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Home > Christianity Today Magazine > Columns > Christian History Corner
Jennifer Trafton is associate editor of Christian History & Biography magazine, a quarterly, thematic publication devoted to connecting contemporary Christians to their spiritual heritage by communicating church history in an engaging, accurate, and visual way.
How We Worship
An ambitious new book takes us into the diverse world of Christian worship practices from the early church to today.
by Jennifer Woodruff Tait
posted 06/23/2006 10:30 a.m.
Live Longer, Healthier, & Better
The untold benefits of becoming a Christian in the ancient world.
by Rodney Stark
posted 06/09/2006 09:00 a.m.
Classic Faith for Modern Times: Justin Martyr
How the Early Christians Worshipped
by Justin Martyr
posted 05/26/2006 09:30 a.m.
Turning Point: The Crowning of Charlemagne
Few moments in world history proved to be of greater significance than what transpired in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Christmas Day in the year 800.
by Patrick Henry Reardon
posted 4/21/2006 09:30 a.m.
Sweet Charity
The Quakers behind Cadbury chocolate.
by Elesha Coffman
posted 04/07/2006 09:30 a.m.
How We All Think Like Augustine
Take a mind-blowing journey with the great philosopher-saint in this audio course from the Teaching Company.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 03/31/2006 10:00 a.m.
A Complicated, Consequential Leader
Michael Kazin's recent biography of Williams Jennings Bryan introduces the 'Great Commoner' to a new generation.
Reviewed by Collin Hansen
posted 03/24/2006 09:30 a.m.
Martyrs to the Spear
Fifty years after five missionaries were murdered in Ecuador, their story still inspires.
by Kathryn Long and Carolyn Nystrom
posted 03/10/2006 10:00 a.m.
A Pen in God's Hand
Richard Baxter wrote, preached, taught, and visited his way to become the model pastor.
by Paul C. H. Lim
posted 03/03/2006 09:00 a.m.
Physicians of the Soul
J. I. Packer discusses the English Puritans, their quest for holiness, and why they are still worth remembering.
posted 02/24/2006 09:30 a.m.
For Sentimental Reasons
How the emotional stories of Christian preachers and writers shaped a movement.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 02/17/2006 09:30 a.m.
Blessing the Church with its History
Douglas Sweeney argues for an evangelical movement that welcomes diversity and repents of its blind spots.
by Collin Hansen
posted 02/10/2006 09:00 a.m.
A Politician Explains the Faith
One hundred fifty years before C. S. Lewis, William Wilberforce wrote the Mere Christianity of his time.
by Kevin Belmonte
posted 01/20/2006 09:30 a.m.
Erasmus's Revolutionary 'Study Bible'
The spiritual father of so many English Reformers died at the hands of the church he refused to leave.
by Edwin Woodruff Tait
posted 01/13/2006 09:30 a.m.
Campus Ministry Cambridge Style
The roots of InterVarsity and other evangelical college clubs.
by Collin Hansen
posted 01/06/2006 10:00 a.m.
Dorothy Sayers: "The Dogma Is the Drama"
An interview with Barbara Reynolds.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 12/16/2005 09:30 a.m.
GRATEFUL TO THE DEAD: THE DIARY OF A CHRISTIAN HISTORY PROFESSOR
Sharing Stories from the Heart
The lessons of history are fair game for use today.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 12/09/2005 11:30 a.m.
Carpets, Wardrobes, and the Glory of the Real
A lesson on reality from fantasy author C.S. Lewis.
by Jennifer Trafton
posted 12/02/2005 10:00 a.m.
Eat, Drink, and Relax
Think the Pilgrims would frown on today's football-tossing, turkey-gobbling Thanksgiving festivities? Maybe not.
by Elesha Coffman
posted 11/21/2001
Christian History Classic: Into the Land of Imagination
C. S. Lewis defined reason as the natural organ of truth and imagination as the organ of meaning.
by Clyde Kilby
posted 11/11/2005 09:30 a.m.
From Stealing Bases to Saving Souls
Two recent books give unconventional glimpses into Chicago ballplayer-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday's unconventional career.
by Sarah Johnson
posted 11/04/2005 09:45 a.m.
GRATEFUL TO THE DEAD: THE DIARY OF A CHRISTIAN HISTORY PROFESSOR
Is It Wrong-Headed to Translate the Gospel for Culture?
Christian History Corner takes on the Christ and culture debate.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 10/28/2005 09:30 a.m.
