Odds and Ends:

1. Was Fish Jesus' Favorite food?:  So why is a fish used as a symbol of Christianity?  Find out here.
2. Dating of Easter:  Why does Easter keep changing dates?
3. Chapters and Verses:  When were the chapters and verses added to the New Testament?
4. And How Should We Baptize:  Christian groups practice a variety of baptism methods.  A church administration book written around AD 125 explained how they baptized.
5. Communion:  Discover the different methods Christians use when partaking of Communion.
6. This Word Might Explain a Lot:  Why are there so many different Christian groups?  This one word might explain why.
7. Four Words:  Christians use words which they sometimes have trouble defining.  Learn the definitions of four of these words.
8. Why Doesn't the Pope Live in Jerusalem?:  Find out here.
9. Easter Sunrise Service:  So, who did originate the idea of the Easter Sunrise Service?
10. Origins of the Nativity Scene:  Learn when this Christmas standard first appeared.
11. Christian Spiritual Classics:  A list of Christian Spiritual Classics from throughout the history of Christianity.
12. A History of Jerusalem:  Read a short history of this most extraordinary city.
13. Trinity:  This word is not in the NT, but the idea is.  Find out how the word developed.
14. Who Were the Samaritans?:  All Christians have heard the story of the Good Samaritan, but why did the Jews hate them so much?  Find out here.
15. The Old Testament in Four Minutes:  Many Christians do not understand the total story of the OT.  Read this and you will.
16. An Important Tunnel:  This tunnel is mentioned in the OT and is still there today.  Find out what it is and how it was discovered.
17. Why Is LORD Capitalized in the OT?  Have you even wondered about this?  Find out the reason.
18. Worship on Sunday or Saturday?:  Find out why some most Christians worship on Sunday, and why some worship on Saturday.
19. Slavery in NT:  How can Christians say they believe in the Bible and yet do not have slaves, spoken of and even promoted in the NT?  Find out here.
20. Concordance:  One of the more useful tools is studying the Bible is a concordance.  Discover how the idea of a concordance developed.
21. The First Complete NT:  Sinaiticus is the first complete copy of the NT which we have.  You will not believe where it was discovered (maybe you could guess.)
22. Stations of the Cross:  Sacred Space:  This summary describes one method of exhibiting sacred space within a church.
23. Armorbearers:  This lay office is found in only some churches; most people are unaware of its existence.  Learn more about it.
24. Funny Stories:  Two funny stories about baptism that I always tell my classes.
25. Leap Year:  So, you think you know the leap year rule?  Go here and find out.
26. The Earliest Scripture:  The Old Testament has been around a long time.  But what is the earliest piece of the Old Testament which exists?  Find out here.
27. "Everyone has a God-shaped hole":  Trace the history of this idea.
28. Church Leadership Models:  Learn about the different ways to run a church.

Early Church Period:

