Restitutio

Did you know that Christianity spread to Asia in the first century?  At one time the Church of the East was bigger than the Roman Catholic Church.  Although often overlooked, this part of the world is critical to our understanding Christianity in the last five hundred years.  Our guest lecturer, Matthew Elton, guides us through an enlightening and helpful survey of the history of Asian Christianity. This is lecture 8 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes are available here as a pdf. —— Notes —— Early Christianity (1st Century) Christianity spreads in Arabia, Persia, India.   Nestorian Schism (431) Nestorius was bishop of Constantinople (present day Istanbul, Turkey). Disagreement over unity vs. separation of human and divine natures in Christ. Disagreement over title of Mary: theotokos (“God-bearer”) vs. Christotokos (“Christ-bearer”). Nestorius accused of heresy, excommunicated, and exiled to Egypt. 17 other bishops also excommunicated. Nestorian view of Christ accepted by Church of the East (Nestorian Church).   The Church of the East (~431 to Present) Also called the Nestorian Church. Split from the western church as a result of the Nestorian Schism. Main power base was in Persia (present day Iran). Spread east into India, Nepal, Mongolia, China. Height of power c. 700-1000. During this time it was the largest and possibly most populous church in the world, more powerful than the Catholic church. Islam founded by Muhammad in early 7th Church of the East collapses under Muslim persecution and war, almost extinct by 1500. Survives today in very small “Assyrian Church of the East” in U.S. and groups active in Iraq, Syria, etc.   Early Christianity in China (7th Century) Aluoben was a Nestorian Christian from Persia. Led the first mission to China in 635. Emperor Tang Taizong calls Christianity “religion of light,” commands that it be spread throughout China. Oldest church in China is in Xi’an, dates to 640, still standing today. Nestorian Monument erected in 781 to celebrate Chinese Christianity. “Jesus Sutras”: Early Chinese Christian texts discovered in a cave in Dunhuang. Recently translated into English. Persecution in later dynasties diminished Christianity in China.   Christianity in Japan: Francis Xavier (active 1541-1552) Jesuit missionary from Portugal. Wins converts in Africa, India, Indonesia. Meets Anjiro, an exiled samurai, in Indonesia. Travels to Japan with Anjiro aboard a pirate ship. Third European to go to Japan, and first to learn Japanese. Preached in Japan 3 years but won few converts due to cultural barriers. Christianity in Japan grew rapidly c. 1550-1600.   The Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868) Shoguns (warlords) ruled Japan for almost 300 years. They hated foreigners and persecuted Christians. February 5, 1597: 26 Christians crucified in Nagasaki. 1632: 55 Christians crucified.   The Meiji Restoration (1868) Emperor Meiji restores the rule of the emperor. Modernizes Japan with western technology. Establishes a democratically elected parliament (Diet of

