Since much of the early Church history is about a series of figures, I am enjoying creating little biographies on some of these influential people, like Saint Ambrose. Aurelius Ambrosius, or simply "Ambrose" was an influential Roman leader and Christian elder. He is often considered one of the four Western/Latin Christian "Church Doctors" (Latin "doctor" … Continue reading Brief Notes on the Life of Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

Oliver La Farge (1901-1963) was an anthropologist of the American Indians of the Southwest and Mexico, particularly of the Navajo. He was an activist, a scholarly writer, and he also wrote short stories published in The New Yorker and Esquire. By far his most notable novel is the Pulitzer-Prize winner, Laughing Boy published in 1929. … Continue reading Laughing Boy: A Tragic Romance of the Navajo Indians

The Cook begins by applauding the "Miller's Tale" for warning listeners against inviting unfamiliar people into their homes (perhaps he missed the greater point of the tale). At any rate, he asks for permission to tell an amusing little tale of an innkeeper in his town ('jape') and a trick that was played. The Cook's … Continue reading Notes on the Unfinished Cook’s Tale

'Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus' lived from approximately 155-240. He hailed from Carthage, one of the largest Roman port cities located on the coast in present-day Tunisia. Tertullian has been variously referred to as the "Father of Western Theology" or the "Father of Latin Christianity." His claim to fame is the development of the concept of … Continue reading Who Is Tertullian?

What a novelty it must have been for readers in the early 18th century to experience Robinson Crusoe's survivalist struggle! Today, the novel is something of a slog, but the idea of the novel (i.e. its realist narrative style and its captivating theme of one man, alone at the ends of the earth) remains a … Continue reading Robinson Crusoe’s Diary of Survivalism