In the first post in our series for the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, I looked at the Arian controversy and the Council’s conclusion...
The Further Development of the Nicene Creed
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Constantine at Nicaea
There are a number of frankly bizarre conspiracy theories about the Council of Nicaea’s decision to affirm the deity of Christ, most of which...
Candlemas and the Coming of Spring
The beginning of February is an important time both in the church year and in traditional calendars. Biblical Foundations In the church year,...
1700 Years Ago …
This year is the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which met to settle the Arian controversy. These days, the Council itself seems to be...
Tales from the Perilous Realm
I have been a Tolkien fan since I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in 1976 just before heading to college. I reread them every break...
Historical Tour of Ireland
This summer, I will be leading a historical tour of Ireland. The tour, which will include both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, will...
The Significance of Epiphany
Today is Epiphany, the day the Western churches celebrate the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem and the Eastern churches commemorate Christ’s baptism....
The Twelve Days of Christmas
In American culture, we think of the Christmas season as the time leading up to Christmas. Christmas celebrations frequently last only a few days,...
Christmas Paradoxes
The infinite became finite, the eternal and supratemporal entered time and became subject to its conditions, the immutable became mutable, the...
Victorian and Modern Advent and Christmas Traditions
In the previous post, I looked at two Advent and Christmas traditions with roots in the Middle Ages, crèches and caroling. There are others, of...
Medieval Advent and Christmas Traditions
Advent is my favorite season of the church year. It makes me feel connected to the past in ways that other times of the year do not. As a historian...
The Meaning in Cathedrals
When I got the news about the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris back in 2019, I felt much the same way I did on 9/11. I lived for a time in...
Advent and the Many Comings of Christ
For My Non-Liturgical Friends: A Quick Introduction to the Church Year The church year takes us on a liturgical journey through the story of our...
Now Thank We All Our God
In honor of Thanksgiving, today's post is a chapter from 32 Christians who Changed their World about Martin...
Waiting on the Word
I never really understood poetry. My English classes in elementary school and high school covered it a bit, and I had a year of courses on epic...