Have you ever thought about what it must have been like for Adam and Eve have that conversation after the Fall, after they had become ashamed of what they had done and they had to come to grips with the new reality.  In this stunning piece of poetry, written by Preston and Jackie Perry, we see the two of them embodying Adam and Eve in a very intense exchange where they blame each other and then come to an understanding and resolution of this issue.  I found this piece to be at once melodic and beautiful, but also deep and profound. —— Transcript —— Eve: So I guess it was convenient for you to turn your back on the woman who held your spine. Adam: Woman – you were brought fourth from my side- created to support me like the gravity stricken moon does to brisk breath of nightfall- but when fear clawed its way into my heart when he called my name in the garden you shrunk and hid your shameful body- Both: Where were you? Eve: When the prince of night found his way to your star, you watched him lie… I watched you sit and set like sun you morning of a man. You can’t even see the nightmare you have become. Adam: I was there, standing in the distance having a conversation with my backbone. I wanted to stop you but you let that evil reptile with eyes slow dancing with deceit and tongue swift as breeze woo you dumb to think we could be wise as the God who thought the galaxies into existence. Eve: Adam, I thought he was my friend, letting me in on secrets God pinky promised the leaves not to tell. He pointed me to the tree, told me of what I was missing and as my faith in his lies led me to stare, I watched death become gorgeous. Adam: But God is beautiful. Eve: Adam, my tongue became sight. The fruit looked too good not to- Both: Taste Adam: -and see that God is Good Eve: God is thief. He kept us from the one thing he knew would turn our minds deity. Adam: No God is wise, Eve cant you see? In our feast for knowledge we have become fools, searching for wisdom in a mere branch we forgot about the God who had the power to grow us from dust with no roots. His mind is wide as sky and we were free as clouds, but now the silent hum of shame echoes the land–the eerie chill of fathers curse crawls across our conscience and the very river we bathe our naked souls in is damned because of you.  What have you done? Eve: Do not blame me for murder and name yourself victim as if we are not both ghosts with skin. Both: You left me for dead. Did you forget the sixth day when God made you? Eve: From dust. Adam: But he made you from me for me! While sleeping he carved you from my caged bones beautiful, but you with your pride of dis-positioned switched positions and tried to lead, took heed to a snake without consulting me first. You didn’t respect me! Eve: He gave you authority. He made you the head of us but you became neck. I can still see the apple stuck in your throat, Adam. Swallow your pride. You were supposed to lead me, yet I am to blame? Your wife, your Eve, the one who is now shame once beauty the moment you saw her breath. Maybe, I should noose a ribbon around my neck, make a skirt of wrapping paper, stuff my natural naked chest with leaves. Maybe then these bones will be enough gift for you again, this flesh enough body for you to bathe in. The day you removed God from your soul. Emptied your nest of his glory is the day you begged me to take his place. Fill your voids, become this image of perfection to satisfy your insecurities. Both: God forbid. Eve: -Our sons grow up treating their sisters like cemeteries. Stacking their bodies and bones in one closet to wear as one flesh every time they want to feel alive. Adam: Eve please understand that you further prove my point. That prideful o

Zooming out, this episode casts a wide net to summarize how the movement started by Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin affected Europe over the next century. We’ll see how the Reformation took root in Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands while simultaneously failing to find fertile ground in France, especially among those in power. Lastly, we’ll consider the Thirty Year’s War (1618-1648) and how this brutal conflict fundamentally changed the way religion and politics related henceforth. This is lecture 8 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes are available here as a pdf. —— Notes —— Germany Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560): systematic theologian of Lutheran movement 1521 – Diet of Worms: edict outlawed Luther and followers 1526 – Diet of Speyer suspended the edict of Worms 1529 – Diet of Speyer re-enacted the edict of Worms 1530 – Diet of Augsburg Lutherans presented Augsburg Confession[1] (written by Melanchthon) Johann Eck prepared a confutation against the Augsburg Confession Charles demanded Lutherans sign this refutation 1531 – Schmalkaldic League 1532 – Emperor called a truce at Nuremberg that lasted a decade 1546-7 – First Schmalkaldic War 1552 – Second Schmalkaldic War 1555 – Peace of Augsburg Cuius regio, eius religio: whose region, his religion   Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) All of Scandavia ultimately became Lutheran during the 16th Monarchs converted to the faith 1527 – Gustav Vasa (1496-1560), king of Sweden split with Rome King took possession of all church property Subjected clergy to civil law Declared all churches to preach “the pure Word of God”   Netherlands Anabaptist movement was popular Spanish government (Philip II) harshly persecuted Protestants in the Netherlands 1560s – Dutch Reformed Church dominated   France French Protestants were called Huguenots Francis I (r. 1515-1547) initially was tolerant, owing to humanist tendencies until 1534 1534: Affair of the Placards stirred Catholics against Protestants 1562-1698: French Wars of Religion were civil wars “The parish pulpits of Paris taught hatred of heretics and suspicion of those—including the magistracy and monarchy—who allowed their continuing existence. Catholic preachers goaded people into a frenzy of fear and hatred of the religious and moral depravity of the ‘Deformed’ that would undermine royal efforts for toleration and produce deadly fruit. …For over the next 30 years Huguenots and Catholics murdered and assassinated each other with increasing barbarity.”[2] 1572: St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre Marriage between Marguerite of Valois and Henry of Navarre brought many prominent people into Paris August 24th King Charles IX (1550-1574) had gates of Paris locked “The streets were covered with dead bodies, the rivers stained, the doors and gates of the palace bespattered with blood. Wagon loads of corpses, men, women, girls, even infants, were thrown into the Seine, while streams of blood ran in many quarters of the city…One little girl was bathed in the blood of her butchered fa

