Posts by Tim Scheiderer
Harold J. Ockenga
In the 1940s and ‘50s, American Christianity was in contention with itself. After the Scopes Trial in 1925, Christians had retreated from the public square. At the trial, the state prosecutor, William Jennings Bryan, was asked a series of questions about miracles in the Bible. He was peppered with questions about Jonah’s encounter with a…
Read MoreT.S. Eliot
In 1931, T.S. Eliot wrote in his essay, “Thoughts After Lambeth,” “The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark…
Read MoreKarl Barth
One would not put much stock in a boy who was the leader of a street gang to become a transformative theologian in adulthood. But such is the case with Karl Barth. He was not particularly fond of attending school or of behaving. He was a brawler both at school and in his neighborhood. He…
Read MoreFanny Crosby
The “Queen of Gospel Song Writers” came into this world on March 24, 1820. Fanny Crosby was the only child of John and his second wife, Mercy Crosby. She had a half-sister from her father’s first marriage. Hardship came to her early in life, and without her full recognition. At six weeks old, her eye…
Read MoreSøren Kierkegaard
“I dare not call myself a Christian.” One would not typically believe these words to be uttered by a Christian of great standing or by a man considered one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. They would be expected from a person who had committed many indiscretions and not from a person who had written…
Read MoreIsaac Backus
During the American Revolution, numerous men assisted in forging the United States. Only a handful of men, however, contributed significantly to building the philosophical foundations of both the new government and a new church denomination. Isaac Backus was a founder of the Baptist denomination, which grew out of the American Congregationalist Church. It is currently the largest…
Read MoreGeorge Handel
Superlatives are often ascribed to those whom others wish to flatter. Rarely does the description of one’s person or work match the compliment given. One indication of authentic praise is when it comes from peers who know a person intimately or understand fully the intricacies of one’s profession. Such is the case with the contemporaries of George…
Read MoreAnselm of Canterbury
Anselm was born in Aosta in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy in 1033. The town was strategically located at the intersection of the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Little St. Bernard Pass. The former road dates back to the Bronze Age and connects Italy with Switzerland. The latter straddles the Italian and French…
Read MoreJohn Chrysostom
“As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.” “No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.” “Fasting of the body is food for the soul.” The eloquence and elegance of Archbishop John’s words catalyzed his moniker, chrysostom, given 150 years after his death. The…
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