When It All Started

What is the root of the story of Christianity? Why is there a story of the Christian faith in the first place, especially one that unfolds over two thousand years—so far?

In 2000 Years of Christ’s Power: The Age of the Early Church Fathers, Dr. N. R. Needham answers these questions by pointing to one historical event: the resurrection of Jesus. Here’s how he explains the significance of the resurrection in creating the Church and starting the story of Christianity:

The original followers of Jesus were all Jews, and they had no intention of being anything other than faithful and pious Jews. They continued to worship in the Jerusalem temple, to obey the law of Moses, and to have a negative attitude towards Gentiles. The living heart of their faith was not so much the death as the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. When Jesus was executed, despair had engulfed his followers: they seemed to have a dead leader and a lost cause. Is was Jesus’s resurrection from the dead that transformed these broken and despairing people into the fiery apostles and martyrs of a new faith — a faith which, within three centuries, and despite vigorous persecution, would conquer the whole Roman Empire. In the thought and preaching of the early Church, the resurrection was seen as God’s mighty vindication of all Jesus’s claims: He really was the long-promised Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners, the source of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to all wo obeyed Him (see for example, Acts 2:33-6, 4:10-12, 13:30-39, 17:30-32, and Romans 1:3-4). So whichever period of Church history we are studying, it is always worth pausing and reminding ourselves of this: the entire history of the Christian Church is rooted in one central reality — the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If Jesus of Nazareth had not risen, there would be no Church history. ¹

The resurrection changed everything.

You probably already know that if you are a believer, the resurrection changed you. You were made alive together with Christ and a new sort of life — a resurrection life grounded in your union with Christ’s resurrection life — began within you (Ephesians 2:4-6). Because you are united with the resurrected Christ, you are new creation. You have begun your life in the realm of the resurrection and sin no longer has dominion over you. For you, right now, the old things have passed away and the new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:14-17). And you look forward with certainty to full resurrection life after you die. You will one day be raised with an incorruptible body to live forever with the resurrected Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:20-23; 42-49).

But the resurrection of Jesus also started the Christian faith, spurred its growth, and fueled its spread. If Jesus had not risen, Christianity would not exist. There would be no story of Christianity to trace through the ages.

Yes, the resurrection of Jesus changed everything. It changed you, and every other believer. And it changed the history of the world, too.

[1] 2000 Years of Christ’s Power: The Age of the Early Church Fathers, pages 44-45.

Which Jesus?

During this time of year, it is more acceptable to bring up Jesus. I've seen plenty of nativity scenes in people's yards and even in front of businesses. (The fortune teller with the plastic creche out front broke the cognitive dissonance meter, though.) Even traditional Christian Christmas carols are being played on the airwaves. Many see the story of the baby in the manger as just that, a feel-good myth about love, joy, and peace on earth in sentimental but indistinct terms that don't offend anyone's sensibilities. But is that good enough? Many people say they believe in "Jesus," but sadly we live in a day when we need to press the issue and ask "Which Jesus?"

Even among professing Christians, this question needs to be asked. We may not be as vague as the secular world, and one does not need a D.Min. to be saved, but the message of the gospel cannot be separated from the Savior of the gospel. So to get the gospel right, we need to get Jesus right.

In the latest round of posts, Rebecca and Kim reminded us of Jesus' full humanity and deity, which is the doctrine of the hypostatic union. This is not just a topic for an advanced seminary class. This is not a secondary or tertiary issue of minor importance. Our salvation hinges upon the fact that our Savior is God and man.

In the 1st century, one heresy that crept into the church was Docetism. According to this teaching, Jesus only appeared to have a physical body. Thus there was no problem with His deity but a rejection of His humanity. This fit in well with the Gnostic idea that the physical and material was evil, and the metaphysical and immaterial was good. But the implications for the gospel are dire.

There was no need for resurrection if Jesus did not have a physical body, but where would that leave us? According to the Apostle Paul, if Christ was not raised, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. (1 Cor. 15:17) We were made sinners by the transgression of one man, but how could we be made righteous through the obedience of another man if He was not a man? (Rom. 5:18-19) Also how could Christ fulfill the law and live a life of perfect righteousness as a man for our sake? (Gal. 4:4-5) No active obedience means no imputation which means we have no right standing before God. If Jesus is not a man, this is really, really bad news.

