UPDATED VERSION – 08/25/2017
The 12-15 minute introduction to our newest Christian Education Video series, The War on Christianity, has been uploaded to our You Tube site. The MP3 Podcast version is linked from the newly-created Podcast Archive page here on our web site.
The Introduction includes an explanation of the premise of the series and its organization, It includes an opening discussion of five examples of physical assaults on Christianity, or what I call the First Front, in the United States, Egypt, France and Germany in A.D. 2016 and 2017. The title art is The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns, from The Bamberg Apocalypse, an 11th C. illuminated manuscript of Revelation at the Bamberg State Library, Bamberg, Germany. It illustrates Revelation 13:1 as it was used in the AIC Bookstore publication, Revelation: An Idealist Interpretation.
The balance of the series will be focused on what I have called the Second Front, the insidious, public and private war on Christianity that is being waged each and every day, 24 hours a day, somewhere in the world. The Second Front is being fought in classrooms, courtrooms, legislative bodies, social media posts, blogs, newspapers, magazines, television, radio and, regrettably, within the Church itself.
I had initially thought to offer only Episode One in video format, but upon reconsideration, having written the script for the next two episodes, I’ve decided the offer the entire series in both formats. The reason is that illustrating my points will be easier with the hundreds and hundreds of illustrations the AIC has acquired or gained permission to use in the various other Christian Education, Seasonal and Bible Study videos.
Episode Two will begin with a discussion of how Christianity was reduced to marginal status in parts of the world where it once was dominant, including the Middle East, Asia Minor and North Africa. The obvious message is that the new War on Christianity is simply repeating what has already happened. If it is not resisted, the new WOC will have the same result.
Next week (week of 8/28) I will release Episode Twenty-one in The Lives of the Saints – Second Series. Episode Twenty-one celebrates the life of St. Cyprian of Carthage, whose Feast Day is September 12. The illustration is a detail which I lifted from a 6th C. Byzantine mosaic frieze at the Basilica of St. Apollinare, Ravenna, Italy (image copyright RibieroAntonio/Can Stock Photo, Inc.). In the frieze the martyred saints stand in line to give their crowns to Jesus Christ, who is seated as Christ Pantokrator flanked by angels. In the original, St. Cyprian stands between St. Cornelius, Bishop of Rome when Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage, and St. John Cassian, one of the earliest Western Church chroniclers of the early Church.
As always, thanks for your interest in and support of The Anglican Internet Church ministry. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!
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