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All of the evidence from the first few centuries of Christian writers either explicitly points to a threefold structure (one bishop, assisted by elders and deacons) in the early Church or is too vague to draw any reliable conclusions (usually because the author wasn’t directly writing about church governance). Sometimes, the evidence is murkier than we would like. But other times, we get a good look at a local church, and we invariably find that it’s governed by a single bishop, assisted by elde …

St. Justin Martyr’s First Apology dates to around 160. In the text we find Justin offering an explanation and a defense to the pagan emperor. That includes a description of what the Christians of his day thought about baptism:I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertak …

Since activists who fuse their identity with their struggle must always be at war against an opponent, almost immediately after its victory in the Supreme Court with regard to marriage, the gay rights movement transforms into the LGBT movement, which turns into the LGBTQ movement, which then turns into LGBTQIA only to become LGBTQIA+.Like all nominalist endeavors, the subject becomes atomized until it reaches the level of isolated individuals. The plus sign is placed at the end of LGBTQIA so tha …

In the early 1900s, eugenics is seen as cutting-edge thought in human health and development. It pushes back against Darwin’s noble instinct and uses the coercive power of the State to limit undesirables by the restriction of marriage and even compulsory sterilization. As shocking as it may seem, the United States backs forced sterilization. After all, it is scientific! Indiana in 1907 becomes the first state to force individuals to be sterilized, and more than thirty states follow. The U.S. Sup …

In the Gospels, Jesus appears to make contradictory statements regarding the kingdom of God. The Lord indicates that the “kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15) but also says “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Theologians struggled with reconciling these statements in relation to the Church and developed the understanding that the Church is the “already and the not yet.” The Church is already the kingdom of God because some of its members, the saints, are in communion with God in he …