Historical Writings

John Chrysostom (golden tongue) becomes bishop of Constantinople.

Pope Vigilius, a virtual prisoner to Emperor Justinian in Constantinople, announces to the Western bishops his adhesion to the decisions of the Second Council of Constantinople that he had formerly rejected regarding the errors of the Three Chapters. This is widely seen as a concession to monophysitism.

Robert Drury, a Catholic priest, is hanged, drawn, and quartered in England for refusing to condemn his faith.

In Philadelphia, Mass was celebrated for the first time at St Joseph's Church the only Roman Catholic church built and maintained in the American colonies before the Revolutionary War.

Death in Paddington of Roman Catholic theologian Dr. Alexander Geddes who had advanced many of the arguments later used in German higher criticism. For his opinions he had been suspended from priestly duties.

Birth of Johann K.F. Keil, German Bible scholar. His Old Testament commentary, written in collaboration with Franz Delitzsch, first appeared in 1861. Known today as "Keil & Delitzsch," the multi-volume set is still in print!

Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar, forbids the newly established Christian faith. In spite of severe persecution that she unleashes, the church will grow tremendously.

Scottish clergyman Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in a letter: 'Our soul should be a mirror of Christ; we should reflect every feature: for every grace in Christ there should be a counterpart in us.'

Birth of George C. Stebbins, American Baptist music evangelist. A composer of over 1,500 songs during his lifetime, Stebbins is still remembered today for writing the melodies to such hymns as: "I've Found a Friend," "Take Time to Be Holy," "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" and "Jesus is Tenderly Calling Thee Home."

Francois Colliard and Christina Macintosh marry in Cape Town. They were supposed to meet in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, but through miscommunication she landed at Cape Town. He rode the five-hundred miles pellmell to join her. Both were highly refined people for whom working in the bush of Africa was a deep sacrifice. "Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are but a bitter irony so long as we give only of our abundance, and draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves," he wrote.

Brahmabandhav Upadhyay, a Bengali Brahman attracted to the uniqueness of Christ, receives Christian baptism in Calcutta and will later issue a series of articles attempting to demonstrate Christian theology is compatible with indigenous thought in India.

Thérèse of Lisieux writes down from memory her poetic masterpiece "To Live by Love" which she had composed during Eucharistic meditation.

Arrest of Russian Orthodox theologian and scientist Pavel Aleksandrovich Florensky. Held in concentration camps, he will die a martyr in 1937, shot by agents of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD).

Death in Danvers, Massachusetts, of Lucy Peabody who had devoted most of her life to the practice and support of mission work. Her second husband left her a fortune that she applied toward mission endeavors.

The Lutheran World Federation's missionary radio station at Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, was dedicated.

Murder of Mahfouz Rashid Bacilious, one of several Christians targeted for killing over a period of a few months in the Egyptian city of Malawy.