By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-09T02:32:55-04:00February 11th, 2026|Tags: Christian History by the Century, Martyr, Meaning of Life, Violence, Women|
The fourth century stands as a decisive turning point in Christian history. Communities that had once defined faith through suffering and martyrdom now faced the challenges of legitimacy, authority, and power.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-09T02:24:25-04:00January 14th, 2026|Tags: Christian History by the Century, Martyr, Meaning of Life, Violence, Women|
It was during the third century CE that suffering became a defining marker of Christian identity—socially, politically, and theologically. By the start of the third century, the term ‘Christian’ began to gather specific meaning.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-11-20T18:31:48-05:00December 3rd, 2025|Tags: Greco-Roman, Judaism, Violence|
Dr. Ward Sanford discusses the early years leading to Rome’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Drawing from his historical novel’s first book, he mixes careful research with fictional characters to illuminate the forces that erupted between 63 and 66 CE. An interview with Dr. Ward Sanford.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2026-03-09T02:23:35-04:00November 12th, 2025|Tags: Chaos, Christian History by the Century, Dead Sea Scrolls, Judaism, Violence|
Jesus was remembered as a towering moral and spiritual presence amid a century of turmoil. The memory of Jesus as victor—not as a defeated Jew—became the defining theme.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-12-11T17:25:25-05:00October 8th, 2025|Tags: Chaos, Christian History by the Century, Christmas, Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist, Violence|
The first century BCE reshaped Judea through Roman domination, Herod’s brutality, and the fragile hope and expectancy of David’s royal lineage. Into this turbulent landscape Jesus was born, carrying both the peril and promise of Bethlehem’s Davidic heritage.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-09-07T07:45:23-04:00September 10th, 2025|Tags: Christian History by the Century, Christianity, Greco-Roman, Judaism, Violence|
The second century BCE was a crucible for Christian evolution. Jewish heritage provided the containment for the melting and fusing of new materials from Greek culture—the flowering of seeds planted in this tumultuous century.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-12-30T18:37:30-05:00July 29th, 2025|Tags: Biblical Violence, Heaven, Revelation, Violence|
Are we ripe for apocalypse? The author of Revelation looks critically at the Roman imperial enterprise and sees through it. As it nears its economic zenith, he hears the laments: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon!” An interview with Dr. Arthur Dewey
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2024-08-28T07:00:56-04:00September 4th, 2024|Tags: Crucifixion, Paul, Resurrection, Violence|
We need to think about resurrection and ascension completely differently. The idea of resurrection needs to be understood in the context of justice and redemption.An interview with Dr. J. Dominic Crossan
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2024-05-11T22:41:32-04:00May 13th, 2024|Tags: Biblical Violence, Concepts of God, Hebrew Bible, Sacrifice, Violence|
Modern misinterpretations of these ancient stories have resulted in disastrous outcomes. We’ve seen these Bible stories used as justification for everything from ethnic cleansing to enslavement to colonization. But this was never the intent of these authors.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-07-12T07:17:04-04:00July 13th, 2022|Tags: Community, Fear and Protection, Letter of Peter to Philip, Violence|
We’ve prayed before. We’ve cried before. We’ve blamed others before. Have we run out of options? That’s the question that brings me back to the only ancient Christian text I’m aware of that deals so directly with violence.
By Dr. Hal Taussig|2022-06-19T03:00:02-04:00June 22nd, 2022|Tags: Biblical Violence, Humor, Violence|
Here’s to humor that paints a dark, funny, and different perspective. Here’s to letting the people who look like they are in trouble chuckle about their future. Here’s to violent legions rushing toward their own demise.
By Dr. Hal Taussig|2022-05-23T09:12:55-04:00May 25th, 2022|Tags: Community, Crucifixion, Letter of Peter to Philip, Violence|
We are finding that facing Russian violence needs ... complex combinations of courage, creativity, community, hidden transcripts, and aliveness by regular people.
