The man who would become St. Cyprian of Carthage was born in North Africa around 200 A.D. Cyprian did not convert to Christianity until later in his life but became a bishop shortly after his conversion. In his 10 years in office, Cyprian led his church through a period of intense persecution, a devastating plague, and another round of persecution that ultimately ended his life.
On this episode of Prayer amid Pandemic, Franklin Norton, a Latin and church history teacher at Covenant School, discuss why a plague was named after a Christian bishop, how his leadership shaped the church’s countercultural response, and what the church today needs to hear from Cyprian today.
Shori Sungawa, a student in Japan, offers this episode’s prayer.