Afternoon (Evening) Prayer & Church History

McNiell, John Thomas. The History and Character of Calvinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. Dr. McNeill discusses the gradual development of the Consistory's strong, but separate role alongside the democratic and voter-elected Magistracies (3 levels). Greg Allison’s “Historical Theology:” Prof. Allison discusses the atonement issue with Justin Martyr and, especially, Irenaeus. The latter foster the recapitulation view as an “exchange,” approximating the wide view of the double-exchange. Edward Cairns’s “Christianity Through the Centuries:” Prof. Cairns discusses the definition of Protestant Reformation, limiting it to 1517-1563 and the establishment of national churches. Millard Erickson’s “Christian Theology:” Erickson tries to summarize Barth’s hyper-transcendence which Barth himself later admitted was overdone. Erickson doesn’t get too far up the football field. Justo Gonzalez’s “History of Christianity: Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation:” Prof. Gonzalez closes off discussing Augustine's "Confessions" and "City of God," the latter being the last flicker in a dying Empire but being a strong light through subsequent ages.