Old Words, Vibrant Faith
Christian pop/rock band Jars of Clay explains why the church needs more Redemption Songs.
Interview by Collin Hansen
posted 10/21/2005 09:00 a.m.
J.S. Bach: For the Glory of God
Such humility is exceedingly rare among those who have gained worldwide fame.
by Patrick Kavanaugh
posted 10/14/2005 10:00 a.m.
Bringing Peace to Paradise
The wave of the future needs the wisdom of the past.
by Steven Gertz
posted 10/07/2005 09:30 a.m.
Grateful to the Dead: The Diary of a Christian History Professor
Emergents, Meet Saints!
The wave of the future needs the wisdom of the past.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 09/30/2005 09:00 a.m.
From Mutual Aid to Global Action
How the Anabaptist emphasis on practical acts of love led a tightly knit enclave to reach out to the world.
by Gari-Anne Patzwald and William Kostlevy
posted 09/23/2005 09:45 a.m.
The Trailblazer
The first evangelical missionary to India set out to prove that the gospel does not destroy culture but transforms it from within.
by Daniel Jeyaraj
posted 09/16/2005 09:30 a.m.
Reformation Reoriented
Mark Noll and Carolyn Nystrom evaluate the Catholic/evangelical detente in Is the Reformation Over?
Interview by Rob Moll
posted 09/02/2005 09:45 a.m.
Ministries of Mercy: Mother Teresa
She stirred a generation by touching the untouchables.
by Ruth A. Tucker
posted 08/26/2005 09:30 a.m.
Changed Lives: Luther
The daily gift of new life.
by Martin E. Marty
posted 08/19/2005 09:00 a.m.
Liberating Faith
When Korea threw off Japanese rule in 1945, it was as much a victory for the church as for the nation.
by Madison Trammel
posted 08/12/2005 09:30 a.m.
Where Wesley's Followers Went Awry
Three new books by scholars of American Methodism explain why Methodists flourished in the 19th century and faltered in the 20th.
by Jennifer Woodruff Tait
posted 08/05/2005 09:00 a.m.
Elementary School: Medieval to Modern
A 17th century Moravian bishop pushed elementary schooling out of the "Dark Ages."
by Chris Armstrong
posted 07/22/2005 09:00 a.m.
5 Christian History Books for the Beach
Christian History & Biography staff suggest books for your summer reading list.
Compiled by Collin Hansen
posted 07/15/2005 09:30 a.m.
When Theology Comes Alive
Living theology: that's what the 17th-century Pietists wanted to see. And so they invented church history.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 07/08/2005 09:30 a.m.
One Last Gotham Visit for Billy Graham
The evangelist's upcoming New York crusade recalls his historic confrontation with segregation, fundamentalism, and mainline theology nearly 50 years ago.
by Collin Hansen
posted 06/17/2005 09:00 a.m.
The Man Behind the Missions
A. T. Pierson who? Dana Robert's biography sheds light on a forgotten ancestor of the modern evangelical missionary movement.
by Sarah Johnson
posted 06/10/2005 09:30 a.m.
The Secrets of Spurgeon's Preaching
Why would thousands come to hear him speak?
by Lewis A. Drummond
posted 06/03/2005 09:30 a.m.
Preaching Augustine
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library came to my rescue in a homiletical emergency.
by David Neff
posted 05/27/2005 09:30 a.m.
Victorian Skeptics on the Road to Damascus
Former atheist Antony Flew's admission of the existence of God shocked believers and skeptics alike, but such a turnaround is far from unique. In the 19th century, many leading intellectuals who had once lost their faith ended up reconverting.
by Timothy Larsen
posted 05/20/2005 09:30 a.m.
In Search of the Real Balian
In Kingdom of Heaven, Sir Ridley Scott turns Balian of Ibelin into an agnostic, but what do we know of the Balian of history?
By Steven Gertz
posted 05/13/2005 10:00 a.m.
How Could Christians Crusade?
Why followers of the Prince of Peace waged war.
by Bruce L. Shelley
posted 05/06/2005 09:00 a.m.
Uwe Siemon-Netto: Ignore History at Your Own Peril
UPI religion columnist decries the shallow Christianity of those who neglect the past.
Interview by Collin Hansen
posted 04/15/2005 09:30 a.m.
Signs of the Reformation's Success?
Reformation scholar Timothy George discusses Pope John Paul II's historical significance and this 'momentous' era of Catholic-evangelical dialogue.
