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...
More Unearthed Evidence of Early Christianity
Ancient finding may mean Christianity spread wider and faster than once thought.
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...
Jihad and the History of Islam
Islamism in the Muslim and Christian world.
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...