As an enthusiast of religious history and architecture I have visited many churches over the years. Many many churches. Churches of all ages and denominations. I estimate that over time I have probably made pilgrimages to hundreds of churches, perhaps more than five hundred. I have honestly lost count. I was recently asked how many churches I have visited, and how many I … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2022
AMERICA’S NATIONAL MILITARY MUSEUMS
In the United States, you can find museums for virtually anything related to the country’s history, especially its military history. As America approaches its 250th birthday, that means a lot of museums. There are museums documenting everything from battles and wars America has fought to the leaders and heroes who have fought in them. But it is only relatively recently that … [Read more...]
BEST OF THE CALIFORNIA MISSION TRAIL
Unlike the East Coast, where Christianity was introduced in a haphazard multi-denominational fashion which followed the Colonial settlements, Christianity was established on the West Coast in a highly organized pattern under the auspices of the Spanish Empire and the Roman Catholic Church. This was specifically true in California, where twenty one Catholic churches were … [Read more...]
CHRISTIAN HYMN SITES OF AMERICA
Christians have embraced religious and spiritual music since ancient times, and there are few traditions as strong as that of hymn writing. This was especially true in the 19th and early 20th century, when prolific writers turned out literally thousands of hymns, especially in the English speaking world. America was no exception. While not all hymns are great or achieve … [Read more...]
WHERE TO SEE A GUTENBERG BIBLE
In the 1440s, Johannes Gutenberg, a German inventor, developed the world’s first true printing press. His invention revolutionized the production of printed materials, greatly contributing to the availability of less expensive books and subsequent increase in literacy. One of Gutenberg’s first major printing projects, and arguably his famous, was the production of the first … [Read more...]