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Urban Legends
Urban Legends of Church History: 40 Common Misconceptions
Urban Legends of Church History surveys forty of the most commonly misunderstood events of church history from the period of the early church through the modern age. While these “urban legends” sometimes arise out of falsehood or fabrication, they are often the product of an exaggerated recounting of actual historical events. With a pastoral tone and helpful explanations, authors John Adair and Michael Svigel tackle legendary misconceptions, such as the early church worshiping on Saturday and the unbroken chain of apostolic succession. Urban Legends of Church History will correct misunderstandings of key events in church history and guide readers in applying principles that have characterized the Christian church since the first century.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
36 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Svigel
21 books18 followersMichael J. Svigel, Ph.D. is a patristic scholar, professor, and writer living in Dallas, Texas. His books and articles range from text-critical studies to juvenile fiction. He enjoys books, film, Bob Dylan, coffee, travel, and spending time with family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 26, 2021
This is a fun book that corrects lots of misconceptions floating around about the history of the church. For example, is it true that the earliest Christians didn’t really distinguish between heresy and orthodoxy? Did women serve in official capacities in the early church? Did the church cease to exist in the Dark Ages? Were any of America’s Founding Fathers Orthodox Christians? The chapters are short and written for regular church folks not just seminary grads. I know I learned a lot reading it!
January 14, 2021
I wish I could give this 10 stars! I REALLY enjoyed it! The authors were careful to document their claims regarding the myths & legends and gave useful application for believers today. They also included recommended resources at the end of each chapter. Read it! You’ll be surprised!!!!
May 4, 2023
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book! I’m certainly no scholar when it comes to church history, so I found the vast majority of the chapters to be incredibly enlightening.
The good news is that this book has chapters that span the entire timeline of church history, and the topics of each chapter are quite varied, so the book will appeal to a large range of readers.
Certainly, I found some chapters to be more interesting than others. For me, the Urban Legends I enjoyed reading about the most were:
1. The earliest Christians worshiped on Saturday
6. An emperor, pope, or church council canonized the Bible
10. Women never served as church officers in the early church
17. The one true church is marked by an unbroken chain of apostolic succession
19. The eastern and western churches split over just one word in the creed
24. The reformers removed the Apocrypha from the Bible
29. The King James Version was the first authorized Protestant translation
35. Christians took Genesis 1 literally until Darwin’s theory of evolution
For my own future notes:
Pages 20-21 - “Indeed, when Ignatius described how he imagined his upcoming martyrdom, he used terms eerily similar to those of Tacitus:
"Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts,
mutilations, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil- let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ.' In another letter, Ignatius used similar language: "Why, moreover, have I surrendered myself to death, to fire, to sword, to beasts?"
The similarity in description between these contemporaries, Tacitus and Ignatius - Tacitus about a historical period and Ignatius about their own day- suggests that executions of Christians in Rome were likely to take place in the circuses of Rome - Nero's Circus, possibly, but more likely by Ignatius's day, the primary circus in Rome, the Circus Maximus.”
Page 37 - “In this regard, the ancient dictum should prevail:
"In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty;
in all things, charity."
Page 41 - “The term canon comes from a Greek word meaning "standard' or "rule"
Canonical books of the Bible are those regarded by Christians as the standard or rule of the faith - the final written authority in all matters of faith and practice. Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) once noted, "We always use holy Scripture as the canon and rule of all our doctrine. So we must necessarily look towards this standard and accept only that which is congruent with the sense of the writings.”
It is important to emphasize that a book of the Bible
is not deemed "canonical" because it measures up to some outside standard or rule set by the church; rather, a book of the Bible is deemed canonical because it is itself the standard and rule for the church. The church did not decree the books of the Bible to be canonical; rather, the church received the books of the Bible as canonical.”
Page 58 - “Lactantius (c. 305) “When we speak of God the Father and God the Son, we do not speak of them as different, nor do we separate each: because the Father cannot exist without the Son, nor can the Son be separated from the Father, since the name of Father cannot be given without the Son, nor can the Son be begotten without the Father."
Page 61 - “The great Princeton scholar B. B. Warfield put it well: "There is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.”
Page 70 - “The most significant biblical example of a woman in ministry comes from the final chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Paul began his list of greetings in that chapter with, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea" (Rom 16:1). The Greek word translated "servant" is diakonon, which can also be rendered "deacon, as Paul used it in 1 Tim 3:8-13. Taken on its own, one might perceive ambiguity in the word diakonon. However, in the context of the phrase "a diakonon of the church," the term becomes much more revealing. The construction "a/the _____ of the church" appears numerous times in the Bible and in early Christian literature. Every time, the word in the blank refers to an office (eg, deacon) rather than a simple function (e.g., servant). Acts 20:17 mentions
"the elders of the church," Eph 5:23 pictures lesus as "the head of the church; and James 5:14 exhorts believers to call for "the elders of the church."
