Early Developments in Church Structure & Practices
HCT article is pending. The rapid growth of Christianity strained its fractured leadership organization resulting in various developments in its structure and practices, including: Method of selecting priests and bishops: https://www.academia.edu/41627928/Bishops_and_Presbyters_or_Priests_and_their_Ministries_in_the_Holy_Scripture https://www.academia.edu/37409565/Life_Worship_Faith_and_Ministry_of_the_Early_Church https://www.academia.edu/6553186/Baptism_and_Ordination_understanding_the_priesthood_of_baptism https://www.academia.edu/1397709/Development_of_the_Concept_and_Practice_of_Ordination_in_the_New_Testament_and_the_Early_Church https://www.academia.edu/32319460/The_Authority_of_Elders_in_the_NT Geographical hierarchical units: The...Constantine
HCT article is pending. The Emperor Constantineís adoption of Christianity as the state religion ushered in the greatest changes to the Church that had occurred since the death of the Apostles. This dynamic period changed the course of history, so it is essential to study what happened in order to fully understand our world today, including a review of the following issues: Constantine’s Conversion Story From Outlawed to Favored Status ñ Material Benefits Conversion for convenience Radical shift in internal attitudes More organizational and ceremonial developments https://www.academia.edu/31384654/The_Significance_of_the_Edict_of_Milan_in_Edward_Siecienski_Constantine_Religious_Faith_and_Imperial_Policy_London_2017_27_56...Apologists and Internal Debate
HCT article is pending. This period of persecution and internal divisions inspired apologetic and theological writing from several Christian intellectuals including: Justin Martyr: https://www.academia.edu/43000215/SD%C3%9C_38_Justin_Martyr https://www.academia.edu/91092264/Justin_teacher_philosopher_and_martyr https://www.academia.edu/53248716/Justin_Martyr_His_Works_And_Influence https://www.academia.edu/31573515/The_God_of_Justin_Martyr https://www.academia.edu/40227008/The_Apology_of_St_Justin_Martyr https://www.academia.edu/38359716/JUSTIN_MARTYR_c_100_165_ https://www.academia.edu/50804844/Texts_and_studies_on_Justin_Martyr_with_links_to_full_texts...Roman Persecution – Martyrdom
HCT article is pending. Links to more articles: Ignatius of Antioch: https://www.academia.edu/86854966/To_Die_for_God_Sacrifice_Eucharist_and_Martyrdom_in_Ignatius_of_Antioch https://www.academia.edu/8843106/Ignatius_of_Antioch https://www.academia.edu/5261164/A_synopsis_of_Ignatius_of_Antioch_and_ps_Ignatius https://www.academia.edu/42933591/Apostolic_Christology_of_Ignatius_of_Antioch https://www.academia.edu/39808890/Ignatius_of_Antioch_Bishop_of_Syria https://www.academia.edu/31311537/Faith_and_Love_in_Ignatius_of_Antioch Polycarp: https://www.academia.edu/76411738/Death_in_Smyrna_The_Martyrdom_of_Polycarp_as_Urban_Event https://www.academia.edu/7052892/Polycarps_Epistle_to_the_Philipians_and_the_Martyrdom_of_Polycarp...Gnosticism and Other Heresies
HCT article is pending. Links to more articles: Docetism: https://www.academia.edu/55282211/What_is_Docetism https://www.academia.edu/570941/Docetism_K%C3%A4semann_and_christology_Why_historical_criticism_cant_protect_christological_orthodoxy https://www.academia.edu/6378055/Marys_Virginity_in_partu_and_Tertullians_anti_Docetism_Reconsidered https://www.academia.edu/78244814/The_Greek_and_Jewish_Origins_of_Docetism_A_New_Proposal https://www.academia.edu/9622253/Docetism_and_Incarnation_Translation_of_the_central_theses_of_Doketismus_und_Inkarnation_Francke_Verlag_T%C3%BCbingen_2014 Adoptionism:...CLEARSTONE PUBLISHING:
“Light at the end of the arched tunnel. Blood on the stone wall. Rust on the cell’s bars. The glance of a gladiator sitting in his cell. The soldier’s sandals stepping in front of her. Amora grasped every detail as her world moved in slow motion, drawing her closer to her fate. The stench of death permeated the suffocating darkness, making a mockery of the heightened vitality within her. Her chains rattled, gears ground, animals roared, and people cheered. She gave them no heed. Amora, in an elegant white gown, moved with natural grace in front of a cell of prisoners. Her sixteen-year-old chained slave, Maria, followed behind wearing a simple tunic; a second soldier brought up the rear…”
With that introduction, author Grant Hallstrom draws you into the world of ancient Rome with its intrigue and contrasts, where he explores the timeless struggles between revenge and forgiveness, hope and despair, and loss and redemption.
This award-winning bestseller follows Amora on her path of self-discovery from her opulent teenage wedding with Leo through her life full of personal disappointment, tragedy, and betrayal, ultimately leading to peace in the face of death. We watch Leo withdraw into his dark private world of despair as he struggles to maintain his standing in society while trying to escape from the ever-present pain of loss. We delight in the romance between two slaves and champion the young man’s quest to avenge his lover’s untimely death. The sweeping panorama of this immersive story includes the suspense of battles and the action of gladiators fighting to survive in the arena as well.
The author weaves a well-crafted and deeply researched historical fiction based on a true story that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. The book is filled with non-stop action and suspense, so you are never sure what’s about to happen on the next page. This superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings will have you turning pages from beginning to end. Skillfully constructed, cinematic in presentation and deeply inspiring, this thought-provoking book makes a solid impact.
Even though the book shows how new Christian ideas influenced some characters, it does not try to convert the reader. It simply tells the story including the role that religion played in their lives. Amora is ultimately a story about love, family, friendships, faith, trials and forgiveness. It is well worth the read!
Available in E-book or paperback.
A Collection of Inspiring Essays.
God is love, and because we all have a spark of His divinity in us, we have a strong core need to love and to be loved. However, because we are born into an imperfect world, all of us have been disappointed by others we depended on for love. This betrayal creates an emotional black hole at the center of our personal universe that sucks us down into a life of loneliness, frustration and pain.
How do we escape the gravity of our emotional black holes? Can we really become free to love and enjoy life? As Mr. Hallstrom shares the life lessons he has learned from a variety of intriguing and often difficult experiences, you may discover a path of healing that leads to freedom and happiness.