Church History in Africa: Key Developments and Figures

The Foundation of Faith

  • Primary Focus: God and the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
  • Reasons to Study Church History:
    • Scripture encourages the study of history.
    • We can be inspired by the faith of those who came before us and learn from their mistakes.
    • Studying history reveals God’s purpose for humanity.

Key Theological Concepts

  • Pneumatology: The study of the Holy Spirit.
  • Missiology: The study of God’s mission.
  • Ecclesiology: The study of the church.

Jewish Contributions to Early

Read More

Understanding the General Epistles: Key Themes and Insights

General Epistles: Key Themes and Insights

Scholars’ Perspective on the General Epistles

Scholars often refer to these books as the “Catholic Epistles,” meaning general, universal, or addressed to the whole church.

Roman Reaction to Early Christians

The Roman authorities accused the Christians of secretly plotting against the government because they talked of freedom in Christ and appeared to want to overthrow the government.

Addressing False Teachers

How would you address false teachers? I would teach

Read More

Reconciliation and Social Justice: A Catholic Perspective

Key Stakeholders in Reconciliation

  • Victims: They seek justice, safety, and security. It is crucial to ensure they do not resort to retribution.
  • Wrongdoers: Individuals involved in the conflict may seek amnesty and a role in the new order. Their perspective is essential for a complete understanding.
  • Bystanders: Those who witnessed the events, often driven by fear, desire to maintain their lives. They may need to sacrifice resources for the greater good.
  • Victims & Wrongdoers: Some individuals, brainwashed
Read More

Judaism: Core Beliefs, History, and Practices

Judaism

Two significant events in ancient Israel’s history between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE:

  • Babylonian Exile
  • Restoration of the Jews to Judah

Voluntarist and Non-Voluntarist Views

Voluntarist understanding of divine law positions the will to love God over intellect. This means that God commands you to do things, and you do them because you love Him and have faith, not because of any other interest or reason.

Non-voluntarist understanding of divine law positions intellect above the will to love

Read More

Understanding Key Concepts in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity

1. What is Jihad? What are the Two Types of Jihad and to What Does Each Type Refer?

Our textbook defines Jihad as “striving.” Greater Jihad is the internal struggle to become a better person. Lesser Jihad is associated with military conflict in defense of the faith.

2. What are the Three Divisions of the Hebrew Bible? What Do They Mean, or What Literary Genres Do They Represent? What Change Did Christians Make to the Order of the Books?

The Hebrew Bible is separated into three sections: Torah,

Read More

Christian Humanism and Key Philosophical Concepts

Natural Law: A Reflection of Divine Law

Divine Law: The law of God.

Reverence for the Interior

A stimulus that moves a person to correct and improve every aspect of their life.

Reverence for the Social

Social and political commitment transformed the social sphere.

Open Action

The action of opening something so that it is now communicating with the outside.

Being vs. Having

  • Being: Refers to the essence of a person.
  • Having: The obsessive desire for material goods that prevents the full realization of human
Read More