Augustine of Hippo

In 386 a lecturer of rhetoric in Carthage, St Augustine (354-430), was converted to Christianity. Though he’d learnt the Christian faith from his Mother, Monnica, doubts had began to creep in as a result of his Rhetoric studies and at the age of 19 a treatise by Cicero made him realize he should make truth his life search. For the next 10 years he was attached to the heretical Manicheanism beliefs and during this time his concerned mother sent a certain bishop to debate with him. The prelate found him to be too clever a disputant and the bishop counselled Monnica to "content yourself with praying for him." She went to her charge weeping and he sent her away saying, "Go, continue as you have done till now; it is impossible that the son of so many tears should perish."
Later he found himself in Milan, where Bishop Ambrose's sermons began to speak to his heart but he was still too entwined in the world to convert. After reading an account of the lives of Anthony and other Egyptian hermits, Augustine was thrown into deep inner turmoil but he was still unable to break free. However whilst walking through his garden, he heard a child saying in a sing-song voice "Take it and read it." Under a fig tree, Augustine read Romans 13 v13-14 and in tears he finally found the Savior that his mother had told him about. "As if the light of peace was poured in my heart and all the shades of doubt faded away", he later wrote in his spiritual autobiography Confessions.
The following year Bishop Ambrose baptized St Augustine in the Milan Easter vigil service on the night of Holy Saturday. In his book Confessions, Augustine described later the ceremony “I wept at the beauty of the hymns and canticles and was powerfully moved at the sweet sound of your churches singing…My feeling of devotion overflowed and the tears ran from my eyes and I was happy in them.” The hymn Te Deum, based on the text “Te Deum Laudamus”, (“We praise thee O God”) originated during this baptism.
In 391 Augustine visited the Mediterranean port of Hippo, 60 miles away, to set up a monastery there and one Sunday he attended Mass where the local Bishop Valerius was preaching. The aged bishop, who was looking for an assistant, preached the need for another ordained man in the town. The church members decided they want Augustine for this post and Valerius agreed however Augustine felt inadequate and declined. The congregation would have none of it and he was jostled to the front of the church where he was ordained on the spot. The new priest began devoting himself to the mastery of Scripture and within six years he was ordained Bishop of Hippo.
Augustine is generally held to be the greatest doctor of Christianity. He precached innumerable sermons, of which more than four hundred have come down to us. His orthodoxy prevented Catholicism being unduly influenced by alternative teaching. The great theologian developed many Catholic doctrines helping make infant baptism, belief in purgatory and the teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church normal practice. In addition he encouraged ascetic monasticism and the use of relics.
Of his 96 known works a couple are known by all educated people. They are:
(a) His spiritual autobiography Confessions, a prose poem addressed to God spread over 13 books. It tells the honest, objective story of his childhood and education, his worldly views at this stage and his conversion to Christianity. He recounts the sins of his youth and how even his prayers of repentance are tainted with insincerity, “Give me chastity but not yet”, he wrote.
(b) His epic tome, City of God, split over 22 books, which took Augustine 13 years to complete. City of God is an answer to the question “Why did God allow Rome to fall to the Barbarians so soon after enveloping Christianity?” In it he argues that there are two cities, one earthly, Rome, which is bound to pass away in time and one the City of God, heavenly, founded on goodness and justice which will survive the onslaught of the enemy and will last eternally.
Tragically many in the church misunderstood Augustine's masterpiece, as their interpretation of his book was that the church should have its own empire ruled by bishops.

Attila

Attila (406-453) was the King of the Huns who was known as the “Scourge of God” as the Romans felt he was a punishment sent for sinful Christians by God. He twice attacked the Eastern Roman Empire to increase the quantity of tribute paid to him, 441–443 and 447–449, and then attacked the Western Roman Empire 450–452.
In 451 Attila and his fellow Huns were on the march in Gaul. The French withdraw more and more inside France until it seemed Paris would fall. However a Christian woman, Genevieve, promised the Parisians that if they prayed to God and don’t flee, Attila would not come. The “Scourge of God” was defeated at Châlons and was forced to retreat to the Parisians great relief.
Attila himself and his fellow Huns had a fairly superficial Arian Christian faith which at least helped them to maintain high certain standards of Christian morality and gave them a great respect for life and property, especially churches, Christian relics and treasures.

Atonement

The Talmud, which was compiled by the Jews in the 4th century, tells of how for centuries once a year on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) a scarlet cord was tied to the horn of the scapegoat as the High Priest entered the Temple to make his annual sacrifice for the sins of the people. Every year this cord would miraculously turn white, indicating God’s acceptance of this sacrifice. Yet, according to the Talmud something strange happened one Yom Kippur: “Our Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-coloured strap become white.”
The Temple was destroyed in 70AD, forty years before would b 30AD. I wonder what single event occurred then, which did away with the need for further sacrifices- so much so, that any attempt at doing so would be rejected?!

Mount Athos

In 961, The Great Laura, the first monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece was built. By the 16th century there were twenty monasteries on the Greek mountain. The 3,000 monks living there forbade all females, whether human or animal, from setting foot on the Athos peninsular.
In 1775 Nicholas Kalliboutzes entered a monastic community on Mount Athos, taking the new name, Nicodemus. He devoted much of his time there to editing various writings about the theory and practice of prayer and his personally written books on spirituality were widely circulated. Arising from this, in the mid 1780s a spiritual revival broke out.

Atheism

Atheism is the non belief in, or the positive denial of, the existence of a God or gods.
Western atheism has its roots in pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, but did not emerge as a distinct world-view until the late Enlightenment. Criticism of Christianity became increasingly frequent in the 17th and 18th centuries, especially in France and England. The first known atheist who bluntly denied the existence of any god, was Jean Meslier, a French priest who lived in the early 18th century. In 1785 the first ever openly atheistic book was published in Britain by Liverpool physician Matthew Turner. It was titled Answer to Dr Priestley's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever. A few years later the French Revolution took atheism outside the salons and into the public sphere.
Three more landmarks in the progress of atheism followed in the first half of the 19th century:
(a) 1810 Two students at Oxford, Percy Shelley and Thomas Jefferson Hogg sent a radical anti religion pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism, to the heads of the colleges. Both students refused to answer questions about the pamphlet and were sent down.
(b) 1835 David Frederick Strauss, a 27-year-old German writer and theologian, published his critique The Life Of Jesus. In his controversial book, he dismissed the supernatural elements of the Gospel as a collection of historical myths created by popular legend and argued that it was the early church, which made Jesus into the Messiah. Therefore, he surmised, the Gospel accounts couldn't be taken as fact as they were written by people expressing their own faith. The Life Of Jesus aroused a great deal of passion from the church and Strauss received much criticism for his scepticism.
1841 The German philosopher, Ludwig Feuerbach, published The Essence of Christianity, which promoted humanistic atheism. The book argued that mankind had invented God as a spiritual answer to their needs, hopes and fears. His work was a great influence on Karl Marx.
The 20th century saw the political advancement of atheism, spurred on by interpretation of the works of Marx and Engels. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Soviet Union and other communist states promoted state atheism and opposed religion, often by violent means
A 2005 survey published in Encyclopedia Britannica found that the non-religious made up about 11.9% of the world's population, and atheists about 2.3%. This figure did not include those who follow atheistic religions, such as some Buddhists.

