July VBS at The Cottage: The Spiritual Practice of History

Today, we begin

A NOTE TO COTTAGE SUBSCRIBERS: I’ve opened up this first day of the summer series on history to the ENTIRE Cottage community. After today, the series can only be accessed by paid subscribers. If you are intrigued by the subject, you can still sign up by becoming a paid subscriber (at any level).

No separate sign-up is necessary for paid subscribers. Everyone on the paid list will receive the series emails. If you are too busy to watch now, you’ll have access to them any time at the Cottage Archive.

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To start our exploration of the history of Christianity, we’ve got a lecture!

In recent years, churches occasionally ask me to speak about the past (often for congregational anniversaries!). As a result, I’ve thought a lot about how I approach historical thinking — and why it is so important for Christians to engage the past with humility, empathy, and honesty.

In today’s remarks, I share this framework for thinking historically — and how this approach to the past is actually a spiritual practice.

Here are a few highlights along the way:

History exists in a liminal space.

Understanding the past involves three “i” capacities: information, interpretation, and imagination. Together, they create a triangular framework for engaging history.

AND:

Diana’s maxim: History always changes.

It would be beneficial to watch this lecture and follow it up by reading the introduction to A People’s History of Christianity, pp, 1-18.

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You can, of course, comment or ask a question about any part of the lecture or reading. But here are some conversation starters:

What do you think about Diana’s Maxim?

How do you respond to the contrast at the center of the book’s argument: “Big-C” versus “Great Command” Christianity?

Did you grow up with a story about the history of Christianity? About your own denomination? Did your understanding of Christian history change over time? How would you describe what happened “After Jesus” to others? Share your understanding of church history with the community!

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UPCOMING IN THE SERIES:

Reading isn’t “required”! But, if you’d like to read along, the page numbers for the sections we’ll cover this week are below.

July 2 - Early Church: Christianity as a Way
Read PHC, 21-30
Question: Do you have a hero from the early church? Who and why?

July 4 - More Early Church: Pick your favorite practices
Read PHC, 31-81
Question: What is your favorite devotional practice in this discussion?
Your favorite ethical practice?

We’ll follow a similar plan each week, usually with MWF posts. (Sorry, Americans for the July 4 problem - but our Canadian friends had a similar issue on July 1!!! It’s a busy holiday week!).

There will be more videos, at least one live session, and other materials as well.

ENJOY READING! And I’ll publish some excerpts — so if you can’t read the whole book, you’ll get shorter bits to be able to participate.

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INSPIRATION

Yesterday is History,
'Tis so far away -
Yesterday is Poetry -
'Tis Philosophy -

Yesterday is mystery -
Where it is Today
While we shrewdly speculate
Flutter both away
— Emily Dickinson

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During my first year as a professor, I taught at a Christian college, a place where all students claimed personal faith. In other words, they were serious young Christians. One day, lecturing on the medieval church and the Crusades, I explained how, in 1095, Pope Urban II launched a holy war against Muslims. Most of the students took notes. But one young woman, looking very worried by the idea of Christians starting a war, shot up her hand.

“Professor,” she began, clearly wanting to blame Roman Catholics for the affair, “What did the Protestants say about this?”

“Well,” I answered slowly, “there were no Protestants in 1095.” I did not have the heart to tell her that Protestantism would not exist until more than 400 years later.

Puzzled, she blurted out, “But where were they?”

At this juncture of history, western Christianity is suffering from a bad case of spiritual amnesia.

— Diana Butler Bass, “A People’s History of Christianity”