church-history
Historical studies on the development of Christian doctrine, early church writings, councils, and controversies.
Justin Martyr, Greek Philosophers & Christ Paid Members Public
St. Justin Martyr believed and taught that prehuman Logos or Word of God had made himself know even to the Greek philosophers, which is why they were aware and spoke of the Logos. He believed that Christ, who is the uncreated Logos, did this in order to prepare them for
EO on Communion with Heretics/Schismatics Paid Members Public
According to the canons of the Eastern Orthodox faith, no one can have communion with heretics or schismatics and still remain in good standing with the Church. This applies to the clergy as well: Canon XXXII of the council of Laodicea states: “That one must not accept blessings of heretics,
John Calvin & the Book of Baruch Paid Members Public
In his commentary on 1 Cor. 10:20, the Swiss Reformer John Calvin believed that the blessed Apostle borrowed the language of the following verse from the deutero-canonical writing Baruch: “For you provoked the one who made you by sacrificing to demons and not to God.” Baruch 4:7 New
Origen on Prayer & Intercession of Saints Paid Members Public
Here will be quoting from the English translation of Origen on Prayer, published by Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 25-29. Origen lists four different types or moods of prayer, which can be broken down as: 1. Request. 2. Prayer. 3. Intercession. 4. Thanksgiving Origen permits that requests,
Origen and the Worship of Angels Paid Members Public
Origen is often misquoted as denying that Christians were to pray to or invoke angels or the saints in heaven to intercede for believers on earth. They base this on Origen’s response to the Christian critic and pagan Celsus, whom this prolific Christian wrote a thorough refutation to. In
St. Hippolytus’ Exegesis of Daniel Paid Members Public
In this post I will be sharing St. Hippolytus’ lengthy explanation of the Daniel’s prophecies as it relates to the coming of Christ. It is taken from the work titled, Some Exegetical Fragments of Hippolytus. Before I do so I provide a summary of this blessed saint’s awe-inspiring
St. Cyril’s Praise of Mary Paid Members Public
At the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), the blessed St. Cyril of Alexandria uttered a litany of praise to the blessed Mother of our God Incarnate in honor of her being the holy and pure God-bearer. Here’s what this holy servant of Christ wrote: “Mary, Mother of God, we
The Reformation and Purgatory Paid Members Public
Quotations provided by William Albrecht. All emphasis is mine. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS It’s not surprising that Erasmus affirmed Purgatory since he was Catholic after all: “Even three hundred years after the birth of Christ, it was permitted to debate whether there was any fire in purgatory; some interpreted fire to