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BOOK REVIEW: Four Views on Hell 2nd edition

This is a guest post by David Jakubovic. The views are that of the author and don't necessarily reflect the views of That Ancient Faith. A 20 year update of the 1996 book by the same name, this slim volume (211 pages) is a helpful cross-section of current evangelical thought on Final Punishment, sampling Denny Burk on Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT hereafter), John Stackhouse Jr on Conditional immortality (CI hereafter), Robin Parry on Christian Universalism (CU hereafter) and Jerry Walls on (a Protestant) Purgatory. Preston Sprinkle pens both Introduction and Conclusion, plus there are Scripture, Author and Subject indices. The Introduction sets the scene,...

Jesus, Mithras and Ancient Roman Cults: Separating Fact from Fiction

...nces, and left behind numerous temples and artefacts. However, as Christianity gained prominence in the late Roman Empire, the cult of Mithras faced some stiff competition and began to decline and Christianity eventually overtook the cult. The two religions have a few things in common on the surface — both involve initiation rituals, a focus on salvation, and a central deity figure. But that could be said of many religions, and none of the core beliefs of Christianity or Jesus are the same as Mithras. Christianity was more accessible to the masses and eventually overtook the secretive Mithraic cult. Mithras gradually faded from memory, leaving behind a m...

From Paradise to Presents: The Christian Story behind the Christmas Tree

...The Christmas tree is one of the most recognisable symbols of the festive season, adorning homes, churches, and public spaces with its evergreen beauty. But where did this tradition originate, and how did it become a central feature of Christmas celebrations? Looking into the history of the Christmas tree has turned out to be a fascinating historical story woven from various cultural and theological strands. The Paradise Tree and the Feast of Adam and Eve The connection between the Christmas tree and the Feast of Adam and Eve offers a large clue into its origins. In medieval Europe, December 24th was observed as the feast day of Adam and Eve, a commemoration t...

Lent: Day 6 - Ignatius to the Magnesians

...Day Six: St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Magnesians (full text) Who: Ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that Ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: Ignatius urges the church to continue in unity, to honour their leadership and to avoid Judaizers who may try to bring false teaching. This letter also gives some valuable insight to early church hierarchy. Why: Ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Col...

Does Jesus mean Hail Zeus?

...A meme doing the rounds on the internet You may not have come across the image above before, or the similar variants of it, but it pops up on social media groups every so often. The underlying argument is quite ridiculous, but there does seem to be a sub-culture with Christianity which promotes this as fact quite vigorously. Having seen this get shared at least three times on Facebook in the last month, I decided to add a new category to the blog: Apologetics.   In here will be articles for defence of the faith, though sadly this particular one needs to be against those who are already meant to be a part of the same faith! But many people seem to accept...

Understanding The New Testament: Inspiration, Canonisation, And Historical Context

...A common modern perception of the inspiration of Scripture often portrays it as a rigid, divine dictation of words from God to be written down verbatim. This perspective leads to concerns among some religious communities, such as Muslims, who view any alteration or addition to the text as a potential threat to the entire faith. The Islamic understanding of inspiration emphasises direct and unalterable divine dictation, contributing to their scepticism of multiple Bible translations, which they falsely label as “corruption”. In contrast, the Biblical inspiration of the Scriptures has never been viewed as a literal divine dictation, as if the apostles were un...