Church History Research Articles

Narrating ‘Home’ in Early Christian Biography: Athanasius’ Life of Antony and Its Literary Predecessors

In this paper, I provide a close examination of early Christian biographical sources through the heuristic lens of “home studies”, tracing a thread from the New Testament Gospels to martyrdom texts, the apocryphal Acts literature, Eusebius’ biography of Origen in his Church History, and finally, Athanasius’ Life of Antony. I demonstrate that the lens of home allows us to see that in each of these discrete groups of texts, Christ’s call to discipleship is understood to redefine and reconstitute the meaning of home and relatedly, family: to be “home” required a great deal of displacement and mobility as one forsook one’s biological family and household for the sake of obedience to the call of Christ. I argue that three topics, typically examined separately, are fruitfully brought together through the lens of home: (1) the shaping of ancient Christian identity formation, as expressed by the characters’ use of familial language to identify other members of the early Christian movement; (2) the mobile nature of the person who joins the movement, providing insights about the mobility and travel of many of its members; and (3) ancient Christian eschatological thought concerning the final dwelling of Christ-believers in some form of otherworldly home after death.

Cross-cultural agenda in a theological institution: A review of St. Andrew’s Kabare, Kenya

This research article sets out to understand the extent to which a cross-cultural agenda of inclusivity and the appreciation for the ‘other’ (ubuntu) was addressed at St. Andrew’s College of Theology and Development, Kabare, Kenya, which has been viewed as a conglomeration of diverse ethnic groups, races, and nations. Despite her leadership’s acknowledgement of her rich cross-cultural diversity, as they celebrated 40 years’ of institutional existence, from 1977 to 2017, its execution was not spelled out explicitly. While appreciating the barriers of cross-cultural engagements as including, but not limited to: language, conflicting values, irrelevant studies and knowledge for diverse assemblages, geographical distance, ethnocentrism, bad-mouthing and character assassinations, and stereotypes, our main concern remains: what were the deliberate steps that were employed at St Andrew’s Kabare to promote a cross-cultural agenda? In its methodology, it employs hybridity in data gathering. That is, it utilised an in-depth interview (IDI), the use of key informant interviews (KIIs), the use of unpublished Church Synod reports, and a review of relevant literature in order to unveil the problem under consideration.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research article contributes to the intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications by demonstrating how cross-cultural agenda is a matter whose interplay goes across the disciplines of theology, communication, culture, oral history and church history, among others.

The Theology of the Church of England: The Origins of Anglican Orthodoxy

Church historians and theologians debate the nature and boundaries of the theology of the Church of England. This contested theological identity leads some scholars to merge the liturgical, ecclesiological, and doctrinal distinctions between the reformed Ecclesia Anglicana and other Reformation churches. This article surveys the development of the theology of the Church of England from the reigns of Henry VIII to Charles II, arguing that members constructed a liturgical, ecclesial, and doctrinal consensus that constitutes Anglican Orthodoxy. This broadly Augustinian identity draws from the Evangelical and Reformed reformations while maintaining its own distinctive dogmatic boundaries.

A History of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in the Eastern Region (1915 to 2022)

The study sought to trace the history of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) in the Eastern Region from 1915 to 2022. PCEA was introduced by the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) in 1915. It has been in the Eastern Region (Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties) for over a century now and is one of the dominant denominations in the area. However, no systematic study has been done to trace its history. The history of the Methodist Church in Kenya, the Anglican Church, and the Catholic Church in the Eastern Region is well documented, but that of PCEA in the region is conspicuously missing. This gave the authors the impetus to carry out such a study. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Data was collected and analysed from 438 respondents, including 9 presbytery moderators, 53 church ministers, and 376 church members. The study established that PCEA was brought to the Eastern Region by the CSM. The first missionaries were Africans sent from Kikuyu and Tumutumu. They were later joined by Dr Clive Irvine in 1922. The mission station was established at Chogoria, where the church spread to other parts of the lower and upper Meru. The study concludes that PCEA is one of the dominant denominations in the Eastern Region. The study recommends that PCEA should come up with better methods of storing data to avoid it and preserve its heritage.

