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Important Updates about That Ancient Faith

I am excited to announce that the brand "That Ancient Faith" will be changing its name to The Sacred Faith.  As the readership of That Ancient Faith has grown, there has been a risk of confusion with the well-known Orthodox Christian publisher and broadcaster “Ancient Faith”. To develop a distinctive look and to avoid any potential confusion, I have decided to rebrand the website as The Sacred Faith.  The Sacred Faith will continue to offer the same great content that readers have come to expect from That Ancient Faith. The website and social media channels will remain the same, with only the name and branding changing.  I'm excited about this new ch...

Horus, Jesus, and Egyptian Mythology: Separating Fact from Fiction

...kingship, has an intriguing birth story that never fails to capture people's imagination. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Horus is the son of Osiris, the god of the afterlife, and Isis, the goddess of magic and healing. Osiris was murdered by his jealous brother Set, who dismembered his body and scattered the pieces throughout Egypt. Isis, determined to bring her husband back to life, searched for and reassembled Osiris' body parts. Using her magical powers, she temporarily revived Osiris, and during this brief period, she conceived Horus without engaging in sexual intercourse by taking the form of a bird and hovered over Osiris' reassembled body, receiving his...

Keeping Christ in Xmas

...The abbreviation “Xmas” often sparks discussions about its origins and whether it diminishes the significance of Christmas. Contrary to misconceptions, the use of 'X' in "Xmas" has deep historical roots dating back to ancient Greek, where it represents the first letter of “Christ” (Χριστός). Additionally, the Chi Rho symbol, formed by superimposing the Greek letters Chi (Χ) and Rho (Ρ), is a notable Christian symbol representing Christ. The Origins of "Xmas" The letter ‘X’ in “Xmas” finds its roots in the Greek letter ‘Chi’ (Χ), which abbreviates the word “Christ” in Greek. This practice of using ‘X’ as an abbreviation for...

Lent Day 29: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 81-94

...ife story has definitely had an impact on me and given me things to consider and areas I want to be more disciplined in....

Creedal Christians: The Apostle's Creed

...ed, which has now survived millennia to this day! Conclusion This creed is really just a summary of Biblical principles and doctrines which make up the Gospel message, as handed on to us by the Apostles. This is their teaching which was memorised and recited before much of the New Testament had been written, and we'd do well to also commit it to memory as the rule of faith for ourselves so we've always got the Gospel in mind to tell others about in a concise and pointed format whenever asked (1 Peter 3:15)! I hope you enjoyed this overview of the Apostle’s Creed, the next installment of this series will be looking at the next major historical creed: the N...

Spiritual Disciplines of the Early Church: Ancient Practices for the 21st Century

...I was asked not so long ago what kinds of things Christians did in the Early Church (first to fourth century) as a form of spiritual discipline, on a personal level as well as a corporate one. Though the concept of an individual “personal spiritual life” would have been quite foreign to first century believers as faith and Church was very much a corporate venture that had personal implications, rather than the other way around as it can often appear to be thought of today. Much of what made Christianity structured, disciplined and set apart from society, has largely been lost in practice, or forgotten and relegated to the annals of history by many practicin...