All Christians are familiar with the fact that there were twelve original apostles. The names Peter, John, James, "Doubting Thomas," Judas Iscariot, etc. are household words. However, many Christians would be hard-pressed to name all twelve of the original apostles, impeded in part by the fact that at least two apostles have different names in different New Testament books. Even more difficult would be the task of naming the other people (excepting Paul) in the New Testament that have the word "apostle" associated with them. This book will look at all of the apostles mentioned in the New...

This book is a handbook on the history of Protestantism in the United States. Part One will look at broad Protestant movements, including revivals, social movements, and the evangelical versus social gospel debate that has raged at least from the time of the Civil War until today. Included in this section are topics such as the Great Awakening, the Great Revival, Protestantism in the Civil War, the Temperance Movement, and the rise of the "New Evangelicalism." Part Two focuses on Protestant history through the prism of the Protestant denominations, including their (mostly) European roots....

Since the time of the Reformation, most of Protestantism has celebrated two sacraments - "baptism and supper." And while the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church celebrate five more, almost all Christians celebrate baptism and communion. This book will provide a brief history into the practice of those two sacraments, and show how those practices diverged over time between denominations. Part One discusses the celebration of the Lord's Supper (also known as the Eucharist, communion, etc.) Part Two will discuss baptism, and provides a chapter on the question of "Infant verses...

Part One of this book examines early Jewish and Christian thought on the topic of heaven. In the Old Testament, heaven is a place where God and the angels reside - but not (seemingly) a place where the righteous go when they die. By the time of the New Testament, heaven is starting to assume its modern connotation as a paradise where the righteous go to be with God when they die. This view becomes even more prominent in apocryphal writings in the early church. Part Two of this book focuses on the antithesis of Heaven - Hell. It also takes a look at Satan and his minions. In the Old Testament,...

In modern times, when people outside of the Faith wish to attack Christianity, both the Crusades and the Inquisition are favored targets. And indeed, it is hard to defend the excesses committed in either the Crusades or the Inquisition. However (as we shall see), the case against the Crusades is perhaps less staunch than the case against the Inquisition. This book provides a brief history of these two (in)famous institutions of the church. Part One examines the Crusades, which lasted from 1095 when the First Crusade was announced by Pope Urban II in Clermont, France, to 1291 when the last...

For 700 years, medieval monasteries in Europe were the spiritual, agricultural, educational, legal, and administrative centers of the areas in which they were located. Following a daily routine of prayer, solitude, and physical labor, the monasteries provided a refuge from the cruel world that was Medieval Europe. In addition, it was the monks (and nuns) of these monasteries who kept alive the spark of knowledge in the West through their patient preservation and hand copying of ancient texts (both Christian and Classical). Illustrated with over 50 photos, "Monks and Monasteries: A Brief...

Love him or hate him, the actions of William Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia in 1864 transformed the Civil War in the space of seven months. From a conflict which was still very much in doubt as to its victor in early 1864, by the time Sherman had captured Atlanta, marched to the Sea, and captured Savannah, the will to fight had largely left the South, and the outcome of the War had become a foregone conclusion. This book tells the story of both Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and his March to the Sea, through the mechanism of looking at what remains today (monuments, buildings, trenches, etc.) at...

It is no exaggeration to say that, in its heyday, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the greatest railroad in the world. It was certainly the largest (track-wise), hauled the most freight and passengers, had the most employees, and the largest earnings. At its peak, the PRR had 23,000+ miles of track (a figure since eclipsed by modern Class I railroads). In 1929, the PRR owned 7,000 locomotives and 282,000 cars - many built at their railroad shops in Altoona. The PRR boasted the largest railroad shops in the world (the aforementioned Altoona), and the largest railroad yard in the world (Enola)....

In the many years that I've been teaching adult Sunday School and leading Bible studies, Revelation remains the single most requested book of the Bible. Yet Revelation is also one of the most difficult books in the Bible to interpret - and, indeed, a wide range of interpretations have been offered up over the 1,900 years since it was written. How one interprets Revelation often reflects on one's personal theological and even political views. Interpretations range from "it's all metaphor" to "it's a blueprint for the future." In this study, we'll begin by positioning Revelation among the long...

The author has been performing Civil War songs in the Atlanta/North Georgia area for almost 20 years. In that time, the fifteen songs in this book have emerged as the most popular. The background of each song is discussed, and the words/guitar chords are included. Songs include "Aura Lee," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Battle Cry of Freedom," "Bonnie Blue Flag," "Dixie," "Goober Peas," "Hold the Fort," "Home Sweet Home," "Johnny is Gone for a Soldier," "Marching Through Georgia," "Maryland, My Maryland," "Oh Susanna," "Tramp Tramp Tramp ," When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Yellow Rose...