Astrology

Astrology is the Study of the relative position of the planets and stars in the belief that they influence events on Earth. It has no proven scientific basis, but has been widespread since ancient times. In Europe during the Middle Ages it had a powerful influence, as kings and other public figures had their own astrologers. In 1559 Queen Elizabeth was crowned Queen on a day chosen as propitious by her astrologer John Dee. Even the Vatican were influenced by astrology. Pope Julius II set the time of his coronation in 1503 according to astrological calculations, despite the fact that the church during the Renaissance frowned on the occult as bordering on heresy.
The power of the belief in astrology in the Middle Ages is reflected in the story of Astrologer Girolamo Cardono, who predicted his death on September 21st 1576. When he felt fine for most of the day, he decided to make his prediction come true by killing himself.
Many modern day public figures are still in thrall to the influence of the planets and stars. For instance for the next seven years after the assassination attempt on United States President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, his wife, Nancy, consulted a California Astrologer about the most favourable times and dates for major events in the president’s life.

The Assumption of the Virgin

In 1950 Pope Pius XII officially proclaimed as an article of faith, the Assumption of the Virgin, the long-standing Catholic belief that the Virgin Mary ascended bodily to Heaven after her death.

Francis Asbury

Francis Asbury (1745-1816) was the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church consecrated in the United States. He was forever on the go, touring the colonies and the Mississippi territory and developed the system of circuit riding for the frontier ministry. The pioneering bishop traveled an average of 5,000 miles (8,000 km) a year on horseback and established Methodism as one of the leading American denominations.
Asbury delegated authority to other Methodist lay preachers but had high standards. They had to be willing to get up at 4.00 in the morning for one hours Bible Study and to be outside by 5.00 to meet people going to work. He saw the new denomination grow from under 500 members to over 200,000 by the time of his death.

Jacobus Arminius

Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) was a Dutch Protestant priest who from 1603 was professor of theology at Leiden in Holland. Arminius opposed John Calvin’s doctrine of predestination and asserted that forgiveness and eternal life are bestowed on all that repent of their sins and believe wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ. His theology is referred to as “Arminianism."
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, embraced Arminian theology and it became the basis of Wesleyan Methodism

Armada

In 1588 Philip II of Spain sent his Armada fleet consisting of 130 ships to punish England for it’s support of the Dutch Protestants and for plundering Spanish possessions in America and Cadiz. He was granted a papal licence to depose “the dragon of heresy”, the English Queen Elizabeth 1st. 600 priests and monks sailed with the sailors and soldiers, who were forbidden to gamble, swear or bring prostitutes on board. The Spanish believed that God was on their side but the English also believed they had divine help and in addition better ships. A torrential storm in the English Channel wrecks Philip’s plans.
The following year in England, the Roman Catholic Philip Howard was accused of treason having reputedly prayed for the success of the Spanish Armada. Despite the obvious fabrication of the story he was found guilty, though his life was spared as the courts decided that a prayer cannot be construed as treason. Howard died in prison heartbroken at being refused visits by his wife and young son.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant was a chest made of acacia wood in which the Jews kept the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were carved. The Jews kept the Ark of the Covenant for many years, up to the time of Solomon, but no one knows what happened to it. There is speculation that it can be found in Ethiopia. The story goes that the 13th century King Lalibela of Ethiopia fell ill one time and whilst in a coma, he was visited by God in a vision. When he awoke he begun at once to carry out the order he received: to build a spectacular group of churches, hewn out of the rock of this mountainous region. Some believe that the lost Ark of the Covenant can be found here.

Aristotle

Aristotle (384-323 BC) was a Greek philosopher who advocated reason and moderation. Aristotle taught that ethics is the study of which types of conduct produce happiness: Vices are the excess or defect of virtues. He maintained that the greatest of all virtues is speculative wisdom. Aristotle was the first western man to argue that the universe owes its existence to an intelligent being eg God.

Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was was born into a family of the south Italian nobility. The youngest Son of Count Landuff, a Nobleman of Lombardic descent, his mother was Countess Theadora of Theate. Thomas' family were related to the Emperors Henry VI and Frederick II, in addition to the King of France.
A fat, slow, pious boy, Thomas was placed by his parents in the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, where his uncle was the Abbot. Early in his life Thomas was noted as being diligent and devoted to prayer.
As a teenager Thomas decided to enter the Dominican order. His mother and father determined that it was an improper way for an upper class member of an Italian family to behave, and opposed him. They had set their heart on Thomas becoming a Benedictine abbot.
Between 1239 and 1244 Thomas attended University of Naples. Diligent in study, Thomas was often heard to ask such profound questions as "What is God?" It was at Naples that he came under the influence of the Dominican preacher John of St. Julian. Impressed by the Dominican, he joined that order whilst still an Undergraduate.
Between 1245 and 1252 Thomas was a pupil of Albertus Magnus,(Albert the Great) at Paris and Cologne (a fellow Dominican ,and one of the most learned men of his time-he needed to be with a name like that). Heavy but well proportioned with a large head, bearded, receding hairline, and one huge eye dwarfed his other, Thomas was nicknamed at Paris University by fellow Students, "The Dumb Ox", due to his lofty bulk and slowness. Despite this Albertus predicted that "this Ox will one day fill the world with his bellowing." In 1256 Aquinas was awarded a doctorate in theology. He spent the rest of his life teaching in Paris and in Italy.
In his lifetime Thomas produced an enormous literary output with about 80 works are ascribed to him. The Bible, Augustine, Aristotle, Plato and the "sentences" of Peter Lombard were among his influences. At first, Thomas wrote his works with his own hand. His writing suggests someone left-handed, writing in great haste in the Latin shorthand of the time. Thomas's hand has been dubbed the litera inintelligibilis, unreadable writing. No wonder that with time he was assigned secretaries to take dictation. In his later years , at times he was dictating to several different scribes on several different subjects at the same time. His two most important works are the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theological. Summa Contra Gentiles was written at the request of an obviously persuasive Ramon de Penatuerle to convert the Spanish Muslims, this three volume masterpiece reconciled reason with revelation. Summa Theological. Aquinas' epic, unfinished work which strove to account for all phenomena logically. Basically a compendium of all human knowledge in relation to religion, written for novices, it is still accepted as the final authoritative exposition of the Catholic doctrine.
In 1273 Aquinas had a mystical experience that convinced him to stop writing. All he had written seemed like straw compared to what he had seen during that experience. Or so he said.
Thomas' books were banned, burnt and not widely read for three centuries but became influential leading up to the renaissance and became the embodiment of the world view taught in Universities for the following three centuries.

