Sword in the Fire

Ben Franklin and his connection to Orthodoxy Damascus Monastery Attacked :  continue to pray for Christian's in the Middle East If the World were only 100 People  - Fascinating and Sobering.  What surprised you the most? Earliest Iconography Found?   Interesting new archaeological finds And my favorite cartoon of recent weeks: click on to embiggen

Have you heard of the Thirteenth Apostle?  He's  No Longer an Ancient Curiousity , and back in action spreading Christianity throughout Africa at an unprecedented rate.  This is exciting stuff and should encourage and inspire Christians everywhere.   ht: Jason Rossiter If you have ever dipped into Biblical studies for very long, you have come across the discipline of Textual Criticism.  Textual Criticism gathers up all the manuscripts and fragments of the Bible found throughout the ages, and tries to determine what is original and what is not.  Orthodox Christians have been proponents for the Majority text.  This means that the manuscripts, fragments, and versions in the majority win the day.  Gabe Martini in his continuing series on the Bible has one of the clearest arguments for the Majority text written without any scholarly jargon:    Origin of the Biblical Context Recently Catholic bishops made it to Capitol to ...

Here are links of interest this week:  Often those antagonistic to Christianity try to find weak spots of morality to argue against, yet the ironic fact is that they are arguing inside the Christian moral framework that shaped the Western World.  Here is one such example of how the West was shaped:  The Christian Origin of Hospitals Have you heard of St. Brendan?  He was an Irish missionary that traveled great lengths by a small boat.  Some believe he may have made it to the new world, and there is evidence that Irish monks found their way to America from scribblings found throughout the East Coast.  This man is on a similar journey:  Ghost in the Brendan Voyage The Arab Spring is been anything but springtime for Christians living in Muslim countries and Newsweek covers it in their latest issue:   The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World I am horrible about keeping up with the news, but this is a hot topic right now:  65 Ortho...

If you grew up in the Evangelical culture, then the site Stuff Christians Like will have you cracking up; then not then you will just find yourself scratching your head.  This post was particularly funny considering my current status:   Wishing You Could Dance Like They Do at the Greek Orthodox Churches  (I still wish I could dance like that...lessons anyone). Because of my interest in the The Readables , I am always on the look out for posts and articles surrounding those mysterious OT books.  Here's the latest I have found:  Were the Deuterocanonicals Ever a Part of the Jewish Canon of Scripture I've mentioned it before, but today it is official:  The Orthodox Christian Network has launched and updated their blog, The Sounding. It's been redesigned, and there is a diverse slate of writers from all walks of life.  It should make for a great stopping place for all types of information and writing. I will be a regular contributor which will...

This past week Fr. Stephen Damick created a mini-firestorm in response to the viral video "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus" (you may have seen it on FB).  His post was a brilliant response.  Thank you Fr. Damick.  And if you haven't picked up his book Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy , please add it to you must reads. Fr. Jonathan over at Second Terrace, wrote one of the best pieces on the necessity of the Ever-Virginity of Mary .  This can be a hangup for a lot of people, but he does a great job placing it into doctrinal context with all his usual rhetorical prowess. Here's a snippet: " When, in fact, the Bible  does : Mary is called "blessed," and could not be called so if she were to have relations with another man while the Father of her Son was still alive." and this "and if someone were truly virginal like Mary ... then oughtn't I do the same? Am I not beholden to at least try?This terrifying thought is the main reason why the...

The Forge 1.11.2012 I shouldn't but I am going to comment on the Tebow furor.  First, I am a fan.  I would love him on my team.  He's got character, he's positive, he's charismatic, and he is a leader.  But he tends to be a lightning rod for many in the secular press, and I don't think the press's ire is intended to be directed at Tebow--it's target is the rabid fan.  There's a large segment of of American Christianity that feels the need to be validated.  To be validated in American society you need the stamp of celebrity, and Tebow fits the bill for many.  This is a large burden for anyone including Tebow to bear, but gives a glimpse on how much of secular culture American Christians have imbibed.  For another perspective, fellow blogger On Behalf of All has written of  Tim Tebow and the Saints I mentioned before the growing revival that is occurring in Russia since the collapse of Communism.  This post and video shows us more...

The Forge 1.4.12 Several years ago, while working on the Orthodox Study Bible project, I met Stephen Holley.  Since then he has been ordained a deacon as well as writes and speaks on Marital and Pre-Marital topics.  He has finally entered the blogging fray.  Here is the link to this new blog:   Deacon Stephen Muses , and I have also added it as a link on my blogroll.   I love Ancient Faith Radio.  I spend so much time in my, it has become a constant companion.  I recently discovered Fr. Thomas Hopko's reflections on the liturgy called  Worship in Spirit and Truth , and I am working my way through the series.  These are excellent reflections on the Bible and Liturgy.   Here's another book recommendation, The  Gospel According to Moses,  , by Evangelical author Athol Dickson.  This recounts his friendship with a devout Jew, and how this relationship deepened his understanding of the Old Testament, and surprisingly wi...

Here are this weeks miscellaneous gatherings: The Bible is a scented garden, delightful, beautiful, it chants our ears with birdsong in a sweet, divine, and spiritual harmony, it touches our heart, comforts us in sorrow, soothes us in a moment of anger, and fills us with eternal joy.  -St. John of Damascus If you like unique slices of history, this site does a great job of pieces together little known stories of American Christian History If you are a American news junkie, you tend to get the same story regardless of whether you are watching Fox, MSNBC, or CNN.  Regardless of your feelings about the so called "Arab Spring", it has not been good for Christians or Jews in the region.  Here's a different take on the situation in Syria from an American who traveled there and was shocked at what he found:     http://www.antiochian.org/reardon-syria-delegation-2011 Here's a story about a recently discovered ancient Christian city in Egypt:   http://www...

An interesting article about the journey of the Belt of the Theotokos through Russia:   http://www.getreligion.org/2011/11/marian-mission-to-moscow-and-the-new-york-times/ My book is now available for the Kindle:   http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Bible-Testament-Church-ebook/dp/B006ECFXOQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322345269&sr=8-2 A post on keeping the next generation in the Faith.  After spending so much time in the OT, I always worry that we are only one generation away from losing the faith.   http://morningoffering.blogspot.com/2011/11/next-generation-how-do-we-keep-our.html If you are at all interested in iconography, spend some time on this site.  Hexaemeron teaches about icons and instruct on the "writing" of icons.   http://hexaemeron.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/six-days-of-creation-2012-schedule/?preview=true&preview_id=280&preview_nonce=20f65d730f