Have you ever noticed that pastors tend to get called to bigger churches over time, usually with better pay.  However, after fifteen years of serving at a church in rural South Carolina, Pastor Alan Cain heard God calling him to move to a smaller church that was having financial difficulty.  Although he took some convincing, Cain moved his wife and children up to Ohio and began serving at the Lawrenceville Church of God.  Over the past thirteen years, they’ve gone from 30 people in attendance on a typical Sunday to 175!  In this interview I ask Cain what his secret is.  The answer he gives may surprise you. —— Links —— Check out Alan Cain’s sermons on his church YouTube channel Visit the Lawrenceville Church of God  website Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

In the 1500s scholars in northern Italy began questioning the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. Before long the Inquisition forced these burgeoning Italian biblical unitarians to flee, resulting in the spread of their ideas to other parts of Europe. The two most significant groups that emerged were the Polish Brethren and the Unitarian Church of Transylvania. In this lecture, you’ll learn about this interesting though typically overlooked chapter of church history. This is lecture 6 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes are available here as a pdf. —— Notes —— “Not only psychopannychism but also Antitrinitarianism was to find its fullest ecclesial expression in Polish Socinianism and Hungarian Unitarianism.  The leaders of these two parallel and closely interrelated movements…were Italians or palpably dependent upon Italians.”[1]   Italian Roots Marsiglio Ficino (Marsilio Ficino) (1433-1499) Subordinated Son to Father “Made bold to translate Verbum as sermo, thereby sloughing off the philosophically freighted conception of Christ as the Eternal Word (Logos, Verbum), as the Mind and Instrument of God, and substituting the idea of Christ as merely the voice of God. Although Ficino, basing his thought allegedly on Paul, wrote of approaching the preached sermo with the same reverence as the eucharistic corpus, he had started a train of thought that would equate the Word with the prophetic vox of the Old Testament, and even with rational meditation and literary scripta, and which would inevitably render philosophically difficult the received formulation of the Logos-Son as consubstantial with the Father.”[2] 1540s – Vicenza Society Vicenza is a city in Italy that had a strong unitarian church Fled and ended up all over Europe in Moravia and Switzerland Lelio Sozzini (1525-1562) Part of the Vicenza Society, a leader Visited Poland in 1551 Fausto Sozzini (1539-1604) Went to Poland and Hungary and worked with unitarians there In 17th, people started calling the Polish brethren “Socinians” Polish Brethren (1565-1658) Also called Minor Reformed Church of Poland and Socinians by outsiders, but called themselves “brethren” or “Christians” Peter Gonesius (1525?-1573) Studied at University of Padua in northern Italy and graduated with a doctorate in philosophy 1556 – Synod of Secemin: excommunicated for non-Trinitarian beliefs Became the leader of the Ecclesia Minor in Poland along with Marcin Czechowic Georg Schomann (1530-1591) Left a letter to children and grandchildren (a kind of will) “If you want to find out these things yourselves, there is my second catechism which I compiled from Holy Scripture privately for you. It explains about the Most High God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, man, only begotten Son of God our Lord, who are to be worshipped in spirit and in truth…May your understanding of God be that which we have from the prophets of Israel and not after the fashion of the Lutherans and Papists.”[3] In 1574, a little work, Confession of Faith of the Congregation Assembled in Poland (thought to be Schonmann’s work)