But we have good news of great joy. Our Savior was born who is Christ, the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11) He lived, died, rose again, ascended on high, and is coming again. This gives us reason to rejoice and worship Him, not just at Christmas but every single day of the year. So with the words of the Nicene Creed, I gladly affirm:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

8 Women of Faith

by Michael Haykin

I fell in love with the life stories of people from history when I was a young girl and I still love them. As an adult, I've concentrated mostly on biographical sketches of people from Christian history—short stories of the lives of my spiritual ancestors. But there aren't all that many accounts of the lives of historical Christian women, probably because it's hard to tell a woman's life story when there aren't many written records of her life.

I was eager, then, to read Michael Haykin's new book, Eight Women of Faith. I've listened to most of his biographical lectures and sermons and enjoyed them, so I was ready for more of his stories from Christian history, especially if they focused on women.

It turns out this book isn't what I expected. The chapters aren't really biographical sketches, but essays on the faith of each of the eight woman featured. In each chapter Haykin examines the way one historical Christian woman served Christ and his church in the historical circumstances in which she lived. His purpose is to "remind contemporary Christians, especially evangelicals of the vital role that women have played in the history of our faith." 

The eight women featured are

• Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554), the young queen who was martyred for her Protestent faith. Jane is notable for her courage as she faced death and her defense of her own faith and the tenants of the Reformation when the Roman Catholic Benedictine monk John Feckenham tried to convince her to embrace the Catholic faith before she died.
• Margaret Baxter (1636-1681), the wife of the Puritan Richard Baxter. This essay is based primarily in Richard Baxter's accounts of their marriage and they ways his wife supported him in his ministry.
• Anne Dutton (1692-1765), a Baptist poet and theological writer. She wrote on many theological subjects, including the nature of the Lord's Supper, Calvinism (She defended it.), and John Wesley's perfectionism (She was critical of it.).
• Sarah Edwards (1710-1758), the wife of Jonathan Edwards. Haykin looks at Sarah Edward's spiritual experience as presented in her husband's writings.
• Anne Steele (1717-1778), one of the great hymn writers of the eighteenth century, on par with Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, John Newton, and William Cowper.
• Esther Edwards Burr (1732-1758), the daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. This essay focuses on her friendship with Sarah Prince. The two woman made an agreement to keep a daily journal they would share with each other, journals which included conversations about spiritual things.
• Ann Judson (1789-1826), pioneer missionary to Burma and the wife of Adoniram Judson.
• Jane Austen (1775-1817), well-known author of several novels. Jane Austen's "serious Christian" faith is viewed through one of her written prayers.

My favorite chapter was the one on Anne Dutton, who I knew very little about before I picked up this book. She wrote about theology, something I like to do, and she did it in a time when many thought a woman shouldn't be an author. She found it necessary, then, to also write a defense of herself and her work. To do this she argued that the prohibition of 1 Timothy 2:12, in which Paul writes, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet," referred to public worship only. Her works, she wrote, were meant to be read "by believers in 'their own private houses.'"

I suspect each reader will be drawn to the women whose circumstances and calling most closely mirror her own, so your favorite chapter will probably be different from mine.

 
In the end, I wasn't disappointed that Eight Women of Faith wasn't exactly the book I expected it to be. The focus on how these women lived out their faith in their historical time was encouraging to me. Each of them lived in a time when women had less power than we do now, and still, they all influenced others as they lived out their faith. Through their stories, they serve as examples to us.

Links: 

• An excerpt of Eight Women of Faith. 
• Michael Haykin's lecture on Richard and Margaret Baxter's marriage.
• Eight Women of Faith on Amazon.

Michael Haykin is professor of church history and biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. He has authored, coauthored, or edited more than twenty-five books.

Sola versus Solo Scriptura

Sola Scriptura: the teaching that Scripture is the Church's only infallible and sufficient rule for deciding issues of faith and practices that involve doctrines.

A friend on Facebook posted a link to the Heidelblog - Sola Scripture ≠ Nuda Scriptura. I wasn't familiar with the term, Nuda or Solo Scriptura, so I read the post, which says:

Evangelical Christians in North America sometimes misunderstand the Reformation doctrine of sola Scriptura to mean that the Bible is the Christian’s only theological resource, that it can and should be denuded of its churchly context (hence nuda Scriptura). Such an understanding is altogether incorrect.... Calvin believed that holy Scripture as the only infallible rule of faith and practice should serve as the final authority by which to judge Christian doctrine and practice, but it was not his only resource for theology...He recognized the strategic importance of demonstrating the continuity of Protestant teaching with the core convictions of the early Church.