Thomas Aquinas was a gifted preacher in a Neapolitan dialect who preached the Word of God. He argued that Scripture alone was the basis of all theology and his sermons were full of solid instruction, scriptural illustrations and quotes. A great admirer of Mary, he once wrote, "As sailors are guided to port by a star, so are Christians guided to Heaven by Mary." However he opposed the Immaculate Conception, the belief that Christ's Mother was, by a special act of grace preserved free from sin. The Dominican scholar introduced the word "limbo" as a place for the souls of those who weren't Christians, but didn't deserve to go to hell went. Those in limbo he argued include unbaptised infants and the prophets of the Old Testament. He was instrumental in developing the doctrine of transubstantiation, by which the communion bread and wine upon consecration, became the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Angelic Doctor defended the practice of veneration of saint's relics during a time when some regarded it as mere superstition. Aquinas argued that the bodies of the saints are vessels of the Holy Spirit. He taught that man was a sinner and needed Christ's saving grace which comes to man exclusively through the seven sacraments which are, baptism, confirmation, the Lord's Supper, confession, anointing of the sick, marriage and ordination. To sum up, Thomas Aquinas is recognized as the greatest scholastic theologian of the Middle Ages and the influence he has exercised on Roman Catholic thought and doctrine is enormous.
His system of Philosophy called Thomism is still active in France, Philosophers such as Jacques Maritian and Etienne Gilson still operate within its framework.

Apocrypha

The Apocrypha is fourteen books not included in the Protestant or Jewish Canon but recognised by Roman Catholics and included by them as an Appendix to the Old Testament of the Bible. They were written during a period of 300 years after the Jews had returned from their captivity in Babylon up to the birth of Jesus. They are a mixture of history and fiction and are not considered equal to the sacred Scriptures. In 1644 the English Parliament in effect removed the Apocrypha from the majority of Bibles by ordaining that only books in the Hebrew collection can be read in the Church of England thus meaning only the Catholics retain the Apocrypha in their Bibles. Apocrypha means hidden or secret (writings).

Saint Anthony the Great

On losing his parents in 270, the wealthy 20 year old Egyptian Saint Anthony (250-356), impressed by the scripture in the Gospel of Matthew, “Go and sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven”, gave away his inheritance to those born in less priviliged circumstances than him. Anthony went to live in the desert as a solitary hermit dedicating himself to lonely contemplation thus becoming one of the first Christian monks. After spending a number of years in an abandoned fort, the entrance to which Anthony had barricaded, some of his admirers broke in. By the early 4th century his visions and several miraculous healings had attracted followers and he devoted several years to instructing these disciples in the ways of monastic life. Anthony then left his retreat to found a community of monks, at first only a group of separate and scattered cells. This was one of the earliest attempts to instruct people in the monastic way of life. After setting up this community Anthony was moved by the Spirit to go further into the desert on his own. There he spent most of his time meditating, worshipping, rope plaiting and maintaining a herb garden to feed those who had trekked through the desert for several days to visit him. At the age of 105, filled with serenity, he died in his remote retreat. In the middle of the 4th century his biography, written by St Athanasius, largely helped to spread the ideals of the ascetic movement. The many lurid temptations he grappled with later became a popular theme for Christian art.

Anthony of Padua

Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon, Portugal to a wealthy family in 1195. Against the wishes of his family, Anthony entered the Augustinian Abbey of St. Vincent on the outskirts of Lisbon. After his ordination, Anthony was placed in charge of hospitality in his abbey. In this role, in 1219, he came in contact with five Franciscans who were on their way to Morocco to preach to the Muslims there. Anthony was strongly attracted to the simple Gospel lifestyle of the Franciscan friars and he obtained permission from his superiors to join the Franciscan order. He was commissioned by Brother Gratian, the minister provincial, to preach the Gospel throughout Lombardy a region in northern Italy. It was as a preacher that Anthony revealed his supreme gift and as time went on he was recognised as the most popular and effective preacher of his day. His rich voice and arresting manner attracted crowds of up to 30,000. Pope Gregory IX hailed his preaching as a "jewel case of the Bible" and he was commissioned to produce "Sermons for Feast Days." Anthony also earned the title "hammer of the heretics" for converting so many of the dualistic Cathari. When he died of dropsy in 1231, it is said that the children cried in the streets and that all the bells of the churches rang of their own accord, rung by angels come to earth to honour the death of the saint.

