This is a continuation of Part I. II. THE HISTORY 3. The island of Britain, situated on almost the utmost border of the earth, towards the south and west, and poised in the divine balance, as it is said, which supports the whole world, stretches out from the south-west towards the north pole, and is …
Gildas: On the Ruin of Britain, Part I
Introduction Gildas (c. 504-570) Sapiens ("the wise") was a British monk who chronicled one of the strangest--and for subsequent history one of the most important--sequence of events in the fall of the Roman Empire: the separation of Britain from Rome and the subsequent disintegration of "post-Roman Britain" at the hands of the Saxons. The story …
The Life of the Archpriest Avvakum by Himself
Preface In the spring of 2005, our city received a visit from Frederica Matthewes-Green, the once-Episcopalian now-Orthodox Christian writer. I went to hear her in a not very impressive Orthodox church (after Russia, I'm spoilt, I suppose.) In the wake of this I sent her an inquiry as follows: I find your position on the …
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When Church Becomes Pointless
First written in 1997; updated 2003. After this was written, we found out that many others felt the same way we did: the New Jersey diocese lost nearly half its membership during Spong's tenure as Bishop. A Long Trip In the course of my work at Church of God Lay Ministries, I was asked to …
Visit to Zagorsk
In 1988, during my family business' first trip to the then Soviet Union, my brother Pem and I were given the chance to visit the Monastery of Trinity-St. Sergius, which was the administrative centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is located in the town of Sergeiev Posad, which was called Zagorsk during Soviet times. …
Taming the Rowdies
Originally posted November 2004. In the early part of the new millennium, a large Evangelical church set itself to build a new sanctuary, tripling its seating capacity in the process. It had the usual capital stewardship programme and, having lined up financing for the rest, began construction. One of the features of the new sanctuary …
Book Review: Bishop Claude Payne’s Reclaiming the Great Commission
Church growth books, even with the present crisis Evangelical Christianity finds itself in, are still in good supply. But one from an Episcopalian, whose church's ASA has been dropping the entire decade? That's the idea of retired Bishop of Texas Claude Payne's Reclaiming the Great Commission. Written before much of the excitement in TEC (The …
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The Strange Anglican Response to Father Alberto Cutié’s Switch to TEC
The Archdiocese of Miami's response to Father Cutié's bailing out on the RCC is understandable: According to our canon law, with this very act Father Cutié is separating himself from the communion of the Roman Catholic Church (c. 1364, §1) by professing erroneous faith and morals, and refusing submission to the Holy Father (canon 751). …
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Book Review: N.T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God
N.T. Wright, Anglican scholar and Bishop of Durham, has gained for himself the reputation as a strong "reasserting" scholar, especially with his massive book series Christian Origins and the Question of God. The Resurrection of the Son of God-dealing with the most important point of the debate-is the third book of the series. The Resurrection …
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The Answer is Jesus Christ Coffeehouse Rehearsal
Recorded 29 August 1975 These are unreleased recordings as opposed to a polished production. But some explanation is necessary. The Answer is Jesus Christ was started by M.B. Flippen (that's right, "Flip" Flippen, the motivational speaker) as a Christian counselling centre in College Station, Texas, in 1972. At the same time it was a coffeehouse …
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Positive Infinity 