By Ian Wilson (G) Considered the most astute of the three Cappadocian Fathers, the man who would become Gregory of Nyssa was born into a large, devout Christian family sometime in the fourth century. His older brother was none other than Basil of Caesarea, another one of the Cappadocian Fathers. Together with Gregory of Nazianzus, […]
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By Debbie Robinson … Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) was a renowned Dutch theologian and one of the leading figures of the Neo-Calvinist movement of the late 1800s. Born in the small village of Hoogeveen in the Netherlands, Bavinck was raised in a devout Christian home, which shaped his passion for theology and the Reformed tradition. He studied at the Theological School in Kampen, where he developed a lifelong commitment to exploring the relationship between faith and life.
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By Ian Wilson (G) One of the most beloved saints of the church was born sometime in the third century AD to wealthy parents in the town of Patara in Asian Minor (modern Turkey). Nicholas’ devout parents raised him the nature and admonition of the Lord, and due to their influence, the young Nicholas dedicated […]
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St. Helena, born in about 248 AD, was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. Born in apparently humble circumstances, and said to be a Christian at the time of her marriage, she bore her husband Constantus his only son. Shortly thereafter, however, Constantus divorced her to marry the daughter of an ally. The boy, […]
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Though he was the forgotten preacher of the First Great Awakening, Henry Muhlenberg left an indelible mark on the Lutheran Church of the United States
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At the age of 21, Grafton was confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Two years later, he graduated from Harvard University with a law degree, but soon recognized his calling to the ministry.
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By Ian Wilson John Bosco was perhaps one of the more eccentric saints of the Catholic Church, though can one truly be a saint without being a bit odd? As a young lad in Sardinia (Italy), Bosco saw a performance by a circus troupe and was instantly obsessed. He began training himself in acrobatics and […]
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The 23rd Pope of Rome was born sometime in the third century, AD – no one knows exactly when. Little is known of the details of his life prior to his papacy other than he was born in the city of Rome to ethnically Greek parents. From a young age, he was drawn by God […]
Read MoreBy Ian Wilson (G) The most prolific writer of the New Testament was probably born sometime around 4 BC to a devout Jewish family in Tarsus, present-day Turkey. His story is one of redemption and the incredible grace of God. Nothing is known of his formative years, other than he was trained by Gamaliel, one […]
Read MoreBy Sarah Levesque (G) St. Cyril and St. Methodius were brothers who became known as the Apostles to the Slavs and are celebrated on the same day – February 14th in the West, May 11th in the East. St. Methodius was born around 815 while St. Cyril, originally named Constantine, was born around 827, both in […]
Read MoreBy Sarah Levesque Onesimus (own-ESS-ee-mus) Nesib was born around 1856 near Hurumu in Ethiopia. His parents named him Hiikaa Awaaji; or “translator”. At a young age, Hika was stolen from his widowed mother, renamed Nesib, and sold or stolen multiple times before being liberated by the vice-consul of the French Consulate, Werner Munzinger. The boy […]
Read MoreBy Ian Wilson (G) Born in 1615, Richard Baxter lived in a tumultuous time in British history. In a time when it might have been easy to be an extremist, Baxter always sought to seek peace, and hold the middle ground between the warring factions. He was fond of saying “In necessary things, unity; in […]
Read MoreBy T.K. Wilson Not much is known about the early life of Paul the Confessor of Constantinople. We first learn of him as he was elected bishop of Constantinople, over the violent objections of the Arian minority on the council. However, Paul wasn’t bishop for very long. The Emperor of Constantinople at the time was […]
Read MoreBy Ian Wilson (G) Not much is known about the childhood of the Belgian Protestant Reformer, Guy de Bres. He was born in the year 1522, in the Belgian town of Hainaut. While nothing is known of his father’s profession, he was apparently prosperous enough to afford to send Guy to university, where he first […]
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By Sarah Levesque … Giulia Salzano was born on October 13, 1846, in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Caserta, Italy. Her father, Diego Salzano, died when Giulia was only four years old, and she was taken in by the Sisters of Charity, with whom she stayed until she was fifteen years old.
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By T.K. Wilson … James, the son of Alpheus, was one of the original Twelve Apostles called by Christ at the start of his ministry. According to tradition, he is one of Jesus’s cousins or half-brothers and brother of St. Jude. He is called “the Lesser ” or “The Just ” to avoid confusion with James son of Zebedee – though even this is disputed!
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By Lyn Wilson … Pope Cletus, sometimes known as Anacletus, was the third Bishop of Rome after St. Peter and Linus. We know very little about this man’s life and yet his name is remembered through history.
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By Ian Wilson … Born in 954 in Somerset, England, Aelfheah had everything – a noble family, wealth, food, drink, servants – yet none of those things had affected him so much as knowing and drawing nearer to God. Much to his family’s dismay, Aelfheah entered the monastery, where he was respected for his austerity and extreme piety.
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By Sarah Levesque … Adoniram Judson, missionary to Burma (Myanmar), was born on August 9, 1788 in Malden, Massachusetts. After a period of skepticism, Judson studied theology at Andover Theological Seminary in his home state…
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By Ian Wilson … In her youth, Juliana had quickly learned Latin and memorized the works of St. Augustine and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, devoting herself to theological study; an unusual pursuit for a woman in her time. At the young age of 13, Juliana was welcomed into the order.
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LogoSophia Magazine 