Anti-Semitism

A Semite is a member of any of the peoples said to be descended from Shem, who was one of Noah's sons, or speaking a Semitic language. Anti-Semitism is defined as the hatred of Semites , especially Jews or of their interest. It is a form of racism and has been practised since the persecution of the Hebrews by the ancient Egyptians before the Exodus. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 led to the dispersal of the Jews, many settling in Europe and throughout the Roman Empire. In the 4th century, Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Empire, which reinforced existing prejudice against Jews who refused to convert. Anti-Semitism increased in the Middle Ages because of the Crusades and later the Inquisition. Also Christians were taught that the Jews killed Jesus.
In 1189 King Richard 1st was to be crowned King of England. He forbade any Jews to make an appearance at his coronation, but some Jewish leaders showed up anyway to present gifts for the new king. Richard's courtiers stripped and flogged the Jews, then flung them out of court. The people of London joined in to persecute the Jews, and a massacre began. Many Jews were beaten to death, robbed, and burnt alive. At least one was forcibly baptised. Some sought sanctuary in the Tower of London, and others managed to escape half-dead. Later, when Richard wrote of this incident, he called the massacre a "holocaustum".
A hundred years later life for Jews in England had not improved. To finance his war to conquer Wales, Edward I taxed the Jewish moneylenders, legally an occupation Christians were not allowed to undertake. For years the English King taxed them heavily, and the cost of Edward's ambitions soon drained the money-lenders dry and when they got into debt the state accused them of disloyalty. Anti-Semitic feeling grew, until the King decreed the Jews a threat to the country and restricted their movements and activities. Edward decreed that all Jews must wear a yellow patch in the shape of a star attached to their outer clothing to identify them in public.
In the course of King Edward's persecution of the Jews, he arrested all the heads of Jewish households. The authorities took over 300 of them to the Tower of London and executed them, while killing others in their homes. Finally, 1290 , the King ordered the expulsion of all 16,000 Jews from England. Edward's wife, Queen Eleanor, died months after their expulsion.
Strasbourg, part of the Holy Roman Empire, was the scene of the first mass holocaust of Jews in Europe in 1349. Collectively accused of causing the Black Death by poisoning the local water supplies, 2,000 men, women and children were herded into a circle and burnt alive.
In 1492 as part of the Spanish Inquisition close to 200,000 Jews, who refused to be baptized, were driven out of Spain. This was inspired by the king and queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella who interpreted the fall of Granada as a sign that Christ’s second coming was imminent; the removal of the Jews being required before Jesus returned. Their departure brought great economic distress to Spain for in turning out their most talented and industrious citizens, Spain became speedily crippled economically.
From the 16th century Jews were forced by law in many cities to live in a separate area, or ghetto. Ghettos continued into the 20th century, and were often seen as a prison, but they have also been regarded by some as a safeguard to maintaining religious identity.
Small signs of improvement began at the end of the 16th century. In 1570 At the Council of Trent the Catholic Church absolved Jews of responsibility for Jesus’ death. In 1579 the Union of Utrecht united the northern provinces of the Netherlands, which meant the city of Amsterdam was able to offer religious toleration. As a consequence there was an influx of Jewish refugee merchants who provided the city with an unrivalled access to the world’s most profitable trading networks. In 1655 the deeply religious English Protector, Oliver Cromwell, allowed all Jews to return to England after being banished for 350 years. He believed that if they returned to Britain, a country where now the purest form of Christianity exists, the Jews would convert to Christianity and this will bring about the Second Coming of Christ. In 1758 the first group of Jews to emigrate to America arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. 15 families mainly from Portugal and Spain had decided to establish a congregation here encouraged by its reputation for freedom of religion. Back in Europe late 18th- and early 19th-century liberal thought improved the position of Jews in European society. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for example, they were allowed to own land, and following the French Revolution (1789–99) the ‘rights of man’ were extended to French Jews. The Enlightenment in 18th-century France encouraged the assimilation of Jews but expected them to give up the practice of their religion. The rise of 19th-century nationalism and unscientific theories of race instigated new resentments, and the term ‘anti-Semitism’ was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr. Literally it means prejudice against Semitic people (, but in practice it has been directed only against Jews. Anti-Semitism became strong in Austria, France and Germany, and from 1881 pogroms in Poland and Russia caused refugees to flee to the USA.
In the 20th century, fascism and the Nazi Party's application of racial theories led to organized persecution and the genocide of the Holocaust. Between 1933–45 about 6 million Jews died in concentration camps and in local extermination pogroms, such as the siege of the Warsaw ghetto. In the Soviet Union, Jews had their religion stamped on their passports and were not allowed to leave; synagogues were shut down, and the use of Hebrew forbidden. After World War II, the creation of Israel in 1948 provoked Palestinian anti-Zionism, backed by the Arab world. In Eastern Europe, as well as in Islamic nations, anti-Semitism exists and is promoted by neo-fascist groups. In Western countries Anti-Semitism is still fostered by extreme right-wing groups, such as the National Front in the UK and France, and the neo-Nazis in, particularly, the USA and Germany.

Sources Hutchinson Encyclopedia
Wikipedia

Susan B Anthony

Susan Brownell Anthony (1820 1906) was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. Raised as a Quaker by her strictly religious father, Anthony took part in anti-slavery and temperance movements from an early age. At the age of 29 she moved to her family farm in Rochester, New York, where she started attending the local Unitarian Church and began to distance herself from the Society of Friends. This was in part because she had frequently witnessed instances of hypocritical behavior such as the use of alcohol amongst Quaker preachers. However her background attending Quaker services, where unlike most other denominations both men and women were allowed to speak, was influential on her beliefs and contributed to Anthony deciding to devote herself totally to the cause of equal rights for women. For 45 years, she traveled the United States and Europe, giving 75 to 100 speeches every year on women's rights. In 1869 Anthony, along with Elizabeth Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, the first women's movement in the USA.

Saint Anselm

Saint Anselm (d 1109) was born at Aosta in Piedmont about 1033. After devoting much of his youth to pleasurable pursuits he became a monk at the abbey of Bec in Normandy, where flourished one of the most celebrated schools in Europe. Anselm flourished under the tuition of the famed Lanfranc. He became abbot of the monastery in 1078, making it the greatest center of scholarship in Europe, whilst personally writing some much admired philosophical works. Much influenced by Augustine Anselm sought 'necessary reasons' for religious beliefs. In his Proslogion, (Addition), in which he attempted to use reason to explain belief, Anselm stated that the capacity of human beings to conceive of the existence of God was proof that God must exist.

The interests of his abbey sometimes took Anselm to England and he was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by William II of England in 1093, but was later forced into exile. He is considered to be one of the greatest philosophers and theologians of the middle ages.

Saint Ansgar

Saint Ansgar (801-865) was a Frankish Benedictine monk who from his teenage years been active in missionary work in north Germany and Denmark. In 829 the "Apostle of the North” was sent by the Holy Roman Emperor, Louis the Pious, the deeply religious son and successor of Charlemagne To Sweden. He had heard that several Swedes were willing to convert to the Christian faith and the Swedish king Björn had personally requested a Christian mission in his land. The king allowed Ansgar to build the first church in Sweden and amongst the small congregation was the monarch's own steward Hergeir.
In 831 Ansgar returned to Louis' court at Worms and was appointed to the Archbishopric of Hamburg. However he continued his missionary work to the northern lands.