Page 74 - “However a few caveats are in order. First, although there appears to us to be good evidence in the early church for the presence of deaconesses, there is no evidence for the presence of female elders. Second, the role of deaconesses appears to have been limited to the care of widows and orphans- women and children, but it seems to have included their catechetical instrucion, baptism, and discipleship- all under the oversight of the church elders, Similar, the role of male deacons was also generally limited to the catechism, baptism, and discipleship of men. Third, early churches appear to have exercised some sensibility regarding the compatibility between a woman's stage of life and her responsibilities for church ministry. Married women in child-reaing years do not appear to have been primary candidates to serve as deaconesses, who tended to be older women- often widows who in any case had enough time and energy to commit to full time Christian service. Similarly, unmarried women ("Virgins') also engaged in official ministry as "deaconesses.” Nevertheless, it is clear that in many places, very early, women held the official ministry position of deaconess in the local churches.”
Page 109 - “Both the Novatians and another group, called the Donatists, had split from the broader church over the issue of holy living in the midst of persecution. Both of these groups wanted to deny church membership to anyone who had denied Christ during periods of persecution, even when those who had denied later repented. The Novatians and the Donatists believed God honored their purity and didn't want to see the church tainted by those who had fallen into sin. There is no indication that the Novatians or the Donatists practiced believer's baptism.”
Pages 137-138 - “Issues listed in this response are numerous and include the type of bread used, whether the clergy could be married (East) or not (West), and the filioque clause, the last of which will be discussed in more detail below.
However, the unifying theme running through all of the minor complaints involved Roman leadership. The Eastern churches believed in a plurality of leadership -even though Rome would be honored among the most significant churches. But the power of the papacy had grown considerably over the previous centuries, and the Eastern churches chafed at the domineering rule from Rome. As one Roman Catholic scholar suggests, "The eleventh-century reform in the Western Church called for the strengthening of papal authority, which caused the church to become more autocratic and centralized. Basing his claims on his succession from St. Peter, the pope asserted his direct jurisdiction over the entire church, East as well as West." The East rejected the West's power play, and the single word added to the Creed served as a convenient representative of the more significant disagreement over leadership. As Gregg Allson has noted, “At the heart of the matter was the question of authority."
Page 170 - “In reality, Sola Scriptura originally meant that only Scripture carries direct divine authority in itself- that is, its words alone have absolute apostolic and prophetic authority, as "inspired by God" (2 Tim 3:16). Therefore, it is the sole final authority and inerrant source of truth in all it affirms.”
Page 176 - “To Trent's challenge the Reformers were able to make an equally bold reply, by echoing Augustine’s claim that Jesus himself endorsed the Jewish canon, and pointing out that the Jewish canon was the canon of the Hebrew Bible, which did not include the Apocrypha.”
Page 181 - “Though most of the Apocrypha contain helpful insights on historical events or harmless inspirational poetry or stories of bold faith and piety, in a few instances they could be used to defend doctrines that find no other footing in canonical Scripture. For example, Roman Catholic theologians have defended the doctrines of purgatory and prayers for the dead from 2 Maccabees 12:46, which says, "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins"
Page 192 - “The Anabaptists were the original post-Reformation group to practice believer's baptism on the main continent of Europe. "Anabaptists" (meaning: re-baptizers) was a name given by outsiders (Catholics and other Protestants) to this group of people in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, because they practiced adult believers's baptism.”
Page 195 - “However, one significant difference exists between those first Baptist congregations and virtually all modern Baptists: the mode of baptism. When modern Baptists teach on baptism, they make much not just of believer's baptism, but also that for believer's baptism to be valid, it must occur by immersion. The argument usually involves defining the Greek word for baptism in the New Testament, which means "to put or go under water."
Page 196 - “The early years of John Smyth instruct in at least one important way. Smyth had declared that no church possessed the true baptism- by which he meant believer's baptism-the result being that he baptized himself. However, even Smyth felt discomfort over this decision, and when made aware of Mennonites who practiced believer's baptism, Smyth went to them and asked them to baptize him properly. Baptism has always been, in the Christian church, a gift to receive rather than a task to be accomplished. Smyth understood this, and so submitted himself to others in order to receive the gift.
In turn, Smyth's followers and the Baptist tradition as a whole have always maintained the need for people to be baptized by someone else. Believers are not mere individuals before God, but adopted children, brought into a family full of others. Baptism recognizes that communal reality by involving more than just the individual being baptized.”
Page 208 - “The isue that separates Calvinists and Arminians is not total depravity and the need for grace. Their disagreement revolves around how such grace comes to people. In Calvinist theology, God elects certain people from among the pool of lost sinners then grants to those elect the effectual grace of regeneration to believe and be saved. This is effectual in that those given such regenerating grace actually respond in faith, which is an irresistible gift. The result is that al of the elect will be saved and preserved in this state.