H. Richard Niebuhr's Suggestion Reconsidered: Towards Trinitycentrism as a Trinity-Centered Theology

This article reconsiders H. Richard Niebuhr's suggestion of “a synthesized formula” of the Trinity as an ecumenical theology for the whole church's faith in God. His suggestion seems to go in the right direction for a proper understanding of the triune God. However, Niebuhr unfortunately does not go further in more detail. To take a close look at Niebuhr's analysis of three unitarianisms such as “the Unitarianism of the Father or the Creator,” “the Unitarianism of Jesus Christ or the Son,” and “the Unitarianism of the Spirit” in his 1946 article, this article finds that his choice of theological terms is not accurate but somewhat content with showing some general tendencies of understanding and expressing the doctrine of the Trinity in church history. Niebuhr also maintains that each of three unitarianisms cannot stand alone but they are interdependent with one another. Considering this point, this article suggests that it is better to use terms such as “theocentrism,” “christocentrism,” and “pneumacentrism” for each of the three unitarianisms. Theocentrism refers to a God the Father-centered theology or a Creator-centered theology. Christocentrism refers to a God the Son-centered theology or a Redeemer-centered theology. Pneumacentrism refers to a God the Holy Spirit-centered theology or a Consummator-centered theology. Each centrism shows a different emphasis on each of the three divine persons of the Trinity, but not excluding the other two. And each of those three centrisms has both some strengths and some weaknesses. Therefore, this article argues that it is the better to put some strengths together to maximize them, and to put some weaknesses away to minimize them, while referring to such a synthesized formula as “Trinitycentrism,” as “a Trinity-centered theology.”

Can History Bring Reconciliation in Divided Christian Communities?

As Elazar Barkan, the founding president of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation, pointed out, the recounting of history has been exploited to provoke conflict, incite war, and inflame genocides. Can it also be drawn upon to facilitate reconciliation? Indeed, many conflicts have an ideological component which is based on contested views of history. This applies to the Christian churches, starting with the Reformation. Using four case studies, the article argues that “good” history, based on reliable archival and oral evidence, can lay the foundation for a more serene view of the past and lead to reconciliation. It is essential to consider all points of view. The historian must navigate between diverse opinions and emotions, deepening the analysis when there are conflicts of interpretation. The article examines four recent memory debates in the Christian churches: the painful closure of the Federal Theological Seminary in 1993; the silence of the Rwandan churches during the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994; the brutal transfer of a group of black sisters from Newcastle to Montebello in 1939; and race relations and the search for unity in the history of the Lutheran churches of Southern Africa.

Questioning Devotions, Reorienting Commitments

This paper is a methodological reflection on my time as a graduate student studying Indian Residential Schools through archival sources. I broadly survey relevant secondary studies to access the current state of the field and to chart prospective avenues for future scholarly engagement. I suggest that, for religionists, the frameworks of church history and mission history can be selectively utilized to examine the history of residential schooling. I argue that the ‘Indian Residential School’ (or IRS) terminology creates a narrowed understanding of colonialism and assimilative education by disregarding other modes of schooling deployed in Indigenous communities: the day schools and mission schools, but also hospitals, convents, and other church-operated institutions. Largely dating to the pre-Confederation period, mission schools especially fade from view when studies focus on the national model of the IRS launched in 1879 and expanded in 1884. In many regional contexts, mission schools of the colonial era laid the literal and conceptual groundwork for the later launching of the IRS system. By studying the works and the records of specific church bodies, religionists might elucidate with greater clarity the evolving differences, synchronicities, or collaborations of ideologies, policies, and practices among members of church and state over several centuries. Attending to pre-Confederation, colonial history also lends a transnational scope to a topic that is often framed in the context of national history, i.e., ‘Canada’s residential school system’. A global perspective on colonial education could assist historians of religion to assess the legacies of church, empire, and imperialism on Canada’s national model of residential schooling.

Vital event of servise of Vicentas Sladkevičius in 1956-1959

The article analyses in detail and gives a factual account of the particularly important period of ministry of the famous Lithuanian Catholic clergyman Sladkevičius, i.e. 1956–1959. The atheistic secular government exercised strict control and dictatorship over the most important affairs of the religious communities, dealt with the appointment of the clergy, and tried to turn the hierarchs into obedient followers of the government. The perseverance and efforts of Bishop Teofilius Matulionis, who survived the repression, made it possible for Father Sladkevičius, who was devoted to the Catholic Church, to become a bishop against the government’s wishes. The dissatisfied government tried to ignore the new bishop, and later to force him to cooperate. Not yielding to the pressure and temptations of the Red security agents and the Commissioner for Religious Cults, Sladkevičius, the Auxiliary Bishop of Kaišiadorys, remained faithful to the autonomy of the Catholic Church, and was therefore exiled to the periphery of another diocese, Panevėžys, as undesirable and dangerous. A full disclosure of these events is important for understanding the recent history of the Catholic Church in Lithuania and the Lithuanian unarmed resistance during the Soviet period.