Interview by Collin Hansen
posted 04/08/2005 09:00 a.m.
'Hymn for Easter Day'
Charles Wesley's 'Christ the Lord Is Risen Today' brings alleluia's historical significance to modern audiences.
by Collin Hansen
posted 03/24/2005 10:45 a.m.
The Jewishness of the Nicene Creed
It was the Bible, not Greek philosophy, that shaped the theology of the Nicene bishops.
By David Neff
posted 02/25/2005 09:30 a.m.
Still Fighting Over Nicaea
The Anglican Communion dusts off and debates some of the Council of Nicaea's forgotten canons.
by Ted Olsen
posted 02/18/2005 09:30 a.m.
Dostoyevsky's Disregarded Prophecy
The famous Russian author shows us what's to fear in a world without God.
by Collin Hansen
posted 02/11/2005 09:30 a.m.
Losing Jesus' Language
The Assyrians, Iraq's main Christian population, struggle to keep their heritage and their ancient language.
posted 02/04/2005 9:00 a.m.
Tsunami Catastrophe: 'Let My Heart Be Broken … '
World Vision has changed much over the years, but the vision and compassion of its founder, Bob Pierce, continues to give it heart and soul.
By Steven Gertz
posted 01/28/2005 9:00 a.m.
Football's Pious Pioneer
Amos Alonzo Stagg instilled in football Christian values that remain apparent today.
By Collin Hansen
posted 01/14/2005 9:00 a.m.
Holy Ground
One of the most visible practices among the American Anabaptists, the Brethren love feast exemplifies humility and community.
By Frank Ramirez
posted 01/07/2005 9:30 a.m.
The Doctrine Doctor
Jaroslav Pelikan has written a history of the Christian tradition on a scale no one else has attempted in the twentieth century.
By Mark A. Noll
posted 12/30/2004 9:00 a.m.
The Real Twelve Days of Christmas
Celebrating Christ's birth with saints of the faith during the actual Christmas season.
By Edwin and Jennifer Woodruff Tait
posted 12/23/2004 9:00 a.m.
Compassionate in War, Christian in Vision
The man behind the Geneva Conventions knew the heights of success and the depths of failure.
By David Neff
posted 12/17/04 9:00 a.m.
A Problematic Mission?
Would the Spanish friars of California's historic missions have lobbied for the separation of church and state?
By Steven Gertz
posted 12/10/04 8:30 a.m.
Shaken Up by the Peace-Lovers
A trip through Pennsylvania's Lancaster County.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 11/24/04 10:30 a.m.
Now That You've Got Political Power, What Are You Going to Do with It?
History offers warning and hope for our modern-day Christian populism.
By Collin Hansen
posted 10/12/04 9:30 a.m.
How to Pray for Our Troops
This Veteran's Day, let's commend our men and women of the services to the God who brings good even from the most evil circumstances.
By Chris Armstrong and Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr.
posted 10/05/04 9:00 a.m.
SIDEBAR
Reports of the Revival
The Confederate camp became "a school of Christ."
By Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr.
posted 10/05/04 9:00 a.m.
The Politicians' Patron
As the Roman Catholic "patron saint of politicians," Thomas More is not quite a model for all seasons.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 10/22/04 9:00 a.m.
The Vanishing Act of the Church in Turkey
A church worn down by Christian rivalry and Islamic jihad hangs on in the land of Nicea and Ephesus.
By Collin Hansen
posted 10/15/04 9:00 a.m.
Getting the Word Out
An exhibit at the Huntington Library shows how Bibles big and small gave power to the people
By David Neff
posted 09/24/04 8:30 a.m.
The Roots of Pentecostal Scandal—Romanticism Gone to Seed
The sexual stumblings of prominent ministers point to a hidden flaw in Pentecostal spirituality.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/17/04 9:00 p.m.
Think TV
A PBS special personalizes the questions of God, morality, miracles, and the afterlife in the lives of C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud.
By David Neff
posted 09/10/04 10:30 a.m.
The Friends of The Christ of the Passion
Popular interest in the person of Jesus is widening to include his closest friends. But who were these people, really?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/03/04 9:00 a.m.
The "Assumed" Fate of Jesus' Mother
Roman Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Assumption on Sunday. What's "up" with that?
By Sarah E. Dahl
posted 08/13/04 8:30 a.m.
Is Speaking Truth a Hate Crime?
Hate laws making their way through U.S. and British governments highlight the need for peaceful yet critical Christian witness. A 12th-century abbot leads the way.
