Category Archives: Christianity

A series of essays on Christian human history, Christian philosophy and theology, and the search for God and Self.

Richard Hooker’s Message from the Past

Posted on June 30, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

In light of the Supreme Court decision on marriage this past week, and the controversy from opposing sides that has ensued, it is worthwhile, in my opinion, to seek the wisdom of the past. Oftentimes the human perspective living in … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Christianity, European history, God's Providence | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Healing History

Posted on June 15, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

Two thousand years ago Titus Livius, in his History of Rome, declared that his book, indeed any narrative history of human events told with empathy and truth, is therapy for mental malaise, especially the malaise that is a product of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, books, Christianity | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Time and the Church

Posted on June 7, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

The Church, that is, organized Christian religion, has always struggled to make sense of time. The date of Christian holy days, such as Easter and Christmas, has been under dispute for centuries. Some Christians in the past, and even today, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Christianity, God's Providence | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus and Time

Posted on May 30, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

Time is a mystery. Is time a physical phenomenon? Is it a geologic phenomena? Does time exist outside of human consciousness? Is time absolute or relative? Why do humans put so much emphasis on time, so that we gauge our … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, God's Providence | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Time, the Healer

Posted on May 28, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

There is an expression often used by the wise that time is the great healer, which of course means that as time passes people forgive wrongs done to them, scars slowly fade, and the memory of what was once so … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

History and Miracle

Posted on May 18, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

What is a historian to do about miracles, events in time that break the rules of natural law and sensory evidence, products of a supernatural force, that is, God? The easiest approach is, of course, to reject all theism, to … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, books, Christianity | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great Commission, Love, and Science

Posted on May 12, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” I have written a previous post about the Great Commission, as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, which is the basis for Christian missionary activity for the … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Biography, Christianity, Great Commission | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Rescuing the Dead

Posted on April 30, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

One of my favorite authors is Captain John Smith. Smith, the founder of Jamestown, of Pocahontas fame, was a contemporary of John Donne, William Shakespeare, and Francis Bacon. Smith did not write poetry like Donne, sonnets and plays like Shakespeare, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Captain John Smith: Conqueror, Colonizer, Commissioner

Posted on April 22, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

The Sea Mark: Captain John Smith’s Voyage to New England, published by University Press of New England (http://www.upne.com/1611685169.html), juxtaposes three different mentalities and activities: the conqueror, colonizer, and commissioner. Smith the conqueror was a soldier who believed that whoever was … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Biography, books, Christianity, Great Commission | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

College Students, College Thinkers

Posted on April 19, 2015 by theamericanplutarch

Students… Why are you at college? What brought you to college? What motivated you to come to a college rather than to stay where you were, to continue what you were doing? There are many possibilities…a degree program in criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, General Essays | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment