This week in Christian History

[burnt]

I find history quite interesting, particularly early church history. So, I will post a weekly link to a site that I visit pretty well every week.

I find that looking back at some of the historical events of our faith shows an interesting path that we have walked to get to where we are today - some great and memorable steps, and some very crooked steps along the way.

Some strange juxtapositions show up when seen in light of what we are today. For instance, one of my best friends is a Dutch immigrant and we have had many good times together, whether working or coffeeing. Yet this weeks historical reading shows us that his ancestors killed my ancestors because of a difference of beliefs - Calvinism vs. Arminianism.

So, if you like Christian history you can broaden your knowledge here! I am guessing that you might discover some interesting tidbits about someone in the history of your denominational background.


http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

[katrina]

Very interesting burnt...

[Big Muddy rancher]

Interesting. We have some land that belonged to a Jack Canute. His brand was KC, I was always told it stood for King Canute.

"November 12, 1035: Canute the Great, Danish king since 1016, dies at age 41. The often ruthless king had restored churches and monasteries throughout his kingdom and built several new one"

[burnt]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

[burnt]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

Friedrich E.D. Schleiermacher, was born 242 years ago today. He was one of many liberal theologians whose teaching swayed theology off balance toward an overly "immanent" course - reducing recognition of the "Wholly, Holy Otherness" of God, in exchange for a human-centered, diluted form of expression of the Christian faith.

Such elements have had a huge and direct impact on how the Christian faith has been steered to where it is today.

Another excerpt - November 22, 1873: The French ship Ville du Havre sinks in the north Atlantic, killing all four daughters of Chicago lawyer Horatio G. Spafford. His wife survived, and Spafford immediately booked passage to join her in England. While passing over the spot where his daughters died, he began writing what would become the famous hymn "It Is Well with My Soul."

What is less known about the writer of this stirring hymn is that he died in a very poorly mental state suffering from serious delusions. We are reminded by this that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels".

So much to learn and reflect upon by looking at our Christian history.

And did you know that author C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy all died the same day, November 22, 1963?

[katrina]

Sure something to ponder.....

[burnt]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

Today marks the anniversary of the first American annual and national Thanksgiving day as decreed by President Lincoln.

This week's glimpse of Christian History gives a a view of some of both the high moments and the low moments in our past. The positives includes events such as the births of some prominent Christian writers and steps toward desegregation.

On the other hand, this week's review of our past contains many chilling examples of Christians fighting with and even killing other Christians for differences of beliefs.

Sometimes I wonder if we are any different today . . .

[Northern Rancher]

On this week in 2009 one million plus Saskatchewanites simultaneously uttered a profanity when the 13th man flag was thrown then invoked a higher deity to make him miss the kick again. Today we see if our prayers will be answered for retribution. Don't mean to make light of your post Burnt-my ancestral farm in Scotland was a hideout when England had a Catholic ruler.

[TexasBred]

[Northern Rancher]

It's been in the family 800 years one of the oldest continuous family farms in Scotland.

[TexasBred]

[burnt]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

This week gives us glimpses into the lives of priests, popes, preachers, writers and missionaries.

It was 170 years ago this week that David Livingstone set sail for southern Africa rather than China as he had originally planned. And the rest, as they say, is history . . .

Martin Luther burns the Pope's edict that orders Luther to recant his "heresies, (such as) justification by faith alone". The Pope didn't like it.

And, on December 11, 1918: Russian author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn was born, a man whose writing was instrumental in the collapse of the Soviet Union.