Is war ever justified?  If so, can Christians participate in killing?  In this episode we delve into a sensitive and controversial subject to figure out what the bible has to teach us about how we should treat our enemies.  Our aim here is not be provocative, but faithful to what our lord taught us.  Here now is the conclusion of our series on killing: off script 38: Killing in War: A Christian View of Violence —— Notes —— Four Texts in the Sermon on the Mount Clearly Show What Jesus Taught Mat 5.5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Mat 5.9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Mat 5.38-42 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Mat 5.43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus’ Apostles Furthermore Continued His Teaching: 1 Thess 5.15  See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rom 12.14, 17-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them…Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 1 Pet 3.8-11 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. Three Views of “Resist Not Evil” total nonresistance find exceptions to Jesus’ commands confrontational nonresistance Quotes: Hippolytus (a.d. 215) A soldier of the civil authority must be taught not to kill men and to refuse to do so if he is commanded, and to refuse to take an oath. If he is unwilling to comply, he must be rejected for baptism. A military commander or civic magistrate who wears the purple must resign or be rejected. If an applicant or a believer seeks to become a soldier, he must be rejected, for he has despised God.” [1] Origen (a.d. 248) In the next place, Celsus urges us “to help the king with all our might, and to labour with him in the maintenance of justice, to fight for him; and if he requires it, to fight under him, or lead an army along with him.”  To thi

Although sometimes lumped in with enlightenment rationalism, the biblical unitarian movement came to prominence right from the start of the Reformation.  Essentially, as soon as bible translations started getting into the hands of regular people, a great many Catholic doctrines came under scrutiny.  In this episode you’ll learn about three major biblical unitarian trailblazers of the sixteenth century, including Claude of Savoy, Adam Pastor, and Michael Servetus.  These men did not give definitive shape to the larger groups that soon emerged, but they tread along the path, preparing the way for those who would come after. This is lecture 5 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes are available here as a pdf. —— Notes —— Claude of Savoy (Claudius Aliodus) (1500?-1560?) Itinerant preacher 1534 – exiled from Basel and Bern 1534 – Henry Bullinger (1504-1575), Zwingli’s successor in Zurich, wrote a defense of the dual natures’ doctrine to refute Claude’s teachings. Claude’s confession of faith: “’The Lord thy God is one.’ Whence then are there two others? particularly since it is written [Rom. 11:34]: “Who hath been his counselor?” That man alone, whom Mary conceived and brought forth, is called Jesus, which is proved [by Luke 1:31 -32]: “Behold thou wilt conceive and bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus; and he will be called great and the Son of the Most High.” Who therefore is so holy, so great, who is called the Son of God, but he who was conceived in the womb of the Virgin and born? Therefore a Christian should acknowledge none other to be the Son of God than him whom Scripture so declares. Behold, the same man, the first born of Mary, is called the Savior and not some divinity of Christ.  He is declared to have saved us by his blood, not by his divinity. For this reason he himself says of himself [John 6:54]: “who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” He does not say. “who eats my deity.” Therefore I am not held to eat the deity of Christ but rather his flesh and to drink his blood. They blaspheme therefore who say of the Virgin that she is the Mother of God, for she did not bear God but Christ. If heaven and earth cannot contain God, how much the less the womb of a woman? In any case, if Jesus were thus divided into God and Man, the Virgin would not be the Mother of Christ, but only of a part of him. Observe also the expression “this day” [I have begotten thee: Ps. 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5], which indicates a definite time. He was not, therefore, begotten eternally of the Father, as they [the orthodox] falsely imagine. But when came the fullness of time he sent his Son made of woman. Therefore he is precisely called the Son of God, who is made of woman. The Father gives testimony concerning him [cf. Matt. 3:17]: “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” Concerning whom is this said, unless it be about him who had been baptized? For surely the divinity of Christ is not said to have been baptized, but only the man was shown forth.  Again [John 1:29]: “Behold the Lamb who taketh away the sins of the world.” In that he is said to be a Lamb, nothing of deity is included, but exactly what is appropriate for sacrifice. It is also sufficiently shown, by the declaration [Heb. 2:16]: “he took not on him (assumpsit) the nature of angels, but he took on the seed of Abraham” that the Father, wishing to reconcile the world to himself, willed to do this by a creature and by blood, and not by any divinity. But the Father was in him through the plenitude of the Spirit reconciling himself to the

