Kids Talk Church History

Open Discussions in the Middle Ages

Did the Medieval church keep the traditions and teachings of the early church, or did something get lost along the way? Were the Protestant Reformers the first to challenge some of these traditions and teachings? Join Lucy, Linus, Mina, and their guest, Dr. Scott Clark, professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California, as they explore some of the meaningful theological discussions that took place in the Middle Ages.
 
Show notes:
Article written by Simonetta Carr about Ratrammus, a Benedictine monk at Corbie Abbey in Picardy, France during this time period:
https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/ratramnus-corbie-and-his-book-lord%E2%80%99s-supper
 
*Image: Of Monks, Medieval Scribes, and Middlemen, By Peter K. Yu, Michigan State Law Review, Vol.1 (2006), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A Teacher at Charlemagne’s Court

When we hear the word Renaissance, we normally think of 14th and 15th-century Europe. But this word was used for other times in history. The 9th century was another important time of discovery and learning - particularly at the court of the powerful Charlemagne, king of the Franks, later known as Holy Roman Emperor. How did he get that title? Did he really have a pet elephant and a favorite cheese shipped to his door from Italy? Join Lucy, Linus, and Mina as they travel back to Charlemagne's court to discover all this and more with the expert guidance of the Reverend Dr. Robert Evans, Chaplain at Radley College in Oxford, England. And don't miss a riddle presented by Alcuin, an important teacher at Charlemagne's court. Try answering it without looking it up!
Here's the riddle: “Three there have been: one never born and once dead; another once born, never dead; the third once born and twice dead.”
 
Show notes
https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/alcuin-of-york-%E2%80%93-more-than-a-scholar
https://www.medievalists.net/2015/08/questions-and-answers-with-alcuin/
More puzzles by Alcuin (for older children)
https://www.medievalists.net/2016/02/can-you-solve-alcuins-puzzles/

Irish Monks

Remember Patrick of Ireland and how he left his home in England to bring the gospel to the land where he had been previously enslaved, Ireland? Well, the gospel went full circle when Irish monks traveled to England to spread the gospel in places where it had been forgotten. Some also traveled to Scotland, Iceland, other parts of Europe, and, some say, as far as North America. Join Emma, Lucas, and Mina as they explore the lives and legends of these intrepid monks and the Irish church's contribution to the rest of the continent. Helping them in this discovery is Dr. Crawford Gribben, professor at Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland, and author of The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland.
Register here for the opportunity to win a copy of Simonetta Carr’s book on Patrick of Ireland.
 
Show Notes:
Glendalough: http://monastic.ie/history/glendalough/
Book of Kells: https://www.museumofthebible.org/book-minute/book-of-kells
Pangur Bán: http://irisharchaeology.ie/2013/10/pangur-ban/
The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland by Crawford Gribben: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Christian-Ireland/dp/0198868189

Bede, Hilda, and the Early Church in England

In the eighth century, when England was still considered a wild and far-off land, a local monk wrote some of the most influential books in the Middle Ages. His name was Bede. Historian, scientist, Bible translator, and poet, he preserved the story of the early church in England and the people who helped in spreading the gospel. Among these people was Hilda, abbess of the monastery of Whitby and probably the most influential woman in the early English church. Join Emma, Lucas, and Sophia on a discovery of this fascinating time with the able guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Nesbitt, who has studied ancient and modern history at Oxford University and is now principal of Emmanuel Christian School in Oxford, England.
 
Show Notes
Episode 18 on Augustine of Canter: https://kidstalkchurchhistory.podbean.com/e/missions-to-north-america/
Episode 20 on Medieval queens: https://kidstalkchurchhistory.podbean.com/e/christian-medieval-queens/
Caedmon’s hymn (from the website of the church where Bede’s monastery was) https://www.stpeters-wearmouth.org.uk/caedmons-hymn-song/
A short introduction to Chad: https://stchads-southhill.org/st-chad
A prayer thanking God for the life of Chad which some Anglican churches use: 
Almighty God,
from the first fruits of the English nation who turned to Christ,
you called your servant Chad
to be an evangelist and bishop of his own people:
give us grace so to follow his peaceable nature, humble spirit and prayerful life,
that we may truly commend to others
the faith which we ourselves profess;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
 
Emmanuel Christian School, Oxford website: ecschool.org.uk
Articles written by Simonetta Carr:
Augustine of Canterbury: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/augustine-of-canterbury-a-reluctant-missionary
Medieval Wives: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/medieval-christian-brides
Hilda: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/hilda-the-abbess-of-whitby
Aidan: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/aidan-of-lindisfarne-a-seventh-century-door-to-door-missionary
Theodore: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/hadrian-of-nisida-and-theodore-of-tarsus-seventh-century-star-teachers

Maximus the Confessor

Why would an 82-year-old man submit to torture and execution rather than denying what he believed? And why would both government and church authorities go to such lengths to make sure he was silenced? Why is it important to say that Jesus has two natures and two wills? Join Trinity, Emma, and Sophia as they find answers to these questions and more with their guest, Dr. Jordan Wood, author of The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus Confessor.
 
Show Notes
Simonetta Carr article on Maximus: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/maximus-confessor-and-two-wills-christ
Episode 18 where we talked about Perpetua: https://kidstalkchurchhistory.podbean.com/e/missions-to-north-america/
Simonetta Carr article on Perpetua: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/perpetua-and-felicitas-two-martyred-mothers

Early Missions to China

Did you know that the gospel arrived in China in the seventh century and that Chinese emperor Taizong ordered the building of a monastery? Did you know that the Chinese called Christianity "the luminous religion" and that Persian monks built monasteries all along the way from modern Turkey to China? Join Emma, Trinity, Mina, and Sophia as they explore this forgotten part of church history with the help of  Dr. Todd Godwin, author of Persian Christians at the Chinese Court: The Xi’an Stele and the Early Medieval Church of the East.
 