While believers should be Bereans and search the Scriptures for themselves, we don't do it in a vacuum. Our study of the Word is not disconnected from what has transpired in church history. Even the means by which and the theological grid through which we interpret the Word are influenced by those who have gone before us. 

So given the potential for deception if one is left to one's self, I wondered if any cults or erroneous teachings were conceived via Solo Scriptura. In my reading, I happened upon:

- Caleb Rich "insisted that his own interpretation of Scripture should not be mediated by any other authority, historical or ecclesiastical - a conviction steeled by the competing claims of rival denominations and a new openness to visionary experiences." He begin "having  a series of visionary experiences in which celestial persons counseled him to avoid all other denominations and all other human advice." Rich became the main leader of Universalism in New England at the end of the 1700's. ¹

- Lucy Mack Smith came to the following conviction: "I said in my heart that there was not then upon earth the religion which I sought. I therefore determined to examine my Bible, and taking Jesus and the disciples as my guide, to endeavor to obtain from God that which man could neither give nor take away… The Bible I intended should be my guide to life and salvation." She eventually "sealed this individualization of conscience by finding a minister who agreed to baptize her as a solitary Christian without any attachment to any congregation." Perhaps she isn't very well known, but her son is - Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons. ²

I would hasten to add that believers may find themselves in isolated situations because of persecution. A person in a previously unreached group may be the first and only Christian in the community. There may be situations where a believer needs to leave an unhealthy or even abusive church environment and take time to recover. I get that, and my recovery took seven years. But spiritual isolation in the present and from the past can be a dangerous thing.

In my case, I felt betrayed by leaders I had previously trusted, so I refused any form of teaching apart from the Bible, like the people mentioned above. When 9/11 occurred, universalism was very appealing at that moment as I tried to make sense of the world. But making sense was nigh impossible given the weakness of my theological foundation. Looking back, God preserved me from falling into error, but what I thought would keep me from going further astray only starved me spiritually.

I also think a sense of independence is ingrained in the American psyche such that it was easy to disdain the past. "We threw off the shackles of those imperialists long ago! Who needs history?! And who needs church history?!" I was so ignorant that I honestly believed the Apostle John died and BOOM! Instant Roman Catholic Church as we know it today. I had no clue about the early church fathers who wrestled against heresy and sought to defend the truth by encapsulating essential Christian beliefs into basic statements of faith. I fell into the trap of thinking new was better when it came to doctrine, as if I knew better than generations of Christians before me. They were certainly not infallible, and as C.S. Lewis says:

People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us.³

Thankfully God has brought me to a very different place in my spiritual journey. Today I affirm Sola Scriptura and agree 100% with Martin Luther that my conscience must be held captive to the Word, but not in isolation. I owe a debt to the saints who lived and died in defense of the truth down through the ages. The creeds, confessions, and writings of the past can be a healthy corrective against the errors of my day. I should not take them lightly but value them as God-given safeguards of the faith.


For further reading: 'Sola Scriptura' Radicalized and Abandoned - Matthew Barrett

1. The Democratization of American Christianity, Nathan O. Hatch, Yale University Press, 1989, pp. 40-41.

2. Ibid. 43.

3. Introduction by C.S. Lewis to On the Incarnation by Athanasius.

This is an expansion of a prior post on my personal blog.

God sets the stage

My church began a Sunday school series on the history of the Protestant Reformation. In the first class, the teacher gave a 45-minute whirlwind tour of the 1500 years that led up to the Reformation. He covered the eventual decline of the Roman Empire, the threats and attacks from neighboring tribes, and the political instability that ensued. Christianity went from severe persecution to Constantine's blending of church and state, setting the stage for the rise of the papacy. Sadly the church-at-large became a political entity in its own right with all the associated corruption and power grabs.

But amidst the decline, God was setting the stage. The Pax Romana and the system of roads were a means to spread the gospel and expand the early church. Even though Palestine suffered multiple invasions, manuscripts of the New Testament were preserved by the conquerors. These documents became the basis for Erasmus' translation of the New Testament into Latin which in turn was used by Martin Luther and William Tyndale to translate the Bible into the language of the common people

To my limited understanding, these inauspicious circumstances were not very conducive for launching the Great Commission or the Reformation, let alone living a "peaceful and quiet life." But church history bears witness to the fact that God's ways and thoughts are far above mine. Trying to fathom how He has woven the events of the past to bring about His purpose is mind boggling. But this is nothing for an infinite God who is all wise and all powerful and works all things according to the counsel of His will. (Eph. 1:11)

If I jump forward in time from before the Reformation to today, outwardly the situation seems equally inauspicious for the ongoing work of the Great Commission. But which lens am I using? My extremely limited and fallible human perspective or the point of view of an infinite God? If He set the stage for the coming of the Messiah, the completion of Jesus' redemptive work, the birth of the early church, and the Reformation, this is the same God who is still at work. While it is easy to point to the "big" events in history, let's bring it home. What did God do to set the stage so we would come to faith in Jesus Christ? Did you "just happen" to be born into a Christian family where you heard the good news? Or did you come to Christ because someone "just happened" to share the gospel or give you a tract or a Bible? What is He weaving together so that all who are called to eternal life will be brought into His kingdom?

I hope this encourages your heart as it does mine, and it does my heart good to rest in God's all-wise control over human history. Current events are still what they were the last time I listened to the news, but the Great Commission isn't at the mercy of the Holy Roman Empire or whoever will be the next president. Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb, and He is setting the stage to bring that about.


(Thanks to Neil Harding's Sunday school class and Pastor Ryan Davidson's sermon on Acts 1:1-11 for giving me food for thought for this post.)

"Oh....that Fosdick!"

Photo: Time Magazine

Next to my Mother, the two most influential women in my life growing up were my Grandmother and my Great Aunt Laura.    They were born in the late 1800's and I adored them both,  but they mixed about as well as oil and water.   I didn’t realize until many years later that the friction was partly due to the war that had been raging in the Evangelical church since  the  1920’s over  the inspiration and  inerrancy of Scripture.

 

Aunt Laura was a Presbyterian and Grandma belonged to an IFCA (Independent Fundamental Churches of America) Bible Church .   I still remember my grandmother fuming—“Oh…that Fosdick!”,   upon hearing that Aunt Laura’s church had  invited  him to speak.   This was in the 1950’s and  being  only  6 or 7 years old years old,  I had no idea whatsoever  who this  dreadful  man was that she spoke of.

 

After becoming a Christian and learning a bit of church history,  I understood why Grandma had been so upset with this Fosdick guy.   Harry Emerson Fosdick  (1878-1969)  was a key figure  in the  Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy   during the 1920’s and 30’s  which caused many denominational splits over liberal theology.    Modernism had been increasing ever since the Age of Reason/Enlightenment (1685-1815) when the whole ambitious realm of science and invention exploded.    The church was completely blindsided by this force and theologians like Friedrich Schleiermacher  (1768-1884) known as  “The Father of Modern Liberal Theology"  became casualties in the war between naturalism and supernaturalism.     Scientific discoveries beguiled some theologians into rejecting a literal hermeneutic and denying anything of a supernatural nature in the Scriptures, including the virgin birth and the deity and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

By the early part of the 20^th century conservative theologians in every denomination began revolting.    Leading the charge among the Presbyterians were men like  J. Gresham Machen,  a professor at Princeton from  1906 to 1929.      Machen  broke away to help found  Westminster  Theological  Seminary  in  Pennsylvania in 1929 and  in 1936 the conservative  Orthodox Presbyterian Church of America (the OPC) was born,  returning  a segment of  Presbyterians to their  roots.

 

Elsewhere, other theologians were also responding to liberalism and were leaving their denominations to form alliances.   In the early 1900’s numerous Bible Conferences were held in the eastern United States and out of these discussions the Fundamentalist movement came into being.   

 

Today most Evangelicals have a negative and narrow view of what “Fundamentalism” was,  thinking only in terms of  its  legalistic prohibitions on drinking, smoking, card playing, and movies.    And though the movement fell apart for a number of other reasons as well,  many Christians don’t realize  how  deeply indebted  we are to those who stood against the assault on the authority of Scripture brought about by higher criticism.    

  
 Rev. Glen Lehman (1907-2006), IFCA Executive Director 1959-1972:

“The Bible Conferences provided an ongoing platform for preachers to respond to the unbiblical teaching that was spreading among denominational leaders, seminary professors, and pastors.  Then from 1910-1915,  a twelve-volume doctrinal response to Modernism sequentially came off the presses. Entitled The Fundamentals,  these twelve paperbacks ultimately contained ninety articles written by sixty-four authors from every denomination.   Financed by Milton and Lyman Stewart, the wealthy founders of Union Oil Company, The Fundamentals were distributed free of charge to over 300,000 Protestant ministers, teachers, missionaries, theological professors, and Christian workers.

