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Christian History

Today in Christian History

January 7

January 7, 367: Early church father Athanasius, famous for his battles against the Arian heresy, writes a letter containing a list of what he thinks should be considered the canon of Scripture. Over time, his list would be accepted by the church (see issue 43: How We Got Our Bible and issue 28: 100 Most Important Events in Christian History).

January 7, 1536: Catherine of Aragon, whose divorce from Henry VIII was the catalyst for the English Reformation, dies (see issue 48: Thomas Cranmer).

January 7, 1844: Bernadette Soubirous, whose visions of Mary led to the establishment of the Shrine of Lourdes, is born.

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April 24, 387: On this day, Augustine of Hippo writes in his autobiographical Confessions, "We were baptized and all anxiety for our past life vanished away." The 33-year-old had been a teacher of rhetoric and pagan philosophies at some of the Roman Empire's finest schools, but after great influence by his mother, Monica, and the famous bishop Ambrose, he turned to Christianity. His baptism by Ambrose, on Easter Sunday, marked his entrance into the church (see issue 15: Augustine and ...

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