Determining the validity of capital punishment is a complex task, especially when approached from a Christian perspective.  To arrive at a biblically informed decision we need to consider both the Old and New Testaments, giving special attention to the nuanced understanding the Apostle Paul gave in Romans 13.  Furthermore, in America we have quite a few other issues we need to balance out such as the exorbitant cost of sustaining convicts on death row and the handful of cases where an executed person turns out to be innocent on the one hand, and  capital punishment’s ability to deter crime and mete out justice on the other. —— Links —— Check out the other episodes in the series on Killing Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

In this lecture you’ll learn about the Anabaptist movement and their distinctive beliefs.  We’ll consider the life of Michael Sattler, an important leader of the Anabaptists, and see how he stood firm in his faith even when his life was at risk.  Next, you’ll find out about Melchior Hoffman and how his followers took over the city of Münster, eventually resulting in chaos, immorality, and significant loss of life.  Sadly, European governments tended to lump all radicals together so that peaceful Anabaptists and violent apocalypticists got painted with the same brush.  Lastly, we’ll look at Menno Simons who became so influential among the Anabaptists that a sizeable group took his name, becoming the Mennonites.  Significant events in this lecture include: 1527 Schleitheim Confession 1527 Michael Sattler burned at the stake 1535 Münster captured 1537 Menno Simons becomes an Anabaptist 1544 Anabaptists in Netherlands called Mennonites 1569 Dirk Willems rescues pursuer This is lecture 4 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes are available here as a pdf. —— Notes —— Anabaptist Distinctives Bible as the standard, not tradition or church hierarchy Discipleship & love (literal obedience to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount) Separation from the world (especially government) Home fellowships (voluntary church, no infant baptism) Congregational polity   Michael Sattler (1495-1527) 1525 -left Benedictine monastery, married a nun named Margaretha, expelled from Zurich 1526 – became Anabaptist 1527 – major leader in writing Schleitheim Confession[1] Baptism for those who repent only The ban practiced according to Matthew 18.15-17 Communion for baptized only Separation from the world (including government, Catholics, & Protestants) Pastors supported and given authority The sword not to be used Oaths are not to be taken May 21, 1527 – burned at the stake   Articles or Charges against Michael Sattler[2] First, that he and his adherents have acted contrary to the mandate of the Emperor. Secondly, he has taught, held, and believed that the body and blood of Christ are not present in the sacrament. Thirdly, he has taught and believed that infant baptism does not conduce to salvation. Fourthly, they have rejected the sacrament of extreme unction. Fifthly, they have despised and condemned the mother of God and the saints. Sixthly, he has declared that men are not to swear before the authorities. Seventhly, he has commenced a new and unheard of custom in regard to the Lord’s Supper, placing the bread and wine on a plate, and eating and drinking the same. Eighthly, he has left the order and married a wife. Ninthly, he has said that if the Turks should invade the country, no resistance ought to be offered them; and if it were right to wage war, he would rather take the field against the Christians than against the Turks; and it is certainly a great matter, to set the greatest enemies of our holy faith against us. Thereupon Michael Sattler requested permission to confer with his brethren and sisters, which was granted him. Having conferred with them for a little while, he began and undauntedly answered thus: “In regard to the article

Is it ever right to end someone’s life early? If so, under what conditions? In this episode we turn to the bible to sort out a Christian position on euthanasia.  Drawing on the inherent dignity God has invested in each person by making us in his image and the fact that God claims sovereignty over life and death, we conclude that physician assisted suicide is a sin.  In difficult cases of extreme and continuous suffering, Christians have pioneered palliative care in the hospice movement as a compassionate alternative to euthanasia. —— Links —— Check out the other episodes in the series on Killing Watch a short testimony of Joni Eareckson Tada Read more about Cicely Saunders, the founder of hospice Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.