There were several results.   First, orthodox theology was presented and defended.   Second, apostasy was exposed.    Third, Bible-believing Christians were galvanized into a more cohesive force.   And fourth, those who opposed “Modernist Christians” were given a new name as Bible-believers: “Fundamentalists.”  1

Mr. Lehman was one of Robert’s professors and we were privileged to know him at the church we attended together.    Though we later fellowshipped in more Calvinistic circles  we are grateful to have begun our Christian journey understanding the importance of separation from apostasy and the need to view popular trends with discernment.  

But lest we think we our “Bible believing” churches haven’t  been influenced by liberalism,   we should observe  how many Evangelical churches are enticing great numbers of people  by addressing  temporal and superficial needs rather than expositing the whole counsel of God.

In his article “The Urgency of Preaching”,   Al Mohler describes how this downward  spiral has made its way into our pulpits today.  He contrasts puritan Richard Baxter’s urgent burden to preach “the promise of heaven and the horrors of hell”  with Harry Emerson Fosdick’s “kindly counselor offering helpful advice and encouragement”  man  centered methodology.

“Focusing on so-called "perceived needs" and allowing these needs to set the preaching agenda inevitably leads to a loss of biblical authority and biblical content in the sermon.   Yet, this pattern is increasingly the norm in many evangelical pulpits.   Fosdick must be smiling from the grave.  Earlier evangelicals recognized Fosdick's approach as a rejection of biblical preaching [emphasis mine].    An out-of-the-closet theological liberal, Fosdick paraded his rejection of biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility--and rejected other doctrines central to the Christian faith. Enamored with trends in psychological theory,  Fosdick became liberal Protestantism's happy pulpit therapist.” 2

I doubt my beloved Grandmother and Great Aunt ever considered that their theological tiffs were so colorfully illustrating for me an issue that has continued to be of vital importance today.

 For further reading or listening:

The Decline of Fundamentalism by John MacArthur 
Holding the Line by D.G. Hart - Ligonier; Tabletalk Magazine - 2006 
J. Gresham Machen's Response to Modernism - sermon by John Piper 1993  (worth listening)

______________________________________ 

1. 75 Years of IFCA History by Rev.Glen Lehman 

2  The Urgency of Preaching by Al Mohler

Why Women Should Study Church History

 

“How shall we labor with any effect to build up the church, if we have no thorough knowledge of her history,  or fail to apprehend it from the proper point of observation?   History is, and must ever continue to be, next to God’s Word, the richest foundation of wisdom, and the surest guide to all successful practical activity.” 1—Philip Schaff

It’s unfortunate that the average Evangelical Christian has so little knowledge of church history.   This comes as no surprise since few churches engage their congregants in studies of our incredibly rich spiritual heritage.

Church history is not only relevant but it is  extremely fascinating!  It is a panoply of doctrinal and spiritual battles and victories showcasing God’s preservation of His beloved Bride.   Discovering how the Lord emboldened men and women to remain true to Christ and the Scriptures throughout the ages will surely encourage believers facing the challenges of our day.

WHAT’S GENDER GOT TO DO WITH IT?

First, notwithstanding the Biblical mandate for male pastoral leadership in the church, women do happen to make up half of church history and have  played a vital role in contending for the faith.     But most  church history courses  won’t cover  these contributions,  which is too bad.    Neglecting  to teach such an important aspect of church history that  provides  godly examples of  women who promoted sound doctrine,   may  inadvertently contribute to the rampant problem we have today  with women who distort the Scriptures and assume leadership roles God intended only for men.   Furthermore,  the fascination with Medieval Romish mysticism reflected  in many women's studies might lose luster if  women understood  the serious heresies attached to it.  

Beginning with the New Testament and moving forward, we can learn from godly mothers like Lois and Eunice, and Monica of Hippo  (331 AD) whose answered prayer for her son Augustine has blessed the church today.   Influential scholars like Queen Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII,   nearly lost her head promoting the Gospel during the Reformation.   Amy Carmichael (b.1867), the single missionary to orphans in India, risked losing everything she had worked for when she boldly stood against  an encroaching social gospel.   And of course that old saying  “Behind every great man stands a great woman” applies to many women throughout history such as  Katie Luther, Idelette de Bure Calvin, Susannah Spurgeon, and Vera Pink. 
 