By Steven Gertz
posted 08/06/04 8:30 a.m.
"Knock, Knock." "Who's There?" "The Amish."
UPN's Amish In the City shows us our modern selves in a mirror that is positively medieval.
Chris Armstrong
posted 07/30/04 8:30 a.m.
All of Christian History in 6 Hours
This audio tour de force is strong meat for a mature Christian audience.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 07/23/04 8:30 a.m.
Hey, John Kerry, WWFFD?
"What Would the Founding Fathers Do" about the application of Christian principles to American politics? A few cautionary words.
By Elesha Coffman, introduced by Chris Armstrong
posted 07/09/04 12:01 a.m.
Testify!
A glimpse inside the world of "holiness testimony," through the story of an ex-slave woman evangelist.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 07/02/04 12:01 a.m.
To Spank or Not to Spank?
A 6th-century abbot and a group of 17th-century Calvinist "divines" weigh in on the issue
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/25/04 12:01 a.m.
For All the Saints
A new book reminds us to get our heads and hearts together, in the company of the "cloud of witnesses."
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/18/04 12:01 a.m.
The Pagan-Buster
How a brilliant monk lay the groundwork for Christian Europe
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/11/2004
I Was in Prison and You Abused Me
What would Jesus do at Abu Ghraib?
By Steven Gertz
posted 05/28/2004
Do Nigerian Miracle Ministries Discredit the Faith?
The spiritual dynamism of West African Christianity is now well known even in the West. Do credulity-stretching, highly publicized miracles discredit what God is doing in that region?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 05/21/2004
Holy America, Phoebe!
It swept across church lines, transforming America's urban landscape with its rescue missions and storefront churches. Yet today, the "holiness movement" and its charismatic woman leader are all but forgotten.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 05/14/2004
The Lord of the Rings, The Passion of the Christ, and the Highway of Holiness
Has God been "re-routing" us through popular movies, books, and cultural events?
by Chris Armstrong
posted 05/07/2004
Christian History Corner—Mel Gibson's Next Act: "The Man of the Passion"?
Thousands want Mel to make his next movie about a famous medieval friar.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 04/30/2004
St. Mugg's Wrestling Prophets, Part II: The "Weird Little Dane"
How a struggling soul built a bridge to Christ for those caught in the world's snares.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 04/23/2004
Let Us Not Set Asunder
The threat of gay marriage challenges Christians to defend older, better definitions of marriage. But what are those definitions, and how did they develop?
By Collin Hansen
posted 04/16/2004
Why does Easter's date wander?
And why the Eastern Orthodox Easter can differ from the Western by weeks.
By Farrell Brown
posted 04/08/2004
How Will It All End?
Left Behind is neither the first nor the last word on "last things."
By Steven Gertz
posted 04/02/2004
'St. Mugg' and the Wrestling Prophets
A modern British journalist gives us timely words from yesterday's sinner-saints.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 03/26/2004
Patrick's Italian Brother
Lost amid the celebration of Patrick is the important story of Benedict, the father of western monasticism.
By Ted Olsen and Mark Galli
posted 03/19/2004
Rediscovering the Language Jesus Spoke
Millions of Americans have spent two hours listening to the characters in Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ speaking in an exotic, unfamiliar tongue. Yet not all find Aramaic so alien.
By Steven Gertz
posted 03/11/2004
Is Christianity Oppressive to Women?
Sometimes our Christian heritage must be overcome, not celebrated.
By Linda Hartz Rump
posted 03/05/2004
Just a Closer Walk … with the Historical Jesus
Mel Gibson's movie raises again the question: How much can we know historically about Jesus' life and times?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 02/27/2004
Why some Jews fear The Passion
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ gives Christians the chance to disavow a shameful history of anti-Semitism.
By Collin Hansen
posted 02/20/2004
One Nation Under Secularism
France's peculiar aversion to public religiosity is rooted in a sordid history of sectarian violence.
By Collin Hansen
posted 02/13/2004
The Blood-and-Fire Mission of the Salvation Army
Where did this tuba-playing, kettle-wielding social force come from, and what's it all about?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 02/06/2004
Would You Like to Super-Size Your Ministry?
Joan Kroc's $1.5 billion bequest to the Salvation Army promises to boost its admirable outreach, but history suggests new challenges and temptations lie ahead.
By Collin Hansen
posted 01/30/2004
When God—or Allah—Is In the Details
What do Islamic "sharia" law and the colonial Massachusetts' Puritan experiment have in common?
