Midterm

Yesterday, I did my midterm. Yep, feels a lot like school again.

"Though You Slay Me" by Shane and Shane

Thankful for music and Truth.

Q1: Describe Christianity during the first three centuries.

For much of the first three centuries, Christianity was in a state of simply “fighting for survival.” From 64 AD until the early part of the 4th century, there were 10 major waves of persecution in the Roman Empire that varied in intensity. Christians faced ridicule, confiscation of personal and church property, and the loss of civil rights. Christians in high places of government or society lost their special privileges. Some were sent to work in mines or labor camps. Others, including important bishops, were exiled out of the Empire. At times the Emperor gave out empire-wide edicts that forced everyone to perform sacrifices to the traditional, Roman gods. Those that did not have proof of complying were imprisoned, tortured, burnt to death, or crucified.

Pagans had a number of criticisms, some based only on rumors. Christians were accused of atheism because they would not worship or perform sacrifices to the traditional, Roman gods. This was not only seen as antisocial behavior when they did not participate in the public festivals, but it was also unpatriotic since the gods were thought to protect and bless the Empire. There were rumors of strange rituals done in secret meetings. Were they cannibals that ritually ate human flesh and drank blood? Were they having incestual orgies when they talked about holding “love feasts” with their brothers and sisters? Pagan philosophers and intellectuals also saw that Christianity appealed to those in lower classes, the immoral, and simple-minded. Christians were worshipping a convicted criminal. They also embraced foolish ideas and stories, like the idea of resurrection when the philosophies of their day were emphasizing escaping from the natural world. It was also inconceivable that a god would ever want to take on a lesser, human form only to die.

In the face of criticism and intense persecution, many Christians stood firm in the faith. The Apologists articulated reasoned defenses and arguments, appealing to the Emperors, intellectuals, and the general public. From bishops to common laypersons, thousands of believers were martyred. Those that were left encouraged each other to keep the faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, many of the martyrs were celebrated as shining examples of imitators of Christ. As a result, the Roman persecution had an overall impact of strengthening the faith of believers and causing Christianity to spread and increase in number.

King's Cross Iron Chef Competition

I didn't think we would come together and make a respectable showing at the first annual Iron Chef competition among our CGs. But in the end, we stepped up and made a couple awesome dishes! Especially considering the lack of a kitchen to work in. I can't say I ever really want to make a meal on the dirt ground like that again though.

Our entrée: Don't-Split-Up-Thursday-CG Chicken

For dessert: Summer Chinese Grandma's Sponge Cake, infused with strawberries, blueberries, and mint, and topped with strawberries, blueberries, and candied walnuts

We didn't win first place, but whatevs. Food tasted great!

Look at the Book

We're going to the Desiring God National Conference, where John Piper will be demonstrating and showing us what to expect when they launch Look at the Book this fall. This post from the DG blog tells a little bit more about the conference and has a "Lab Preview" video (shown below). I'm really looking forward to this.

Why study Church history?

“Ecclesiastical amnesia is a serious and crippling disease. A church without a memory is doomed to invent the churchly and the theological wheels anew. The writing of religious history, in other words, is the necessary prop our naked memory requires in order to draw upon the accumulated wisdom of the ages, enabling us to withdraw at our need the deposit of insight and truth generously stored up for us in written form.” – Michael Bauman, Historians of the Christian Tradition

“It is the forgotten, not the remembered past, that enslaves us.” – C. S. Lewis

One for the history books

Finally received all my books for my next course, "History of Christianity I". This is way more history than I really want to read about. I haven't taken a history class since high school, and it was always one of my worst subjects because I just wan't any good at rote memorization... all the dates, names, etc! I'm hoping things will be different this time...haha

While I was waiting for some of my other books to arrive, I read ahead in Eusebius: The Church History. Eusebius was a pioneer, so to speak, being the first person (in the 4th century) to try to document the early history of Christianity. By today's standards, he wouldn't be considered a very critical/analytical historian. But I think he was just doing his best to gather, organize, and sift out reliable accounts from rumours and traditions. So we see that Eusebius makes a few errors and slip ups, based on what we know now in this age. Every time I come across one of these types of footnotes, it challenges me a little bit. Is what we know about the early history of Christianity reliable? Do extra-Biblical sources align with what we read about regarding Paul's missionary journeys? What about the other apostles' missionary journeys and martyrdom? How much of it is legend and tradition? Well, I guess I have 3 other books and the lectures themselves to help me think through all this.