I think we also  need to take care  not to allow current gender debates to color our understanding of the women who have made their mark on the history of the church. For example, one might view Anne Askew, the 16^th century martyr, as promoting egalitarianism—a charge that her interrogators wrongfully accused her of.    Instead, this young mother died for refusing to comply with the Catholic teaching  of transubstantiation.    Her life has challenged me to  continue contending for doctrinal purity and separation from apostasy amidst our growing ecumenical climate. 
 

Becoming acquainted with the courageous women who left their footprints behind will do more than  just satisfy a curiosity about the pink side of  church history.  These women were true champions of the faith and sparkle as jewels woven into the beautiful tapestry of the Church.  Their examples demonstrate  ways that we as contemporary women  might continue fighting the good fight of faith in the midst of all sorts of adversity,  regardless of  our station in life.    Sisters, to borrow a phrase, we are standing on the shoulders of “Giantesses”!
 

And second, women and men alike would benefit from a standard course in church history, whether done autodidactically, online, or on campus because it gives us a broad overview of the most critical points in church history.   It will also help us to appreciate more fully those who have served the Church when we understand  the context of the times in which they lived. 

Nowadays the resources available to us are endless!  Nate Busenitz, professor of Historical Theology at the Master’s Seminary has written a great three part blog series for TMS’ Preachers and Preaching  giving 10 reasons why  we should study church history.  He begins by saying,

  “One of the great blindspots in contemporary American evangelicalism is its lack of historical awareness.   With his characteristic wit, Carl Trueman explained the problem like this:

‘I was asked last week why some evangelicals convert to Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.  Reasons vary, I am sure, but I commented that one theme I have noticed over the years is the fact that evangelicalism lacks historical roots.  That is not to say that it has no history; rather it is to say that a consciousness of history is not part of the package.  Rock band worship, Beautiful People everywhere (miserable middle aged plain people need not apply), and history nowhere in sight unless it is a reference in the sermon to an early Coldplay album.  On that level, I can understand why people looking for something serious, something with a sense of theological and historical gravitas, simply give up on evangelicalism and start looking elsewhere. Some adults want a faith that is similarly adult, after all.’ (Source)”

You can find the series here:  Why Study Church History - Part 1,  Part 2, Part 3.  The Master’s Seminary has generously posted  Professor Busenitz’ 24  video class lectures in Historical Theology HERE .  

And here’s a few more resources you might like.  PLEASE feel free to add your recommendations in the comments. 

CHURCH HISTORY RESOURCES

Podcasts:

5 Minutes in Church History with Dr. Stephen Nichols (regular podcasts)
White Horse Inn - Conversation with Robert Godfrey on Lessons from Church History

Video teaching series – for sale but some are free
Survey of Church History Series by  W. Robert Godfrey 
TGC:  Church History Made Easy by Dr. Paul Jones –12 DVD lessons 

Recommended Church History resources from-

• Ligonier Ministries
• Westminster Seminary
• Reformed Theological Seminary

Books:

History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff - 8 Vol.  (free online here)
Christianity Through the Centuries  1 Vol.–  by Earle E. Cairns  
Library of Christian Classics - 26 Vol.
Chronological and Background Charts of Church History by Robert Walton
Fox’s Book of Martyrs (free here)
The Unquenchable Flame-Discovering the Heart of the Reformation by Michael Reeves

Steven Lawson:

Foundations of Grace Vol. 1

Pillars of Grace Vol. 2

A Long Line of Godly Men Profile series - Steven Lawson (short books)

Faith Cook:

• Singing in the Fire, Lady Jane Grey, Selina, Anne Bradstreet, and more

Roland Bainton:

• Women of theReformation Series:  Germany,  Italy, England,  France,  Spain, Scandinavia

Five Women of the English Reformation by Paul. F. M. Zaul

Famous Women of the Reformed Church by James Isaac Good

For the Littles:
Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Simonetta Carr

Free online books and blog articles:

Early Church Councils and Creeds - Good Guy/ Bad Guy Chart
Christian Classics Ethereal Library - Early Church Fathers
Short Papers on Church History by Andrew Miller
Women of the Reformation Series – Heavenly Springs

1. Philip Schaff, What is Church History: A Vindication of the Idea of Historical Development (J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1846), 5.

Katherine Parr: Reformation Queen of England and Ireland

“To be useful in all I do.”