By Steven Gertz
posted 01/23/2004
"The Bible Alone"? Not for John Calvin!
When we seek answers to churchly and societal issues in the Bible alone, citing the Reformation principle of sola scriptura, we are actually contradicting the Reformers.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 01/16/2004
Top Ten Stories of 2003 … with a Christian History Twist
Here is our review of "the Christian history that made the stories that made the news."
By Chris Armstrong
posted 01/09/2004
Resolutions Worth Keeping
The origins of new years' resolutions, and one famous list.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 01/02/2004
The Habits of Highly Effective Bible Readers
What we can learn from the church fathers that will enrich our own Bible study.
A conversation with Christopher Hall and David Steinmetz
posted 12/26/2003
Can Anything Good Come Out of New England?
Evangelical revival in the land of the liberal Brahmins may not be as historically odd as we suppose.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 12/12/2003
300-Year-Old Man Returns to Lead His Church
Evangelicals need this grandfather figure more than ever.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 12/05/2003
Thanksgiving in the Midst of Fear
Seriously ill in the days of the Black Plague, poet John Donne still celebrated God's goodness
Updated by Philip Yancey and introduced by Christian History editor Chris Armstrong
posted 11/26/2003
Good News to the Jew First
Critics of The Passion of Christ assume the story embodies an anti-Semitic message. But does it?
By Steven Gertz
posted 11/21/2003
Thanks, Da Vinci Code
The book sends us back to Christianity's "founding fathers"-and the Bible we share with them
by Chris Armstrong
posted 11/14/2003
Breaking The Da Vinci Code
So the divine Jesus and infallible Word emerged out of a fourth-century power-play? Get real.
By Collin Hansen
posted 11/07/2003
Not a Mercy but a Sin
The modern push for euthanasia is a push against a two-millenniums-old Christian tradition
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/31/2003
John Paul II's Canonization Cannon
Why and how this pope has made over 470 saints.
By Steven Gertz
posted 10/24/2003
Will the Next Pope Be an African?
Sixty-four years ago, the Roman Catholic Church consecrated its first black African bishop. Is it time now for the next step?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/17/2003
When Denominations Divide
The two-century-old "Unitarian controversy" suggests a grim prognosis for the current crisis in the Episcopal Church
By Collin Hansen
posted 10/10/2003
Our Brothers and Sisters, the Episcopalians
The Episcopal Church needs our help. Here's why we should give it.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/03/2003
Six 'Faith-based' Stories and a Moral
Are Christian social ministries worth fighting for?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/26/2003
Breaking Down the Faith/Learning Wall
How the history of Christians in higher education has stacked the deck against Robert Sloan's "new Baylor."
By Collin Hansen
posted 09/19/2003
Learning From the Other 9/11
Words kill. So teachers, watch what you say.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/11/2003
The Lord of the Rings: What Harvest?
A reader's guide to the best of epic fantasy.
By Aaron Belz, introduced by Christian History managing editor Chris Armstrong
posted 09/05/2003
J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, a Legendary Friendship
A new book reveals how these two famous friends conspired to bring myth and legend-and Truth-to modern readers.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/29/2003
Space, Time, and the 'New Hobbit'
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien discuss science fiction.
By Colin Duriez
posted 08/29/2003
The Ten Commandments, How Deep Our Debt
The words of the Decalogue run like a river through not only the church but also English and American history.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/22/2003
Muscular Christianity's Prodigal Son, College Sports
In the wake of a basketball scandal at a prominent Christian university, we take time to remember the Christian roots of college athletics.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/15/2003
Palestinian Christians, Strangers in a Familiar Land
They've called the Holy Land home for centuries, but they've never actually governed themselves.
By Steven Gertz
posted 08/08/2003
Liberia's Troubled Past—and Present
The nation's history explains why the current conflict succumbs to, yet simultaneously transcends, the stereotype of African tribal wars.
By Collin Hansen
posted 08/01/2003
Medical Missions' African Legacy
For generations, missionary doctors have healed body and soul in Africa.
By Timothy C. Morgan
posted 07/25/2003
European Christianity's 'Failure to Thrive'
Why Christendom, born with an imperial bang, is now fading away in an irrelevant whimper.
By Collin Hansen
posted 07/18/2003
Where Have All the Classics Gone?