In Arminian theology, God grants to all lost, depraved sinners not effectual saving grace, but enabling grace- provided for in the death of Christ- so all people are given, by grace, a choice to accept or reject God's revelation.
Left to themselves, humans are totally depraved. But by God's general, prevenient, enabling grace, all helpless sinners have a limited capacity to receive the good news of Jesus Christ by faith. The "free will" to believe or reject is not something humans have by nature. It is something given to them by grace. Thus, in Arminian theology, there is no salvation apart from divine grace.”
Page 213 - “The English Bible translation of 1611 has popularly been called the Authorized Version and/or the King James Bible. Neither phrase appeared on the original title page of the Bible, which said, "The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New: newly translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesty's special commandment. Appointed to be read in churches."
Pages 215-216 - “Furthermore, advocates for the 1611 translation alone make another grave error: virtually no one today actually reads the 1611 translation, but rather an updated and revised text from 1769. More than 150 years after its publication, the King James Version had been printed and reprinted many times, with corrections and new errors incorporated each time. In the effort to produce a standard text, the 1769 edition corrected these typographical errors and offered a clear standard for other printers to work from. Further, the Apocrypha-which had been induded in the 1611 translation but often left out in intervening years- was excluded from this revision.”
Page 262 - “Too frequently Christians speak with an exclamation mark when Scripture itself speaks with a period, ellipsis, or even a question mark.”
The good news is that this book has chapters that span the entire timeline of church history, and the topics of each chapter are quite varied, so the book will appeal to a large range of readers.
Certainly, I found some chapters to be more interesting than others. For me, the Urban Legends I enjoyed reading about the most were:
1. The earliest Christians worshiped on Saturday
6. An emperor, pope, or church council canonized the Bible
10. Women never served as church officers in the early church
17. The one true church is marked by an unbroken chain of apostolic succession
19. The eastern and western churches split over just one word in the creed
24. The reformers removed the Apocrypha from the Bible
29. The King James Version was the first authorized Protestant translation
35. Christians took Genesis 1 literally until Darwin’s theory of evolution
For my own future notes:
Pages 20-21 - “Indeed, when Ignatius described how he imagined his upcoming martyrdom, he used terms eerily similar to those of Tacitus:
"Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts,
mutilations, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil- let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ.' In another letter, Ignatius used similar language: "Why, moreover, have I surrendered myself to death, to fire, to sword, to beasts?"
The similarity in description between these contemporaries, Tacitus and Ignatius - Tacitus about a historical period and Ignatius about their own day- suggests that executions of Christians in Rome were likely to take place in the circuses of Rome - Nero's Circus, possibly, but more likely by Ignatius's day, the primary circus in Rome, the Circus Maximus.”
Page 37 - “In this regard, the ancient dictum should prevail:
"In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty;
in all things, charity."
Page 41 - “The term canon comes from a Greek word meaning "standard' or "rule"
Canonical books of the Bible are those regarded by Christians as the standard or rule of the faith - the final written authority in all matters of faith and practice. Gregory of Nyssa (335-395) once noted, "We always use holy Scripture as the canon and rule of all our doctrine. So we must necessarily look towards this standard and accept only that which is congruent with the sense of the writings.”
It is important to emphasize that a book of the Bible
is not deemed "canonical" because it measures up to some outside standard or rule set by the church; rather, a book of the Bible is deemed canonical because it is itself the standard and rule for the church. The church did not decree the books of the Bible to be canonical; rather, the church received the books of the Bible as canonical.”
Page 58 - “Lactantius (c. 305) “When we speak of God the Father and God the Son, we do not speak of them as different, nor do we separate each: because the Father cannot exist without the Son, nor can the Son be separated from the Father, since the name of Father cannot be given without the Son, nor can the Son be begotten without the Father."
Page 61 - “The great Princeton scholar B. B. Warfield put it well: "There is one only and true God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three coeternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence.”
Page 70 - “The most significant biblical example of a woman in ministry comes from the final chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Paul began his list of greetings in that chapter with, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea" (Rom 16:1). The Greek word translated "servant" is diakonon, which can also be rendered "deacon, as Paul used it in 1 Tim 3:8-13. Taken on its own, one might perceive ambiguity in the word diakonon. However, in the context of the phrase "a diakonon of the church," the term becomes much more revealing. The construction "a/the _____ of the church" appears numerous times in the Bible and in early Christian literature. Every time, the word in the blank refers to an office (eg, deacon) rather than a simple function (e.g., servant). Acts 20:17 mentions
"the elders of the church," Eph 5:23 pictures lesus as "the head of the church; and James 5:14 exhorts believers to call for "the elders of the church."