Queen Katherine Parr

The year was 1512.   Michelangelo’s magnificent Sistine Chapel frescos were unveiled.  Twenty-nine year old Martin Luther earned his Doctorate in Theology at Wittenberg U,  but didn’t understand  justification by faith.     And a precocious three year old named Jehan Cauvin  was  busy exploring his world in northern France.    God was setting the stage for a Reformation that would soon rock the world.

Sir Thomas Parr  and  his wife Maud Greene,  a prominent couple from Westmoreland,  welcomed  their  baby daughter  into the world that  year.    Katherine, named after King Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon,   received a fine education learning several languages fluently.    But by the age of twenty-one,  she had lost both parents and her first husband.  

The Parr family was acquainted with some of  the early Reformers and Katherine  zealously embraced this  “New Religion”.

"[Catherine] lamented the fact, that she had once been an enthusiastic  Papist.  ‘I sought’,  she confessed,  ‘for such riffraff as the Bishop of Rome had planted in his tyranny and kingdom,  trusting with great confidence by virtue and holiness of them to receive full remission of sins.’  … That she underwent conversion, as all the first generation of Reformers did is clear.”1

Devoted wholly  to Christ,  Katherine’s  life  motto  became  “to be useful in all I do”,  even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.   

A QUEEN

After losing a second husband,  Katherine’s piety  caught the attention of King Henry.   Denying her heart’s desire to marry  Sir Thomas Seymore,  Katherine  accepted the King’s marriage proposal.    On July 12, 1543   the attractive  31 year old widow became the sixth and  last wife of King Henry VIII.    Without  fanfare   Katherine  was proclaimed  Queen at Hampton Court Palace.     Her affection for Henry was sincere,  although the prospect of marrying a man who had sent two of his wives to the scaffold must have been terrifying!    Just months before the marriage, a plot  to execute Reformers in Henry’s household had been underway at the  behest of  Stephen Gardiner,  bishop of Winchester.

Henry remained Catholic after breaking from Rome to form the Church of England when the Pope  refused to grant him an annulment from his first wife.   Desiring a wife who could produce a male heir to the throne the King set his sights on the captivating  young  Evangelical,  Anne Boleyn. 

“Anne understood her providential mission to be this: to bring the Reformation to England and to employ every single instance of patronage and influence to that end. … In fact it was through Anne that the New Religion entered England.”2

Anne Boleyn,   the most controversial of Henry’s wives, was  beheaded on  trumped up charges of adultery, incest, and  treason,   leaving behind her little daughter Elizabeth. The new Queen’s kindness and motherly affections  endeared her to Henry and  his children; Mary, Elizabeth,  and young Edward.

“besides the virtues of the mind,  she was endowed with very rare gifts of nature, as singular beauty,  favor  and  comely personage,   being things wherein the king was greatly delighted.”3

But Katherine would not allow herself to be caught off guard by Henry’s affections as  he was a fickle man,  sending both  Catholics and Protestants alike  to the Tower  for  execution—Catholics  for treason and Protestants for heresy.

While Henry turned a blind eye,  his wife hosted  Bible studies and prayer meetings  at court.   Katherine’s guests included influential  preachers and numerous high ranking women including  Anne Askew  and the young  Lady Jane Grey.

A CLOSE CALL

In an attempt to destroy the Queen,   Katherine’s  Catholic enemies  had  Anne Askew arrested and tortured.    Their attempts  to get her to implicate the Queen for heresy failed  and Anne was burned at the stake for denying the literal presence of Christ’s body in the Mass.    

Stephen Gardiner's  evil intentions were not about to thwarted.    As Henry’s health declined his legs became severely ulcerated and Katherine  would minister to him in  his chambers.   She used these opportunities to bring up spiritual matters and on one occasion when Gardiner was present   Henry became angry.  

 “A good hearing it is when women become such clerks  [clergy];  and a thing much to my comfort to come in my old days to be taught by my wife!’” 4 

Gardiner seized the opportunity  to fan the fires  of suspicion by suggesting  those who would dare to  argue with the King verbally might also overthrow him by their actions.    Henry’s heart was turned against  the Queen and orders were drawn  up  to send  Katherine and three of her ladies to the Tower for execution.   

Providentially,  the papers  sealing  Katherine’s fate  fell  into  the Queen’s hands,  unbeknownst to Henry.    The  discovery  caused   Katherine to  have a nervous  breakdown.    The  King  had  confided in his  physician the plan to execute  his wife and when  Henry  learned that Katherine had become ill,   he sent Dr. Wendy to check on her.   The doctor was fond of the Queen and secretly advised her to play ignorant  and try to dissuade her husband.

