Kids Talk Church History
Kids Talk Church History is a one-of-a-kind podcast where kids investigate the history of the Church. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus said: "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." How has Jesus built and preserved His Church against all odds? Come with us on a trip through history to find the answer on Kids Talk Church History—a podcast in partnership with the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
How Did the First Christians Live?
How did the early Christians live? Was it the same everywhere? And how is the early church similar to the church today? When did some people start praying to saints? Our hosts, Lucy, Emma, Trinity, and Christian, have many questions for our guest, Dr. Stephen Presley, professor of church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he has some fascinating answers.
Macrina and the Three Cappadocians
Join Lucy, Trinity, Christian, and Emma as they talk to Colorado Christian University Professor Megan Devore about one family's huge influence during the fourth century. Meet Macrina, who convinced her mother to free all their slaves and build a community where everyone helped each other and those around them. Meet her brother Basil, who started the first hospital, their brother Gregory of Nyssa, who gave the first known sermon against slavery, and their friend Gregory of Nazianzus, who wrote important works about the Trinity. Discover why some Christians chose to live apart from others and why one spent 40 years of his life on a pillar that became taller than a giraffe. Discover all this and more in this episode of Kids Talk Church History!
Be sure to subscribe to our email to be entered for a drawing to win a copy of Simonetta Carr's new book, Church History. The emails are used to notify you when the next Kids Talk Church History podcast drops and for special offers from Simonetta Carr and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Athanasius and the Nicene Creed
As we prepare for Christmas, let's see why it's important to say that Jesus is fully God and fully man. How is that even possible? Wouldn't it be easier to say that Jesus was just similar to God? Does that make much of a difference? These questions divided the Christian world when Athanasius became the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, in 328. Join our hosts, Lucas, Christian, Linus, and Emma, as they talk about the adventurous life of Athanasius. He faced many dangers for insisting that Jesus is equal to the Father when many Roman emperors found other explanations more convenient. Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College, joins the discussion to help our hosts with listener questions and a few more of their own Discover what a creed is, why creeds are important, and whether Dr. Trueman has a favorite Christmas song.
You can enter a drawing for an opportunity to win a copy of Simonetta Carr's book, Athanasius: Christian Biographies for Young Readers. They are provided courtesy of our friends at Reformation Heritage Books.
It is also available for sale at ReformedResources.org.
You can watch a video on Athanasius that previews the book above.
Dr. Trueman's Reading Suggestions
Simonetta Carr's Church History Books
Christian Focus Trail Blazers Series
2,000 Years of Christ's Power by Nick Needham
Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther By Roland H. Bainton
image: Ikone Athanasius von Alexandria, public domain
Ephrem and His Songs of Christ's Birth
Have you ever heard of a poet named Ephrem? Few people have. He lived during the fourth century in the region we now call Turkey and used his songs to help people understand the true meaning of the Scriptures. Join Lucas, Linus, Christian, and Emma as they wonder at the beauty of Ephrem's songs, especially those describing Christ's birth and what it means for us. To help them in their discoveries is Dr. Jeff Wickes, associate professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Notre Dame. Find out what was the greatest challenge for Christians who wanted to take the Gospel to people who had never heard it and hear our hosts' lively discussion of Christmas songs.
Be sure to enter for the opportunity to win a copy of The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul, available courtesy of Reformation Trust Publishing. Click here or submit a question to Questions@KidsTalkChurchHistory.org to enter.
This month, Simonetta Carr's Christian Biographies For Young Readers are on sale at ReformedResources.org for $14.00.
Irenaeus and the Gnostics
Join Lucy, Lucas, and Linus as they continue to explore the fascinating history of the early church. In this new episode of Kids Talk Church History, they interview Fr. John Behr, an Eastern Orthodox priest and theologian and one of the foremost experts on the early church, about the subject of one of his books, Irenaeus of Lyons. Find out about the people we now call Gnostics, what were some of their strange ideas and why they thought they were not strange at all, why trying to know God outside of the Scriptures is never a good idea, who was the first bishop of Rome, and much more. Also, sign up to possibly win a copy of Simonetta Carr's Irenaeus of Lyons! We'll be giving away the book thanks to the generosity of Reformation Heritage Books.
You can purchase Simonetta's book Irenaeus - Christian Biographies For Young Readers on sale at Reformed Resources.
Read more from Simonetta in her column Cloud of Witnesses over at Place for Truth:"Irenaeus – Loved by the Reformers, Still Refreshing Today"
Why the Pilgrims Left England
It's almost Thanksgiving. As our hosts start planning their family gatherings, they begin to review the history of this yearly holiday and decide to learn more about why the group of settlers known as Pilgrim Fathers chose to come to America. They were not the first to arrive on this continent and definitely not the first to leave England for religious reasons. What exactly were those reasons? When did these so-called Nonconformists start disagreeing with the Church of England? And what happened to those who stayed there? Join Lucy, Lucas, and Linus as they ask these and many other questions to Rev. Gary Brady, pastor of Child's Hill Baptist Church in North West London and author of the book, The Great Ejection, 1662.
