Cults, Christianity and Creation

Cult of Saints, Urbs, and Creation A while ago I wrote a series on the rise of the Cult of the Saints and its relationship to Martyrdom, Relics and the like. One of the key texts that helped introduce me to the topic was Peter Brown’s book ‘The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and …

The Lord’s Supper. Part One: Introduction and Scripture

What follows will be a post, or posts, on the Lord’s Supper in scripture and the early church. It’s something I’ve been meaning to write for awhile but to be honest I’ve found it, as a subject, in many ways much more complicated than baptism. The first ever ‘long’ post I did early on was …

The Radical Reformation and Medieval Piety through the lens of Balthasar Hubmaier

I was out walking today and praying as I went. As I did I felt prompted to reflect on the fact that despite being raised in the Church of England I distinctly remember feeling the pull towards the radical reformation from a young age. Now that interest has varied over time but there was something …

The Body of Christ

In my last post I wrote up a reflection I had on the Nicene Creed and I've been continuing to have a think about what it is I believe and attempting to put this in writing. I've since gone away and had a go at writing up my views on the church as it stands. …

Reflection on the Nicene Creed

Over the last while I've been feeling challenged to try and articulate what it is I believe in writing. This isn't because it's necessarily changed but because I'm trying to figure out how to articulate it in a robust way and the act of writing can help make my thinking clearer. What I've found tricky …

Confirmation: One Lord, One Faith… One Baptism?

In the early centuries of the church, there were several debates surrounding the baptism of heretics and its efficacy. A church council under Cyprian of Carthage on this topic stated in the 3rd century: Primus of Misgirpa said: I decide, that every man who comes to us from heresy must be baptized. For in vain …

John Wycliffe on Confirmation

Alithia: Pray inform me in the next place about the third sacrament, which is generally named ConfirmationJohn Wcliffe. Trialogus. Book 4: Chapter 12. On Confirmation The Proto-Reformer John Wycliffe wrote about his beliefs in a number of different places but most comprehensive was in his work 'Trialogus'. In the 4th book he writes 30 chapters …

Particular Judgement, the Early Church and the Harrowing of Hell

I recently sat in on a discussion about the afterlife wherein everyone present had a chance to reflect on their own views. I gave a potted answer of my own position there but what follows is an attempt to hash out my own position on this topic in more detail given its something that on …

Is Liturgy a Means? Or an End?

I grew up in a fairly low liturgical environment, it was liturgical but in the sense that there was a shared structure and framework that I recognised when I went to other churches from the same tradition. It did, however, avoid a lot of the trappings and paraphernalia one tends to think of in a …

Justin Martyr, Procreation, and Marriage

I was reading a patristics discussion group recently when someone raised the topic of Justin Martyr’s views on sexuality. The pertinent passage in question comes from ‘On the Resurrection’: They say, then, if the body shall rise entire, and in possession of all its members, it necessarily follows that the functions of the members shall …