Wise as a serpent and harmless as dove,  Katherine  refused the temptation  to engage in religious discussion when Henry  brought up the subject.    Instead,  she  stated  that  her opinions as a woman were   inferior and  unimportant,  and declared Henry to be her “only anchor,  Supreme  Head and Governor here on earth,  next under God.”5     Convincing  her husband   that she had merely  argued  religion with him in order  to divert his attention away from his physical suffering,  Henry forgave her and  their disagreement ended  with a kiss.

When Henry’s henchmen  came  to arrest Katherine  they were raked over the coals,  while Katherine responded graciously in their defense.   This  wise and humble woman showed  “no limit of self-denigration, and self-disparagement.”6 

A  SCHOLAR 

Katherine was as talented in literary endeavors as she was generous in spirit.   Proving  the pen can be mightier than the sword,  Katherine’s  books—Prayers or Meditations  (1546)  and The Lamentation or Complaint  of a Sinner (1547) became instant successes,   making her the first English Queen to publish an original work under her own name.    Additionally,   Katherine financed the English translations of  Erasmus’  Latin Paraphrases of the  Gospels, which were important texts for  Reformed scholars. 

“ [Katherine] championed the language of the people, encouraged academia to put Christ before Plato, urged Henry to bring England closer to the Reformation,   commissioned scholarly translations of Erasmus, and brought a royal English family together.   In Katherine’s day, her books became examples of the bold Reformation spirit.   Her brilliant mind captured the souls of her people and the respect of the Reformers themselves"7

 A BITTERSWEET END

During Christmas of 1546  the King became  terminally ill  and  isolated himself  at Whitehall to make final preparations.   The historian John Foxe (1516-1587)  records that Henry made peace with God in the end.   Henry ignored Stephen Gardiner in his Will,  sent the Duke of Norfolk and his son to the Tower for treason,  and then  called  for the  Reformer  Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.   Unable to speak,   Dr. Cranmer exhorted Henry  to put his faith in Christ alone  by showing—

“…some token with his eyes, or with hand, as he trusted in the Lord.  Then the King holding him with his hand, did wring his hand in his, as hard as he could, and so shortly after departed,” 8

On January 28, 1547 King Henry VIII  was dead.   Though leaving his wife generous  provisions of wealth and honor,  the King  did not appoint her  as  Queen Regent. 

Finally free to pursue her own happiness, Katherine  hastily married Thomas Seymore.  Tragically, her marital bliss ended abruptly when Thomas made advances towards  Katherine’s teenage  stepdaughter,  Elizabeth.      After three childless marriages  Katherine  bore a daughter before  the last enemy struck again.    On September 5, 1548,  four days  after  giving birth,  Katherine  developed  puerperal fever and died at the age of 36.   

Like Priscilla (Rom. 16:3-4), Queen Katherine was a true servant and a scholar who was willing to take great risks for the furtherance of the Gospel.   As a result, God used Katherine's  determination “to be useful in all I do”   to profoundly  impact on the advancement of the English Reformation.   

“The fact that the Reformation was preserved in England can be attributed to the amazing presence of mind, and maturity of Katherine Parr.” 9

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1. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey;  HarperCollins Publishers; 2003;  pg. 701.
2. Five Women of the English Reformation by Paul F.M. Zahl; William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI. 2001; pg. 26
3. John Foxe-The Acts of the Monuments
4. ibid.
5. ibid
6. Five Women of the English Reformation by Paul. F. M Zahl;  Eerdman’s Publishing; 2001; pg.45
7. Katherine Parr: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought by Brandon G. Withrow - Stephen J Nichols editor P&;R Publish
8. John Foxe -The Acts of the Monuments
9. Five Women-Paul F.M. Zahl; pg.40

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century by Roland H. Bainton; Beacon Press; 1963

Lady Jane Grey: 9 Day Queen of England  by Faith Cook;  Evangelical Press 2004 

Women of the Reformation in France and England by Roland H. Bainton;  Fortress Press; 2007;  

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey;  HarperCollins Publishers; 2003; 

Five Women of the English Reformation by Paul. F. M Zahl;  Eerdman’s Publishing; 2001; 

A Lamentation or Complaint of a Sinner (1547)  by Queen Katherine Parr 

Katherine the Queen;  by Linda Porter;  St Martins Griffen; NY

The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation, by Michael Reeves B & H Academic,  2010
Katherine Parr image:  National Portrait Gallery - London