\"Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...\" Matthew 28: 19-20 Many of the sacraments that are celebrated today involve the use of oil. Baptism and confirmation are the two principle sacraments involving...

In terms of the number of adherents, Christianity is by far the largest religion in the world and the most active of all faiths with 1.9 billion Christians spread across the world. Christianity originated in Israel, on the birth of its founder, Jesus of Nazareth in Bethlehem. Jesus, born of the Virg...

Jesus Christ founded the Roman Catholic Church early in the first century A.D. The basic organization of the Church was also put in place during this time, but the organization is something that has evolved, and continues to evolve, throughout the past two thousand years. Yet to say that the Roman...

The Holy Land The author Paul Johnson has had a long career in journalism including the editorship of the New Statesman from 1965 to 1970. He has written many books of history including A History of Christianity (1975), Civilizations of the Holy Land (1979), Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Rest...

The First Crusades In the middle of the Eleventh Century the tranquility of the eastern Mediterranean seemed assured for many years to come, but little did the people know what was ahead. This embarks a journey back into the First Crusade. The Crusades were a time of confusion for most pe...

What authority does the prince hold if ruled by a power other than god himself? In Martin Luther's writings "Against the Authority of the Catholic Church", he rejects the Popes claims that religious authority is superior to secular authority and provides the argument for Germany to s...

Biography Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa around the year 1753. She was only a few years younger than Thomas Jefferson, yet her life was very different. Phillis Wheatley was kidnaped and sold into slavery at age seven to a wealthy Boston family, Mr. and Mrs. John Wheatley. Although she ...

"Constantine the Great" World Civilizations I Throughout time there have been pivotal men and women who have made significant marks in history that may be considered indelible. One of these men, Constantine the Great, more formally known as, Caesar Flavius Constantinus Pius Felix I...

The Crusades began formally on Tuesday, November 27, 1095, in a field just outside the walls of the French city of Clermont-Ferrand. On that day Pope Urban II preached a speech to crowds of laypeople attending a Church council at Clermont. In his speech, the pope outlined a plan for a Crusade and ca...

For almost all of us, the hardest part of coming out isn't realizing that we are lesbians, bisexuals or gays. It's not telling our parents or our friends. It's not worrying about what the neighbors will think. No, for most of us, the hardest part of coming out is dealing with the prejudices we've be...

Heading into the sixteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church was undoubtedly the dominating religious power in Europe. But this dominance throughout Europe would not extend to the next one hundred years. This was the time before the great Protestant Reformation begun by theologian Martin Luther t...

When it comes to powerful religious figures, the Virgin Mary seems to be alone in a Boys' Club. Many people look at the Christian faith and assume it favors males because all of its spiritual leaders are male (Jesus, the Apostles, and even God is called "He"). However, the Virgin Mar...

Banning Prayer in Schools When schools first opened hundreds of years ago prayer was always enforced, and the Bible was the only book most schools had to read. Our first constitutional right states that we have the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and as our right the go...

Hippolytus of Rome was one of the most prominent 3rd-century theologians in the Christian Church in Rome. He was born in 170 C.E. and died in 235 C.E. in Sardinia. Even though the exact place of his birth is unknown, it can be inferred that he was indeed probably born in Rome or is of Eastern descen...

Many people believe that the religions of Christianity and Buddhism are completely different. They are practiced in different areas of the world and began at different time periods in history. Although there are many differences between Christianity and Buddhism, they are also similar in many aspe...

Hippolytus of Rome was one of the most prominent 3rd-century theologians in the Christian Church in Rome. He was born in 170 C.E. and died in 235 C.E. in Sardinia. Even though the exact place of his birth is unknown, it can be inferred that he was indeed probably born in Rome or is of Eastern descen...

In the file The name of the Rose, the monks who run the Benedictine Order Abbey recognize that knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Knowledge can be dangerous if it says that the truth is different from what the ruling authority says is the truth. Then such knowledge can become part of a revol...

Was there an 'Elizabethan Settlement' of religion? The issue of religion had been a long standing problem throughout Tudor England. For more than 60 years the two opposing beliefs struggled to dominate the realm depending on what the monarch believed in. Henry VIII initially al...

In search of the truth, I found life. Researching this book has opened my eyes and my mind to understanding my faith. Through eyewitnesses and Biblical accounts, historical facts and archaeological findings, we can develop knowledge of our faith through substantial evidence. The historicity and t...

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments that the Roman Catholic Church practice. It holds first place among the sacraments. The reason for this is Holy Baptism in the Catholic Church "is the door of spiritual life; for it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. And since th...

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments that the Roman Catholic Church practice. It holds first place among the sacraments. The reason for this is Holy Baptism in the Catholic Church "is the door of spiritual life; for it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church. And since th...

Gothic Architecture as an Extension of Christian Beliefs By Charlotte WheatleyThe purpose of Gothic CathedralsThe middle ages was a period of time when medieval gothic architecture had reached its peak of popularity. During this time art was considered to be synonymous with religion and many artists...

The First Centuries of ChristianityAt the beginning of the winter, when the days were short, the Teutons thought heavily of their sun God Odin. They asked for its assistance for defeating winter and winter death. They also tried to reconcile the Winterdaemonen by dancing around the fires, humming,...

SAINT MARY'S CHURCH On Saturday September Twenty Second I attended a mass at Saint is located in the down area of Saint Mary's Pennsylvania. The church is connected to a convent with a local elementary school across the street. It stands to be the biggest and oldest church in Saint Mary's. Sain...

Commentary: Alma 13IntroductionNearly two years ago today marked a monumental day in my life. Up until that crucial moment, I read the Book of Mormon as if it were a novel. The spirit testified as I read, but an in depth analysis of the sacred writings I had previously skimmed through never took ...