California State University, Fullerton

Adjunct Faculty

I currently have taught the following courses at Cal State Fullerton: Historical Thinking; History of Christianity A; World Religions; Eastern Orthodoxy; World Civilization A; World Civilization B; Gospel of John

Museum of Biblical and Sacred Writings

Lecturer

I taught a course on the Introduction to Archaeology to three different age groups: primary, secondary, and college

Fullerton College

Adjunct Faculty

I taught World Civilization A; Western Civilization B; and the History of the Middle East

California State University, Long Beach

Adjunct Faculty

I taught the following courses: Ancient Christianity and the Historical Jesus

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Constantine: Conversion of State

Sacred History Magazine

Despite his apocryphal reputation as the first "Christian Emperor," Constantine was officially the “Pontifex Maximus”—the head of the Roman public religion which incorporated the full set of the Olympian gods and others besides, including the goddess Victory. Constantine during his entire reign did not give up the title of Pontifex Maximus. In the eyes of the Senate and Roman people, he was still the top religious official working within a system initially created to serve the gods of Rome.

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Constantine: Conversion of State

Sacred History Magazine

Despite his apocryphal reputation as the first "Christian Emperor," Constantine was officially the “Pontifex Maximus”—the head of the Roman public religion which incorporated the full set of the Olympian gods and others besides, including the goddess Victory. Constantine during his entire reign did not give up the title of Pontifex Maximus. In the eyes of the Senate and Roman people, he was still the top religious official working within a system initially created to serve the gods of Rome.

Artemis of the Ephesians: Mystery, Magic, & Her Sacred Landscape

Nicea Press

In perhaps one of the most definitive works on Artemis of the Ephesians ever published, James D. Rietveld, Ph.D., provides a comprehensive examination of the cult statue of Artemis Ephesia, examining her representations throughout the ancient world and discovering that her image cannot be confined to a limited set of explanations, but that Artemis Ephesia was a figure in constant flux, with interpretations dependent on the particular time period and audience viewing it. Second, personal religious perspectives are investigated in relation to the image and the cult of Artemis in general, providing a counterbalance to many modern studies more focused on the political and social aspects of her cult. The third section investigates Artemis Ephesia in relation to the city’s sacred geography, creating a more contextually discerning view of how her belief system permeated the daily lives of the Ephesians through examining what they left behind in the material culture. Finally, the fourth section examines how understandings of Artemis Ephesia changed with the spread of Christianity, explaining how this Ephesian goddess eventually succumbed to the forces of this new religious perspective, but also noting how some aspects survived even within this new context. Ultimately, Artemis Ephesia is revealed as a goddess of protection, the sacred space of her precinct understood as a place of asylum for individuals seeking refuge; a bank for those wishing to secure their material wealth, and a shrine for virgins desiring to protect their chastity. By extension of the Via Sacra, her role as protective mother moved beyond the Temple of Artemis to the city itself. Along with the images of Artemis, the Ephesian letters carried her perceived magical protective powers even further, all along the shores of the Mediterranean and even to the very ends of the Greco-Roman world.

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Constantine: Conversion of State

Sacred History Magazine

Despite his apocryphal reputation as the first "Christian Emperor," Constantine was officially the “Pontifex Maximus”—the head of the Roman public religion which incorporated the full set of the Olympian gods and others besides, including the goddess Victory. Constantine during his entire reign did not give up the title of Pontifex Maximus. In the eyes of the Senate and Roman people, he was still the top religious official working within a system initially created to serve the gods of Rome.

Artemis of the Ephesians: Mystery, Magic, & Her Sacred Landscape

Nicea Press

In perhaps one of the most definitive works on Artemis of the Ephesians ever published, James D. Rietveld, Ph.D., provides a comprehensive examination of the cult statue of Artemis Ephesia, examining her representations throughout the ancient world and discovering that her image cannot be confined to a limited set of explanations, but that Artemis Ephesia was a figure in constant flux, with interpretations dependent on the particular time period and audience viewing it. Second, personal religious perspectives are investigated in relation to the image and the cult of Artemis in general, providing a counterbalance to many modern studies more focused on the political and social aspects of her cult. The third section investigates Artemis Ephesia in relation to the city’s sacred geography, creating a more contextually discerning view of how her belief system permeated the daily lives of the Ephesians through examining what they left behind in the material culture. Finally, the fourth section examines how understandings of Artemis Ephesia changed with the spread of Christianity, explaining how this Ephesian goddess eventually succumbed to the forces of this new religious perspective, but also noting how some aspects survived even within this new context. Ultimately, Artemis Ephesia is revealed as a goddess of protection, the sacred space of her precinct understood as a place of asylum for individuals seeking refuge; a bank for those wishing to secure their material wealth, and a shrine for virgins desiring to protect their chastity. By extension of the Via Sacra, her role as protective mother moved beyond the Temple of Artemis to the city itself. Along with the images of Artemis, the Ephesian letters carried her perceived magical protective powers even further, all along the shores of the Mediterranean and even to the very ends of the Greco-Roman world.

