Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
A church legend about seven sleepers who sleep for generations and awake undecayed, unchanged – a revelation about bodily resurrection!
The Star of Bethlehem according to John Chrysostom
Even 1,500 years ago, John Chrysostom had a lot of questions about the star…
The Magi as Zoroastrians
If the Magi were Zoroastrian, how might their faith have influenced their understanding of what was happening?
Walking with the Hebrew People through the Red Sea
Imagining what it was like walking through the Red Sea for kids and elders, the cynical and the faithful.
Mary Magdalene is (Probably) Not Who You Think She Is
Mary Magdalene was not a fallen temptress. She witnessed the resurrection, was the apostle to the apostles, and likely continued in leadership in the early church.
The Impact of the Title “King of the Jews” on Herod the Great & Caesar Augustus
Only gentiles called Jesus “King of the Jews.” The Herods and the Caesars claimed many titles for themselves, but they perpetually felt their power threatened.
The Stories We Tell about our Enemies
A West African proverb: until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero. Hearing the stories, the understandings, the circumstances of those we disagree with is the path to peace along the way of Christ.
Tea & Cookies with Protestors: Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was still trying to bring down Apartheid in the mid-eighties. The powers that be hired protestors to try to smear Tutu, but he ended up sharing a tea party with them.
Tilling the Earth to Feed a Stranger: Walafrid
In the first thousand years of the church, monks sometimes planted gardens to share treats with visitors. Walafrid even wrote poetry about it!
History & Transmission of the Bible
The history of translation and transmission of the Bible was complex, contentious, and sometimes violent.