Last year I put together a ‘Top 10 Blog Posts of 2020’. I suggested that if, like me, your Christmas plans had been derailed at the last minute then perhaps you’d have some more time on your hands, and maybe one or two of these posts might be of interest…. Well, with a strange sense of déjà vu the next few weeks look uncertain once again, so maybe 2021’s list will equally provide some entertainment.
After a strange year then, leaving book reviews to one side, the Top Ten Most Read Posts of 2021: The Early Church Blog.
10. The Church in Egypt… What can we say about the first Christians in Alexandria?
The origins of the Egyptian church are famously murky, in this slightly longer post, I try to draw together a few disparate pieces of evidence to offer a few thoughts on the first Christians in Alexandria.
9. Scripture and the Shepherd of Hermas. Have we got our Bibles Wrong?
The Shepherd of Hermas was an incredibly popular text in the second and third centuries, and is even included at the end of some early New Testament manuscripts. So in this post I ask, have we overlooked something that ought to be considered Scripture?
8. Why Reading the Fathers will Strengthen your Evangelical Theology
Worried that reading the Fathers will introduce you to unhelpful ideas and false doctrines? Concerned that an embrace of such history is misguided, or worse? This post seeks to argue that reading the Fathers will achieve the opposite, and in fact strengthen your grasp on biblical truth.
7. Five Books to Explore the World of the Early Church
The world of the Early Church can often seem so bizarre and even inaccessible. In this post I offer five suggestions of books that would help you explore different aspects of this early Christian history.
6. Facing up to False Teachers and Wild Beasts. An Ancient Issue
This year has seen Christians on both sides of the Atlantic (and beyond) rocked by a series of scandals and falls from grace. But such wolves in sheep’s clothing are nothing new. This post explores how false teachers and wild beasts have long been found among God’s people…
An issue that haunts our modern society, yet one with ancient roots. This post looks at what the second century Christian author, Tertullian, has to say on the matter.
4. Be Careful What You Sing… Arian Music and the Battle for the Masses
What we sing matters, how we sing matters. This post explores the power of music for teaching and developing truth and untruth, with an ancient heretical example.
3. Did the Early Church Think Junia Was a Man?
Earlier in the year a controversy kicked off when an article on The Gospel Coalition website suggested that the Junia mentioned by Paul in Romans was a man. This post explores whether any Early Christians wrote that this was the case…
2. Ten Church Fathers to Start Off With
With so much to explore, it is tricky to know where to start when diving into the world of the Early Church. This post suggests ten texts to kick you off…
1. Celebrating Christmas: When and Why?
Topping the list with a festive focus. Christmas looks different this year, but nonetheless we will still celebrate on December 25th. But when did these celebrations start, and why do Christians celebrate this day every year?
Thanks again to all who read and engaged with The Early Church Blog this year!
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