What You Will Find at
Church History 101

CH101 attempts to accurately present the data of the early church. How do we know what happened after the New Testament period? We have an enormous amount of documents from the first three centuries written by those who were leaders. It is amazing that we have so many written sources.

Unfortunately there are many web sites where you can find all kinds of misleading information on the early church. The early church fathers are not easy to read or understand - not easy to read because they tend to be verbose - they are known to drone on and on. They can be difficult to understand because they discuss issues of the day that are not as clear for us. Like the NT writers, sometimes they refer to things their readers fully knew but the details have been lost in the sands of time.

I try to present the data without making theological or doctrinal judgements - just the information as clearly as possible.

COMMENTS - QUESTIONS - CRITICISM
I welcome EVERY single serious comment, question or criticism - and I answer almost every single one. The Question/Answer section is where I will sometimes go beyond the basic data and give you MY personal opinions.

The Scottish Bible Podcast - Interview with Al Baker, CH101

How I came to faith,
Al Baker
This is a great father and son duo: Ewan Gurr and his son Ewan, Jr. (12 yrs old). These two read the Bible daily on their podcast then have a special guest on Sunday for an interview. They have hosted various pastors, a member of the Scottish Parliment and other guests who are serving God in a daily capacity. They typically ask their guest to share their testimony, then engage in discussion with a biblical text that was read during the week.

I was on staff with Ewan's father (Des Gurr) in Full Gospel Church (Dundee, Scotland) 25+ years ago. Recently I stayed with the Gurr family while on Spring break from Continental Theological Seminary...and had the privilege of being interviewed by the young Ewan and his father.

If you are interested in hearing how I became a follower of Jesus, this is it. This is the first time in my almost 50 years of following Christ that my testimony has been recorded! Wow.
Have a listen...and then listen to some of the Gurr's other extended interviews - they are really fun!

Blog Articles by R.A. Baker

"Western" Individualism in Christian Faith (4 Parts)
This series addresses the argument that Western Christianity is overly focused on the individual.
Personal Forgiveness in the New Testament

How Can a God of Love Also Have Wrath? (4 Parts)
This series is a response to those who mock the idea of God's wrath and judgement.
Introduction: The Lamb of God in Revelation

Women in Early Christianity (6 Part Series)
This series began from my reading of a scholar who opened my eyes to the women who followed Jesus.
The Chosen Helped Me "See" the Women Around Jesus

Historical Errors by Frank Viola (4 Parts)
The Book Pagan Christianity sold thousands of copies, yet is FILLED with historical falsehoods. I felt compelled to respond. As Protestants we can very ignorant of early Christianity!
Historical Errors by Frank Viola, Introduction

Feedback: Q and A

These are some of the most popular Question/Answer articles:

• Was Saint Athanasius a black man?
• Is worship on Sunday Wrong?
  
• Was wine in NT alcoholic?
  
• What did the church fathers say about the military?
  
• Is land called Palestine or Israel? in the NT period?

Other Articles/Papers of Interest

• Introduction to Gnostic Texts
  
• "Second Repentance" and The Shepherd of Hermas
  
• Introduction to The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
  
• Wine in the Ancient World
  

How Did We Get the New Testament?

This is a three part teaching I gave at my church in three Sunday evening classes.
The NT Canon, Part 1 - Watch the NT Canon Videos
- What pushed the early church to come up with this list?
- When was the canon list finalized?
Download the PDF
How the New Testament Canon was Formed

Fourth Century - Emperor Constantine

Constantine is an important figure in early Christianity and all things "Constantine" seem to be very popular.
Constantine and the Christian Empire, by Charles Odahl - represents 31 years of research, retracing the steps of Constantine across Europe and the Eastern Empire. The most exhaustive work on Constantine ever published.

The Fourth Century Christianity is now live and being updated consistently.

Numerous CH101 readers have written to me with questions and critical comments about what I have written regarding Emperor Constantine. There is a significant percentage of conservative Protestants who believe Christianity suffered greatly under Constantine. As a young man I was taught that the Catholic Church started with Constantine and this was when Christianity lost its way.

Here are some of the articles I have offered on Constantine:
Constantine comes to Power
Constantine and Christian Faith
Constantine at the Council of Nicea
Constantine and Sun Worship (Sol Invictus)
Constantine and Christians in the Military
Constantine Against the Donatists