Mere Orthodoxy have put together what looks to be a very helpful website – The Faith Received – which gathers together creeds, council statements, catechisms, and various books by church leaders from the early church through to the the 1700s.
The searchable Library is available here.
There is also the option here of selecting chapters and verses from the Bible and reading some of the church’s teachers alongside it, and a topical search here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Meet the Anglicans: How the English State Church Became a Worldwide Church’.
From the blurb:
‘What is Anglicanism, and what does it mean to be an Anglican?
‘This issue of Christian History looks at the roots and branches of the Anglican story, beginning with Christianity’s arrival in the British Isles and its distinctive development in England’s Middle Ages. See how the English Reformation developed a Protestant branch separate from Rome, but not quite like its Reformed neighbors in Europe. From there we trace the Anglican faith’s dramatic expansion and change from the 17th century through the 21st-century world.
‘Join Christian History as we demystify what it means to be a state church, and what happens when you stop being one; the ways Anglicans can sound “Catholic lite” and why they do; how Anglican priests spread evangelicalism; and the pervasive influence of Anglicanism and the Book of Common Prayer on Western culture. Finally, join us on Anglicanism’s global journey – from once being an expression of Christian faith that was explicitly English, to its spread, expressions, and fractures throughout the world.’
The whole magazine is available as a 10.2 MB pdf here.
The latest Credo Magazine is devoted to Boethius:
‘Boethius is a name that all Christians should know. However, he is practically unknown to the average Christian today. Yet, his legacy endures, and his influence remains steadfast if not fully appreciated. His most enduring work, The Consolation of Philosophy, is a conversation between himself and Lady Philosophy. As the personification of wisdom, she guides him through his grief at being unjustly accused of treason, only to lead him to new heights as he contemplates the essence of God, the source and wellspring of everlasting happiness. One cannot but notice Boethius’s inner dialogue with Platonism, right down to the poetry Boethius includes in his Consolation. Boethius also translated many works of Aristotle into Latin and dreamed of translating all major works of Greek antiquity into Latin. He was a man who understood the importance of keeping history alive in our minds. That is why this keeps the memory of Boethius alive for our generation and the next. In this issue of Credo, scholars, pastors, and students reflect on the lasting impact of Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius and why we must retrieve him today.’
Individual articles are available from here.
Union School of Theology have posted five short videos on ‘Friendship and Christianity’ by Michael Haykin (who has also written on this topic here).
The sessions are as follows, and are available from here:
Session 1 – Friendship
Session 2 – The Friendship of Paul and Timothy
Session 3 – Friendship in the Christian Tradition
Session 4 – Esther Edwards Burr and Sarah Prince
Session 5 – Andrew Fuller and John Ryland Jr.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Christianity on the Seas’.
From the blurb:
‘God tells us in his Word that he made the sea, and it belongs to him (Psalm 146:6). Throughout the Bible, this powerful creation reveals aspects of God’s character, including his sovereignty and providence. And, throughout history, those whose livelihoods depended on the sea have understood it as a means of both God’s provision and judgment.
‘In this issue of Christian History, journey with us through the two-millennia story of Christianity on the seas. Beginning with Scripture and Jesus’s authority over the winds and the waves, we then follow this story through the centuries. Sail with Paul the Apostle, Brendan the Navigator, the Judsons, and other missionaries as they evangelize distant shores. Traverse the Atlantic with Bartolomé de Las Casas, the Puritans, John Newton, John Wesley, and more – as they face what they really believe about God when the stormy seas nearly swallow them.
‘We’ll also cover the history of ministry to seafarers – those who live out more of their days on the water than on land. In the Western world, starting in the seventeenth century, Christians began to recognize the desperate need for spiritual, physical, and emotional care for sailors. From this need sprang numerous worldwide ministries offering Bibles, lodging, chaplain programs, and even floating churches…
‘[D]iscover the powerful witness in God’s creation and in the hearts of the men and women who received, carried, and delivered his good news by way of the waters.’
The whole magazine is available as a 12.5 MB pdf here.
The latest volume of the Southwestern Journal of Theology contains the below essays on the theme of ‘Celebrating Centenaries’.
The entire issue is available as a pdf here.