Angels

Some angelic trivia:
1.The word angel comes from the Greek “angelos” meaning “messenger.”
2. Despite numerous references in the Bible to angels, none says explicitly that they have wings
Angels are numberless and arranged in angelic orders. There are nine orders Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones contemplate God and reflect his glory.
Dominions, Virtues and Powers regulate the stars and the universe
Principalities, Archangels and angels who minister to humanity. (Ephesians 1 v21)
3.The devil is an angel- a fallen angel. He led the angelic revolt.
4.There is no known reference to a female angel- maybe they are genderless.
5. Archangel Michael is the most senior angel, with Gabriel ranked below him. Both are mentioned in the Bible. Other high ranking angels include Raphael (who is mentioned in the Apocrypha) and Unez, Chamuel, Jophiel and Zadkiel (who are all mentioned in Enoch).
6. According to 14th century members of the Jewish Kabbalah sect, the total number of angels is 301,655,722.
7. St Patrick spent 40 days in retreat on the Crough Patrick Mountain, fasting and praying with tears that Ireland might be delivered from the hands of the pagans. Every night an angel appeared to him with more and more promises from God arising from his prayers. Patrick stubbornly refused to leave the mountain until all his prayers were answered including that at the last judgement Patrick himself should be appointed to pronounce judgement on the Irish people. Finally he was assured by the angel that all his prayers had been heard and he descended the mountain pausing only to preach a sermon in which he cast the snakes (meaning the serpent symbolism of the Irish pagans) out of Ireland.
8. In 596 Pope Gregory I spotted some Angles (British) boys who have been bought to Rome and being told they are pagan “angli” the pope exclaimed “They are not Angles but Angels”. Inspired he instructed the respected abbot, Augustine to lead a mission to convert Britain. Within a few years much of southern Britain was Christianised.
9. William Blake (1957-1827), the painter, engraver and mystic described in later life the visionary experiences he had as a child, including visions of angels in a tree and the prophet, Ezekiel in a field.
10. The Angels of Mons became famous after a Fleet Street description by Arthur Machen of an angelic vision during the British retreat from Mons in 1914. Machen later said he made the story up, but many soldiers described a similar experience.
11. The first Russian astronaut told his communist masters that he didn’t see any angels when he went into space.
12. Pope John Paul II confirmed his belief in angels in 1986 when he explained: “They are invisible, for they are purely spiritual beings.”
13. Two Quotes: GK Chesterton: “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.”
Psalm 91 v11 “For He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

Anarchy

In 1793 The first anarchist, the Englishman William Godwin, published a book, Political Justice which argued that authority is unnatural and that social evils arise and exist because people are not free to live their lives according to reason. A Nonconformist minister in his younger days, Godwin gave up preaching in the early 1780s due to his increasing doubts about the Christian faith.

Anaesthetic

In 1853 Queen Victoria allowed herself to be chloroformed to diminish the pains of childbirth whilst giving birth to her seventh child. When anaesthesia was first used for this purpose a few years previously, churchmen, who of course were all males, objected quoting God’s words to Eve in the Book of Genesis, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children”. However none of these principled churchmen had the courage to reprimand the Queen, which put a stop to their criticism.

Anabaptists

One of the first protestant movements to spring up in the early days of the Reformation in Europe were the Anabaptist groups. They did not consist of a single, coherent organization, but a loose grouping of movements, all of whom rejected infant baptism and practised the baptism of adults upon confession of faith. Their name was given to them by opponents- it literally meant 'rebaptizer.'
The Anabaptists movement quickly gained strength in Europe in the 1520s, in particular in Germany, where they took over the city of Münster. Unfortunately a wild, licentious lifestyle developed there, due to their belief that as the “elect”, they could do no wrong. Jan Matthys of Münster who was regarded by his followers as a prophet and who controlled the city declared that no unbaptized adult was allowed to remain in Münster.
It was soon discovered that the term 'Anabaptist' gave the authorities a legal precedent to persecute and execute them. By the mid 16th century central and northern Europe, the persecution of Anabaptist Christians was so prevalent that in many places anyone who did not drink to excess, curse or abuse his workmen or family could be suspected of being an Anabaptist and was harassed accordingly.
The Anabaptists were forced to find devious ways to avoid persecution. For instance Peter Peters of Amsterdam, a ferry boatman, loaded up his boat with Anabaptists and whilst pretending to ferry his company across the river, they would hold a Bible study. Persecution wasn’t always avoided and they were frequently killed and stuck outside the city gates on poles as a warning to the general populace. This had the opposite to the intended effect as many of the general population were impressed by the Anabaptist’s desire to die for their faith and were consequently drawn to God through their witness.

Amnesty International

The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, was founded in London in 1961 largely through the efforts of Peter Benenson, a lawyer who converted to Catholicism four years previously and a Quaker Eric Baker. Many of the prisoners of conscience that they pleaded for justice for were in prison because of their religious beliefs.

Amish

In the 1690s Swiss Mennonite bishop Jakob Ammon formed his own branch of the church after taking issue with other Swiss Mennonite leaders over discipline issues. The Amish church, which he founded, taught the shunning of any Mennonite who did not conform to the standard of behavior required of a member of the Mennonite society. The Amish still practise an exclusively rural and simple way of life in various parts of the USA and Canada.

Saint Ambrose

Bishop Ambrose (?340-397) was an Italian cleric who was an ardent champion of the church against the power of the state. He is recognised as one of the original four Doctors of the Church, along with Augustine, Jerome and Pope Gregory II.
The story of how Ambrose came to be appointed the Bishop of Milan is an interesting one, so are you sitting comfortably?
374AD was a difficult year in the diocese of Milan. Heresies were threatening to divide the church and the two sides, the Arians and the Catholics couldn't agree on fundamental theological issues. When Auxentius, the Bishop of Milan died, everything came to a head. Should an Arian or Catholic bishop be elected? Ambrose, who was at the time, the Roman governor for the area, fearing an uproar, went to the basilica where the election was due to take place and made a speech urging the people to make their choice peacefully. The governor was completely thrown when a crowd started shouting “Ambrose for Bishop!” He run away, appealing to the Emperor that as he hadn't any theological training or even been baptized he was surely not the right man for the job. However because Ambrose was acceptable to both parties, the emperor believed him to be the right man. The theologically neutral governor hid in a senator’s house before reluctantly accepting the decision. Ambrose was baptized, ordained and consecrated within a week before proceeding, as an example to his flock, to give away his property to the poor.
The honey-tongued Ambrose's preaching helped convert Saint Augustine of Hippo, whom Ambrose baptized and brought into the Church.
A man of strong principals, he bravely denied admission to the church to the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius for eight months after he had ordered a massacre of rebels in Thessalonica, who had burned down a synagogue. The emperor later recanted.
The former governor remained as the Bishop of Milan until his death of natural causes in 397, having . successfully used his legal and oratory skills to combat the Arian heresy.
Ambrose was musical and composed several hymns, which each had eight four-line stanzas. The best known is the hymn "Te Deum," which is based on the text "Te Deum Laudamus", ("We praise thee O God"). It is claimed it originated when Ambrose was baptising St Augustine. He improvised the hymn starting with the words "Te Deum Laudamus."
Troubled that in the Mass one individual sang all the Psalms and hymns whilst the congregation merely listened. Ambrose introduced to the western church congregational singing, antiphonal singing which allowed congregation to sing alternating parts of the music.

