Movements

Waldo (also called Valdez) was a prosperous merchant in Lyons in 1176 AD. At that time, he was affected by the song of a wandering minstrel who was singing about the best way to God. He was affected by this verse: Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you […]

Even though he is named the Clement of Alexandria, Clement was actually probably from Athens.  He was not raised in a Christian household, and the method of his conversion is not known. What is known is that he set out on a life quest to find a Christian teacher who could school him in his

This is a 2018 post in which I have added a little more information for clarification. The writing of the early church fathers is a wonderful resource for learning what early Christians believed and how different elements of the church including doctrines and rites developed.  However, the problem with reading the early church fathers is

The Roman response to Christianity varied from severe  persecution to an attitude of “Don’t ask … don’t look for them.”  This latter attitude was initiated by the Emperor Trajan.  Before we discuss Trajan it needs to be noted that the Roman Empire was a huge place, and obviously, people couldn’t travel nor communicate at the

Augustine was born of a pagan father and a Christian mother in Thagaste in Algeria in 354[i] AD. It was an interesting time. There was a strong clash between the liberal Christianity in the West of the Empire and the dogmatic, conservative Christianity of the eastern part of the Empire. Christianity in the west was

On September 20, 1295 Pope Boniface VIII named Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the first “Doctors of the Church.”  This made official what had been accepted for centuries,  that these men were: Great teachers who were Inspired of the Holy Spirit and were orthodox in what they taught These were only the first. At last

There have always been divisions in the church.  This article talks about sects that abounded in the mid-second century and some of the fallout. According to Encyclopedia Brittania, the Antonine Era is the period of years between 132 and 180 AD when “the Roman emperors Antoninus Pius (reigned AD 138–161) and his adopted son and heir, Marcus Aurelius (reigned AD

As discussed in an earlier post, 15.0.1 At the Heart of the Reformation was the Call to Return to the Practices of Early Christianity, one of the things happening in the 15th century were comparisons of Greek texts to Latin Vulgate translations.  Here is an example: In the year 1440, a humanist scholar named Lorenzo Valla examined

The beginning of the 16th century was one of the worst times in Christianity. Corruption was everywhere from the pope down. “The decline and corruption of the papacy was well-known. After its residence at Avignon, where had it had served as a tool of French interest, the papacy had further weakened by the Great Schism,

As stated in the previous post, Martin Luther is credited with starting the Reformation, but in truth he had predecessors. John Huss was one of these. As we saw in the article about John Wyclif people were already talking about the abuses of the church and a desire to find a simpler, more scriptural church

While Martin Luther is credited with starting the Reformation, the truth is that he had predecessors. About a century and a half before Luther posted his 95 theses there was a man named John Wyclif. Wyclif rose to become a master at Oxford, Balliol College. He was considered the “ablest theologian of its faculty”.[i] The

“Sex…Power…Murder…Amen” is how the series, The Borgias, opens. The reason that it is relevant here in the website on original Christianity and the developments since is that it sets the stage for the Reformation.  By most accounts, the dealings of the Borgias, some of whom were popes, were not abnormal to the times.  They may

Antenicene References to Easter are Actually to Passover And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.   (Acts 12:4 KJV) There is a reference in the Bible to the word Easter, in

Baptism Justin’s first apology gives an eyewitness account into the practices of worship, baptism and communion in the mid-second century. Interestingly, Justin calls baptism a “washing”, which is what the word” baptism” really means, and in my humble opinion, is what this ritual was called in the original Christian church. As far as what was

One of the doctrines that divide Christians today is giving in the church (see Giving vs Tithing).  The debate is primarily between those who say that we need to follow the laws of tithing as described in the Old Testament, and those who say that all should give as Paul described in second Corinthians chapter

Justin the Martyr’s life spanned from 100 to 165 A.D[i]. Unlike the previous Christians we have looked at, Justin did not have the experience with the Jewish tradition and culture of Christianity of his predecessors.  Justin, being born to a pagan family in Sheckham, Samaria, embraced philosophy as a young man, ” being first a

The Seventh-day Adventist began as part of what was known in 19th century as the “Millerite” movement. That movement was based on the belief of one William Miller, a farmer in New York, who believed that the second coming of Jesus was going to happen about the year 1843. Miller based his conclusion on his