1. The Real Nativity Story:  Many Christians base their understanding of the Jesus' birth on songs and the Nativity.  This summary explains in detail based on the Bible.
2. Herod:  So why was Herod so mean that he would kill babies?  Find out.
3. Why Did the Magi Care?:  Find out one theory as to why the Magi would go to all the trouble to find the new King.
4. Extra-Biblical References to Jesus:  Three references to Jesus exist outside the Bible.  Read them here.
5. Mary and Panthera:  After Jesus and Mary were gone, some spread the rumor that Mary had slept with Panthera and Jesus was the result.  But who was Panthera?
6. Priscilla and Aquilla:  More details are uncovered about two of Paul's co-workers.
7. Erastus:  Physical evidence of one of Paul's co-workers was recently discovered.
8. The Apostle You Wouldn't Pick as Most Likely to Succeed:  Don't even try to guess.  Read about the success of that Apostle who most would consider a failure.
9. Peter and Paul:  Find out how Peter and Paul (probably) died.
10. Peter's House:  After Peter died, what do you think the early Christians did with his house? 
11. A Living Link to the Apostles:  Learn about one of the Apostle John's followers, and early church leader not mentioned in the NT.
12. An Early Christian Essay: Chapters from this early book (around AD 125) were most likely read as sermons.  Hear what Christians would have heard at church less than 100 years after Jesus.
13. The Early Popes:  This summary traces the lineage of the first seven popes.
14. Another Letter to the Corinthians:  A letter exist which was written to the Church in Corinth about forty years after I and II Corinthians was written (and not by Paul).
15. The First Defense of Christianity:  Theophilus wrote "Against Autolycus," which is the first defense of Christianity outside the NT.  Read selected quotes here.
16. Gospel of Judas:  Understand this "Gospel" more fully, including why it should not have be in the New Testament.
17. Early Heresies:  Many people could not accept the truth of Christ.  Learn about different (and false) versions of Christ which circulated in this time period.
18. I will define the NT if you don't:  Oddly enough, it took a false teacher to prompt the young Christianity to establish its Scripture, the New Testament.  Who was he?
19. An Early Worship Service Guide:  Tertullian, an early church leader, wrote some instructions on how to conduct a worship service around the year 197.
20. Perpetua:  A story of a young Christian girl who was martyred by the Romans.  Find out what the Romans did once they discovered she was pregnant.
21. 40 Martyrs:  During the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire, 40 Christians were placed on a frozen lake.  But something wonderful did happen.
22. Edict of Milan:  With one signing of a document, the persecutions of Christians ended.  Find out how.
23. The First Council (of Nicea):  So, what was so important about the first Council of Christians in 325?
24. A tricky question:  The early church leaders had to deal with the question of what to do with priests who bowed to the Roman persecutions.
25. Apophthegmata Patrum (click a number at end of this description):  During the 300s and 400s, a large number of Christians moved to the Egyptian desert.  They left behind a rich source of their wise sayings.  I have included three summaries:  click one two three.
26. Pachomius:  Pachomius began the practice of monks of living in communities.  He ran into trouble because he was so strict; how did he solve the problem?
27. So You Think You Are Dedicated:  These early Christians came up with a unique way to serve God.  Read and see if you would have joined them.
28. Standing Up to an Emperor:  In the late 300s, a bishop stood up to an emperor and denied him Communion; find out why and what happened.

Medieval Period:

1. St. Patrick:  So, everyone knows about St. Patrick's Day, but really, who was St. Patrick? 
2. Benedict of Nursia: In the 500s, Benedict wrote a guidebook for monks, part of which is quoted here and is applicable to a Christian life today.
3. Gregory the Great:  Learn why Pope Gregory I was considered to be "the Great."
4. Charlemagne:  The emperor Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, 800, but he may not have been happy about it.
5. A Medieval Response to Mediocrity:  In the 900s, a small monastery in France led a revitalization of spiritual awareness in the Catholic Church.
6. 1054: Catholic and Orthodox:  In the year 1054, Christianity split for the first time into the Catholic and Orthodox branches.  Find out how it occurred.
7. Crusades:  Learn about this series of conflicts which continues to haunt Christianity.
8. Proving God Philosophically:  Anselm gave it his best shot.  See what you think.
9. Hildegard of Bingen:  Hildegard wrote a Christian classic entitled "Divine Works."  This summary provides some quotes.
10. Bernard of Clairvaux:  Bernard wrote a Christian classic entitled "On Loving God."  This summary provides a quote.
11. Mechthild of Magdeburg:  Mechthild wrote a Christian classic entitled "On the Flowing Light of the Godhead."  This summary provides some quotes.
12. The Cloud of Unknowing:  This Christian Spiritual Classic is anonymous and was written probably in the 1300s.  This summary provides some quotes.
13. 2 then 3 Popes:  In the 1300s and early 1400s, the Catholic Church experienced two then three Popes before returning back to one Pope.
14. Love of the Holy:  The English translation of the Orthodox spiritual classic called "Philokalia."  This summary contains some quotes.

Reformation Period and Beyond in Europe:

1. Reformation:  Maybe you are confused about this whole Reformation idea.  This summary might clear things up.
2. A Pre-Protestant Group:  This group of Protestants actually predates the Reformation and are not technically Protestants.  Learn how and when they started.
3. Martin Luther and Halloween:  October 31 is recognized as Halloween.  It is also when Luther (unintentionally ) initiated a movement that changed Christianity.
4. Luther's Hymn:  In 1527, a plague came to Wittenberg.  Luther and his wife stayed to help those stricken.  In the midst of the horror, he wrote this hymn.
5. Colloquy of Marburg:  In 1529, the followers of Luther and Zwingli attempted to bring them together.  The two men agreed on all but one issue.  Find out what that was.
6. Luther's Last Words:  After he died, a piece of paper was found in Luther's pockets with words which reflected his life's focus.  Find out what they were.
7. Table Talk:  In his last days, Luther's words, even his idle comments, were written down by his fervent followers.  Read some of them here.
8. Loyola's Spiritual Exercises:  This Christian Spiritual Classic was written by Ignatius Loyola and constructed a plan for a greater spiritual awareness of God.
9. Calvinism:  This summary helps to explain the meaning behind Calvinism.
10. Some Comments by Calvin:  His "The Institutes" is mainly theological, but I like this quote so much that I have memorized the last part.
11. Francis Xavier:  This man traveled as a missionary more than any other during the 1500s.
12. Origin of the KJV:  Understand the story behind the Version:  How and why did the King James Version come into being?
13. One of the Translators:  Learn the fascinating story of one of the King James Version translators.
14. Francis de Sales:  He wrote a spiritual classic called "Introduction to the Devout Life."  This summary provides some quotes.
15. Brother Lawrence:  He wrote a spiritual classic called "The Practice of the Presence of God."  This summary provides some quotes.
16. The First Home Bible Studies: 1675 Style:  Philip Jacob Spener actually set the standard for Home Bible Studies in his 1675 book "Pious Desires."  This summary contains his high points.

American Church History:

1. Columbus:  Columbus wanted to discover a new passage to India, plus to spread the message of Jesus.  Read it in his own words.
2. Brazil:  In South America, most of the countries speak Spanish except for Brazil, which speaks Portuguese.  Discover the Church History connection.
3. American Land and Denominations:  Why are there so many denominations?  This helps to explain.
4. Guadalupe:  This image is beloved by multitudes of Mexicans, and you may have seen it.  See a picture and learn the history behind the image.
5. Pilgrims and Puritans:  So what is the difference between the two? 
6. The Half-Way Covenant:  Discover how the colonial churches attempted to reach the non-churched colonists.
7. The First American Christian Martyr:  You would never guess where it took place.
8. Jonathon Edwards:  Edwards helped begin and define the movement known as Evangelicalism. 
9. Whitefield: The First American Celebrity:  The great revivalist George Whitefield is considered the first American Celebrity plus he played a small role in the American Revolution.  Find out how.
10. Church and State:  Discover the origin of the phrase "wall of separation between church and state."
11. College Origins:  The ten oldest colleges in America all have Christian origins.  Learn about them here.
12. Amish:  From where did the Amish come and why are they so different?  Learn here.
13. George Liele:  As an African-American preacher in the 1700s, Liele accomplished seven firsts.
14. Charles Wesley and 1793:  Charles, the brother of Methodism founder John Wesley, was convinced that he knew the year Jesus would return.  Read about it in his letter.
15. Birth of AME:  The late 1700s and early 1800s witnessed the birth of the largest African-American denomination.
16. Charles Finney:  Some of the practices of churches today can be traced to Finney and what were called his New Measures.
17. Behind the Name:  Episcopalians:  From where did the name "Episcopalians" come?
18. William Miller:  Jesus will come back in 1844:  Learn about the large crowds that followed Miller, and the Christian denomination which resulted.
19. Denominations Splitting:  In the mid-1800s, Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians all split.  Learn why.
20. How to Pray without Ceasing:  This Russian Orthodox Spiritual Classic, "The Way of the Pilgrim," tells one method of praying without ceasing.  See if you want to try it.
21. The Shortest Christian Classic:  This Christian Spiritual Classic is actually a poem.  This summary provides some lines.
22. Happy 100th Birthday to Pentecostals:  In 2006, Pentecostals and Charismatics celebrated their 100th birthday; find out how it all began.
23. Fundamentalism:  Discover from where the word "fundamentalism" came.
24. Jesus and Planes:  What connection does Jesus have with planes?
25. Thomas Merton:  Merton wrote a Christian spiritual classic entitled "The Seven Storey Mountain."  This summary provides some quotes.
26. Billy Graham and 1949:  So how did Billy Graham go from a regionally-known to a nationally-known revivalist? 
27. I know what you are thinking:  One book helped me understand why different Christian groups do what they do.  I have summarized the main points here.
28. Watchman Nee:  Nee wrote a Christian Spiritual Classic called "The Normal Christian Life" while in prison.  This summary provides some quotes.
29. A W Tozer:  He wrote a Christian Spiritual Classic called "The Pursuit of God."  This summary provides some quotes.
30. Behind the Name:  United Methodist:  From where did the name "United Methodist" come?
31. Mother Teresa:  She needs no introduction.  This summary includes some quotes.
32. The Salvation Army:  Find out more about this group which rings the bells at Christmas.
33. Megachurches:  Learn about the top 10 largest megachurches in America.