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Early Christianity
Emerging from a small sect of Judaism in the 1st century CE, early Christianity absorbed many of the shared religious, cultural, and intellectual traditions of the Greco-Roman world. In traditional histories of Western culture, the emergence...
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Canons of the Council of Trent
The Canons of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) were rules one was expected to follow in order to be a member of the Catholic Church and, according to the Church's teachings, merit the grace of God and eternal life in heaven after death. The...
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Historical Accuracy in the Film Agora
In 2009, film director Alejandro Amenabar brought the story of Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 370-415 CE) to the screen through the feature film Agora. Years later, the movie continues to draw criticism from Christian writers for its depiction...
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New Testament Text-Types
The books of the New Testament were written in the 1st century CE. As Christianity spread in the 2nd century CE, many copies were made, some by non-professionals. Early manuscripts are considered to be closer to the original than later manuscripts...
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The Letters of Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles
Paul was a member of the Jewish Pharisees in the 1st century CE, who experienced a revelation of the resurrected Jesus Christ. In this vision, Jesus commissioned him to be the apostle (herald) to the Gentiles (non-Jews). After this experience...
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The Didache: A Moral and Liturgical Document of Instruction
During the early years of Christianity, many of the church leaders or "Fathers" wrote down admonishments and instruction on what it meant to be a follower of Jesus as well as what liturgical ceremonies should be followed as a believer in...
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Melito of Sardis and his Apology for Christianity
Melito of Sardis (d. c. 180 CE) was a bishop in the city of Sardis (near modern-day Sart, Turkey) who was regarded as one of the greatest Christian thinkers, writers, and apologists of his time. In the modern age, he is best known for his...
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Blaurock's Origin of the Anabaptists
George Blaurock (l. c. 1491-1529) was one of the three founders of the Swiss Brethren (known by their opponents as Anabaptists) along with Conrad Grebel (l. c. 1498-1526) and Felix Manz (l. c. 1498-1527). His Origin of the Anabaptists is...
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The War of the Camisards in the Cévennes
The War of the Camisards (1702-1705) was launched by Protestant Huguenots in the Cévennes region of southern France. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715), Huguenots worshipped illegally...
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Map of the Journeys of Paul the Apostle, c. 46-63 CE
The missionary journeys of Paul the Apostle, also known as Saul of Tarsus, took place during the mid-1st century CE, within the interconnected world of the Roman Empire under emperors such as Claudius (reign 41–54 CE) and Nero (reign 54–68...