Kids Talk Church History

Herman Bavinck: Facing Modern Challenges

During Herman Bavinck's life and for many years afterward, he was well known mainly in the Netherlands, where he was born. But today, people around the world are discovering his writings and realizing their importance. Why is that? In part, it's because Bavinck faced new challenges with honesty and humility, without compromising his Christian beliefs. Today, as we face many new challenges, we can learn a lot from Bavinck. Join Linus, Leia, and Sean as they share their excitement about this great theologian with Dr. John Bolt, professor emeritus of Systematic Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Thanks to the generosity of Reformed Fellowship, we are pleased to offer two copies of Herman Bavinck by Simonetta Carr. Enter here to win.
 
Show Notes:
Dr. Bolt had some additional notes about Bavinck to share with our listeners:
Bavinck frequently spoke of the gospel as a "pearl of great price" (or treasure) and as a "leaven." The gospel is the most important thing in the world; it brings us into fellowship with God in Christ. But, secondarily, it is also a leaven because it changes individuals and societies.
Bavinck also frequently quotes James 1:21: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights in whom there is no changing."  

Thomas Chalmers and the Fight Against Poverty

The Industrial Revolution brought much progress but created greater poverty and harsh living conditions for the workers, and the church could not look away. A man who led the church in a program of relief for the poor was the Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers. Find out how he was able to do this as Linus, Grace, and Sean talk with Sandy Finlayson, author of Chief Scottish Man: The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers.
Thanks to the generosity of Evangelical Press, we are pleased to offer two copies of Chief Scottish Man: The Life and Ministry of Thomas Chalmers by Sandy Finlayson. Enter here to win.

Christianity on Trial

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the teachings of three men changed the way many people thought about life and the world. These teachings still have a huge influence today. Who were these men, and what do these teachings mean for us? Join us as Grace, Sean, and Isaac explore the answers to these questions with Dr. Michael Lee, professor of Early American History and chair of the History Department at Eastern University.

Religious Persecution in Italy

Did you know that as late as 1850, people in Italy could still be arrested for owning a Bible and imprisoned for giving Bibles to others? This is what happened to a Florentine couple who were arrested for owning two copies of the Bible, and were imprisoned under suspicion that they were reading it or distributing it to others. And this was not an isolated story. The Roman Catholic Church could even kidnap children from Jewish or Protestant families! How did Protestants survive this difficult time, and when did it end? Find out answers to all this and more as Grace, Sean, and Isaac talk with Dr. Mario Cignoni, General Secretary of the Bible Society in Italy and author of many books.
 
Show notes
Articles written by Simonetta Carr about this time period:
https://placefortruth.org/francesco-and-rosa-madiai/
https://placefortruth.org/bible-italy-council-trent-italian-republic/

The Roman Catholic Church in the 19th Century

Have you ever heard Roman Catholics say that the pope is infallible? It sounds like something they always believed, but in reality, this became their official teaching only in 1870! What did they believe before then, and why did they add this to their list of teachings? And why did the Roman Catholic Church oppose Bible societies? Explore these questions and more with Grace, Sean, and Isaac as they talk with Dr. Leonardo De Chirico, pastor of the church Breccia di Roma, in Rome, Italy, and Vice Chairman of the Italian Evangelical Alliance.
 
Show Notes
https://www.brecciadiroma.it/

18th Century Wrap-Up

Our young hosts have just finished their exploration of church history in the 18th century and have a lot to say about their discoveries and lessons learned. Like other wrap-up episodes, it is great fun for everyone involved! It's also an occasion to welcome our new host, Isaac, and to say goodbye to three pillars of the podcast: Emma, Trinity, and Sophia, who have just turned 18 or will turn 18 soon. Feel free to send a note to these lovely young ladies, and we'll be sure to pass it along! 

