A Podcast All About Christianity
One of the challenges for doing history in any area is that of bias. This can appear in number of ways, from the bias of our sources to the bias of our interpretation. We should not become too discouraged by this. I strongly disagree with those who say we can’t do history because of bias. … Read More “History and the Problem of Bias” »
One of the most influential theologians of all Christianity is Augustine of Hippo. Roman Catholics and Protestants look to him for inspiration. Even non-Christians who are interested in the history of philosophy take Augustine seriously. But what do you know about him? This short video provides some of the basic information for who Augustine was.
Today when people speak of Puritanism, they often use it in a pejorative way meaning a harsh religious system. However, the Puritans have a rich heritage that has and continues to bless the Christian church. While there may have been some abuses within Puritanism, the same can be said about every religious movement. It is … Read More “Overview of Puritanism” »
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” »
Christianity didn’t emerge out of a vacuum. Although considered a separate religion now, it was originally a sect of Judaism. The culture in which it appeared is called Second Temple Judaism. In this episode, we look at some of the history of the Jewish world from the construction to the destruction of the second temple. … Read More “Episode 14 – Second Temple Judaism” »
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” »