These days it's a triumph when a movie is simply inoffensive. But we can do better than that.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 07/11/2003
From Beer to Bibles to VBS
How America got its favorite summer tradition
By Steven Gertz
posted 07/03/2003
The African Lion Roars in the Western Church
Anglican liberals are fretting, conservatives rejoicing, and all are scrambling to their history books: whence this new evangelical force on the world scene?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/27/2003
How John Wesley Changed America
His 300th birthday should be a red-letter day on this side of the ocean. After all, we're all Wesleyans now.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/20/2003
Did Eric Rudolph Act in a "Tradition of Christian Terror"?
A historian considers the evidence of the Crusades and the Inquisition.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 06/13/2003
The Ancient Rise and Recent Fall of Tithing
Is yet another time-honored Christian practice fading from view?
By Collin Hansen
posted 06/06/2003
When World Leaders Pray, Part II
Tony Blair's spin-doctors worried when he recently "outed" himself as a Christian. But what impact has Christianity really had on our leaders?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 05/29/2003
The Day the Ransoming Began
A gripping new book details the first American missionary hostage crisis, over 100 years ago.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 05/23/2003
When World Leaders Pray
Some observers are upset with Tony Blair's recent public avowal of faith. But what impact has Christianity really had on our leaders?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 05/16/2003
Got Your 'Spiritual Director' Yet?
The roots of a resurgent practice, plus 14 books for further study.
By Chris Armstrong and Steven Gertz
posted 05/02/2003
Missionary Tales from the Iraqi Front
The modern Anglican mission to Iraq met with initial success, but its story sounds a cautionary note.
By Steven Gertz
posted 04/25/2003
The Goodness of Good Friday
An unhappy celebration—isn't that an oxymoron?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 04/17/2003
Top Ten Entry Points to Christian History
Some enjoyable ways to get the most out of the work of church historians.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 04/11/2003
Top Ten 'Starter Books'
Get rooted in the Christian past with these riveting reads of primary sources.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 04/04/2003
Top Ten Reasons to Know Christian History
War reports deluge us every hour. Why should we read "old news?"
By Chris Armstrong
posted 03/28/2003
Saint J. R. R. the Evangelist
Tolkien wanted his Lord of the Rings to echo the "Lord of Lords"—but do we have ears to hear?
By Chris Armstrong
posted 3/14/2003
Iraqi Christians' Path of Persecution
Not heresy hunters, nor Islamic purges, nor even Mongol hordes could wipe Christianity from Iraq.
By Collin Hansen
posted 3/7/2003
Heresy, Salvation, and Jack the Ripper
Why heresy trials will have to do, until something better comes along.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 2/28/2003
Hajj, Feasts, and Pilgrimage
Why Muslims, Jews, and Christians still yearn for their holy places.
By Steven Gertz
posted 2/21/2003
Play Me That Hot Puritan Love Song
A little-read book of the Bible reminds us of the astonishing intimacy we enjoy with Christ
By Chris Armstrong
posted 2/14/2003
Iraq's Christians Caught In the Middle, Again
If the looming war breaks out, 350,000 Iraqi Christians will be caught in a West-East conflict eerily similar to 4th-century events.
By Collin Hansen
posted 2/7/2003
Finding God in a Box
Have archaeological discoveries like the James ossuary served or obscured the quest to verify the Bible?
By Steven Gertz
posted 1/31/2003
Sex, Politics, and the Bible
Some words just don't mean what they used to …
By Chris Armstrong
posted 1/24/2003
Caveat Gyrator (Elvis Priestly, Part II)
So you've got an evangelistic pop-culture act ready for prime time. Here's a historical pause for reflection.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 1/17/2003
From Oratorios to Elvis
By Chris Armstrong
posted 1/10/2003
Pop culture has been coming to a church near you for hundreds of years.
The Christian DNA of Modern Genetics
Though open to frightening ethical abuse, genetics has been a Christian vocation since Gregor Mendel did his famous pea-plant experiments in the mid-nineteenth century.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 1/3/2003
I'm Dreaming of a Victorian Christmas
An ageless story reminds us of the values the Victorians can still teach us.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 12/23/2002
No Humbug
A Christmas Carol remains the quintessential holiday story, but why?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 12/20/2002
'Tell Billy Graham the Jesus People Love Him.'
How evangelism's senior statesman helped the hippies "tune in, turn on to God."
By Chris Armstrong
posted 12/13/2002
Advent—Close Encounters of a Liturgical Kind
'Tis the season when even the free-ranging revivalist pulls up a chair to the table of historic liturgy.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 12/6/2002
Dig that Billy Graham Cat!