Editorial
Malcolm B. Yarnell III
From Colossae to Nicaea: Paul’s Witness to Christ’s Deity
Benjamin Hawkins
A “Tendentious Translation”?: An Appraisal of William Tyndale’s English New Testament after 500 years
Michael D. Wilkinson
Pilgram Marpeck: Theologian of the Incarnation
Mac Brunson
The Anabaptists and Their Hermeneutic
W. Madison Grace II
“Our Gospel Fellowship”: The Presidential Inaugural Address of Robert E. Naylor
Anthony Wolfe
“Irresistible Cooperation”: Intercongregational Financial Cooperation as a Spiritual Impulse and Theological Obligation according to Lee Rutland Scarborough
Coleman M. Ford
“For Us Humans and for Our Salvation”: The Beauty of Salvation in Athanasius and Gregory Nazianzus
Book Reviews
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Debating Jesus’s Divinity: Revisiting the Council of Nicaea on its 1700th Anniversary’.
From the blurb:
‘In 2025, Christians around the world celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This historic council of the early church (a story which Christian History first told in issue #85) dealt with a conundrum that the modern church sees as a settled matter – Jesus is God, but how? What does it mean when the Bible says he is begotten? Are there degrees of divinity? How is Jesus both God and man?
‘In this refreshed issue of CH, discover the discussions and debates that reached a boiling point in the fourth century between church leaders concerning this all-important question of Jesus’s divinity. Meet the major players at the council and discover how their involvement led to the creation of the Nicene Creed.
‘You’ll also see how the Nicene Creed wasn’t exactly the “be all, end all” of church doctrine at the time, and how more councils, creeds, and conflicts followed in the decades afterward. But from this chaos emerged the clarifying work of pro-Nicene church fathers who led the church to a strongly trinitarian consensus, giving us the legacy we treasure today.’
The whole magazine is available as a 5.33 MB pdf here.
The latest special issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Vatican II: The council that reshaped modern Catholicism’.
From the blurb:
‘What is Vatican II, and why does it matter for the entire Christian church?
‘This issue of CH will explore the convening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962, a historic council in Roman Catholic history in response to the changing world. Starting with the sixteenth-century Council of Trent and the Catholic reply to the Protestant Reformation, this issue covers the multiple political and theological factors that eventually led to the First Vatican Council in 1869. Crisis outside the church and controversies within would precipitate the Second Vatican Council nearly one hundred years later.
‘During Vatican II, bishops from around the world gathered to debate and respond to questions raised by the modern world. What should liturgy, governance, and education look like in the modern church? How should clergy exercise their authority? What roles do lay people play in the life of the body? How does the church respond to racism, world wars, and other modern evils? How should Catholics relate to Protestant and Orthodox believers? And how about those of other faiths?
‘Join CH as we explore the work and consequences of this historic council in our latest issue.’
The whole magazine is available as a 5.4 MB pdf here.
The latest special issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Fasts and Feasts: A historical guide to the church calendar’.
From the blurb:
‘Think about how you would tell the story of your own life to someone else – and the story of your life with Christ. Are there events you particularly remember? Are there times of happiness and times of sorrow? What has been the rhythm of your days?
‘One of the distinctive aspects of the Christian faith is that it is a story rooted in time – centered around the true story of a Savior who lived at a moment in history that we can pinpoint. Because of this, Christians began very early to celebrate the life, death, and Resurrection of their Savior by marking time. Weekly at first, and then yearly, joyful commemorations and penitential periods developed; over the first few centuries of the church they achieved a rhythm, year in and year out, intended to help believers grow in faith and become closer to their Lord.
‘In Fasts and Feasts, you will find an introduction to this rhythm – to inform you about its history and, perhaps, give you ideas to make it part of your own discipleship or that of your church.’
The whole magazine is available as a 5.9 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘What happened to the apostles? Lives, legends, and legacies of the men closest to Jesus.’
From the blurb:
‘Who were the twelve close followers of Jesus who became his apostles? What happened to them, and why does it matter so much to the Christian story? […]
‘Join us as we discover the lives of the Twelve, starting with the Holy Spirit’s transformative role in their ministries and moving on to details scholars have gleaned about the apostles outside of Scripture. While reputable accounts from the early church fathers tell us much of what we can be confident in, the apocryphal writings, as bizarre and as suspect as they often are, corroborate some facts and provide a fuller picture of the apostles’ journeys. This includes places the apostles may have evangelized and the martyrdoms they possibly suffered for the Gospel. We’ll also look at the fantastic legends and miraculous deeds popularized in these apocryphal writings and how they inspired the imagination and faith of later generations of believers.
