Tag: History of Christianity
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Valentine’s Day Revisited
Who was Saint Valentine? When did Valentine’s Day begin to be associated with love? Why has the holiday become so commercialized? Mahdeen Shafee investigates these questions and more in an exploration of the history of Valentine’s Day, from its beginnings in Ancient Rome to the present day.
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The Depiction of a Black Magus: An Early Attempt at Representation?
Written by Sophia Aiello. Representations of the three ‘wisemen’ or Magi from the story of the birth of Jesus have been varied and changeable over the history of Christianity. But how do these depictions offer a more diverse look at the world of the Bible? And what does this representation mean for modern re-enactments?
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Seven: ‘I am he.’ – So what…
Written by Alex Smith. In the conclusion to his semester-spanning critical examination of the gospels as historical documents, Alex Smith pauses to reflect over their full significance.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Six: “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths…” – The ‘extracanonical Gospels’
Written by Alex Smith. In the sixth part of this article series asking whether the Gospels are reliable sources, Alex Smith examines the ‘extracanonical Gospels’ and whether these nonbiblical sources can provide any reliable information on the life of Jesus.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Five: ‘Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning…’ – The content of the Gospels
Written by Alex Smith. In the fifth part of this article series asking whether the Gospels are reliable sources, Alex Smith examines the content of the Gospels, looking at places and names within these texts.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Four: “But These Are Written That You May Believe…” – The Gospels as Greco-Roman Biographies
Written by Alex Smith. In part four of this series, Alex Smith explores the nature of the Gospels, asking whether they should be considered as ancient biographies, and weighing up scholarship on the subject.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Three: ‘Handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses…’ – The Gospels as Eyewitness Accounts Part B
Written by Alex Smith. Continuing his enduring series on the history and critical assessment of the authenticity of the gospels, Alex Smith focuses on the complexities of how knowledge is passed on in a predominantly oral society, and the integrity of our assessment long after events have occurred.
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Are the Gospels Reliable Sources? Part Two: ‘Handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses…’ – The Gospels as Eyewitness Accounts Part A
Written by Alex Smith. In this second part of his new series on historicity of the Gospels, Alex Smith discusses the importance of eyewitness accounts in their creation and examines some of the prevailing scholarship regarding personal testimonies.
Retrospect Journal 