We are giving away a copy of Simonetta Carr's book, John Owen - Christian Biographies for Young Readers, courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books. Enter here for an opportunity to win.
The Great Ejection – Nonconformists and 1662, Gary Brady
To find out more about the non-conformists, we recommend you read Simonetta's books on John Owen and John Bunyan.
Read more from Simonetta in her column Cloud of Witnesses over at Place for Truth:John Bunyan and the Women Who Shaped His Life
Edmund Grindal and His Letter to the Queen
Martin Luther and the Children in His Life
On October 31, 1517, a German friar named Martin Luther nailed 95 propositions to the door of the local church. Some were questions he had been considering for a while. For example, why did some bishops sell pieces of paper that granted forgiveness of sins? He didn't mean to rebel against his authorities. He just wanted to have a discussion. But the bishops, and even the pope, refused to take him seriously. Soon, his propositions were published in many languages—today, we would say they went viral! Many people believe that was the start of the Protestant Reformation.
As you remember that day, listen to Lucy, Mina, and Trinity talk to Dr. Robert Kolb, professor emeritus of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, about a part of Luther's life few people mention: his love for children.
We are giving away a copy of Simonetta's book Martin Luther - Christian Biographies For Young Readers, courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books. Enter here for an opportunity to win a copy.
Read Luther's Small Catechism
You can purchase Simonetta's book on Martin Luther at ReformedResources.org.
Read Simonetta's article From Gardens to Shoes – Being a Father During the Reformation
Read Martin Luther's Letter to his Son Johannes
You can still be entered to win a copy of Simonetta's new book, Church History. Simply subscribe to the Kids Talk Church History email!
The First Christian Nations
Join Lucas, Trinity, and Mina in exploring the history of ancient Armenia, Georgia (a nation in Europe), and Ethiopia—the first nations to officially become Christian. Hear about George the Illuminator, who survived 13 years in a grim prison thanks to a woman who fed him bread; Hripsime, who fought the king's advances for seven hours - and won; Nino, an enslaved woman who brought the Gospel to Georgia; and Frumentius and Edesius, who started on a sea adventure with their uncle and ended up as the king's servants in Ethiopia. Discover how these people manage to convince rulers that Jesus is the only savior, how three whole nations became Christian, and more with our hosts and their special guest, Rev. Eric Clausen. The latter runs an exciting podcast named Faithful Forebearers.
Read Simonetta's article on The Birth of Early Christian Nations
Faithful Forebearers
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Blandina and Persecution in the Roman Empire
Following the long story of Christ's church, Lucy, Lucas, and Trinity talk about the first mass persecution of Christians, the courage of Blandina and her friends, and what this meant for the church. They also discuss persecution in general and how Christ is keeping His promise of preserving His church when others try to destroy it. They share their questions with Dr. Richard Bishop, Registrar and Director of Institutional Research at Westminster Seminary California. Tune in to find out why the Romans persecuted Christians, whether Christians really hid in catacombs, and more.
Read Simonetta's article "Blandina – God's Strength in Weakness"
Read more on the martyrdom of Blandina from Eusebius:The Church History of Eusebius, Book 5, Chapter 1
The story of Blandina is included in Simonetta's book Irenaeus - Christian Biographies For Young Readers, available at ReformedResources.org.
Image: Jan Luyken (1649-1712), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons/cropped and duotone added.
Why Study Church History?
Meet some of the hosts of Kids Talk Church History in this first episode. Lucy, Lucas, Trinity, Mina, and Christian discuss what sparked their interest in church history and who are some of their favorite characters. Shorter than usual, it will whet your appetite for things to come!
Subscribe to Kids Talk Church History this month, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Simonetta's new book Church History, courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books.
Show NotesRead interesting short stories from church history at Simonetta Carr's blog Cloud of Witnesses Simonetta's books are available at ReformedResources.org.Defenestration of Prague Polycarp
Church History by Simonetta Carr
If you like the podcast, you won't want to miss this fascinating guide that shows young readers (and even not-so-young readers) how God has preserved His church from AD 30 to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Travel through time and all over the world as you meet the people, learn about the ideas, and understand the challenges that have shaped the history of the church. Maps, timelines, and colorful pictures on every page show you the important people, places, and events of church history.
On sale at ReformedResources.org
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is a coalition of believers who hold to the historic creeds and confessions of the Reformed faith and proclaim biblical doctrine in order to foster a Reformed awakening in today's Church.
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