Monday, January 20, 2025

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 20th of January 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A very happy Monday to you- perhaps a holiday where you are, a number of folks are off for the Martin Luther King Jr. observance. Maybe you are rejoicing or mourning based on how the Rams did yesterday.

The responses to the Entertainments episode are starting to come in now- I thought it would get some engagement- and thanks for the film recommendations… I keep getting Sweet Land thrown my way- thanks, Mike in San Diego- something about the Nordic immigrant experience in America has made for some good films- and the Salvation Army deserves a shoutout for being pioneers in many ways, but in the use of movies (Thanks Bethany!)

I got several responses to the Food episode on the Weekend Edition a week ago, and that is where our mail goes from today—from Debbie in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the cradle of our revolution. The “Pitt” in Pittsfield is the same as the Pitt in Pittsburgh—William Pitt the Elder, the British Prime Minister whose son, the younger, is also interesting.

Pittsfield- there in the Berkshires- so entranced Herman Melville he bought a house there called Arrowhead, and from there wrote the great America Novel: Moby Dick.

OK- so, Debbie- you have asked one of the perennial questions, and I should have expected some after the food episode- Debbie writes, “If you were putting together a dinner party of historical people, who would you invite”?

Debbie- my first thought is: how are we going to translate everything, and who is going to explain the cutlery to Luther?

So- let’s take away the fact that Aquinas would probably stare at my watch the whole time, or if we invited St. Anthony, would he pass on all the courses?

So- we are all acclimated to the language and customs… and everyone has agreed to be on their best manners.

I wrote my dissertation on Johann Arndt- the post-Reformation reformer, but if I had known more when I was that young, I would have picked someone more interesting. Luther and Erasmus are my first go-to; to have them together would be important- we’d talk some theology, but then I’d want to know what would make them agree… even in my church history fantasy, I’m trying to get people to get along.

The other obvious answer for me is Sister Aimee Semple MacPherson—fascinating, brilliant, and troubled. While they have little in common except their century and California, Edward J. Carnell seems to me to have insight into the mid-20th century and his intersections with Fuller Seminary and Evangelicalism. (It turns out my dear mother-in-law, Sherry Harrah nee Ortlund, was friends with his daughter and slept over at his house!)

Those are my four for conversation- but we would have to invite St. Lawrence- a 3rd-century Roman deacon (and the namesake for the graduate school at the University of St. Andrews). He, you may remember, is the patron saint of chefs and cooks. Why? He was put to death on a gridiron over coals- after he was laying on one side, he is said to have remarked, “I’m done on this side, turn me over”- and for this, he is not only the patron saint of chefs but also comedians (this is true! The early church wanted to point out the absurdity in their deaths and to make a mockery of physical death).

Lastly, we’d have to invite St. Drogo—a man so busy that he was made the patron saint of coffee—and St. Martha, who, well, may not have picked the better portion but would be helpful.

St. Hildegard of Bingen could come and bring her famous cookies (really—check the transcript for a link to these delicious cookies with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/medieval-cookie-recipe), but St. Agnes's cookies have a jam filling ( https://hicookery.com/tag/st-agnes-cookies/).

Lastly, Robert Farrar Capon- Anglican priest and chef- I’d let him pick the menu, maybe something from his theological work/cookbook “The Marriage Feast of the Lamb.”

Thanks for the email, Debbie and others- you can send me your questions at danv@1517.org.

 

 

The last word for today from the daily lectionary and Romans 12

 

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

 

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 20th of January 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by the spiritual ancestor of St. Drogo- our Q grader and Barista: he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who made borscht for the first time yesterday- the color, the flavor… ooh la la-  I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.