Period I – The Early and Medieval Church
1 – Polytheism In order to understand the origins and revolutionary nature of Christian theology, it is important to view it in proper relief against the religions in the region at the time of Jesus’s birth. Besides Judaism, which we will discuss in a subsequent lecture, various forms of polytheism dominated the religious landscape at the time Christianity came on the scene. . . . moreHinduism & BuddhismEgyptianGreco-Roman PaganismMiddle Eastern PaganismZoroastrianism 2 – The Greco-Roman World Judaism gave birth to Christianity in a Greco-Roman world where Christianity’s Jewish roots merged with the Roman imperial culture and Greek philosophical ideas to mold Christianity into the institution it became in the early Church...
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed replaced the dominate Logos centered Christian theology that placed Jesus as an intermediary between humans and God and subordinated the Son to the Father. Historical Context Before we discuss the Nicene Creed we need to set the stage for the controversy leading up to the 1st Council of Nicaea that created the Nicene Creed. Sadly, power-politics played a major role in the early Church. The major metropolitan areas of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch rivaled for supremacy. In particular, the two major schools located in Alexandria and Antioch engaged in sustained and intense rivalry for centuries. The Christian school of Alexandria tapped into a long legacy of learning based in that city. During the 3rd...
The Greco-Roman World
Judaism gave birth to Christianity in a Greco-Roman world where Christianity’s Jewish roots merged with the Roman imperial culture and Greek philosophical ideas to mold Christianity into the institution it became in the early Church and through the Middle-Ages. Some of this Greco-Roman influence can be seen in the following ways: Plato’s philosophy greatly influenced the early Christian debate regarding the nature of God, Aristotle’s philosophy was the basis for much of the scholastic movement in the Church during the late Middle-Ages, Pilgrimages to Greek oracles paved the way to monasticism, and The Roman magisterial structure influenced the Church organization. You may recall the comical father of the bride in the movie “Big Fat...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!
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