Why Christians Should Celebrate Lent and the Venerable Bede

[This is part three of my series of articles entitled: "Hangin' with the Carolingians." The Carolingian dynasty, which encompassed nearly two centuries (AD 686-840), is a fascinating era. The Venerable Bede, who is the subject of this article, was an English contemporary of the Carolingians who was largely responsible for the rise of English literacy … Continue reading Why Christians Should Celebrate Lent and the Venerable Bede →

The Definition of Extreme Poverty from John Chrysostom

What happens to an organization when it moves from the "grassroots" phase to becoming a conglomerate? And seemingly overnight? The term "conglomerate" can refer to business or geology. In business, a conglomerate is defined as "a corporation consisting of more than one previously unrelated industries or divisions that is usually the result of a merger … Continue reading The Definition of Extreme Poverty from John Chrysostom →

The mighty fortress of Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”

In church this past Sunday, we sang my favorite hymn: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott by Martin Luther (1483-1546). In the English-speaking world, the hymn is better known as A Mighty Fortress is Our God. This song is often called the "the battle hymn" of the Reformation as it has been important to Lutherans … Continue reading The mighty fortress of Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” →