Page 74 - “However a few caveats are in order. First, although there appears to us to be good evidence in the early church for the presence of deaconesses, there is no evidence for the presence of female elders. Second, the role of deaconesses appears to have been limited to the care of widows and orphans- women and children, but it seems to have included their catechetical instrucion, baptism, and discipleship- all under the oversight of the church elders, Similar, the role of male deacons was also generally limited to the catechism, baptism, and discipleship of men. Third, early churches appear to have exercised some sensibility regarding the compatibility between a woman's stage of life and her responsibilities for church ministry. Married women in child-reaing years do not appear to have been primary candidates to serve as deaconesses, who tended to be older women- often widows who in any case had enough time and energy to commit to full time Christian service. Similarly, unmarried women ("Virgins') also engaged in official ministry as "deaconesses.” Nevertheless, it is clear that in many places, very early, women held the official ministry position of deaconess in the local churches.”
Page 109 - “Both the Novatians and another group, called the Donatists, had split from the broader church over the issue of holy living in the midst of persecution. Both of these groups wanted to deny church membership to anyone who had denied Christ during periods of persecution, even when those who had denied later repented. The Novatians and the Donatists believed God honored their purity and didn't want to see the church tainted by those who had fallen into sin. There is no indication that the Novatians or the Donatists practiced believer's baptism.”
Pages 137-138 - “Issues listed in this response are numerous and include the type of bread used, whether the clergy could be married (East) or not (West), and the filioque clause, the last of which will be discussed in more detail below.
However, the unifying theme running through all of the minor complaints involved Roman leadership. The Eastern churches believed in a plurality of leadership -even though Rome would be honored among the most significant churches. But the power of the papacy had grown considerably over the previous centuries, and the Eastern churches chafed at the domineering rule from Rome. As one Roman Catholic scholar suggests, "The eleventh-century reform in the Western Church called for the strengthening of papal authority, which caused the church to become more autocratic and centralized. Basing his claims on his succession from St. Peter, the pope asserted his direct jurisdiction over the entire church, East as well as West." The East rejected the West's power play, and the single word added to the Creed served as a convenient representative of the more significant disagreement over leadership. As Gregg Allson has noted, “At the heart of the matter was the question of authority."
Page 170 - “In reality, Sola Scriptura originally meant that only Scripture carries direct divine authority in itself- that is, its words alone have absolute apostolic and prophetic authority, as "inspired by God" (2 Tim 3:16). Therefore, it is the sole final authority and inerrant source of truth in all it affirms.”
Page 176 - “To Trent's challenge the Reformers were able to make an equally bold reply, by echoing Augustine’s claim that Jesus himself endorsed the Jewish canon, and pointing out that the Jewish canon was the canon of the Hebrew Bible, which did not include the Apocrypha.”
Page 181 - “Though most of the Apocrypha contain helpful insights on historical events or harmless inspirational poetry or stories of bold faith and piety, in a few instances they could be used to defend doctrines that find no other footing in canonical Scripture. For example, Roman Catholic theologians have defended the doctrines of purgatory and prayers for the dead from 2 Maccabees 12:46, which says, "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins"
Page 192 - “The Anabaptists were the original post-Reformation group to practice believer's baptism on the main continent of Europe. "Anabaptists" (meaning: re-baptizers) was a name given by outsiders (Catholics and other Protestants) to this group of people in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, because they practiced adult believers's baptism.”
Page 195 - “However, one significant difference exists between those first Baptist congregations and virtually all modern Baptists: the mode of baptism. When modern Baptists teach on baptism, they make much not just of believer's baptism, but also that for believer's baptism to be valid, it must occur by immersion. The argument usually involves defining the Greek word for baptism in the New Testament, which means "to put or go under water."
Page 196 - “The early years of John Smyth instruct in at least one important way. Smyth had declared that no church possessed the true baptism- by which he meant believer's baptism-the result being that he baptized himself. However, even Smyth felt discomfort over this decision, and when made aware of Mennonites who practiced believer's baptism, Smyth went to them and asked them to baptize him properly. Baptism has always been, in the Christian church, a gift to receive rather than a task to be accomplished. Smyth understood this, and so submitted himself to others in order to receive the gift.
In turn, Smyth's followers and the Baptist tradition as a whole have always maintained the need for people to be baptized by someone else. Believers are not mere individuals before God, but adopted children, brought into a family full of others. Baptism recognizes that communal reality by involving more than just the individual being baptized.”
Page 208 - “The isue that separates Calvinists and Arminians is not total depravity and the need for grace. Their disagreement revolves around how such grace comes to people. In Calvinist theology, God elects certain people from among the pool of lost sinners then grants to those elect the effectual grace of regeneration to believe and be saved. This is effectual in that those given such regenerating grace actually respond in faith, which is an irresistible gift. The result is that al of the elect will be saved and preserved in this state.