How the grand old man of evangelism helped create Christian youth culture in the zoot-suit era.
by Chris Armstrong
posted 11/22/2002
From Swamped Creatures to Separated Brethren
Non-Catholics' spiritual status improved dramatically from Unam Sanctam to Vatican II, but where are we now?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 11/15/2002
An 'Ordinary Saint' in Wartime
William Wilberforce saw two long charitable campaigns through, even in war's distracting shadow.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 11/08/2002
Just War, Just Nation?
World War II preacher points America back to the nation's soul.
By Steven Gertz
posted 11/1/2002
No Sex (Before Marriage), Please … We're Christian
Miss America preaches a 2000-year-old message
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/25/2002
The King Is Coming, Eventually
What if you announced the rapture, but God didn't show up?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 10/18/2002
Timeline of the Spirit-Gifted
Before Moody, Finney, Edwards, and Mather came a long line of Catholic and Orthodox believers reputed to enjoy "the promise of the Father."
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/11/2002
Do Non-Charismatics 'Do' Holy Spirit Baptism?
Ask D. L. Moody, Charles G. Finney, Jonathan Edwards, or Cotton Mather.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 10/4/2002
Standing Alone for Unity
The attempt to bring European Christians together forced one reformer, Caspar Schwenckfeld, straight to the fringe.
by Elesha Coffman
posted 09/20/2002
9/11, History, and the True Story
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/13/2002
Wartime authors J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis help put 9/11 in perspective
Evangelicalism's Decades of Fire
New historical survey highlights twentieth-century evangelicalism's impassioned middle decades.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 09/06/2002
A Protestant Bishop Speaks Out on the Stakes of Public Education
Why concerned parents should read the 17th-century Moravian educational reformer Jan Amos Comenius.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/30/2002
Spurgeon on Jabez
What history's most prolific preacher said, in 1871, about the Prayer of Jabez.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/23/2002
How the Early Church Saw Heaven
The first Christians had very specific ideas about who they would meet in the afterlife.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/09/2002
Divvying up the Most Sacred Place
Emotions have historically run high as Christians have staked their claims to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
By Chris Armstrong
posted 08/02/2002
Legacy of an Ancient Pact
Why do Christians still chafe under restrictions in some Muslim nations? It all started with Umar.
By Chris Armstrong
posted 07/26/2002
Big Church Revival
Christian gyms and shopping malls may be new, but full-service megachurches are positively medieval.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 07/19/2002
Phantom Saints
Juan Diego could soon join a long line of pious, exemplary, and quite possibly imaginary Catholic heroes.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 07/12/2002
2002 Is Not 1789
Before trying to figure out what the framers of the Constitution really thought, remember that they were from a wildly different country-the past.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 07/05/2002
Between Extremes
Church leaders didn't like Pelagius's ideas about free will, but they've never been able to avoid them completely.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 06/28/2002
Severe Success
Bernard of Clairvaux was a tough act to follow-yet thousands of Christians walked his path.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 06/21/2002
Coming to America
Commentators who call proposed INS policies an unprecedented invasion of privacy forget what foreign visitors were asked 80 years ago, and why.
By G.K. Chesterton
posted 06/14/2002
When Pacifists Attack
350 years ago, George Fox launched a powerful, peace-loving movement with an assault on established Christianity.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 06/07/2002
Captive Christians
Views from inside Roman, English, and German prisons give a sense of how kidnapped missionaries might feel.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 05/31/2002
Of Church, State, and Taxes
If you want to know what the establishment of religion looks like, check out church history, not American tax law.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 05/17/2002
Mom, We Salute You
Mother's Day and Memorial Day were meant to go together.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 05/10/2002
Christ, Culture, and History
Is the "main character" in the church's story God, transforming faith, or an inspired yet wayward community?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 05/03/2002
Moving Targets
Evangelizing on-the-go Americans only seems harder than it used to be.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 04/26/2002
The Profligate Provocateur
In the twelfth century, an intellectual challenge to church authority proved much more dangerous than a sex scandal.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 04/19/2002
'Hier Stehe Ich!'
When Martin Luther stood up for his ideas at the Diet of Worms, did he really say, "Here I stand"?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 04/12/2002
National Makeover
Washington's struggle to sell the American image overseas illustrates how sharply today's reality differs from seventeenth-century ideals.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 04/05/2002
Easter Eloquence
The holiday has inspired great words from some of history's greatest preachers.
