Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884-1968) taught at the Yale
University Divinity School from 1921 to 1953. In his two-volume work, A History of Christianity (Peabody,
Massachusetts: Prince Press, 1999; originally published by Harper &
Brothers, 1953), he divided the years AD into eight distinct periods. Looking at
the broad titles he gives these periods, and the years he includes in each,
will help us to improve our own understanding of this shared history.
(1) Jesus Christ sets us on the path of freedom which is based on truth and leads through love to eternal life. (2) Yet false gods continue to enthrall us with the path of power which is based on falsehood and leads through indifference to death. (3) Even Christians have fallen under their spell. (4) But Jesus is calling us to join him as prophetic witnesses in breaking their spell beginning with his Church. (5) Use this website to strengthen your witness to Jesus for our good and his glory.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Latourette (1953): Dividing the History of Christianity into Eight Meaningful Periods
To better understanding the Bible and theology, history
and culture, ourselves and our world, we may divide history into different periods
of time. For centuries Christians, for example, divided history into two
primary periods of time: Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD).
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
An Edifying Confession of Sin
As human beings, we all have our strengths and
weaknesses.
We may say the same of each church and denominational
group of churches: they all have their strengths and weaknesses.
One abiding strength of churches in the Anglican
tradition has been, since 1549, their Book
of Common Prayer.
One strength of the Book
of Common Prayer in use by the Episcopal Church since 1979 is its “Confession
of Sin” (p. 360). As Christians, any of us may easily find edifying a daily
repetition of this prayer, whether alone or with other members of our family or
congregation.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Church Chronology: Years of Growth Despite Persecution (64-313)
64-66 Nero
initiates first persecution by the Roman state of Christians, in the city of
Rome.
81-96 Domitian,
emperor, initiates the second persecution of Christians, also in the city of
Rome.
90 Letter of Clement
100 Didache (Teaching of the Twelve): first Christian document outside New
Testament to discuss structure of Christian communities.
100s. New form
of Christian writing: the apology, a defense of Christian theology and practice
against Olympian attacks.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Early Church Chronology
Following the
death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, in AD 33 (James Ussher),
came Pentecost and the beginning of the first Christian church. During the next
40 years, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Christians and churches
proclaiming it, spread from Jerusalem to Rome.
As Christians and churches spread, they had to wrestle with this problem: did Olympians (Gentiles) first need to become Jews in order to become Christians? Or, as assemblies, were churches decisively different from synagogues?
Hans Kung, in The Catholic Church: A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2001; translated by John Bowden), published a chronology of these early years (page xi) with some indications of why Judaism and Christianity eventually separated:
As Christians and churches spread, they had to wrestle with this problem: did Olympians (Gentiles) first need to become Jews in order to become Christians? Or, as assemblies, were churches decisively different from synagogues?
Hans Kung, in The Catholic Church: A Short History (New York: Modern Library, 2001; translated by John Bowden), published a chronology of these early years (page xi) with some indications of why Judaism and Christianity eventually separated:
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Islam: Chronology
Source: Esposito, John L (editor). The Oxford History of Islam (New York: Oxford University Press,
1999, pp. 691-696).
ca 570
Muhammad is born.
610
Muhammad is called.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Christianity: Chronology
Source: Chadwick, Owen. A History of Christianity (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995, pp.
286-293).
4 BC
Birth of Jesus.
AD 33
Death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Pentecost: beginning of the Church.
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