A Reformation in Progress: The Path toward the Reform of Johannes Oecolampadius

This article examines the life, theological career, exegetical development, and posthumous biographies of Johannes Oecolampadius as illustrative examples of the fact that the Swiss Reformation, with all its religious movements, was far from a uniform concept in terms of its origins, purposes, and methodologies. The article explains through Oecolampadius’s example an approach to reform that was ‘in progress’, traversing the nexuses of disparate methods and exegetical priorities. Oecolampadius’s experience occupied a position at the intersection between the authority of Patristics and the principle of sola scriptura, exemplifying a balance between the past and the present of Christian tradition. The path that led Oecolampadius to become a Protestant Reformer is characterised by a gradual transition, not abrupt, not radical. His example demonstrates the methodological and ideological diversity of the Reformation, which can be observed through the prism of a single life and its intellectual periods. His conversion offers insight into how these varied approaches shaped personal engagements with Scripture, and challenges the notion of an immediate or singular evangelical ‘calling’ or ‘conviction’. This article examines a specific phase within the broader and varied trajectory of the Swiss Reformation by analysing the transformation of Oecolampadius from a biblical scholar to a preacher, and eventually to a Reformer. This case study illustrates how disparate methodologies, whether rooted in humanism or Patristics, contributed to gradual and personal evolution, ultimately giving rise to distinctive individual stances on reform. This article presents a synthesis of three distinct perspectives on the question. The first part approaches the question through the lens of church history and intellectual history; the second one utilises the history of exegesis and New Testament scholarship; and the third draws upon the perspectives of Protestant historiography, from the standpoint of social history and the history of biographies in Early Modern times.

Faith in Conflict: Examining the Varied Available Chronicles of Churches' Responses to the South African Border War and Their Enduring Legacies

On 26 August 1966, the first skirmish between the South African Defence Force (SADF) and the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), known as Operation Blue Wildebeest, took place and the hostilities, which had been increasing for some time, were ignited. Thus, the South African Border War, otherwise known as the Namibian War of Independence, which would span the next two decades, began in earnest. This paper examines the conflict from the discipline of Church History in order to illuminate the nuanced development of the relationship between the church in South Africa and the concept of war, as well as the varied responses from different denominations to the conflict as it progressed. As the last conflict, which necessitated an active draft of South African men, the war's immediate effects were felt throughout society and persisted into the future. The churches' responses ranged from staunch support for the government's decision and involvement in the war to vocal opposition, thus reflecting diverse theological perspectives and ethical positions. The article sheds light on how different denominations responded publicly to the war, with the aim to highlight how these discussions were influenced by the circumstances of the time and how they changed in the following years leading up to the close of the war.

«А нашему-то брату еще лучше, пускай три, пять храмов будет!»: Никольские храмы Медногорска

The article is based on field material collected in Mednogorsk (Orenburg region) in December 2021. It is dedicated to the study of the interactions between the religious and cultural landscapes of the city. A distinctive feature of industrial Mednogorsk, founded during the era of industrialization, is its “church history” of the Soviet era. An constant element of this history was the life of the parish, which since 1943 took place in a prayer house later converted into the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The decades-long existence of the so-called “old St. Nicholas Church” in the city havs led to the enrichment and complication of the religious landscape, which includes hidden public practices of faith protection and places of prayer. The latter include an episode of collective protection of the church from destruction in 1961 and the book by Vera Popova, who became recognized in the city as the “historian of the temple” from among the oldest parishioners. The article provides a comparative analysis of the oral and written versions of the history of St. Nicholas Church. In 2007, the new Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was consecrated in Mednogorsk. The authors analyze the distribution of functions between the two St. Nicholas churches in the small town in the post-Soviet period. The conclusion is drawn about the interpenetration of the historical, cultural and religious heritage of the city, which originated as a settlement near a copper-sulfur plant. Additionally, it is suggested that the church component of Mednogorsk’s history allows for the interpretation of its Soviet period as an alternative version of Soviet industrialization in a small factory town.

The Dutch Reformed Church (1974–2024): From Dancing with the Devil to Waltzing to Heavenly Music

The jubilee celebration of Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae (SHE) reminds church historians of important events that have taken place during the past 50 years. This article gives an overview of important events that took place in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). Being the largest white Afrikaans-speaking church and the church which biblically supported the political policy of apartheid, the history of Christianity in South Africa cannot be understood without taking note of the DRC’s journey. For the DRC, 1974 was an important turning point in its history as the policy document Ras, Volk en Nasie en Volkereverhoudinge in die Lig van die Skrif (hereinafter Ras, Volk en Nasie) was approved by the General Synod of the DRC. This document explained how the church motivated apartheid from a biblical point of view. It was – metaphorically speaking – the official start of the DRC’s dance with the devil. During the past 50 years, the DRC has taken important decisions that ended its dance with the devil and started a new dance, waltzing to heavenly music. This happened when the church decided to take a new road to reconciliation which was the primary goal. The article revisits Ras, Volk en Nasie, but also some of the important milestones along the road to reconciliation. It concludes with an example of how a congregation of the former apartheid church succeeded in making a difference in the local community. This confirms the fact that the dance with the devil has indeed ended and that many congregations of the church are now waltzing to heavenly music.