‘This issue will also help you sift through the identities of the apostles and other faithful followers, which can be hard to decipher as these biblical figures often had overlapping names, roles, and various nicknames. Finally, we’ll take a closer look at other disciples important to the mission of the early church, including the thirteenth apostle, Paul, the Gospel writers, and the women closest to Jesus.’
The whole magazine is available as a 8.2 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to the Mercersburg Movement.
From the blurb:
‘In a small seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania in the nineteenth century, a movement was taking shape that would swim against the tide of much of American Christianity. It challenged common revivalistic practices, anticipated ecumenical movements of the following decades, and pursued ancient church practices that centered the presence of Jesus Christ. And it did not do so quietly.
‘In this issue of Christian History, meet the conservative rebels who sought to recover sacramental Protestantism and crafted the Mercersburg movement: John Williamson Nevin and Philip Schaff. Both ministers in the German Reformed Church, scholars, and theologians, they and their students faced heated controversy, charges of heresy, and criticism from many – including Charles Hodge and the luminaries of Princeton Seminary, Charles Finney and his fellow revivalists, and the influential leaders of their own German Reformed Church.
‘Though not widely known or understood today, the ripples of the Mercersburg movement can be felt throughout much of the American church. Discover how Mercersburg theology has challenged, shaped, and refined Christian practices in nineteenth-century America and beyond in this latest issue.’
The whole magazine is available as a 14.7 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to Oswald Chambers.
From the blurb:
‘My Utmost for His Highest is one of the most enduring and best-selling Christian devotionals of all time. It has been in print for a century, translated into 39 languages, and has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide. You have probably heard of it. But what do you know about Oswald Chambers, the devotional’s author?
‘In this issue of Christian History, meet the Scottish poet, artist, intellectual, and minister whose approachable and sincere faith allowed him to speak effectively to the spiritual challenges of the modern world. Oswald Chambers’s preaching and teaching took him all over the globe, even to the Egyptian warfront of World War I as a YMCA chaplain. You will also meet the woman behind My Utmost: Gertrude “Biddy” Chambers, Oswald’s wife and partner in ministry. This gifted stenographer, typist, administrator, and teacher preserved and presented her husband’s wisdom to audiences worldwide, launching a publishing empire and Oswald’s world-renowned devotional.
‘Discover the dynamic, faith-filled, and inspirational story of Oswald and Biddy Chambers– two believers who truly gave their utmost for His highest.’
The whole magazine is available as a 3.5 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to ‘Global Outpouring: Revival Movements of the Modern Era’.
From the blurb:
‘The last issue of the Christian History three part series on revival. As we learned in CH #149 and #151, God has used revivals to awaken His people throughout history when they fervently seek Him in prayer and repentance. We see in this final issue how the Second Great Awakening continued to spur missions worldwide, how meetings on Azusa Street led to the Pentecostal movement as we know it today, and how revivals are not limited to one region or people but occur globally.’
The whole magazine is available as a 11.6 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to ‘Christianity and Theater’.
From the blurb:
‘What does a Christian relationship with theater look like? Throughout the years, Christians have approached this question in numerous ways. Some in the early church, like Tertullian, rejected theater, identifying anti-Christian and idolatrous roots that made participation a problem. But others embraced theater, redeemed it, and created it.
‘Learn more about not only the most famous playwrights, but also about the abbesses, noblewomen, Mexican and African American dramatists, and contemporary actors who have brought the greatest Story ever told to new audiences through theater. Join us in this issue of Christian History as we explore the relationship between Christianity and theater, from critique to creative participation, starting in the early church and into the twentieth century.’
The whole magazine is available as a 11.9 MB pdf here.
The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to ‘Awakenings’.
From the blurb:
‘Join Christian History as we unfold historical revivals from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, a second issue in our series on revival. Revival, as defined in CH's first issue in this series (#149), is 1.) popular – a widespread occurrence; 2.) transformative – resulting in conversion and recommitment to Christ; 3.) institutionally unsatisfied and critical – movements that question, reform, and renew institutions; and 4.) devotional – emotionally charged.
‘This issue details movements that certainly fit these criteria, focusing extensively on the First and Second Great Awakenings. Through stories and people you may be familiar with, to those figures less often recognized and easier to miss within the big “Awakening” picture, we invite you to follow the threads that spanned continents and faith traditions to weave a fascinating tapestry of spiritual revival.’
The whole magazine is available as a 12.7 MB pdf here.