In Arminian theology, God grants to all lost, depraved sinners not effectual saving grace, but enabling grace- provided for in the death of Christ- so all people are given, by grace, a choice to accept or reject God's revelation.
Left to themselves, humans are totally depraved. But by God's general, prevenient, enabling grace, all helpless sinners have a limited capacity to receive the good news of Jesus Christ by faith. The "free will" to believe or reject is not something humans have by nature. It is something given to them by grace. Thus, in Arminian theology, there is no salvation apart from divine grace.”
Page 213 - “The English Bible translation of 1611 has popularly been called the Authorized Version and/or the King James Bible. Neither phrase appeared on the original title page of the Bible, which said, "The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New: newly translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesty's special commandment. Appointed to be read in churches."
Pages 215-216 - “Furthermore, advocates for the 1611 translation alone make another grave error: virtually no one today actually reads the 1611 translation, but rather an updated and revised text from 1769. More than 150 years after its publication, the King James Version had been printed and reprinted many times, with corrections and new errors incorporated each time. In the effort to produce a standard text, the 1769 edition corrected these typographical errors and offered a clear standard for other printers to work from. Further, the Apocrypha-which had been induded in the 1611 translation but often left out in intervening years- was excluded from this revision.”
Page 262 - “Too frequently Christians speak with an exclamation mark when Scripture itself speaks with a period, ellipsis, or even a question mark.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2023
Such a good book on the many urban legends of Church history. So many I have heard different things about.
June 14, 2023
In my college days, I had an incredible Church History professor. He was so effective that after taking his class, my desire to study and read church history was forever changed. In fact, I now love history. History is God's story for humanity and it is pockmarked with some amazing stories as well as much heartbreak. With a love for church history, I picked up this book and began to peddle my way through the book, reading one chapter per day (the chapters are fairly short, mostly 4-5 pages in length). Here's the concept behind Urban Legends. The authors start with this: "We hear pastors preaching them from their pulpits. Teachers spout them in their classrooms. The internet promotes them as unquestioned truth. Books, films, and TV shows retell them with intriguing plots. And well-meaning but ill-informed people believe them. In fact, almost all of us stand guilty of receiving or repeating half-truths, exaggerations, misconceptions, or outright fallacies about the history of Christianity." It is with this in mind that the authors set out to address 40 "Legends" that have actually worked their way into the mindset of many in the world regarding the history of Christianity. You might be surprised how many of these legends you have heard or, perhaps, even promoted. The authors structure each chapter by first stating the legend, then showing how the legend developed, followed by an explanation of the actual truth related to the legend, and then ending each chapter with practical application to the reader in the 21st Century. This format is wonderful and makes the book an easy and good read.
The first section covered legends related to the years A.D. 50-500. For example, the authors address topics such as: 1) The Earliest Christians worshipped on Saturday; 2) The church apostatized shortly after the apostles, 3) The sands of the colosseum are stained with the martyrs' blood; 4) The Lord's supper was original a love feast or a "Community meal"; 5) The earliest church didn't know the difference between orthodoxy and heresy; 6) An emperor, pope or church council canonized the Bible; 7) Pagan philosophy contaminated Christian theology; 8) The doctrine of the Trinity developed centuries after Jesus; 9) The emperor Constantine made Christianity the official state religion and 10) Women never served as church officers in the early church. Have you ever heard of any of these? I know I have. Many times over. The authors do a great job of explaining why each of these are legends and are not totally true or even remotely true.
The second section of the book covers the years, A.D. 500-1500 (the Medieval Period). Some of the topics covered are: 1) Nothing good came from the dark ages; 2) The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement first appeared in the middle ages; 3) The Roman Catholic church ruled Europe with uniformity; 4) The Christian faith was lost during the Middle Ages; 5) The one true church went underground during the Dark Ages; 6) The Medieval Catholic Church completely abandoned salvation by grace; 7) The one true church is marked by an unbroken chain of apostolic succession; 8) Abelard and Anselm debated over the atonement and Anselm won; 9) The easter and western churches split over just one word in the creed; and 10) The roman Catholic church regularly burned heretics at the stake. Some of these, perhaps you've never heard about; perhaps you have heard about them and have thought, "Who cares?" Some of the explanations and applications to our lives today might surprise you.
The third section covers the years, A.D. 1500-1700. This obviously begins to get closer perhaps to issues that we have heard being taught or possibly believed. For example, the authors address: 1) The Protestant reformers concocted the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith; 2) The Reformers believed the Bible was the only source for theology; 3) The reformers were trying to restore the church of the New Testament era; 4) The reformers removed the Apocrypha from the Bible; 5) Protestants don't accept the Church Councils and Creeds; 6) The Anabaptists were the predecessors of Modern Baptists; 7) John Calvin summarized his theology in five points; 8) Jacob Arminius denied depravity and taught that Christians could lose their salvation; 9) The King James Version was the first authorized Protestant translation (very fascinating chapter indeed); and 10) The Pilgrims fled religious oppressions to establish a society of religious freedom. Many of these chapters will get the reader into some excellent theology and might just confront something you have held onto as a cherished belief for many years.
