Posts by Tim Scheiderer
Caesar Rodney
Despite having much to be proud of, Caesar Rodney exhibited the most admirable of traits in service to his home state, Delaware, and the new nation he assisted in birthing—humility. His forbearing and patient qualities endeared him to his friends and his overall character of person is tainted not by even one recorded instance of…
Read MoreGeorge Read
by Tim Scheiderer George Read is a founding father not known by many today, but during his lifetime, he was a man known by many for his integrity and generosity. He gave not only his time, but also his money to the creation of the new republic. He was also the brother-in-law of fellow signer,…
Read MoreHarold 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…
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