ChurchRodent

Apologists

Christian scholars and philosophers and writers who arose near the end of the second century to defend the Christian faith from secular attack. Included men such as Aristides, Justin Martyr, his disciple Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, the unknown author of the Letter to Diognetus and Melito, bishop of Sardis…

Isaac Backus

As a farm boy in Connecticut was affected by the Great Awakening and repented while mowing a field without emotion or ecstasy, but with great clarity. Soon after joined the ranks of the revivalists and eventually formed the First Baptist Church of Middlesborough, Massachusetts. [tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Great-Awakening, history, Isaac-Backus[/tags]…

Canon Law

Canon law served the church just as civil law supported a secular government. It defined the rights, duties and powers of all people and priests within the church. It was the law administered in all ecclesiastical courts, from those of the bishop up to that of the pope. Sometime around…

Christian IV

During the Thirty Years’ war, when the Catholic Imperial forces crushed the Bohemians and gave control of the University of Prague over to the Jesuits, King Christian IV of Denmark was appalled by this Catholic victory. Also being eager to annex German territory, he entered the war against Ferdinand and…

Communism

An ideology extremely difficult to define. Democratic ideological perspectives tend to clump anything that identifies itself at "communism" together in the same heap. But two camps of communism may be entirely inimical to each other, and have separate means and ends. Usually, one points to The Communist Manifesto, or Das…

1st Council at Nicea

(1st General Council, 325) Called by the Emperor Constantine to settle the question of Christ’s divinity raised by Arius. Gave birth to the Nicene Creed. Established that Christ is fully divine, "true God from true God." [tags]1st-Council-at-Nicea, Arius, BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Constantine, Creed, history, Nicene-Creed[/tags]  

Demetrius

Bishop of Alexandria. Demetrius found Origen to be uncooperative in his efforts to organize the church in Egypt. Origen thought Demetrius a power-hungry church official, consumed with his own self-importance. [tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Demetrius, history, Origen[/tags]  

Eastern Orthodoxy

One of the three major divisions in Christianity today. Perhaps the best starting point for understanding Eastern Orthodoxy is through its use of icons. Icons, to the Eastern Orthodox worshiper are a kind of window between the earthly and the celestial worlds. Through the icons the heavenly beings manifest themselves…

Essenes

A Jewish faction arising near the end of the inter-Testamental period who had little or no interest in politics or in warfare. Instead, they withdrew to the Judean wilderness. There, in isolated monastic communities, they studied the Scriptures and prepared themselves for the Lord’s kingdom. [tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Essenes, history[/tags]…

Innocent III

Pope from 1198-1216. Unlike Gregory VII and other earlier reform popes, who were monks, Innocent and other great popes of the later twelfth and thirteenth centuries were trained as canon lawyers, experts in church government. His most powerful weapons in exercising his spiritual power over the people of the land…

William Laud

Archbishop under King Charles I. Laud believed that God had ordained bishops to govern his church. Under his leadership, an episcopal party rose to resist the Puritans. With the king’s support they reintroduced stained glass windows, crosses, even crucifixes. They elevated the Communion table and called it an altar and…

Martin Luther

(1483-1546) The most prominent leader of the Protestant Reformation, who was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic church because of his persistent efforts to change some of he church’s doctrines and customs. He taught that the Bible alone, apart from church tradition, had authority to declare what was to be believed.…

Jan Matthijs

In 1532, when the Reformation spread rapidly throughout Munster, an episcopal city in Westphalia near the Netherlands, a conservative Lutheran group was at first strong there. But new immigrants who were apostles of Jan Matthijs led to fanaticism among those in power. Many looked for the creation of the Lord’s…

John R. Mott

(1865-1955) A Methodist layman, he combined a deep religious faith; evangelistic zeal; power over public assemblies; and compelling, convincing speech. At twenty-three he became student secretary of the International Committee of the YMCA. Sensing the need for greater coordination of student work, he founded in Sweden the World’s Student Christian…

Peasant’s Revolt

During 1524, encouraged by Luther’s concept of the freedom of a Christian man, which they applied to economic and social spheres, German peasants revolted against their lords. Long ground down by the nobles, the peasants included in their twelve demands the abolition of serfdom — unless it could be justified from…

Pope Pius IX

(1846-1878) A warm, kindle, well-meaning man. The liberals took him for a true reformer when, on 14 March 1848 he gave the Papal States a constitution that permitted the people a moderate degree of participation in their government. Some dreamed of an Italian federation under the pope. But Pius changed…

Reformed Christianity

Calvin’s leadership in Geneva shaped a third reformation tradition. Today we call it Reformed or Calvinistic Christianity. It includes all Presbyterians, Dutch and German Reformed Churches, and many Baptists and Congregationalists. [tags]Baptists, BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Congregationalists, history, Presbyterians, Reformed-Christianity[/tags]  

Michael Sattler

When, in 1527, the Anabaptists met in the first "synod" of the Protestant Reformation at Schleitheirm on today’s Swiss-German border, near Schaffhousen, the leading figure at this meeting was the former Benedictine monk, Michael Sattler. Four months later he was burned at the stake in nearby Rottenburg-am-Neckar. [tags]Anabaptists, BlogRodent, church-history,…

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