The last section of the book covers the years, A.D. 1700-Present. It is hard to not see some of these legends within the culture. Legends such as, 1) Modern scholars were the first to notice problem passages in the Bible; 2) The United States was originally a Christian nation; 3) Fundamentalists were the first Christians to believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture; 4) None of the American Founding Fathers were Orthodox Christians; 5) Christians took Genesis 1 literally until Darwin's theory of evolution; 6) Atheism first threatened the church in the modern era; 7) The church has never been divided as it is in the modern era; 8) The Swiss Theologian Karl Barth was a liberal; 9) Calvinists nearly killed Evangelism and Missions; Non-Calvinists revived them; and 10 Date setters and sign seekers are a uniquely modern phenomena. Just a brief look around at the church today and one can find some of these legends alive and well. Perhaps you have even bought into one of these legends ourself.
While I'm guessing that the reader might not agree with every jot and tittle of this book, I think as a whole this is a fantastic read. In fact, it is a book that many (or all) Christians would do well to read. One of the strengths of the book is the structure of it. It is done in such a way that it can be used more like an encyclopedia where a person can read various chapters and not all of them, since each chapter is really a stand-alone chapter. This is an excellent work and highly recommended read.
The first section covered legends related to the years A.D. 50-500. For example, the authors address topics such as: 1) The Earliest Christians worshipped on Saturday; 2) The church apostatized shortly after the apostles, 3) The sands of the colosseum are stained with the martyrs' blood; 4) The Lord's supper was original a love feast or a "Community meal"; 5) The earliest church didn't know the difference between orthodoxy and heresy; 6) An emperor, pope or church council canonized the Bible; 7) Pagan philosophy contaminated Christian theology; 8) The doctrine of the Trinity developed centuries after Jesus; 9) The emperor Constantine made Christianity the official state religion and 10) Women never served as church officers in the early church. Have you ever heard of any of these? I know I have. Many times over. The authors do a great job of explaining why each of these are legends and are not totally true or even remotely true.
The second section of the book covers the years, A.D. 500-1500 (the Medieval Period). Some of the topics covered are: 1) Nothing good came from the dark ages; 2) The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement first appeared in the middle ages; 3) The Roman Catholic church ruled Europe with uniformity; 4) The Christian faith was lost during the Middle Ages; 5) The one true church went underground during the Dark Ages; 6) The Medieval Catholic Church completely abandoned salvation by grace; 7) The one true church is marked by an unbroken chain of apostolic succession; 8) Abelard and Anselm debated over the atonement and Anselm won; 9) The easter and western churches split over just one word in the creed; and 10) The roman Catholic church regularly burned heretics at the stake. Some of these, perhaps you've never heard about; perhaps you have heard about them and have thought, "Who cares?" Some of the explanations and applications to our lives today might surprise you.
The third section covers the years, A.D. 1500-1700. This obviously begins to get closer perhaps to issues that we have heard being taught or possibly believed. For example, the authors address: 1) The Protestant reformers concocted the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith; 2) The Reformers believed the Bible was the only source for theology; 3) The reformers were trying to restore the church of the New Testament era; 4) The reformers removed the Apocrypha from the Bible; 5) Protestants don't accept the Church Councils and Creeds; 6) The Anabaptists were the predecessors of Modern Baptists; 7) John Calvin summarized his theology in five points; 8) Jacob Arminius denied depravity and taught that Christians could lose their salvation; 9) The King James Version was the first authorized Protestant translation (very fascinating chapter indeed); and 10) The Pilgrims fled religious oppressions to establish a society of religious freedom. Many of these chapters will get the reader into some excellent theology and might just confront something you have held onto as a cherished belief for many years.
The last section of the book covers the years, A.D. 1700-Present. It is hard to not see some of these legends within the culture. Legends such as, 1) Modern scholars were the first to notice problem passages in the Bible; 2) The United States was originally a Christian nation; 3) Fundamentalists were the first Christians to believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture; 4) None of the American Founding Fathers were Orthodox Christians; 5) Christians took Genesis 1 literally until Darwin's theory of evolution; 6) Atheism first threatened the church in the modern era; 7) The church has never been divided as it is in the modern era; 8) The Swiss Theologian Karl Barth was a liberal; 9) Calvinists nearly killed Evangelism and Missions; Non-Calvinists revived them; and 10 Date setters and sign seekers are a uniquely modern phenomena. Just a brief look around at the church today and one can find some of these legends alive and well. Perhaps you have even bought into one of these legends ourself.
