Restitutio

Do you struggle with evangelism? Do you feel like you should tell others about the gospel and yet, you can't seem to find a way to do that? If so, then this episode is for you. Part of our aim here at Restitutio is not just exploring the bible and church history to recover authentic Christianity, but also figuring out how to live your faith today. This means we sometimes have practical episodes. In this presentation, you'll learn about hospitality evangelism. The idea is simple: invite neighbors or coworkers over for dinner. Rosaria Butterfield put it this way: make strangers neighbors and neighbors family. This presentation will not only give you some useful advice on how to be faithful to the Great Commission, but will also provide you with some comedic examples of what not to do. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLyvaJoK2OQ —— Links —— See other episodes about evangelism Check out the evangelism seminar of Josh Anderson Get Rosaria Butterfield's book: The Gospel Comes with a House Key Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Today we are continuing where we left off with part 2 of my interview with Kegan Chandler. In our last episode we spent most of our time talking about UAPs and the evidence that has come to light for their existence as well as non-human origin. Today, we are shifting gears to focus on the faith question. If aliens exist, what would that mean for Christian theology? What biblical categories exist to think about non-human intelligences (NHIs)? The answers Chandler provides may surprise you. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Kegan Chandler Follow Chandler on Adademia.edu Check out his books on Amazon Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 5. You seem to be pointing to a potential overlap between science and what religions have been saying. How do you see this information impacting the ongoing discussion about “faith” versus “science”?  –    History of separation of methodological categories –    a convergence of discussion with scientific or non-religious institutions –    example of Bohr, etc. (short answer) 6. Do you think this is a difficult topic for Christians in particular to investigate?  –    Explain (long answer)  7. Are Christian theological discussions about the existence of NHIs something new, or something that’s been motivated only by recent events in the news? Have Christian theologians been interested in this topic before?  –    Brief history of this discussion in Western thought – Greek philosophers – anthroposolism vs. cosmic pluralism –    The Church Fathers –    Modern “exotheology” (CS Lewis, etc) –    Contemporary Evangelical UFO/Alien demonological and eschatological literature (short answer)  8. In what ways have theologians imagined that the existence of extraterrestrial life or NHIs could affect Christian theology? – soteriology – Christology/The Incarnation – doctrine of creation; evolution (medium answer) 9. What are some interpretive options for UAPs/NHI from a Christian theological perspective? Most important: a realization of our current category problem.  “Aliens” vs. “angels.”<– explain in detail >>>>Christians already believe in NHIs.<<<<< (!) From here, the options: –    “Demons” or “fallen angels” (negative) –    “good angels” (positive) –           Or a mixture of the above –    The “gods” as referred to in the OT and in ANE literature; or the “divine council” –    Simply other creatures of god who aren’t referenced in the Bible (long answer)

Last month, the US Congress held a hearing with three whistle-blowers who provided testimony about UFOs. Yes, I just said UFOs. No, I haven’t lost my mind or started subscribing to the tabloids. This is a topic that has moved from the fringes of conspiracy land right into serious public hearings in the US government. In today’s episode I’m interviewing Kegan Chandler who has been seriously thinking about this subject for many years. Kegan Chandler is a historian of religion currently working on his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Cape Town where he is researching monotheism in Japanese religions. He also holds a Master of Theology degree from Campbellsville University. He is the author of several books and articles and currently writes for his blog, Exploring Religion. Now, I know this is a Christian theology podcast, but we need to talk about this subject, and Chandler is the guy to guide us. He’s intimately familiar with the evidence and has thought this topic through. I think you’ll agree that there are significant theological implications if it turns out non-human intelligence is behind these unexplained flying objects. But, before we get to that, we need to first talk about the evidence and different theories for what these objects are.   Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Kegan Chandler Check out his books on Amazon Follow Chandler on Adademia.edu Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 1. What are UAPs and NHIs (non human intelligences)? Where did these terms come from and why are people using them now? 2. What are the possible explanations of UAPs?  –    Prosaic hypotheses (incl. advanced human technology) –    Extra-terrestrial hypothesis –    Crypto-terrestrial hypothesis –    Ultra-terrestrial / Inter-dimensional –    Time-traveling humans hypothesis –    Jacque Valle’s Control System hypothesis –    Reverse Engineered technology hypothesis –    Warning: fallacy of oversimplification 3. Why is the mundane explanation that these are experimental craft of terrestrial origin problematic? Explain. –    Government studies – some still “unexplained” –    Reported flight capabilities/characteristics –    Near-peer adversaries? –    Older reports –    Credible sources’ testimony 4. We sometimes hear that news of “aliens” would somehow negatively affect religion on planet earth. What impact do you think widespread acknowledgemen

