John Henrik Clarke (born John Henry Clark, January 1, 1915-July 12, 1998), was an American historian. He was a professor, and a pioneer in the
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church. This is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics
The Crusades were a series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The wars were largely in response to 400 years of
The ethnic groups of Africa number in the thousands. Each population generally having its own language (or dialect of a language) and culture. The
A church is a building used for Christian worship services and Christian activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church
Slavery is any system in which principles of property law are applied to people. Thus allowing individuals to own, buy and sell other individuals, as
In historiography, ancient Rome is Roman civilization. From the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western
The linguistic term 'Catholic' derived from a Greek word meaning 'universal' was historically recorded as early as 107 CE in the letters of Ignatius of Antioch.
In 380 CE, under the Edict of Thessalonica issued by Emperor Theodosius I, Nicene (Catholic) Christianity officially became the state religion of the Roman Empire, leading to the institutional regulation of religious practices and the formalisation of a calendar of feast days like Christmas and Easter.
Early Catholics were taught Christianity by the priests, nuns and at Catholic schools - and not through Bible study. The priests role was to pass on Christian beliefs and practise to his congregation. The priest acted as an intermediary between God and the people; as mankind was regarded as inherently sinful.
Catholics were discouraged from individual Bible study and pushed towards conforming with traditional Church teachings.
In 1909, Pope Pius X first encouraged Bible study. For the first time, Catholics could now study the Bible for themselves and Catholicism returned to being a 'religion of the book' for the people
Historically, Jesus was a practicing Jew, and the original Jesus movement was a reform movement within Judaism . Conversely, the Catholic Church views Jesus' mission as universal, intended for the entire world, not just the Jewish people .
Historically, the Bible has been used by some to enslave, subjugate and dominate over a people.
The 'Curse of Ham' Myth: Pro-slavery advocates twisted Genesis 9 to claim that people of African descent were divinely cursed to be eternal servants.
Old Testament Legal Protection: Slaveholders cited Leviticus 25 to argue that purchasing foreign bondmen and passing them down as inherited property was biblically sanctioned.
Weaponising Obedience Verses: Plantation owners frequently read verses like Ephesians 6:5 ('Slaves, obey your masters') to religiously brainwash enslaved people against rebelling.
The Redacted 'Slave Bible': British and American authorities physically censored the scriptures, deleting the entire Book of Exodus to hide the narrative of freedom from bondage.
Enforcing Fugitive Slave Laws: Pro-slavery preachers used Paul's letter to Philemon to argue that runaway slaves were legally and spiritually obligated to return to their masters.
'Black' is a broad racial term describing people of African descent globally, including those from the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America. 'African American' is an ethnic descriptor specifically tracking descendants of enslaved Africans in the United States.
Early Christian bishops organized regional synods and ecumenical councils to systematically define orthodox Christian doctrines and combat widespread heresies. These massive assemblies were essential for creating a unified creed, standardizing the New Testament canon, and establishing clear administrative laws for a rapidly growing global church. Prominent gatherings, like the Council of Nicaea, were often financed and politically mandated by Roman emperors to secure empire-wide religious stability.
Paul's new doctrine met with disapproval from the Jewish-Christians of the Jerusalem Church led by James, who regarded the substitution of Jesus' atoning death for the observance of the Torah as a lapse into paganism.
Paul was duly summoned to Jerusalem by the leaders James, Peter and John to explain his doctrine in 50 AD.
Saint Ambrose (334-397), a keen advocate of church music is credited with introducing it into Christian worship.