While I'm guessing that the reader might not agree with every jot and tittle of this book, I think as a whole this is a fantastic read. In fact, it is a book that many (or all) Christians would do well to read. One of the strengths of the book is the structure of it. It is done in such a way that it can be used more like an encyclopedia where a person can read various chapters and not all of them, since each chapter is really a stand-alone chapter. This is an excellent work and highly recommended read.
August 6, 2021
Urban Legends of Church History: 40 Common Misconceptions by Michael Svigel and John Adair is the third book I’ve read in the “Urban Legends” series by B & H Academic. The first two address commonly repeated inaccuracies about the Old and New Testaments. Though all written by different scholars, all three books have the same accessible format, and all three books are extremely helpful to both the layperson and to those in ministry. Of the three, I found Urban Legends of Church History most interesting probably because (like many) my Bible knowledge is better than my church history knowledge. So, Urban Legends of Church History is a welcomed and much-needed tool, conveniently packaged.
I would recommend all Christians—for their benefit—to pick up a good overview of church history, such as Church History in Plain English by Bruce L. Shelley or Justo L. Gonzalez’s two-volume The Story of Christianity to get a good grasp of the key events and movements in Christianity’s board and diverse 2,000-year history. Then, read Urban Legends of Church History as a helpful side-kick for tightening up that new knowledge. I believe all Christians and the Church at large can benefit by having a firmer grasp of Christian history.
The book is broken into four parts: early church (AD 50-500), Medieval period (AD 500-1,500), the Protestant era (AD 1,500-1,700), and the modern age (AD 1,700-present). Some would want to read it from front to back, but if you don’t have time for that, when reading through the titles of the 40 chapters, many will jump out at you and pull you in for a reading: “The Earliest Christians Worshipped on Saturday”; “Nothing Good Came from the ‘Dark Ages’”; “John Calvin Summarized His Theology in ‘Five Points’”; “None of the American Founding Fathers Were Orthodox Christians”; “Women Never Served as Church Officers in the Early Church.” My only complaint is that since the book is just under 300 pages, I always ended up wishing that many of the more compelling chapters were longer. I was left wanting more explanation and details, even opposing viewpoints, but such is not the nature of this book. Anyhow, the authors provide plenty of references and recommendations for further research.
Finally, I wanted to comment on the apologetic value of this book. As one who is in ministry where I defend the faith and teach others to do the same, I found it helpful as a quick resource to point people to. Everyone in ministry regularly hears “urban legends,” so where this might not be considered an apologetics book, I would point out the apologetic value of it. I especially found the first part focusing on the early church (AD 50-500) as helpful for addressing attacks on historical, orthodox Christianity by anti-theists, cults (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons), and “progressive” Christians, chapters like “The Church Apostatized Shortly after the Apostles”; “Pagan Philosophy Contaminated Christian Theology”; and “The Doctrine of the Trinity Developed Centuries after Jesus.”
*B & H Academic provided me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
I would recommend all Christians—for their benefit—to pick up a good overview of church history, such as Church History in Plain English by Bruce L. Shelley or Justo L. Gonzalez’s two-volume The Story of Christianity to get a good grasp of the key events and movements in Christianity’s board and diverse 2,000-year history. Then, read Urban Legends of Church History as a helpful side-kick for tightening up that new knowledge. I believe all Christians and the Church at large can benefit by having a firmer grasp of Christian history.
The book is broken into four parts: early church (AD 50-500), Medieval period (AD 500-1,500), the Protestant era (AD 1,500-1,700), and the modern age (AD 1,700-present). Some would want to read it from front to back, but if you don’t have time for that, when reading through the titles of the 40 chapters, many will jump out at you and pull you in for a reading: “The Earliest Christians Worshipped on Saturday”; “Nothing Good Came from the ‘Dark Ages’”; “John Calvin Summarized His Theology in ‘Five Points’”; “None of the American Founding Fathers Were Orthodox Christians”; “Women Never Served as Church Officers in the Early Church.” My only complaint is that since the book is just under 300 pages, I always ended up wishing that many of the more compelling chapters were longer. I was left wanting more explanation and details, even opposing viewpoints, but such is not the nature of this book. Anyhow, the authors provide plenty of references and recommendations for further research.
Finally, I wanted to comment on the apologetic value of this book. As one who is in ministry where I defend the faith and teach others to do the same, I found it helpful as a quick resource to point people to. Everyone in ministry regularly hears “urban legends,” so where this might not be considered an apologetics book, I would point out the apologetic value of it. I especially found the first part focusing on the early church (AD 50-500) as helpful for addressing attacks on historical, orthodox Christianity by anti-theists, cults (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons), and “progressive” Christians, chapters like “The Church Apostatized Shortly after the Apostles”; “Pagan Philosophy Contaminated Christian Theology”; and “The Doctrine of the Trinity Developed Centuries after Jesus.”