Show Notes
To view Dr. Godwin's slides referenced in the podcast, click here. 
Article written by Simonetta Carr regarding this time period in church history: https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/alopen-and-the-missionary-monks-of-the-church-of-the-east
 

Christian Medieval Queens

How would Christian queens have lived in England around the seventh century? How different were their lives from the Disney princesses we see in the movies? And what was their role in bringing Christianity to England? Emma, Trinity, and Christian journey to seventh-century England and explore the captivating stories of some of these queens and their kings with the expert guidance of Dr. Eleanor Parker, Lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Brasenose College in Oxford and author of many books on this week's episode of Kids Talk Church History.
Show Notes:
Episode 11: Augustine of Hippo
Eleanor Parker's award-winning blog, A Clerk of Oxford
Eleanor Parker books
John 1:1-5 in Old English (read by Dr. Parker):
1. On frymðe wæs Word, and þæt Word wæs mid Gode, and God wæs þæt Word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
2. Þæt wæs on fruman mid Gode.He was in the beginning with God.
3. Ealle þing wæron geworhte ðurh hyne; and nan þing næs geworht butan him. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
4. Þæt wæs lif þe on him geworht wæs; and þæt lif wæs manna leoht.In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 
5. And þæt leoht lyht on ðystrum; and þystro þæt ne genamon.And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. 
 
* Image attribution: © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons

Why Study Medieval History?

When discouraged about the state of our world, have you ever heard someone say that it feels like we are back in the Dark Ages? What actually are the Dark Ages, and were they really dark? Did the church live in ignorance and superstition until Martin Luther rediscovered the truth? Join Emma, Trinity, and Christian as they discuss these questions and the fascinating centuries we have come to call the Middle Ages with Dr. Carl Trueman, professor of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College.
Show Notes:
Cologne Cathedral
© Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
The Aesthetics of Architecture, by Roger Scruton
* The episode image is the "Glasses Apostle," a painting in the altarpiece of the church of Bad Wildungen, Germany. It was painted by Conrad von Soest in 1403, and is considered the oldest depiction of eyeglasses north of the Alps.
 

Missions to Northern Europe

Were there missionaries in the first centuries of church history? If so, what were they called? Were they ever afraid of going to unknown places? How did they learn to have patience during their long travels? Join Lucy, Lucas, and Linus, as they explore these questions and more with the help of their guest, Ed Smither, professor of intercultural studies and history of global Christianity, and dean of the College of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University.
 
For a chance to win Simonetta Carr's award winning book, Church History, enter here. 
 
Show Notes
 
Christian Mission: A Concise Global History, by Edward Smither
https://lexhampress.com/product/166025/christian-mission-a-concise-global-history
 
The Biographical Dictionary (Boston University School of Theology)
https://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/
 

Favorite Characters from the Early Church

With 16 episodes under their belts covering the first few centuries of church history, our hosts get together to discuss what they have learned and discovered. Find out who their favorite characters are, the episodes they like the best, and which suggestions from their guests really stood out. Then write to us and let us know what your favorites are! Write to Questions@KidsTalkChurchHistory.org. 
 
Be sure to subscribe to our email to be entered for a drawing to win a copy of Simonetta Carr's new book, Church History. The emails are used to notify you when the next Kids Talk Church History podcast drops and for special offers from Simonetta Carr and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can unsubscribe at any time.
 

Bishops, Popes, and Emperors

Walk with Lucy, Lucas, and Linus through fifth-century Milan to discover how a meek and humble bishop resisted the impositions of an Empress and her son in what might have been the first sit-in in church history. Learn how his songs strengthened his congregation and baffled the soldiers outside. And listen to the enthralling explanations of Dr. Brian Arnold, Associate Professor of Theology and president of Phoenix Seminary, on the long struggle between bishops and rulers.
 
Show Notes:
 
Dr. Arnold recommended several books and resources for kids who want to learn more about church history:
 
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelly
 
Christian Focus Publications -- resources for kids
 
Primary Sources:
 
On the Incarnation by Athanasius, with an introduction by C.S. Lewis
 
The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus of Lyon
 

The Travels of Egeria

One day in the fourth century, Egeria, a woman with enough time and means, left for a three-year tour of Biblical places. Join Lucy, Lucas, and Linus as they follow Egeria's travels and discover some early church practices, thanks to their guest, Dr. Stefana Laing of Beeson Divinity School. Dr. Laing shares her invaluable knowledge, including a detailed explanation of how Christmas and Easter celebrations started.
 
Show Notes
 
Books recommendations for kids studying church history:
 
The Holy Land Illustrated Bible: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/csb-holy-land-illustrated-bible-hardcover-P005822949
 
Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical Geography: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/holman-illustrated-guide-to-biblical-geography-P005018792
 
Photos provided by Dr. Stefana Lang:
 
My sterling silver ring features Hebrew script with a verse from Song of Songs 6:3, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." The early church interpreted this love poem in terms of Christ and the soul. 
The two small communion cups are made of olive wood, and I used one to take Communion in the Garden of Gethsemane in 2019 when I was traveling in Israel with a group of other women academics.
The sprig of dried rosemary is from a bush in the Garden of Gethsemane. We spent some devotional time there, individually praying and meditating on Jesus's Passion.