by Peter James | Jan 11, 2023 | Martin of tours
He may be the first conscientious objector in recorded history. Martin of Tours (316-397) aspired to begin the catechumen (apprentice) process to join a Christian church at the tender age of ten, contrary to his parent’s wishes. As a decorated military officer,...
by Peter James | Jan 10, 2023 | Thomas Goodwin
It was a watershed day in the life of Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680). He was twenty years old, a student at Cambridge in England. In the words of one biographer, Thomas had been dividing his time between “making merry and becoming a celebrity preacher.” From...
by Peter James | Jan 9, 2023 | Pudens
Pudens was a soldier, an assistant in charge of the Carthage prison. He was on duty when six prisoners from a small town were brought to the jail awaiting trial. The charge against them was a refusal to offer sacrifice to the emperor. They were Christians preparing...
by Peter James | Jan 8, 2023 | Ulrich Zwingli
COVID punctured a hole in our veneer of invincibility. Who could have ever conceived of a worldwide pandemic in the twenty first century? Plagues were only something we read about in history books. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was a stalwart of the Protestant...
by Peter James | Jan 7, 2023 | Francis Asbury
“Our brethren in America call aloud for help. Who will go?” John Wesley asked a gathering of English Methodists. Francis Asbury (1745-1816), a twenty-six-year-old itinerant preacher, answered the call. He said goodbye to his parents and set sail for...