An Open Declaration [Openlike Verklaring] concerning the Presbyterian Church government system

The challenge posed by 18th-century rationalism to the 16th-century Reformed doctrine, initiated a trajectory in which Reformed churches assumed the responsibility of preserving the essence of the Reformation. The emergence of the Open Declaration [Openlike Verklaring] as a response to rationalism served as a call to unity and a reaffirmation of adherence to the Presbyterian Church government system established in 1618–1619. The objective of this study was to examine the significant contributions of the Open Declaration to Church Polity [Kerkreg] and the Reformed Churches of South Africa (RCSA)[Gereformeerde Kerke van Suid-Afrika (GKSA)] by focusing on three key elements: the declaration of faith and commitment; the acknowledgement of liturgical practices and ecclesiastical governance; and the plea for unity and ecclesiastical communion [Kerkverband]. Drawing on scholarly literature and relevant church documents, the analysis explores the role of the Open Declaration in shaping the identity and practices of the RCSA/GKSA within the broader context of Reformed church history. As a result of completing this study, it is discovered that the Open Declaration should be interrogated at local level and Article 48 should be read in the light of Article 29. Major assemblies should be understood from the local Church Council, Classis, regional Synod, and General Synod – not only Classis, regional Synod and General Synod.Contribution: The proposed shared understanding of the Open Declaration aims to foster a sense of unity among delegates, emphasising the importance of aligning and binding decisions made by the Church Council, Classis, Regional Synod, and General Synod during meetings. In conclusion, local churches should revisit the Public Declaration, engage in local church dialogues to promote ongoing cooperation, prioritise theological education and training to foster unity, upholding the 16th-century Reformational theology, celebrate Holy Communion in one church building, pursue Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), seeking biblical ways to address and resolve conflicts between local churches, and supplementing the mechanism provided by Article 31 of the Church Order.

A History of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa in the Eastern Region (1915 to 2022).

The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA)was established in the Eastern Region in 1915 by the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM). The first missionaries were Africans from Kikuyu and Tumutumu mission stations which had been established in 1901 and 1908 respectively. With the support of the SCM, these African missionaries evangelized their fellow Africans. Although PCEA has been in Eastern region ( Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties) since 1915, and is one of the dominant denominations in this region with remarkable influence, no systematic study has been done on it. This gave the authors impetus to trace the history of PCEA in the Eastern region with the intention of preserving it. The study’s objective was to trace the history of PCEA in Eastern region from 1915 to 2022. The Descriptive Survey Research design was employed in this study. Data was collected using Questionnaires, oral interviews and document reviews. The Sample size was 438 respondents who included 9 Presbytery Moderators, 53 Church Ministers and 376 church members. From the 376 church members a category of 20 respondents who were identified through snow balling were engaged in oral interviews. The study established that PCEA was established by the CSM in Eastern region at a place called Chogoria in Maara Sub County and since then it has spread to all other areas within the region. It is now found in many parts of Meru and Tharaka Counties. The study established that in this region, PCEA has been involved in intensive evangelization and most of the mission work in this region is credited to the Africans themselves.

A Short Overview of the Development of Historiography in Church History: Part 1–From the Development of Language to the Renaissance

In part 1 of the two articles on historiography in Church History, the reader is cursorily introduced to the field of historiography, its development that coincided with the development of language and the first written documents up to the end of the Renaissance. Part 2 discusses the modern, postmodern, and metamodern eras. Part 1 starts with a search for a suitable definition for historiography, adding philosophy to the argument to indicate its close relation to historiography and Church History. Only the most prominent and relevant proponents of each era are included in this historical literature review, which is done through document analysis. Although historiography forms part of all sciences, this research links the disciplines of theology, philosophy and history together by highlighting the overlaps that these subject areas have regarding historiographical development. It alerts to important principles of historiography used in research and practising in these disciplines that point towards opportunities for intern and multi-disciplinary interaction.

Coffman, Elesha J. Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024.

Coffman, Elesha J. Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024.