Today we are picking up where we left off with Dr. Steven Nemes. We've been talking about communion (also called the eucharist or the Lord's supper). He's been presenting a case for memorialism. Today we begin with the words of institution, which Jesus gave at the last supper. What did he mean when he said, "This is my body?" Next I ask Nemes about church history and what he's learned there. He talks about the Didache, Ignatius of Antioch, and Cyril of Jerusalem. Then I ask him how we should engage with the eucharist today. His answer may surprise you. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— See other episodes with Steven Nemes Check out Nemes’ personal website, blog on substack, and YouTube channel Follow Nemes on Twitter @snemes2 Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

What do you think happens during communion? In my interview today, Dr. Steven Nemes provides a biblical, historical, and theological defense for memorialism--the idea that the eucharist memorializes what Christ has done (and will do) for us rather than actually becoming Christ in some metaphysical sense. Thus, the bread and wine signify or represent Christ's body and blood without mystically becoming them. I think you'll appreciate not only Nemes' argument, but also his clear and logical approach. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oCivff4ujQ —— Links —— See other episodes with Steven Nemes Check out Nemes’ personal website, blog on substack, and YouTube channel Follow Nemes on Twitter @snemes2 Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

The Key of Truth is a fascinating book, written by a sect of Armenian Unitarian Christians in the 1700s. Originally under Muslim rule, this group of Christians migrated to Russian-controlled Armenia in the nineteenth century. Sadly, they faced investigation, persecution, fines, and probably exile at the hands of the Armenian Church authorities. Although lost to history, this group of twenty-five families lives on in their intriguing and bold surviving text--the Key of Truth. Translated into English by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, this book testifies to a biblical unitarian community trying to survive in a hostile environment. Here's the original paper (available to read online or to download as a pdf) that accompanied this presentation. It delves into the proposal that the Key of Truth was actually a medieval Paulician document. I conclude that the arguments of Conybeare (19th c.) and Garsoïan (20th c.) fail to stand up to scrutiny, especially in light of the work of Hamilton (20th c.) and Ohanjanyan (21st c.). Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4hQa-3g_YE —— Links —— Read the Key of Truth for yourself (Conybeare translation) See my original paper (available to read online or to download as a pdf)  More Restitutio resources on Christian history Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

This is part 22 of the Early Church History class. This episode aims to wrap up our early church history class. We'll cover relics and pilgrimage, emperors Zeno and Justinian, as well as the theological battles that continued to rage in the 5th and 6th centuries. Unsurprisingly the christological controversy of the 5th century did not come to an end when the emperor endorsed the Council of Chalcedon of 451 that declared Jesus to have two natures "unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably." In addition to covering the Second Council of Constantinople of 553, we'll also briefly consider how the dual natures doctrine continued to foment division resulting in the Third Council of Constantinople in 681 and the Second Council of Nicea in 787. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59zyj9dMH4k&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=22 —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Byzantine Beginnings 293 Diocletian initiated the division between east and west with his tetrarchy. 330 Constantine built a “New Rome” on the cite of old Byzantium, naming it Constantinople. Constantine’s mother, Helena, initiated the pilgrimage movement. 381 Egeria wrote a travelogue to her friends that influenced later pilgrimages. Helena also sent Constantine relics of the true cross. 397 Martin of Tours died, leaving behind his cloak, which became a famous relic. Fifth Century Developments Theodosius I (r. 379-392) had outlawed pagan sacrifices and endorsed Trinitarian Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Arian Germanic tribes moved into the western Roman Empire and began taking territory. 378 Visigoths win at Adrianople. 410 Alaric sacked Rome. 455 Vandals sacked Rome. 476 Odoacer deposes the last Roman Augustus. 493 Theodoric and the Ostrogoths took Italy. Zeno’s Henotikon 451 Chalcedon affirmed the dyophysite position (two natures in one person). 488 Byzantine Emperor Zeno attempted to reconcile monophysites and dyophysites by condemning Eutyches and Nestorius and approving Cyril’s 12 anathemas (Henotikon). Chalcedon remained controversial with Christianity now split into several groups: Arian Germanic kingdoms, monophysites (Egypt and Ethiopia), Chalcedonian dyophysites (Rome & Constantinople), and Nestorian dyophysites (Syria and Persia). Justinian (482-565) 525 Justinian married Theodora and becam

