Archaeologists Locate Lindisfarne monastery

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A crowd-funded archaeology dig has uncovered evidence of the lost medieval monastery where the Lindisfarne Gospels were written.

CHR Comment: The site yields important information about early Anglo-Saxon Christians, examples of their artistry, and the result of attacks by the Vikings. The monastery was founded in 635 AD but researchers had not identified its exact location.

The article mentions the importance of “frith” in Anglo-Saxon names (also spelled “vride”). The word is related to the modern German term “friede,” which means “peace” or “security,” and was an important ideal in Germanic society and law.

Source: Archaeologists dig up Christian grave marker that pinpoints site of first Lindisfarne monastery | Christian News on Christian Today

Former Prostitute Hopes to Shake Up Dominican Congress

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When Jacqueline Montero takes her seat in Congress next month, she will bring not only an unusual past but an unconventional agenda for change in this socially conservative Caribbean country.

CHR Comment: This is a complex and sad story. The end of the article describes the role of Jacqueline’s beliefs, her denominational background, and Universidad Cristiana where she studied theology in the Dominican Republic.

Source: A former prostitute hopes to shake up Dominican Congress – The Washington Post

Bible Scenes Uncovered in Ruins of Ancient Synagogue

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On a hill above the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, archaeologists have discovered one amazing floor mosaic after another.

CHR Comment: These synagogue mosaics are described as “Roman Era,” which makes them contemporary with the rise of Christianity in the Near East. They illustrate the character of Judaism and worship at this time.

Source: Bible Scenes Uncovered in Ruins of Ancient Synagogue

Christian Girls Kidnapped in Egypt

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A mass wave of Christian girls and women are being kidnapped and raped by Muslim men in Upper Egypt, a persecution watchdog group has warned.

CHR Comment: The article details the experience of one girl while referring to reports of numerous other incidents. It also refers to the destruction of historic churches in Egypt. In 2015 Al-Our was the proposed site for a new church dedicated to recent Coptic martyrs. However, the proposed project brought violent protests from Muslims. See second link below.

I’ve added a third story  below about Al-Our.

Source: Christian Girl Reveals Horrors of Muslim Mob in Egypt Kidnapping, Raping Women

https://churchhistoryreview.org/2015/04/06/al-our-copts-harassed-about-new-church/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/300-muslims-torch-coptic-christians-homes-in-egypt-as-warning-not-to-build-new-church-166129/

PCUSA Assembly Lifts Up Muslim Prayers to Allah

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The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) offered prayers to the Islamic deity, Allah. The prayer was led by a representative of the Muslim community on behalf of the Presbyterian Assem…

CHR Comment: The Arabic word “Allah” is a general word for a divine being. It is not necessarily specific to Islam. However, the prayer’s references to Muhammad as a prophet and Islamophobia make clear that those praying were equating the Christian God with Allah of Islam. This is another example of how liberal or progressive Christians are moving from inter-Christian efforts for unity and into inter-religious efforts.

Source: PCUSA Assembly Lifts Up Muslim Prayers to Allah – Polemics Report

The Tory Party at Prayer

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All five candidates for Conservative Party leadership have some form of Christian faith.

CHR Comment: The article describes the Christian beliefs of potential candidates, noting that the openness they express about faith is a new development in recent British politics. At they same time, the Church of England is facing decline.

Source: The Tory party at prayer: The faith of the 5 leadership candidates | Christian News on Christian Today