Author: Fred Sanders
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Gregory’s New Decalogue
Gregory of Nazianzus, in his sermon on Baptism (Oration 40:65), stumbles into an interesting comparison and makes the most of it for his preaching. He is thinking of how the Christians he is about to baptize are being introduced into the great mystery that is life in Christ, and it makes him think of the…
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Today is Paul Gerhardt’s Birthday (1607)
Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607-1676) is widely considered the greatest German hymn-writer. Some people reserve that title for Martin Luther, but Gerhardt is famous primarily for hymns, while Luther had some other accomplishments that boost his fame. As one scholar has argued, “Every Protestant hymn writer must undergo comparison with the great father of German…
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Today John Toland Died: Pantheisticon!
John Toland (born 1670, died March 11, 1722) was a philosopher most famous for his book Christianity Not Mysterious (1696). In that book, Toland scores some good points against obscurantism and mystery-mongering, but he gets greedy about it, puts God into his Locke-box, and demands that the Deity can’t reveal anything but what will submit…
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Today Balthasar Hubmaier was Martyred
Balthasar Hubmaier (born around 1480) was martyred on March 10, 1528. Hubmaier was trained in Roman Catholic theology on the eve of the Reformation, earning a doctorate with the Johann Eck who would later be on the front line of attacking Luther. He became convinced of Protestant doctrines and allied himself with the Zwinglians at…
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While It Is Called Today
So far in 2009, I’ve been publishing one post each day on an event from the history of the church. Every day is the anniversary of something, and even when the events aren’t exactly worth celebrating for their own sakes, all I’m looking for is an excuse to get some of this great tradition back…
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Today is Gregory of Nyssa’s Day
The theologian as kid brother: Gregory of Nyssa (circa 335-394) was the younger brother of Basil of Caesarea, and since we traditionally call Basil “the Great,” that leaves Gregory somewhat in the shadows. With a big brother like Basil the Great, you’d have to get used to being in the shadows. A typical scholarly assessment…
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Today Sam Jones Confronted Sam Jones (1899)
Christian History magazine reports an unusual event in American religious history on this date: Evangelist Sam Jones took his crusade to Toledo, Ohio, with the permission of the Mayor of Toledo: another Sam Jones. How odd. Sam (evangelist) Jones scolded Toledo by saying that if the Devil were mayor of the town, he wouldn’t change…
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Today Bernard Gilpin Died (1583)
Bernard Gilpin (1517-1583) was a English priest and theologian all through those years when it was hard to keep from being burned at the stake no matter what your theological views were. A man of peace born into a time of war, he had to engage in controversy and put his life on the line,…
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Today is Lettie Cowman’s Birthday (1870)
A lot of people who use the perennially popular devotional book Streams in the Desert think it is by somebody named Charles, because the title page is signed “Mrs. Charles Cowman.” As an author, she successfully concealed herself under her married name, her late husband’s name. Her full name was Lettie Burd Cowman (1870-1960). And…
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Today John Wesley Died (1791)
This is the day John Wesley died. Wesley’s influence was vast: Some historians have ventured the idea that he was instrumental in a revival movement that did so much good in England that it preserved the nation from suffering its own version of the French Revolution. That would be hard to demonstrate, but he really…
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Today George Herbert Died (1633)
March 1, 1633, George Herbert died of tuberculosis. He left as his major literary accomplishment a set of poems called The Temple, a nearly inexhaustible source of spiritual insight and guidance. Here is my favorite, The Bunch of Grapes. Joy, I did lock thee up: but some bad man Hath let thee out again: And…
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Today is Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Birthday (1871)
Lewis Sperry Chafer (February 27, 1871 – August 22, 1952) is famous for his role in promoting and consolidating dispensational theology. That pigeonholes him well enough, and he was happy enough to bear that label. In fact, he was proud to have been the first theologian to take up the task of thinking through all…