This is part 21 of the Early Church History class. In the fifth century Christians waged a theological civil war that ended in a massive church split. The issue was over the dual natures of Christ. How was he both divine and human? Did he have a human soul and a divine soul? Did his two natures fuse into one new nature? Although such abstruse distinctions would hardly get anyone’s blood boiling today, these doctrinal distinctives resulted in a zero sum war for supremacy involving not only theological argumentation, but also political conniving and outright gangster tactics in the battles that led to the famous Council of Chalcedon in 451. Though church history textbooks often whitewash this period of theological creativity, this episode will give you a brief but unapologetic overview of the major players and their deeds in the dual natures controversy. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Options for Two Natures Athanasius (c. 357) affirmed Jesus as God and man but did not explain how the natures united. He called Mary Theotokos (God-bearer). Apollinarius of Laodicea (d. 382) said the Word became flesh without assuming a human mind (Apollinarianism). Gregory of Nazianzus (d. 390) condemned Apollinarius and said that what God has not assumed, he has not healed. Eutyches of Constantinople (380-456) said the divine and human natures combined to form one new nature (Eutychianism/Monophysitism) Nestorius (c. 429) denied Mary as Theotokos, calling her instead Christotokos, and allegedly taught that Christ had two distinct natures in two persons (Nestorianism/dyophysitism). Leo I said Christ had two natures united in person, though the two natures remained distinct (Chalcedonian dyophysitism). Condemning John Chrysostom John Chrysostom represented the Antiochene school of thought (as opposed to the Alexandrian). 397 Chrysostom became bishop of Constantinople. Eudoxia, wife of the emperor Arcadius, worked with Theophilus of Alexandria to depose Chrysostom. 403 Synod of the Oak deposed Chrysostom. 404 Chrysostom exiled. 407 Chrysostom marched to death Condemning Nestorius 428 Nestorius became bishop of Constantinople. He immediately began persecuting “heretics” as a defender of orthodoxy. 429 Anastasius of Antioch preached in Constantinople that no one should call Mary Pu

This is part 20 of the Early Church History class. So far we've been focusing primarily on Christianity within the Roman Empire in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East--the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, Christianity also spread south to Africa, north to Armenia, and east to Asia where it reached Persia, India, and China. Hopefully this session will counterbalance the Mediterranean focus we've had so far, expanding your perspective to be a little more global. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni_EnPzxJ4k&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=20&t=2890s&pp=iAQB —— Links —— See my lecture on YouTube: History of Christianity in Africa For more on Armenian Christianity, see The Key of Truth: A Monument of Armenian Unitarianism More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Africa First Century Jesus took refuge in Africa as a baby (Matthew 2:13-15) An African from Cyrene carried Jesus’ cross (Mark 15:21). At Pentecost, Jews from Egypt and Libya were present (Acts 2:10). At Antioch, Simeon called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene were part of the Jew-Gentile mixed church (Acts 13:1). Egypt By the 2nd c., New Testament scriptures were translated into Coptic. Alexandria was a center for Christianity (Clement, Origen, Arius, Alexander, Athanasius). Maghreb (North Africa) Christianity attested from at least the second century through martyrs of Scilla in Numidia and Perpetua and Felicitas in Carthage. Tertullian, Cyprian, Novatian, Donatus, and Augustine Ethiopia Frumentius and Edesius became slaves to the King of Axum. Athanasius of Alexandria ordained Frumentius a bishop. King Ezana became a Christian between 330 and 350. In the late 5th c., the nine saints came and founded monasteries, including at Debre Damo. In the 6th c., King Kaleb crossed the Red Sea to defeat Du Nawas, king of Himyar (Yemen). He then rebuilt the churches there and spread Christianity in the region. Nubia In the second half of the 6th c., Christian missionaries began converting key people in Makuria. Makuria became a mighty kingdom that held off the Muslims

This is part 19 of the Early Church History class. Even though the Roman Empire chose Nicene Christianity as it's "orthodoxy," subordinationist Christianity continued to exist, especially outside among the Germanic tribes. In this episode, you'll learn about Ulfilas the Missionary to the Goths who not only brought Christianity to these "barbarians," but also made them an alphabet and translated most of the bible into Gothic. Next, we'll briefly survey the major Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Burgundians, Lombards, and finally the Franks. This little known chapter of history when the Arian kingdoms took over the Roman Empire had a massive effects on Europe and North Africa for centuries to come. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP9T3V1AWIs&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2lk3B0I7Pa77hfwKJm1SRI&index=19&t=27s&pp=iAQB —— Links —— See also 494 Early Church History 12: Arius and Alexander of Alexandria and 423 One God 13: The Fourth Century More Restitutio resources on Christian history See other classes here Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Ulfilas, Missionary to the Goths 340 Subordinationist bishops ordained Ulfilas bishop to the Visigoths 341-347 lived with the Goths and preached to them Ulfilas translated the Bible into Gothic. Rule of Faith: “I believe in one God the Father, alone ingenerate and invisible, and in his only-begotten Son, our Lord and God, artificer and maker of the whole creation, who has nobody like him–therefore there is one God the Father of all who is also God of our God–and in one Holy Spirit, the power which illuminates and sanctifies, as Christ said after the resurrection to his apostles, and he (i.e. the Spirit) is not God nor our God, but the minister of Christ ... subordinate and obedient in all things to the Son, and the Son subordinate and obedient in all things to his God and Father…”[1] Huns The Huns were a nomadic confederation of Mongolian tribes who began entering Europe in the fourth century. Ammianus Marcellinus described them as utter savages who never bathed or changed their clothes and lived on their horses. Atilla the Hun (r. 434-453) attacked Persia, the Balkans, Constantinople, Gaul, and Italy, terrifying many within the Roman Empire (both East and West). Visigoths Eudoxius, B