3.21.2017
Excavation of an early 17th Century grave has revealed a body buried with its hands in prayer.
CHR Comment: Spanish colonists tried to gain power but ultimately failed.
Source: Taiwan: Earliest Catholic grave in Asia-Pacific unearthed
Category: Reformation Church
Historic burials of children found in St. Augustine
3.2.2017
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — An archaeological dig in St. Augustine continues to marvel scientists and historians. More burials have been found, and some are children’s graves. They are children who may have been some of the earliest colonists in St. Augustine
CHR Comment: Parish records illustrate the higher mortality rate for children in the earlier years of settlement, according to the report.
Source: firstcoastnews.com | Historic burials of children found in St. Augustine
Taking Responsibility for the Reformation
2.10.17
This year marks the five hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. It is a year of . . . .
CHR Comment: Leithart rehearses some of the infighting that hindered Protestant efforts to reform the church and led to greater divisions. He expresses interest in Protestant and Catholic unification.
Source: Taking Responsibility for the Reformation | Peter J. Leithart | First Things
Reformed and Lutheran Struggle over Bremen Cathedral
2.3.2017
Diarmaid MacCulloch (Reformation: Europe’s House Divided) points to the “bizarre fortunes” of the Bremen Cathedral to illustrate the “stand-off and ill-will between the two Protestantisms,” […]
CHR Comment: Fascinating story of stubbornness or faithful persistence, depending on one’s perspective.
Possible 16th Century Burials
1.13.2017
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
CHR Comment: The graves were found at the location of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the sixteenth century church.
Source: Discovery of ancient human remains prompt excavation prior to water line construction | WJAX-TV
Tiny Martin Luther toy triggers claims of anti-Semitism
A theologically more correct model will be available in March.
CHR Comment: “Ende” would simply mean the reader is at the last page for that part of the book. It is not intended as a theological statement about the Hebrew Scriptures.
Source: Tiny Martin Luther toy triggers claims of anti-Semitism
500 graves discovered in Monastic ruins
More than 500 graves of Cistercian monks and lay brothers have been discovered at one of the largest monastic ruins in the country.
CHR Comment: The persons buried were carefully separated from one another, a practice which the archaeologists attribute to belief in the bodily resurrection of the dead.
Source: 500 graves discovered in Monastic ruins at world heritage site (From HeraldScotland)
The Secret History of Elizabeth I’s Alliance With Islam
Catholic Europe shunned England so the Protestant queen traded with its enemies—and changed her country’s culture forever.
CHR Comment: The article is a book review for The Sultan and The Queen, which explores the trade relationship between Protestant England and Muslims.
Source: The Secret History of Elizabeth I’s Alliance With Islam
Pope Francis to Honor Martin Luther
Martin Luther created one of Christianity’s greatest rifts when he denounced the Catholic Church in 1517. But Pope Francis is taking part in the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
CHR Comment: This article’s title is written in a shockingly prejudicial way, blaming Luther for the break up of Western Christendom since he criticized practices of medieval Catholicism. A more balance description might acknowledge that Roman Catholicism also acknowledged problems and sought to address them at the Council of Trent and in other actions.
The article itself shows more historical balance.
Evangelicals Aren’t Who You Think
Most of us aren’t conservative white Trump supporters. We need to reclaim our stolen identity.
CHR Comment: I saved this article back in October before the election. It provides an interesting perspective on what it means to be Evangelical, a term used historically, theologically, and politically in American dialogue.
The term comes from German “evangelisch,” which Martin Luther and other reformers used to describe their churches in the sixteenth century. This was a theological use of the term, referring to the Reformation churches as churches “of the Gospel” in contrast with medieval Catholicism, which focused so much on tradition and piety.
Historically, “evangelisch” came to mean what Protestant means in American Christianity, sort of “not Roman Catholic.” The theological use that focused on the Gospel was obscured over time.
As the article points out, Evangelical in America popularly means born again Christian, although many Protestant churches continue to use it in the older theological or historical sense. Because born again Christians have become very active politically, Evangelical has also become a political term to describe conservative Christian voters and that is the use that Jim Wallis is contending against, adding concern about narrowing use of the term to describe white voters.
church history review 