London in Flames: The Apocalypse of 1666

Highland-Loch Press

James D. Rietveld’s insightful, essay-length study of the great London fire investigates and illuminates the so-called ‘apocalypse’ of 1666. He sets out not to unravel all the opinions concerning this cataclysmic event that were then present within the vast tapestry of English popular culture; instead the tact he opts for is an examination of how groups used the great fire as a rhetorical tool. From the pulpit, the podium and in print, the phenomenon of the fire was fashioned into a tool to bring about moral reform, a return to church fellowship, Parliamentary tolerance of religious diversity, or even as an exhortation to mobilize against the forces of Catholicism. He goes on to describe how the fire of 1666 erupted so dramatically — in the manner of ‘a thief in the night’ upon Londoners — that all the repressed feelings of suspicion, of anger, and of discontent within the popular imagination — those thoughts usually kept in check either by fear of the authorities or for personal advantage — immediately rose to the surface and found a voice in a variety of ways.

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Constantine: Conversion of State

Sacred History Magazine

Despite his apocryphal reputation as the first "Christian Emperor," Constantine was officially the “Pontifex Maximus”—the head of the Roman public religion which incorporated the full set of the Olympian gods and others besides, including the goddess Victory. Constantine during his entire reign did not give up the title of Pontifex Maximus. In the eyes of the Senate and Roman people, he was still the top religious official working within a system initially created to serve the gods of Rome.

Artemis of the Ephesians: Mystery, Magic, & Her Sacred Landscape

Nicea Press

In perhaps one of the most definitive works on Artemis of the Ephesians ever published, James D. Rietveld, Ph.D., provides a comprehensive examination of the cult statue of Artemis Ephesia, examining her representations throughout the ancient world and discovering that her image cannot be confined to a limited set of explanations, but that Artemis Ephesia was a figure in constant flux, with interpretations dependent on the particular time period and audience viewing it. Second, personal religious perspectives are investigated in relation to the image and the cult of Artemis in general, providing a counterbalance to many modern studies more focused on the political and social aspects of her cult. The third section investigates Artemis Ephesia in relation to the city’s sacred geography, creating a more contextually discerning view of how her belief system permeated the daily lives of the Ephesians through examining what they left behind in the material culture. Finally, the fourth section examines how understandings of Artemis Ephesia changed with the spread of Christianity, explaining how this Ephesian goddess eventually succumbed to the forces of this new religious perspective, but also noting how some aspects survived even within this new context. Ultimately, Artemis Ephesia is revealed as a goddess of protection, the sacred space of her precinct understood as a place of asylum for individuals seeking refuge; a bank for those wishing to secure their material wealth, and a shrine for virgins desiring to protect their chastity. By extension of the Via Sacra, her role as protective mother moved beyond the Temple of Artemis to the city itself. Along with the images of Artemis, the Ephesian letters carried her perceived magical protective powers even further, all along the shores of the Mediterranean and even to the very ends of the Greco-Roman world.

London in Flames: The Apocalypse of 1666

Highland-Loch Press

James D. Rietveld’s insightful, essay-length study of the great London fire investigates and illuminates the so-called ‘apocalypse’ of 1666. He sets out not to unravel all the opinions concerning this cataclysmic event that were then present within the vast tapestry of English popular culture; instead the tact he opts for is an examination of how groups used the great fire as a rhetorical tool. From the pulpit, the podium and in print, the phenomenon of the fire was fashioned into a tool to bring about moral reform, a return to church fellowship, Parliamentary tolerance of religious diversity, or even as an exhortation to mobilize against the forces of Catholicism. He goes on to describe how the fire of 1666 erupted so dramatically — in the manner of ‘a thief in the night’ upon Londoners — that all the repressed feelings of suspicion, of anger, and of discontent within the popular imagination — those thoughts usually kept in check either by fear of the authorities or for personal advantage — immediately rose to the surface and found a voice in a variety of ways.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Sacred History Magazine

The pilgrimage church of Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest and most important shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city of Rome. According to church lore, the first version of this church was established through the Great Lady herself, instructing Pope Liberius (352-366) to build her a church on the very spot where he found snow the next day. This article investigates the fascinating history and legends behind this famous church

Charlemagne's Crown

Sacred History Magazine

Focusing upon the interactions between Charlemagne and Pope Leo IIII, this article investigates the role of the papacy and how the powers of the Pope increased from the time of the late Roman Empire into the Middle Ages, focusing on some of the key factors that contributed to this very dramatic increase of powers that gravitated from the realm of the sacred into the realm of the secular, including the examination of the change of relevant laws, the utilization of legendary accounts, and the shifts of papal precedent out of historic necessity.