The Phenomenon of V.Z. Yaksanov: the Book Publishing Experience of a Private Entrepreneur of Saratov Province (1918—1927)

In the history of book publishing in the Saratov region, the name of Vasily Zakharovich Yaksanov (1887—1935) holds a special place. He was one of the first to combine the functions of author, publisher and printer, playing the role of a link between pre-revolutionary and Soviet book publishing. The printing house he opened in 1910 was nationalized in 1919. In 1922 V.Z. Yaksanov founded a private book publishing house, which produced books until 1925, and in the first Soviet decade was the owner of the bookstores “Druker” and “Virgin Soil”, which also acted as publishing organisations. The range of products of his publishing house included books of scientific, popular science, educational, artistic, information and reference nature. V.Z.Yaksanov paid special attention to supporting the scientific activities of teachers of the Imperial Nikolaev University (since 1923 — the N.G. Chernyshevsky Saratov State University), as well as children’s literature. Being a prominent figure of the Old Believer Church, at the same time he printed materials devoted to the history of the Old Orthodox Pomor Church. Due to the fact that not many studies have been written about V.Z. Yaksanov’s contribution to regional book publishing, it seems important to analyze the factography of V.Z. Yaksanov’s book publishing activities in the first Soviet decade, to clarify the information about the books and brochures that his printing house and publishing house were involved in publishing. If we summarize V.Z. Yaksanov’s competences as a printer, publisher and owner of a bookshop (which is a publishing organisation), we can talk about 38 identified titles of books and pamphlets published with his direct participation and at his enterprise in the period from 1918 to 1927. In 1918 6 titles were identified, in 1922 — 3, in 1923 — 17, in 1924 — 7, in 1925 — 4, in 1927 — 1).

Reviving Faith: The Dynamic Legacy of HKBP Resort Balige Church

HKBP is one of the largest congregations in the world and has even spread to America and Europe. HKBP in Indonesia is a Christian Church based in Tanah Batak, namely in Tarutung City, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra Province. The main focus of this research is the history of the HKBP Resort Balige church. This research uses a historical research method which has four stages, namely stages heuristics, criticism, interpretation and historiography. The research results show that the history and development of the HKBP Ressort Balige Church began with the arrival of Christian missionaries to Batak Land, then built the HKBP church, which was consecrated as the HKBP Balige church by Ompu Ephorus Pdt. I.L. Nommensen. In its development, the HKBP Balige church developed well; this was marked by the social charities around the church, such as hospitals, Schools, universities and a Multi-Purpose Building which functioned as a public service to the surrounding community. The role of the HKBP Church in the social life of the Balige community as a fellowship of believers always requires order and order in the implementation of services. This can be proven by your willingness to be selected as an Elder, Deacon, or Servant on the Development Commission or on the Committee of an activity.

Unveiling the Silent Narratives: A Multidimensional Analysis of the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Theology Building and its Impact on Teaching Church History

This article delves into the intricate history, contextual significance, and contemporary implications of the building housing the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. Over decades, the edifice has garnered attention for its historical and architectural attributes, underscoring its role in the broader narrative of Stellenbosch, a significance predating and exemplifying colonial history. In addition to the architectural and spatial dimensions, the myths and symbols associated with the building are explored, adding layers to its complex history. The intersection of these historical elements with its current use within Stellenbosch University prompts a compelling inquiry into whether and how the structure influences teaching and research, particularly in the domain of church history. The article engages with the history of the building that houses the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Theology and attempts to find out if elements of this complex history finds expression in the different church history modules taught in its confines. The authors first work through historic and current source material that share information of the histories of the mentioned building and then work through the course content and foci of the different church history modules, attempting to find teaching links. The authors further engage with broader contextual debates related to visual redress and the contextualisation of symbols in the vicinity of the building. As such this article aims to address the pivotal question: Do the historical backdrop and current realities of the building shape the teaching of church history within its walls?

The Study of Catholic Church History in Zambia’s Past 50 Years

This article explores the trends that have characterised the study of Zambian Church history with specific reference to the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Zambia to commemorate the 50 years of existence of Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, a journal dedicated to themes of Church History and the history of Christianity within the African and South African context. Drawing on a qualitative case study research design that utilises document analysis, the article focuses on the scholars and major themes that have dominated the study of the history of the Roman Catholic Church in Zambia. It shows that the study of Roman Catholic Church history has been dominated by male Zambian scholars, with a few notable female scholars. The article further shows that the major themes that have preoccupied the scholarly focus on the history of the Roman Catholic Church range from its growth, Pentecostalism's influence, and Zambia’s declaration as a nation, enduring Catholic church engagement with the state to the church’s contribution to national development. The article argues that the scholars and the themes in Catholic Church history in Zambia point to the growth of church history as a field of study that requires sustained scholarly engagement.