Compiled by Elesha Coffman
posted 03/28/2002
The Other Holy Day
In the rush toward Good Friday and Easter, don't forget Maundy Thursday.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 03/22/2002
The Politics of Patrick
In the field of Irish history, every turn of phrase hints at the author's spin.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 03/15/2002
Don't Touch That Dial
Could a bitter debate among religious broadcasters really cause a "full-scale split in evangelicalism"?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 03/08/2002
Translation Wars
Sharp as debate over the TNIV may be, the version's translators are getting off easy compared to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale.
By Elesha Coffman and Tony Lane
posted 03/01/2002
The Cremation Question
Firm belief in resurrection hasn't kept Christians from caring-and arguing-about what happens to the bodies of the dead.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 02/22/2002
Citius, Altius, Sanctus
The modern Olympics, though hardly Christian, hail from an era when athleticism was next to godliness.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 02/15/2002
Alternative Religions
Many non- and semi-Christian groups laid claim to the West, but none more successfully than the Mormons.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 02/08/2002
Zion Haste
Does the passion of a few nineteenth-century Chicagoans still influence American policy in the Middle East?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 02/01/2002
Final Solution, Part II
The Nazis planned to obliterate Christianity, too, according to newly published Nuremberg documents.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 01/25/2002
Tell Me a Story
The most helpful church history scholarship is both broad and narrative.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 01/18/2002
State of the Fragmentation
If "society" denotes a group with mutual interests and common culture, the American Society of Church History almost doesn't qualify.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 01/11/2002
Spurgeon's Epiphany
The event he recounted more than 280 times in his sermons first occurred on January 6, 1850.
By Mary Ann Jeffreys
posted 01/04/2002
Christmas Kettles
The history behind a Yuletide institution.
By Mary Ann Jeffreys
posted 12/21/2001
O Christmas Tree
A truly "traditional" tree would be unrecognizable—and flammable.
By Elesha Coffman
posted 12/14/2001
Christmas Countdown
When does the holiday season really start?
By Elesha Coffman
posted 12/07/2001
Serving God with Mammon
John Wesley's wisdom for hard economic times: earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.
Elesha Coffman
posted 11/30/2001
Eat, Drink, and Relax
Think the Pilgrims would frown on today's football-tossing, turkey-gobbling Thanksgiving festivities? Maybe not.
Elesha Coffman
posted 11/21/2001
Where Are the Women?
The Christian tradition includes few female history-writers but plenty of female history-makers.
Elesha Coffman
posted 11/20/2001
God Bless, More or Less
Irving Berlin's anthem captures America.
Elesha Coffman
posted 11/02/2001
Festival of Fears
What's scarier than Halloween? The anxieties that drive it.
Elesha Coffman
posted 10/26/2001
Forget 'Normal'
C.S. Lewis's warning against panic during World War II resonates in our new crisis.
Elesha Coffman
posted 10/19/2001
Apocalypse Not
As speculations mount regarding the significance of recent events in God's plan for the end of the world, voices from the past urge restraint.
Elesha Coffman
posted 10/12/2001
A Muslim Perspective on War
Muslim response to the Crusades showed jihad in action, and while the grievances have changed, the rhetoric still echoes.
Hadia Dajani-Shakeel
posted 10/5/2001
'He Does Not War'
In the Anabaptist tradition, a Christian must never fight back.
Hans Schnell
posted 9/28/2001
A Time For War?
Augustine's "just war" theory continues to guide the West.
By Robert L. Holmes
posted 9/21/2001
The House That Jack Built
C.S. Lewis and six of his literary friends open their doors to students and researchers at Wheaton College's impressive new Wade Center facility.
Elesha Coffman
posted 9/14/2001
Raiders of the Lost R
Documentary on School skips religious history, giving a skewed account of American education.
Elesha Coffman
posted 9/7/01
Explaining the Ineffable
In Heaven Below, a former Pentecostal argues that his ancestors were neither as outlandish as they seemed nor as otherworldly as they wish to seem.
Elesha Coffman
posted 8/31/01
Eyewitness to a Massacre
The bloodbath that started on August 24, 1572, left thousands of corpses and dozens of disturbing questions.
Elesha Coffman
posted 8/24/01
Live Long and Prosper
Though a recent survey raises questions, the health benefits of faith have been documented for centuries.
Elesha Coffman
posted 8/17/01
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