Saint Peter Claver: Slave of Slaves

Sacred History Magazine

At. Peter Claver (1581--1654) was a Jesuit priest who worked who became known as the "Patron Saint of Slaves" because of his ministry with them. Here, I dig deeper into his life and the impact he made against the slave trade in South America

Akhenaten: A Quest for Unity

Sacred History Magazine

This article looks into the monolithic powers behind this monotheistic pharaoh

Face the Goddess: Kali-Ma

Goddess Thealogy: An International Journal for the Study of the Divine Feminine

in popular culture today, when we hear the name Kali, we immediately conjure up the Indiana Jones version of this goddess, and, in fact, it seems to be the only one people really know. This study examines the goddess Kali from her earliest roots and seeks to clarify her role within Hinduism and within Indian culture in general

Ambrose: Bringing An Emperor to His Knees

Sacred History Magazine

Dynamic, austere and always unpredictable, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ruled his realm with an iron fist from 374 to 397 CE. For those considered friends, Ambrose was their champion, their personal hero fighting the cause of the Church with relentless courage and passion—but woe to those who were considered his enemies—for the very same drive that was such a creative force became potentially a destructive one as well. While the Roman emperor Constantine did much to define Church-State relations in the first half of the fourth century, it was the bishop Ambrose who personally made the greatest contribution to these issues in the second half and, in many ways, offset this delicate balance in favor of the Church.

Constantine: Conversion of State

Sacred History Magazine

Despite his apocryphal reputation as the first "Christian Emperor," Constantine was officially the “Pontifex Maximus”—the head of the Roman public religion which incorporated the full set of the Olympian gods and others besides, including the goddess Victory. Constantine during his entire reign did not give up the title of Pontifex Maximus. In the eyes of the Senate and Roman people, he was still the top religious official working within a system initially created to serve the gods of Rome.

Artemis of the Ephesians: Mystery, Magic, & Her Sacred Landscape

Nicea Press

In perhaps one of the most definitive works on Artemis of the Ephesians ever published, James D. Rietveld, Ph.D., provides a comprehensive examination of the cult statue of Artemis Ephesia, examining her representations throughout the ancient world and discovering that her image cannot be confined to a limited set of explanations, but that Artemis Ephesia was a figure in constant flux, with interpretations dependent on the particular time period and audience viewing it. Second, personal religious perspectives are investigated in relation to the image and the cult of Artemis in general, providing a counterbalance to many modern studies more focused on the political and social aspects of her cult. The third section investigates Artemis Ephesia in relation to the city’s sacred geography, creating a more contextually discerning view of how her belief system permeated the daily lives of the Ephesians through examining what they left behind in the material culture. Finally, the fourth section examines how understandings of Artemis Ephesia changed with the spread of Christianity, explaining how this Ephesian goddess eventually succumbed to the forces of this new religious perspective, but also noting how some aspects survived even within this new context. Ultimately, Artemis Ephesia is revealed as a goddess of protection, the sacred space of her precinct understood as a place of asylum for individuals seeking refuge; a bank for those wishing to secure their material wealth, and a shrine for virgins desiring to protect their chastity. By extension of the Via Sacra, her role as protective mother moved beyond the Temple of Artemis to the city itself. Along with the images of Artemis, the Ephesian letters carried her perceived magical protective powers even further, all along the shores of the Mediterranean and even to the very ends of the Greco-Roman world.

London in Flames: The Apocalypse of 1666

Highland-Loch Press

James D. Rietveld’s insightful, essay-length study of the great London fire investigates and illuminates the so-called ‘apocalypse’ of 1666. He sets out not to unravel all the opinions concerning this cataclysmic event that were then present within the vast tapestry of English popular culture; instead the tact he opts for is an examination of how groups used the great fire as a rhetorical tool. From the pulpit, the podium and in print, the phenomenon of the fire was fashioned into a tool to bring about moral reform, a return to church fellowship, Parliamentary tolerance of religious diversity, or even as an exhortation to mobilize against the forces of Catholicism. He goes on to describe how the fire of 1666 erupted so dramatically — in the manner of ‘a thief in the night’ upon Londoners — that all the repressed feelings of suspicion, of anger, and of discontent within the popular imagination — those thoughts usually kept in check either by fear of the authorities or for personal advantage — immediately rose to the surface and found a voice in a variety of ways.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Sacred History Magazine

The pilgrimage church of Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest and most important shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city of Rome. According to church lore, the first version of this church was established through the Great Lady herself, instructing Pope Liberius (352-366) to build her a church on the very spot where he found snow the next day. This article investigates the fascinating history and legends behind this famous church

Thecla: Bearer of the Apostle Paul's Legacy

Sacred History Magazine

This article examines the stories behind the enigmatic Thecla, the disciple and follower of the Apostle Paul who was viewed as one of the leaders of the Early Church, especially in Asia Minor.

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board

Crisler Library in Ephesus

CLE Scholars Advisory Board