The story goes that the first recorded instance of communal singing in church was during a sit in of the Milan Basilica when the congregation had locked themselves inside. They had been forced into this action as the Empress, Justina, was demanding that Ambrose’s basilica be handed over for Arian worship, sending imperial troops to fulfil this by starving the distressed congregation out. On Palm Sunday, Ambrose preached a sermon about not giving up churches. In order to calm the people, the musical bishop taught them to sing the hymns he had composed and he split the congregation in two in order to alternate verses of the hymns. Hearing this the hearts of the soldiers softened, they joined in the singing and ended the siege. Surprisingly this story has yet to be made into a musical.
Such was Ambrose's speaking and preaching ability that the title "Honey Tongued Doctor" was bestowed upon him. However it is denied by musical historians that it was Ambrose who composed "The Bee Song."

Amazing Grace

This hymn was written by Anglican clergyman and former slave-ship captain John Newton (1725-1807). It was based on an old Scottish air and was included in a collection of Hymns, Olney Hymns, by Newton and William Cowper. Newton and Cowper both lived in the village of Olney and were great friends. Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and they also run a weekly prayer meeting, for which they were in the habit of writing a new hymn to sing, some of which were included in Olney Hymns.
The words date back to when Newton was press ganged. He tried to escape, was whipped and kept in irons. Held prisoner in Madeira, he was so wretched that even the slaves kept scraps of food back to keep him alive. Finally he escaped, and nearly drowned at sea but, while lashed to the helm, he exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us.”
Later in his cabin he thought about what he had said and he came to the conclusion that God had spoken to him through the storm and that His amazing grace had begun to work for him. He dated his conversion to Christianity to that day and in this hymn Newton reflected on how the grace of God was able to save a even ‘wretch’ like him.

The Alpha Course

In 1981 Charles Marnham, a clergyman at the evangelical church Holy Trinity Brompton in London devised a course that was designed to present the basic principals of the Christian faith to new Christians in a relaxed and informed setting. He called it the Alpha Course.
By the mid 1990s a curate, Nicky Gumbel, who had taken over the running of the Alpha Course at Holy Trinity Brompton, was recognizing the possibility of using it as a tool for evangelism by modifying the course to make it attractive to non-churchgoers. (He has noticed the number of non-churchgoers who are attending.) Soon other churches, noting its success, were asking Holy Trinity Brompton if they may use Alpha for their own contacts. By the end of 1994 there were 750 Alpha courses running and by the mid-2000s it use had spread all over the world to over 150 countries and churches within all the mainstream Protestant denominations plus the Catholic church.

William Allen

William Allen (1532-1594) was an English Roman Catholic priest and cardinal during a time when many Catholics were experiencing persecution. Having influenced Pope Pius V to depose Elizabeth I, he was forced into exile in the Netherlands once Elizabeth chose not to continue her policy of religious tolerance and instead began the persecution of her religious opponents. In 1568 he founded a seminary at Douai in the Netherlands to train English priests for the Catholic community in England. Allen desired to restore Roman Catholicism in England and wanted to ensure there would be a supply of trained clergy ready to come into the country when Catholicism was restored. Later he helped plan the Spanish Armada's invasion of England, and was to have been Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor had it succeeded.

Alfred The Great

Alfred the Great (849-899) was the king of Wessex between 871–899. He defeated the Danes who were threatening to overrun England, founded the first English navy and established his kingdom of Wessex in the south of England as a bastion of Anglo-Saxon civilization.
A devout Christian confirmed by the Pope in Rome, Alfred attended the New Minister Church in Winchester, which later became the medieval Hyde Abbey. He came to the throne during a period where the Christian culture of his kingdom was under threat from the Vikings. The new king believed that God was sending those northern heathens as a punishment for his subjects’ neglect of the study of the Bible. His understanding of kingship was based on the conviction that the role of the king is to be Christ’s deputy on Earth and that he is always under the judgement of God.After King Alfred defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington, he required their king, Guthrum, to be baptized and he himself stood as a godfather.
Alfred showed the benefits of forgiveness when the Viking leader Haestan broke an agreed peace and made a fortified camp at Benfleet. Arthur’s sons Edward and Ethelred stormed their camp and took Haestan’s wife and sons as captives. Arthur sent them back to him. Haestan never fought Alfred again.
Throughout his reign Alfred attempted to encourage his people to live by the Word of God. To help with this he had many Churches and Monasteries, which had been destroyed by the Vikings, rebuilt and the Gospels and many Psalms translated from Latin into English. He once said “there is only one foundation on which to build any kingdom and that is the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. It is on that foundation I will build my kingdom.”

Cecil Frances Alexander

The Irish daughter of a Major, Miss Cecil Frances Humphreys (1818-1895), began writing verse in her childhood. Her religious work was strongly influenced by her contacts with the Oxford Movement and by the 1840s she was already known as a hymn writer. Her book, Hymns for Little Children was intended to make the articles of the Apostles’ Creed more understandable to children by using poetry and picture language. Among the hymns included were "There is a Green Hill Far Away", which was written for a sick child, "Once in Royal David’s City" about Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and "All Things Bright and Beautiful", which was based on the phrase “maker of Heaven and Earth” in the Apostle’s Creed. Her collection was a major success reaching its 69th edition before the close of the nineteenth century.
In 1850 Cecil Frances married William Alexander, an Anglican clergyman. They newlyweds began their married life serving together in a church in an impoverished rural area of Ireland.
Mrs Alexander continued her poetry and hymn writing but also devoted much of her time to visiting the poor and the sick in their parish. She gave the profits of her successful hymnbook to support handicapped children in the north of Ireland. William Alexander later became a Bishop and then Archbishop of Ireland but he is chiefly remembered for being the husband of the woman who wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and other beloved hymns.

