Friday, February 14, 2025

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

It is the 14th of February 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

It’s the end of the week, a holiday of sorts- the first rain from the sky in my neck of the woods in sometime- and as expected, Brian in Naperville wasn’t the only one asking about the origins of Valentines Day- but, because you did I will tell you that if you go to the show transcript- there should be a link on your podcast player… I will link to the following:

A show from 2023 on the origins of the holiday: https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/2023-02-14

An episode with our 1517 friends Gretchen and Katie, on the show “Freely Given” from last year when I talk to them about the historic underpinnings of today: https://freelygiven.libsyn.com/historic-valentine-with-dr-dan-van-voorhis and, for good measure- a show about “my favorite valentine”- the great Valentine Greatrakes- https://www.1517.org/podcast-overview/2021-02-14 that onetime farmer and faith healer also seems to have his ghost on Twitter who used to interact with this show from time to time…

That “Valentine” was born on the 14th of February- which, before it became anything romantic was another feast day for another (or a few) unknown or blended saints named after the Latin word for “strength” or “brave”- and so it was common to be named after the “saint of the day”- so “Valentine” it was- which may be better than “manchan” (an Irish saint celebrated today as well).

So I was confused a little while back when I was looking at birthdays and events for yesterday, the 13th of February and came across “Valentine Naboth”- a curious character seemingly born a day early according to an astrological birth chart made for him that also portended his own curious death… the birth chart is wonky and reads February 13th, but is in fact referencing the 18th hour after noon on the 13th… of course, Valentine was born on this, the 14th of February in 1523.

I told you it was a strange story… so, “Naboth” is a name from the Old Testament- he’s the vineyard owner killed by Jezebel in 1 Kings and the Naboth family were indeed Jewish until, well… by the time Valentine and his older brother Alexius decide to go to college in the 1540s in Wittenberg. This timing puts them firmly in the Reformation/Lutheran camp.

Alexius would go on to study theology but, likely influenced by Philip Melanchthon, decided to study what they would call God’s “other” book. They taught that God spoke to us in “2 books,” the book of special Revelation (that is, the Bible) and the book of general revelation (that is, nature). And so Valentine took up the study of that “second” book- studying the heavens- “the spheres” and what went by “astrology” but was much more like our modern mathematics and astronomy. In fact, much of what Valentine spent his time arguing was that the planets and stars don’t represent the fates and destinies designed by other Gods but reflect our God. He would write texts on Euclid and Ptolemy as well as general works that would influence the likes of Tycho Brahe and Galileo. He was one of the earlier Reformation-era natural scientists who legitimated the study of both God’s word and God’s world.

But this Valentine is usually remembered, if at all, for an unfortunate glitch in his otherwise mature understanding of the planets and universe. According to horoscopes that were still seen as “scientific,” he was to suffer tragedy in his 60th year. To keep it from happening, he decided to lock himself in his well-barricaded house. Unfortunately, the story is told that robbers- seeing his house bolted up, figured there was something of value in it- they broke in and Valentine was killed in the scuffle- a little after his 60th birthday… but we will remember the faithful Christian and natural scientist who was aptly named Valentine- born on this day in 1523.

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary and 1 Peter 1:

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 14th of February 2025 brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who is at least a hardy Bermuda or fescue. He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who likes a good Kentucky bluegrass, maybe with some soft perennial ryegrass. I’m known sod-hound 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.