Theology in Overalls | Because Knowing God Should Work in the Real World
Studying Christian theology via the thoughts of other Christians throughout the centuries. Historical Theology can be subdivided by era: The Patristic Period (1st through 8th centuries), The Ante-Nicene Fathers (1st to 3rd centuries), The Nicene Fathers (4th century), The Post-Nicene Fathers (5th to 8th centuries), The Middle Ages (8th to 16th centuries), The Reformation and Counter-Reformation (16th to 18th centuries), The Modern Period (18th to 21st centuries).
...Tertullian, for instance, wrote an entire treatise forbidding military service among Christians (The Crown) and such sentiment is found throughout his other writings (On Idolatry). Origen too condemned military service whenever he addressed the subject. And Lactantius agreed: “A just man may not be a soldier” (Divine Institutes, 6.20). Now again, there were Christians in …
Continue reading The Early Church and Military Service | Jesus Creed
Clement (I) of Rome is regarded by scholars of early Christianity as one of the earliest post-Apostolic Christian leaders, being supposed to have received appointment as an elder/overseer of the church at Rome by the Apostle Peter. Clement's only letter (1 Clement), composed (logically speaking) sometime during his service to the Church of God at …
Key conclusion: the patristics have never been the property of the Roman Catholics or even the Eastern Orthodox. The idea that leaving evangelicalism to find the apostolic fathers or patristics is Romanticism, not history. But what we need is a generation of evangelicals educated as leaders by learning the patristics. The collapse of Trinitarian thinking in …
Ignatius of Antioch wrote c. 98-117 A.D., and only the collection of his writings, called the Middle Recension, is considered authentic. All others are forgeries. Still, one must remember that the topic of Ignatius’ letters’ authenticity is still much debated! The Texts: https://www.loebclassics.com/view/ignatius-letters_ephesians/2003/pb_LCL024.215.xml SUMMARY: In his writings, Ignatius openly concedes that his teachings should not …
There are some forms of Christianity that hold to the belief (i.e. “covenant replacement theology”) that Christians are to establish God’s kingdom on earth through societal, legal and political means... and historically, these kinds of Christians have started wars, crusades and even City/States (ex. Vatican, Geneva, Amsterdam) in order to spread or “bring in” God’s …
