episode 42 – Getting to Know the Gnostics” »
Episodes and Posts
Modern History
One of the greatest Baptist preachers of all time was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Stephen McCaskell has put together a documentary that will help you to understand more about this influential pastor.
Book Reviews, Heresies
Who are the Gnostics and where did they come from? Often they are thought of as a Christian heresy but it may be more complicated then that. Carl Smith looks at these questions in his book No Longer Jews: The Search for Gnostic Origins. The title gives it away that he sees a Jewish connection. … Read More “No Longer Jews – Review” »
In this episode, I talk to Dr. Gordon Heath of McMaster Divinity College. We have an interesting chat on the nature of church history and how he got interested. If you are interested in church history, you won’t want to miss this interview. Make sure to visit Gord at his website. Resources Mentioned in this … Read More “Episode 41 – Interview With a Historian: Gord Heath” »
General History
I recently did a Twitter poll on influential Christians of the past. It was an eclectic list ranging from theologians to musicians. I tried hard to include some women, but since women have not traditionally had the same opportunities, they were underrepresented. There were some surprises. Some people like John Calvin and C.S. Lewis were … Read More “And the Most Influential Christian of the Past is …” »
Heresies, New Testament
One of the greatest and earliest challenges to what would become orthodox Christianity was Gnosticism. But where did Gnosticism come from and how does it relate to the New Testament. Pheme Perkins, author of Gnosticism and the New Testament, is a New Testament scholar. She argues that there was a pre-Christian form of Gnosticism that … Read More “Gnosticism and the New Testament” »
Church Fathers
I love this quote from the church father Irenaeus. Things have not changed at all in the centuries since he wrote this. “Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in attractive dress, as as, by its … Read More “Attractiveness of Error” »
Church Fathers
I have just finished a section on the podcast on the Apostolic Fathers. Ryan Reeves does an excellent video on the Apostolic Fathers that will give some important context.
How do we study Christian history? One way is to look at the sermons of the past. Sermons are more than expositions of biblical texts. They reflect both the individual preacher and the historical circumstances. Revived Thoughts is a podcast that brings back the sermons of the past, getting contemporary people to share the messages … Read More “Episode 40 – Revived Thoughts” »
Byzantium
The Hagia Sophia has been in the news lately as this historic church turned museum has now become a mosque. This short documentary gives a nice introduction to the Hagia Sophia. For more about this period of history, I recommend The History of Byzantium.