The Star of Bethlehem according to John Chrysostom
Even 1,500 years ago, John Chrysostom had a lot of questions about the star…
Sharing a Church in the Holy Land Gets Complicated
Six different denominations vie for space at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem – sometimes with violence.
Mary Magdalene is (Probably) Not Who You Think She Is
Mary Magdalene was not a fallen temptress. She witnessed the resurrection, was the apostle to the apostles, and likely continued in leadership in the early church.
God With Us: Irenaeus
Irenaeus told us: “because of his measureless love, [Christ] became what we are… to enable us to become what he is.”
Looking for Christ in Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism means one group’s notion of Christianity holds power regardless of what the majority want. It can even mean a dictatorship.
The Impact of the Title “King of the Jews” on Herod the Great & Caesar Augustus
Only gentiles called Jesus “King of the Jews.” The Herods and the Caesars claimed many titles for themselves, but they perpetually felt their power threatened.
Role of Women in the History of the Church
Women had leadership roles in the early church, but then that power was taken away. Reformer John Knox railed against women’s leadership, as did men at a General Assembly meeting in America in 1811.
Feeding the Hungry: Basil of Caesarea
In the 360s, Basil of Caesara, a bishop, spent his own money to buy food for the starving poor during a famine.
Tilling the Earth to Feed a Stranger: Walafrid
In the first thousand years of the church, monks sometimes planted gardens to share treats with visitors. Walafrid even wrote poetry about it!
History & Transmission of the Lord’s Prayer
Catholics took their Lord’s Prayer from one preferred by Henry the VIII in 1545; Protestants, perhaps, from Martin Bucer from 1539.