Monday, January 9, 2023

It is the 9th of January 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A very happy Monday to you- 2 questions today- the first one is quick- it comes from Mark in Jacksonville. 

“When do you record the CHA podcast?  The reason I ask is that I’m on the East Coast, and you’re 3 hours behind in Cali.  However, the daily CHA pod usually is ready in the morning.  I’m pretty sure you don’t record them a week in advance because you make sports references from the night before (sorry about your Trojans).  So do you stay up really late to do them, get up in the middle of the night?”

Jacksonville, of course, is home to Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood who played in the Super Bowl in 1980 with a broken fibula.

So- last Tuesday's show referenced my dumb Trojans losing the dumb Cotton Bowl- I had the show ready to go, but the game started, so I didn’t record until after the game- getting Christopher the audio for the show at about 3 pm PST. Most of the time, the last thing I do is write and record. So, I have my list of shows, my books, and articles. I read and take notes and usually write up the show and record it at about 11 PST the day before you hear it. Christopher knows what he is doing and gets stuff done in no time. So, there’s your answer.

Next question:

Mike- a long-time listener in Alabama- I believe Mobile- home of Bill Moody, aka Paul Bearer of WWE fame.

With the National Championship tonight between Georgia and TCU, he wrote: “Before TCU plays Georgia for the World Championship of College Football, I’d be interested in knowing more about the school’s connection with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).”

Yes- TCU, home of Ladanian Tomlinson, Andy Dalton, and now Max Duggan- this year's Davey O’Brien QB of the year (Davey O’Brien went to TCU as well).

So- yes- it is Texas Christian University and comes out of the Restorationist movement. The Restorationist movement comes out of the revivals on the frontier in the early 1800s. The names to know are Barton Stone and the Campbells- Dad Thomas and Son Alexander. It was a movement towards simplicity- away from the denominational structure and extra-biblical creeds- the heading for the early movement, besides “Restorationist,” is “Churches of Christ.” However, there would be a division between those calling themselves Disciples of Christ, the Churches of Christ, or not taking any specific name. There is no clear break between these churches, and so as the different traditions grew up, individual congregations would have to decide with whom they would associate.

TCU started as AddRan Men's and Women’s Seminary in 1869. The AddRan is for Addison and Randolph Clark- the two were Restorationist preachers- after the school opened, Randolph Clark would take a degree from Bethany College in West Virginia- a school founded by Alexander Campbell. The school began in Forth Worth, but as that was becoming the Wild West (the college was in a place called “Hell’s Half Acre”), they moved it to Thorpe Springs. In 1889 the school was christened AddRan Christian University and came under the control of the Disciples of Christ. This was the same year that the Sand Creek Declaration began the early schisms between the Disciples and Churches of Christ.

It was the Christian Church (Disciples) of Waco that invited the school to move, and in 1896 the school opened again in Waco, fielded its first football teams, chose the Horned Frogs as its mascot, and picked the colors purple and white. “Purple for royalty and white for a clean game.” In 1910 a fire on campus and a poor insurance plan led the college to be on the move again, back to Fort Worth, where it remains today. The Brite College of the Bible opened in 1914- today, it is called “Brite Divinity School,” and it is on the campus of TCU but has its own board, assets, and employees. It is one of 4 seminaries tied to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination.  

Unless you are in Georgia, went to Georgia, or have family and friends there, I would ask that you root for the TCU Horned Frogs- they will certainly lose tonight, but nobody wants to see. Back-to-back champion.

Thanks for the questions, guys!

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary from Acts 10:

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 9th of January 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who probably wishes I had done weeks of this show at a time in advance. It’s just not how I work- He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who is actually recording this episode last Friday because he is traveling to Arkansas today- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.