*B & H Academic provided me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
October 4, 2024
Superficially, this book was very informative; below the surface, this book was transformative. As a person who aspires to be a pastor, I feel I was presented with a treasure trove of information that helps to address some of the things that lead to folk or lay theology within the Christian church today. Perhaps my biggest take away is not so much the way Svigel and Adair go about debunking a myth, but instead, the extent to which the authors understand why people might believe the myth. By understanding how people can come to believe such assumptions, the authors can better approach the situation with humility and compassion. This demonstration, I believe, is an exhortation to me, and hopefully other readers, to not lose sight of the call for every Christian to imitate Christ. This is especially true in situations where core beliefs are being uprooted and tempers can easily flare. I firmly believe that the goal of any of these conversations is not to win an argument, but to bring people closer to a deeper understanding of their Creator and how He operates in this present age. To approach such conversations with both humility and preparedness is instrumental to drawing people toward a deeper knowledge and experience of Christ.
July 31, 2023
I consider myself an amateur church history buff and I still had plenty of my ideas about church history challenged.
The book covers 40 different myths from 1st century up to the modern church. Each chapter stands on its own and could be read straight through or just picking random chapters.
The chapters all follow the same formula. It presents the myth, explains what it gets right and wrong often using primary sources, then adds with an application on why the truth matters. In chapter is only a few pages in length.
I loved how generous and charitable the authors were throughout each myth. They present it in the best possible light and explained why people may believe it. Many of the chapters were apologetic in nature. Some of the myths are those presented by cults or critiques of Christianity. Yet, they still remained charitable in explaining the truth.
I think this book would be worthwhile for any believer because there is a good chance you have heard, or even believe, a few of these urban legends.
The book covers 40 different myths from 1st century up to the modern church. Each chapter stands on its own and could be read straight through or just picking random chapters.
The chapters all follow the same formula. It presents the myth, explains what it gets right and wrong often using primary sources, then adds with an application on why the truth matters. In chapter is only a few pages in length.
I loved how generous and charitable the authors were throughout each myth. They present it in the best possible light and explained why people may believe it. Many of the chapters were apologetic in nature. Some of the myths are those presented by cults or critiques of Christianity. Yet, they still remained charitable in explaining the truth.
I think this book would be worthwhile for any believer because there is a good chance you have heard, or even believe, a few of these urban legends.
January 28, 2021
I was surprised to find a book that seems to meet my niche interests so perfectly. Upon reading it though, I realised it has a lot to offer for any apologist, or really anyone who wants to reference history: Constantine's relationship with the church, the filioque clause, the darkness of the dark ages, the place of the KJV, or any of 36 other questions that do pop up when people want to discuss the legitimacy of Christianity.
It's not a perfect book, (hence the lack of 5 stars), displaying a confidence in certain facts that feel distinctly North American. That said, it's an enjoyable read & worthwhile for anyone who wants to challenge their view of Church History. I for example, was challenged in my eucharistic theology.
It's not a perfect book, (hence the lack of 5 stars), displaying a confidence in certain facts that feel distinctly North American. That said, it's an enjoyable read & worthwhile for anyone who wants to challenge their view of Church History. I for example, was challenged in my eucharistic theology.
February 11, 2021
Great read if you are interested in Church History and the truth behind different misconception of Church History. This is divided into four sections early Church History, Medieval, Reformation and Modern periods. The Chapters are self-contained and are independent of each other. My one complaint is that some of the sections were too short and left a lot of details on the table. However, they provided good resources to do further research on your own.
April 25, 2021
As an enthusiastic advocate for knowing church history, I found this oddly unsatisfying. The questions seem more like author-driven topics of interest rather than legitimate ‘urban legends’ and the answers have a slight air of accommodation. Almost as if everyone at the science fair got an honorable mention ribbon, though many of the projects may not have been honorable or, in the final reckoning, even deserved a mention.
September 7, 2021
This reads like a textbook and unless you love history, it's a tough read. I would have given up after the first chapter, but it was a book club book and I just kept working at it. Not being a history buff, I'm sure I got very little out of it.
May 19, 2022
The urban legends set/series is a good tool and resource, especially in answering some of the common questions and assertions made by non-Christians. As such, it is a useful tool to help clear up some common misconceptions that could even plague the Christian.
January 31, 2025
Not quite what I was expecting. Interesting.
April 15, 2025
A good resource.
December 29, 2025
Mitos exegéticos, mitos sobre personajes de la historia del cristianismo, con verdad, y también un toque de ironía.
Muy divertido.
Muy divertido.
April 11, 2022
Church History Mythbusting..
Enjoyable read. I agreed with a majority of what was written. Puts to rest a lot of urban legends and myths regarding church history.
Enjoyable read. I agreed with a majority of what was written. Puts to rest a lot of urban legends and myths regarding church history.
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