Isaac Watts and Christmas Hymns

It's almost Christmas, and the song "Joy to the World" is playing everywhere! But did you know that its author, Isaac Watts, never meant it as a Christmas song? And did you know that he faced some opposition when he proposed that Christians can sing more than just the biblical Psalms? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Grace, Isaac, and Sean talk with our expert, Rev. Jonathan Landry Cruse, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo, MI, and author of many books.
Thanks to the generosity of our friends at 10ofThose Publishing, we are pleased to award one of our listeners a copy of Jonathan Cruse's book, Sing in Exultation: A Christmas Devotional Exploring Our Favorite Carols. Enter here to win. Congratulations to Cherith N. from Greenville, SC!
Show Notes:
Several past episodes of Kids Talk Church History were mentioned today. Check out our website to listen to some of them: https://alliancenet.org/broadcasts/ktch/
More Jonathan Cruse books: https://reformedresources.org/authors/jonathan-cruse/

Missions to the Native Americans

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and we usually hear two different types of stories about the early European settlers in America. Some are about a group of pious and peaceful Pilgrims who came to find religious freedom. The others are about greedy Europeans who used Christianity to take advantage of Native Americans. Join Trinity, Sean, and Grace as they explore the true story of the relations between Puritans and Native Americans with their guest, Dr. Matthew Tuininga, Professor of Christian Ethics and the History of Christianity at Calvin Theological Seminary in Michigan, and author of the book, The Wars of the Lord, The Puritan Conquest of America’s First People.
 
Show Notes:
Here is a link to Dr. Tuininga’s book if you’d like to find out more about this fascinating topic!

Jonathan Edwards and the American Revival

Many of us have heard of Jonathan Edwards and the American revival known as the Great Awakening. Usually remembered for his sermon with the scary title: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," there is so much more to say about Jonathan Edwards. He was not just a pastor and theologian. He was also a missionary, a biographer, and the president of a college. Today, he is regarded as one of North America's most brilliant minds. Find out more about Jonathan Edwards as Trinity, Grace, and Sean talk with Dr. Oliver Crisp, Professor of Analytic Theology at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland.
Thanks to the generosity of Reformed Fellowship, we are pleased to award a copy of Simonetta's biography of Jonathan Edwards, written for young readers, to Dana T. from Leesburg, VA. Congratulations!
Reformed Fellowship is dedicated to the publication and distribution of Reformed materials, and they are excited to offer a line of children's materials for the first time since their founding in 1951.
Show Notes:
Dr. Crisp’s favorite book by Jonathan Edwards is The Freedom of the Will. 
In addition to being a learned scholar, Dr. Crisp is a talented artist. In fact, the painting of Jonathan Edwards used for our episode today was actually created by Dr. Crisp!

Lemuel Haynes

When we think about the 18th-century church, we think of famous preachers like John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards. Few people know there were also black pastors preaching the gospel. One of these, Lemuel Haynes, was probably the first African American
ordained by a mainstream Protestant Church in the United States. Join Sophia, Linus, and Sean as they ask Dr. John Saillant, author of Black Puritan, Black Republican: The Life and Thought of Lemuel Haynes, to tell us more about this important pastor who was well-respected as a preacher and author in his day.
 
Show Notes:
Episode #82 about William Carey and missions to India was mentioned several times during this episode. Listen here if you’re interested in hearing more:
https://kidstalkchurchhistory.podbean.com/
 

Missions to India

Most of us have heard of William Carey. He’s often known as the Father of Modern Missions and is famous for his mission to India in the 18th century. But he was not the first protestant to go to India, and he didn’t go alone. So why is he known as the Father of Modern Missions? And why did so few Protestants go out as missionaries before him? Join Sophia, Linus, and Sean as they discuss the history of early missions to India with Dr. Michael Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
 
Show Notes:
Our episode about the Moravians was mentioned several times during this episode and you might want to check it out if you haven’t already listened.
https://kidstalkchurchhistory.podbean.com/e/the-moravians/
 

The Marrow Men

Can a simple question and a forgotten book change the direction of a national church? It's hard to imagine, but it's exactly what happened in 18th-century Scotland. Join Emma, Grace, and Sean as they ask Dr. Stephen Myers, professor of systematic and historical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, to shed light on these men, the events they participated in, and what they mean for us today.
 
Show Notes:
Simonetta Carr's latest book is all about Thomas Boston, one of the Marrow Men. You can purchase a copy at Reformed Resources:  
https://reformedresources.org/thomas-boston-christian-biographies-for-young-readers-hardcover/