Alexander the Great

Alexander was King of Macedon 336–323 BC. Having secured the borders of Macedon, Alexander embarked (334) on the invasion of Asia, originally projected by his father, Philip. He defeated the Persian king Darius III at the battle of Issus in 333BC, then moved on to Egypt where he founded Alexandria. He defeated the Persians again at Gaugamela in 331 BC, then advanced further east, invading India in 327 BC. He conquered the Punjab before his weary soldiers insisted on turning homeward. Alexander died at Babylon from a fever while drawing up further plans for consolidating his empire.
Back home in Macedon, Alexander was very zealous in sacrificing to his gods. Once in Asia he accepted homage, which the Eastern peoples gave to rulers whom they thought were godlike.
In Spring 331 he made a pilgrimage to the great temple and oracle of Amon-Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun, whom the Greeks identified with Zeus. The earlier Egyptian pharaohs were believed to be sons of Amon-Ra, and Alexander, the new ruler of Egypt, wanted the god to acknowledge him as his son. The pilgrimage was apparently a success, and it may have confirmed Alexander's belief in his own divine origin.
Alexander adopted oriental usages among which was the demand that all who approached him on official occasions should bow down to the earth and kiss his feet. In 323 he also sent notification to all the Greek cities that he was henceforth to be officially numbered among the gods of each city and that such he was to receive the offerings which each city presented. Thus was introduced into Europe absolute monarchy and the divine right of Kings.
Alexander threatened Jerusalem but it was saved by the boldness of High Priest Jaddua. Originally he was going to set up statue of himself in Jerusalem temple. The outraged Jews protested and the open minded Alexander agreed to forgo this privilege if Jews agreed to name their first born son, Alexander instead. The conqueror went on to grant the Jews many privileges.
The rise of Alexander was prophesied 250 years before he was born in the Old Testament Book of Daniel (In Daniel 8 v5-8 and 20-22). It predicts the kingdom of Medo Persia being overthrown by King of Greece. Then the kingdom is divided on his death between his four generals but they will not have the same power.
The conquests of Alexander spread the Greek language far and wide, thus helping the spreading of different philosophical and theological ideas. The translation of the Old Testament into Greek around 50 years later helped spread the idea of monotheism outside the Jewish world.

Czar Alexander II

Czar Alexander II (1818-1881) was motivated by Christian principles and in 1861 he emancipated 23 million serfs. During his reign there was a revival in the Russian church helped by the wide availability to all Russians from the 1860s of the Scriptures in their native language.
In 1881 Alexander was assassinated by bombs thrown beneath his carriage in St Petersburg by Nihilists. His dying words were “I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the lamb.”

Czar Alexander 1st

Despite being the father of several illegitimate children, Czar Alexander 1st (1777-1825) was a devout Christian who was behind in 1812 the founding of the Russian Bible Society, which translated the Bible into Russian. During the Napoleonic Wars he corresponded with several evangelical European leaders and as Napoleon’s campaign reached a critical stage the Czar found solace in a mystical pietism and regularly held prayer meetings

Alcuin of York

Alcuin of York (c. 735 – May 19, 804) was an English scholar, who in 782 took up residence at Charlemagne's court in Aachen. He was a prominent member of Charlemagne's academy, providing a strong impulse to the Carolingian Renaissance. In 796 he was made abbot of Saint Martin's at Tours, where he remained until his death. Alcuin had a reputation for holiness, yet he is not included in the canon of saints and never advanced to holy orders beyond those of deacon. His words “Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise,” begin many Anglican services.

Alchemy

The first reference to alchemy, the search for an elixir of immortal life, was made by a Chinese Taoist in approx 140BC. These early alchemists were seeking to convert other metals into gold, not to create wealth, but as a step towards discovering the recipe for eternity. Among their experiments were an attempt to develop an immortality pill through refining mercury sulphide: The use of this poisonous substance lead to many deaths, including Tang emperors.

Alamo

In 1718 the Alamo Franciscan mission and fortress compound was built in San Antonio, Texas. It was authorized by the viceroy of Mexico to be an educational center for local Indians who converted to Christianity. In 1793, the mission was secularised and soon abandoned. In the early 1800s, it became a fortress housing Mexican soldiers. In December 1835, during the War of Texan Independence from Mexico, General Martin Perdecto de Cos surrendered it to the Texian Army. For a few months a relatively small number of Texian soldiers occupied the compound, until it was besieged 23 February–6 March 1836 by Santa Anna and 4,000 Mexicans. They killed the garrison of about 180 Texans, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

Alaska

In 1867 The United States purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre from Russia. Ten years later, after lax military administration had only worsened the territory's moral condition, an army private stationed in Alaska begged, "Send out a shepherd who may reclaim a mighty flock from the error of their ways, and gather them into the true fold." Presbyterian missionary Sheldon Jackson (1834-1909) answered the call and spent decades founding numerous schools, chuches and training centers that served these native people, and crusading for better laws. (Source Christian History and Biography)

Akita

In 1973 a statue of the Madonna at a convent in the Japanese city of Akita started weeping. The hearing of a deaf nun was miraculously restored and the crying statue was authenticated by the Vatican and over 500 witnesses.

Akhenaton

King Amenhotep IV was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt of the 18th dynasty (c. 1353–1335 BC). During his reign Amenhotep displaced all the Egyptian gods with a single deity, the sun god, Aten, in honour of whom he built many temples. The pharaoh renamed himself Akhenaton meaning, “It is well with Aten.” This was the first concerted attempt to establish a form of monotheism (the worship of a single god). However his religious reforms were detested and his successor Tutankhamen restored the traditional Egyptian religion with the original gods. The Aten temples were demolished, and Akhenaton became known as "the Enemy."

Saint Aidan

In 635, the newly crowned Christian King of Northumbria, King Oswald (605-642) asked the monastery at Iona to send a missionary to help him spread the faith to the mainly pagan people of Northumbria. They sent an Irish monk called Aidan (600-651) and he has made his base on the island of Lindisfarne, where he founded a monastery. Aidan engaged in widespread evangelism from his base with the active help of Oswald, who acted as interpreter for the non-English speaking monk. The Irish monk succeeded in converting the Northumbrian to the Christian faith and many miracles were attributed to him. One such miraculous event occurred in 651 during a siege on Bamburgh, the site of the Northumbrian royal castle, by the pagan King of Mercia. The town was set on fire and the flames started heading towards the king’s castle. Aidan prayed to God for the deliverance of the town and the wind changed direction sending the flames back to the besiegers.

Agnostic

In 1869 the British scientist, humanist and prominent champion of evolution, Thomas Huxley coined the word “agnosticism” from the Greek “agnostos” meaning “unknowable” to express his own religious attitude. He was alluding to the verse in Acts 17 v 23 that talks about the unknown God. This term is used to describe those who don’t believe in God but are open to the possibility he might exist, in other words the floating voters of faith.

