Saturday, February 27, 2021
The year was 1773. We remember the completion of Christ Church Alexandria, Virginia on this date. The reading is from “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation” by John Mason Neale.
Contributors
Dan van Voorhis
Dan van Voorhis is an author, historian, professor, and speaker at 1517. After receiving his Ph.D. in History from the University of St. Andrews, Dr. van Voorhis spent 11 years teaching history and political thought at Concordia University, Irvine. He is now the 1517 Academy Dean. He also spends his time writing for 1517 and hosting/producing podcasts including the Soul of Christianity and the Christian History Almanac. Dan is married to Beth Anne, and they have two sons, Coert and Raymond.
The Christian History Almanac
Most Recent
Friday, February 26, 2021
The year was 1891. We remember the baptism of Brahmabandhav Upadhyay. The reading is from Sadhu Sundar Singh.
Thursday, February 25, 2021
The year was 1591. We remember Friedrich Spee, a pastor, and hunter of witch hunters. The reading is a lenten prayer from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The year was 1915. We remember former slave and evangelist Amanda Berry Smith. The reading is “The Ballad of Mary’s Son” by Langston Hughes.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
The year was 1925. We remember noted famed missions founder, Dr. Kate Waller Barrett. The reading is the Lenten hymn "Lord Who Through These 40 Days" by Claudia Frances Hernaman.
Monday, February 22, 2021
The year was 1943. We remember Christoph Probst, Hans Scholl, and Sophie Scholl. The reading for today is a short inscription from Sophie Scholl's diary.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
The year was 1869. We remember the baptism of Ranavalona II. The reading for today comes from Christopher Smart, a reflection on Abraham, "Faith."
Saturday, February 20, 2021
The year was 1977. We remember Ugandan martyr Archbishop Janani Luwum. The reading for today comes from Henry Vaughn, “The Revival.”
Friday, February 19, 2021
The year was 1401. We remember the Lollard uprising of the 15th century and the fracturing of the church in England. Today's reading comes from Walter Brueggeman, "A Way Other Than Our Own, Devotions for Lent."
Thursday, February 18, 2021
The year was 1516. We remember Queen Mary I, daughter of Henry and sister of Elizabeth. The reading for today comes from Christina Rossetti, "Lent."
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Today we celebrate a blessed, happy, solemn Ash Wednesday. The reading for today comes from Malcolm Guite, “ Ash Wednesday.”
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
The year was 600. We remember how Gregory the Great unified the western world by decreeing that "God Bless you" was the only form of post-sneeze benediction. The last word for today comes from Stanley Hauerwas, from his commentary on…
Monday, February 15, 2021
The year was 1905. We remember Lewis Wallace. Today's reading comes from John Newton, "Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare."
Sunday, February 14, 2021
The year was 1628. We remember Valentine "The Stroker" Greatrakes. The reading for today comes from the English poet Joseph Addison, "Ode."
Saturday, February 13, 2021
The year was 1882. We remember Henry Highland Garnet. Today's reading comes from Charlotte Brontë, the last lines from her longer poem entitled "The Missionary."
Friday, February 12, 2021
The year was 1915. We remember a queen of Gospel hymnody, Fanny Crosby. The reading for today is from Crosby, “Cast Thy Care on Jesus.”
Thursday, February 11, 2021
The year was 1929. We remember when the Lateran Pact recognized the creation of Vatican City as an autonomous country. The reading is Thomas Campion’s “Lenten Hymn.”
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
The year was 1543. We remember Johann Eck, the "dreck." The reading for today is "New Prince, New Pomp" by the Early modern poet Robert Southwell.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
The year was 1849. We remember the creation of Vatican City as an independent city-state in 1929. The last word for today comes from the "Third inkling" Charles Williams.
Monday, February 8, 2021
The year was 1587. We remember Mary Stuart, Mary Queen of Scots. The reading for today comes from English poet Robert Herrick, "His Prayer for Absolution."
Sunday, February 7, 2021
The year was 1878. Today, we rank the top four popes of all time. The reading is from Martin Luther, "On the Freedom of the Christian."
Saturday, February 6, 2021
The year was 679. We remember St. Amand, the Frankish Missionary bishop of Neustria. The reading for today comes from Angelico Chavez, "Jesus at the Well."
Friday, February 5, 2021
The year was 1851. We remember John Pye-Smith, the theologian, headmaster, and geologist. The last word for today comes from Sarah Maitland, from her "A Joyful Theology."
Thursday, February 4, 2021
The year was 856. We remember Rabanus Maurus, a Benedictine monk. Our reading is a hymn from Maurus, "Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire."
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
The year was 1788. The Reverend Richard Johnson preached the first Christian sermon in Australia, under a tree in the Sydney cove. The reading is from John Newton, "Father Forgive Them."
Featured Resources
The Christian History Almanac
This 5-minute podcast consists of stories from the past about the saints and sinners who have shaped the history of the church and concludes with a piece of prose, poetry, and the reminder that everything is going to be ok.
The Soul of Christianity
Season 3 of The Soul Of Christianity: Say A Little Prayer. Season 3 of The Soul Of Christianity: Say A Little Prayer. Dan vanVoorhis and Debi Winrich get to The Soul of Christianity, this time by going line by line…
Johann Arndt: A Prophet of Lutheran Pietism
For over four hundred years historians and theologians have been unable to come to a consensus as to where Johann Arndt (1555-1621) fits on the spectrum of orthodoxy in the Lutheran church, what age he best represented, and how he…
Monsters: Addiction, Hope, Ex-girlfriends, and Other Dangerous Things
This is a story of a historian turning his craft to the story about which he is most afraid: his own. This is a book about fighting the monsters of addiction, severe anxiety, depression, and crippling self-doubt. But more than…
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