Historical Approaches
Judaism in the Roman World and the Jewish Law
Jewish law details the law that God gave to Moses. It can be found in the Torah. These give instructions on how to worship and live together as a community. […]
Historical Approaches
Christianity
Best-Selling Author Teaches New Wondrium Course on Early Christianity
Dr. Bart D. Ehrman returns to Wondrium for “The Triumph of Christianity.” His previous Great Courses included “The Historical Jesus” and “Lost Christianities,” among others. This may be his most important course yet. […]
Christianity
Christianity’s Rapid Growth in the Roman Empire Explained
In its first 300 years, Christianity went from 20 followers to several million. This is no small feat considering its competing religions and the limitations of communication. How did it spread so quickly? […]
Christianity
The Acts of John, and The Polymorphism of Jesus
Many of the apocryphal gospels were essentially novels written during the early Christian era, and they were filled with adventurous tales of shipwrecks, necrophilia, self-mutilation, and other wild stories. […]
Historical Approaches
Dynamism, Polytheism, Henotheism: Understanding Religious Traditions
In most religious traditions the central and most important fundamental idea that binds the religion together as a set of beliefs, practices, and institutions is the idea of “god” or “gods.” […]
Christianity
What Does the Christian Apocrypha Teach Us About Jesus? The Torch Podcast
In this episode of The Torch, we gain insight into early Christianity, Jesus, and his apostles by examining the fascinating texts known as the Christian Apocrypha. […]
Historical Approaches
What Can The Apocrypha Teach Us About Mary?
While Mary is present in the Canonical gospels, its really in the early Christian apocrypha that she becomes the leader among the saints. Explore several key texts to uncover what we know about Jesus’ mother, her relationship with the disciples, and what makes her unique among the New Testament figures. […]
Christianity
The Historic Importance of Saint Paul
Saint Paul’s role in the development and spread of Christianity helped define it as a major world religion, instead of a sect within Judaism. Surprisingly, his writings rarely mention Jesus’ teachings at all… […]
Historical Approaches
The Origins and Rise of Buddhism
Where, and when did Buddhism begin? How did it become so popular, capturing the hearts and minds of millions of faithful followers around the globe? Delve into the life of Siddhartha Gautama and the tenets of his philosophy, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path to enlightenment. Then find out how these ideas developed and spread world-wide. […]
Christianity
Who Were the Three Wise Men?
‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’ is a popular carol, But we’re not sure that ‘The Three Wise Men were kings, were three, were from the Orient, or were wise. […]