The Battle of Agincourt

On the 24th October 1414, King Henry V’s English army defeated the French at Agincourt. As a child, The English king was deeply religious as a child, attending Mass every day, and he maintained his Christian faith as an adult. On the morning of the battle Henry rose at dawn and took Mass three times. He ascribed his victory to the intercession of the eight century Bishop of York, St John of Beverley, who converted many heathen with his powerful eloquence.

Africa

In 1900, there were 8 to 10 million Christians in Africa, which amounted to 8 to 10 percent of the total population. In 2009 there are said to be 360 million—nearly 50 percent of the continent.

In the twentieth century, there were some 1.8 million Christian martyrs in Africa.

Advertising

In 1980 a C of E vicar, the Reverend Robin Everett, suggested advertising slogans on clergy and choir robes as a means of supplementing church income. The Midlands vicar wrote in his parish magazine that the time will come when on mounting the pulpit he will confront the congregation with the slogan, “British Gas.”

Advent Calendar

According to tradition, the Advent calendar was created in the 19th century by a Munich housewife who tired of having to answer endlessly when Christmas would come. The first commercial calendars were printed in Germany in 1851.

Prince Adolphus

One of George III’s sons, Prince Adolphus, The Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850), became very deaf in his old age and always sat right in the front of church, where the whole congregation could see him. Unfortunately he couldn't help drawing attention to himself as he loudly provided a running commentary on the service. For instance “Let us pray” got an amiable “By all means” from the duke. Or in response to a prayer for rain, he declared “amen, but you won't get it till the wind changes.”

Joseph Addison

The renowned English essayist, Joseph Addison (1672-1719), was a devout Christian. As Addison lay dying he did not pray for himself, but for his stepson, the Earl of Warwick, who was not a believer. Addison asked the young dissolute earl to come to his bedside, and when he arrived he mumbled in a gentle way to him, “See in what peace a Christian can die!”

John Adams

In 1763 the daughter of a Congregational minister, Abigail, married John, who was the son of a farmer. The minister was so enraged that she was marrying beneath her that the lesson he read was from Luke 7 v33, “John came neither eating bread, nor drinking wine and some say he has a devil in him.” The groom, John Adams (1735-1826), was to become the second president of the United States.

Abraham

Abraham (d c1850), a rich farmer from Ur, migrated to Haran, North Mesopotamia with his Father, Terah, his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. Proceeding to Canaan he received God’s promise of the land to his descendants. From his son Isaac he became the father of the Hebrews then Jews together with Judaism and Christianity. Also through another son Ishmael he became the father of the Arab people together with Islam.

Abortion

TRIVIA

Women greatly outnumbered men among early converts. However, in the Roman Empire as a whole, men vastly outnumbered women. Widespread female infanticide had reduced the number of women in society. Frequent abortions "entailing great risk" (in the words of Celsus) killed many women and left even more barren.
The Christian community, however, practised neither abortion nor infanticide and thus drew to itself women.

In the Middle Ages if a pregnant woman was having pains, it was often thought it was because she had kittens crawling inside her womb as a result of a witches curse. As a result abortions were often allowed by courts in order to remove these cats from the womb. The phrase “Someone is having kittens” originates from this.

If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion? If your answer was yes- congratulations you would have killed Beethoven!

TIMELINE

C1250 The first reference to abortion in English law appeared in the 13th century, when the law followed Church teaching that abortion was acceptable until “quickening”. This, it was believed, was when the soul entered the foetus at around 13 weeks.
1921 Abortions at the woman’s request were allowed for the first time in post-revolutionary Russia.
1967 In Britain, the Abortion Act legalised abortion, making it free on demand and available on the National Health Service.
1973 In America the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade overturned all state laws restricting abortion. As a result abortions became legal during the first six months of pregnancy.
2003 There were 181,600 legal abortions carried out in England and Wales in 2003, a rise of 5,700-3.2% on the year before
Over 4 in 1o Americans think that having an abortion is acceptable behaviour.
2005 There were three abortions in the UK for every ten births-a total of 190,000 terminations in England and Wales every year. The average British woman will have 2.2 healthy pregnancies in her lifetime, but will give birth to only 1.7 children. The number of abortions accounts for the difference. This is not enough to keep the UK population stable. From Britain In Numbers: The Essential Statistics by Simon Briscoe

QUOTES

Hilarion writing to his pregnant wife in Roman times: "If you are delivered of a child, if it is a boy, keep it, if it is a girl discard it."

Douglas Gresham (son of CS Lewis): “Europe and America now worship Satan and you cannot expect your society to be protected by God if you sacrifice millions of unborn children at the altar of convenience.”

Ronald Reagan: “I’ve noticed that everybody who is for abortion has already been born.”

Psalm 139 v 13 “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

Abide With Me

For 25 years Henry Lyte (1793-1847) had been vicar of the Devonshire fishing village of Lower Brixham. However by the age of 54, his health had broken and he was preparing to leave for the south of France. This immortal hymn was written shortly before his departure from Lower Brixham after taking his final service. He died of consumption at Nice in southern France three weeks later. So "Abide With Me" is a hymn about death, but also about faith.

Peter Abelard

Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was born in Pallet, near Nantes. In 1115 be became canon of Notre Dame in Paris and master of the cathedral school, where he taught theology and logic. Abelard found himself falling in love with Héloïse, a pupil of his, who was 20 years his junior. Because marriage would get in the way of his career they married covertly but their secret was discovered. As a consequence, her uncle, a Parisian Cathedral canon, sent Héloïse away to a nunnery and had the unfortunate Abelard castrated. He became a monk at St Denis monastery and their feelings for each other turned from earthly to spiritual love as they continued to correspond with each other. Resuming teaching a year later, Abelard began writing theological tomes. His first published work, a treatise on the Trinity, was condemned and ordered to be burnt by a Roman Catholic council. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Abelard in time came to be recognised as one of the major Christian thinkers of his day. His scholastic text, Sic Et Non (Yes And No), which discussed the relationship between faith and reason, was read by learned men throughout western Europe, and his lectures attracted crowds of students.

Abdication Crisis

In 1936. Edward VIII, the King of England, abdicated from the throne to allow him to marry the American divorcee, Mrs Wallis Simpson. The British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin prayed, “God grant him peace and happiness but never understanding of what he has lost”. Baldwin’s stand against the King’s marriage to a divorcee was instrumental in bringing about the abdication of the King.