Historically Russia has had a long tradition of government repression of liberalism. The Tsars crushed the first democratic rebels at the turn of the century, and one of the priests leading them allegedly lost his faith when he saw the Tsar's forces attack the poor, shouting 'there is no Tsar, there is no God'. The two were firmly linked in the Russian consciousness. Orlando … [Read more...]
St. Nicholas: Bruce Wayne of the Ancient Church
Since I've been posting on Advent, I thought I'd also examine the Christian History of Santa. Most people know that Santa Claus also possesses the moniker: Saint Nic. Yet does anyone know who St. Nicholas was? Well he was bearded, but he was hardly a pasty white northerner surrounded by snow and reindeer. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Now … [Read more...]
Advent & Christmas Mythbusting: Why Dec. 25th?
The first season of the Church Year in the Liturgical Calendar is Advent. Perhaps the biggest controversy of late regarding this season in the pop culture of the Anglo-sphere has been the date of Christmas. In the days of the Early Church in Britain, the Venerable Bede recorded that the Church catholic almost schismed over the date of Easter, so it's not an unusual … [Read more...]
A Few Early Fathers on Peter, The Rock, and Matthew 16:18
There has been a flurry of Evangelical conversions to Roman Catholicism recently (I did it once when I was young and foolish) in the Blogosphere. That seems as good an occasion as any to return to the early fathers of the Christian Church between which and the current RCC there is a great gulf fixed. Far from having any real consensus, at times, the consensus of the fathers … [Read more...]