Church History
36 results
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Chapter J: Major Events in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Students order important events from the 19th and 20th centuries.
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Lesson Plan for Lesson 14
A lesson plan for lesson 14 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.
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Lesson Plan for Lesson 13
A lesson plan for lesson 13 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.
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From Fasting to Feasting
A short prayer that calls us to feast on kindness and compassion towards others.
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Dialogue with Others
Excerpts from the address of Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at the John Paul II center in Washington D.C.
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The Council of Trent
An article about The Council of Trent, excerpted from The Catholic Church: A Brief Popular History, by Cynthia Stewart.
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Letters in Paul's Day
An article that discusses the format of Paul’s letters and how they are different from letters today.
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Ignatian Discernment of Spirits
An article that breaks down the differences between good and evil spirits.
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What Do Sisters Do?
An article that discusses the roles and responsibilities of religious sisters.
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“To Brother”: A Personal Story
An article written by Br. Armand Alcazar FSC, who discusses his view of his vocation as a verb, “to brother”, or “brothering” in teaching and community life.
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Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire
An article on the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
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Why the Second Vatican Council Really Is That Important
An article on the importance of the Second Vatican Council.
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Events at the Second Vatican Council
An article on the events that took place at the Second Vatican Council.
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The List of Popes
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm
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Political and Religious Structure in Jesus' Time
This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It offers an extensive overview of the political and religious structures and influences at work in Jesus' time.
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The Apostles
This article is part of the Living in Christ Series. It discusses the Apostles and followers of Jesus who are known in Scripture, including Peter and Mary Magdalene, among others.
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Canons and Their Development
This article discusses the development of the Old and New Testament Canons and provides charts which compare and contrast different Christian or Jewish canons.
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Who Does the Movie Say Killed Jesus?
Much of the controversy about The Passion of the Christ centers around one question: Who killed Jesus? The Anti-Defamation League feels the movie lays the blame at the feet of the Jews. Mel Gibson, the movie's director, producer and cowriter, …
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Pope
What is the pope? The pope is the bishop of the Church of Rome, Italy. Because of the importance of Rome, Tradition recognizes the pope as the supreme pastor of all Christians. Why is the Church of Rome so important? …
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Until a "lack of discretion" do us part
Ever since the church got involved in the wedding ceremony, relatively late in Christian history, it has stood by its main belief about a marriage. Its the consent of the couple that binds. SEVENTH IN A 10-PART SERIES ON CHURCH …
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In the Name of the Father
Making the sign of the cross is a gesture that says, in shorthand, that a person is a Catholic. It appears as an icon in popular culture, and as a gesture it is scattered throughout film history, for example: movie …
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Fighting Catholic Amnesia
I was a high school junior before I learned that the Catholic faith was something more than Mass, folk songs and the Bible. Father Corry turned me on to Church history in his religion class. He showed me how our …
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The Church and the Bible: A New Understanding
The Catholic Church's attitude toward biblical study has undergone a sea of change in recent times. A world-renowned Scripture scholar explains why and how. Very often when older Catholics hear at Mass a presentation about the Bible they are puzzled. …
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Saint Jerome: The Perils of a Bible Translator
“WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?” This is the question that people who teach biblical studies hear more than any other. A bewildering abundance of alternatives is available to those who want to begin reading the Bible. This …
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Six Ways to be Truly Catholic
I always thought that I would have made a great archbishop in Salzburg during the time of Mozart. But instead I'm the archbishop of Milwaukee in the time of rock 'n' roll. That's the way life turns out. We live …
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The Church
Central Characteristics of Roman Catholicism Catholicism is a remarkably rich religion, characterized by a complex tapestry of beliefs, practices, values, rituals, traditions, and more. When viewed from the outsidethat is, by those who do not share its communal lifeCatholicism is …
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Using Literature in Theology Classes
Editor's note: The author of our feature article, Kathleen Hodapp, was one of the participants in last summer's workshop "The Catholic High School As Faith Community," held here in Winona, Minnesota, as well as on the East Coast and the …
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The Quincentenary
As we are all aware, 1992 marks the quincentenary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the West Indiesthus, the "discovery" of America. For religious educators, this anniversary offers an opportunity to examine the injustices done to Native Americans by the colonizers …
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Teaching Church History
In teaching church history, I have used, with some degree of success, the approach of showing links between the events and issues of the past and the concerns the church is facing today and will be facing in the future. …
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Expect Much, Praise Much, Be Present to Them
Course materials, such as the high school religion textbooks and teacher's manuals published by Saint Mary's Press, are a significant ingredient in the education of our young people. But we all know that the most important factor in a student's …
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Curriculum Offerings of Theology Departments
For a couple of years, Saint Marys Press sponsored a listserv discussion group online. Discussions on a variety of topics were pursued via e-mail. In this section of the web site, I summarize some of the highlights from these old …