Who are we as kiwis? We have a definite set of values - but where did they come from? We also enjoy many freedoms and privileges (which many other Western nations also enjoy) that far-exceed those of most countries and cultures. Why do we have it so good?
The fact is, our history tells us a lot about who we are. The values we hold today came from our forefathers. This audio series illustrates what made us, us.
1. Education: A cure to the violence of the Germanic Goths
Hear a 4th Century effort, that is now recognised as one of the first times that someone bothered to set another culture’s language to writing.
2. Education: The translating of the Bible into common languages like ours
Hear how different the world was 600 years ago – and the activism of a few that sparked global change.
3. Education: A strange idea – education even for those who are not rich
Hear about an 8th Century French king, and what motivated him to do something that most around the globe would never yet have considered.
4. Education: Martin Luther – and the freedom of thought
Hear about a 16th Century monk who challenged the Empire in the name of truth, and free thinking.
5. Education: John Calvin – Education, even for the poor
Hear about how Luther’s ideas developed a few years later into the idea of educating even the poor – so they could read and consider the truths of religion for themselves.
6. Education: Education goes global
Hear about the global activism of Christian missionaries in the previous 4 centuries, who’s efforts established globally much of the thinking we have today about education, justice, healthcare, charity and more.
7. Education: A first NZ school – more radical than you’d think
Hear about New Zealand’s first school to teach reading and writing – and at a time when most Europeans had no regard for any ‘native’, and slavery was still in full swing globally.
8. Education: The big 19th Century shut-down for Māori
Hear about the effects of the colonial mindset in the late 1800s, as it squashed the earlier Māori and missionary mindset, leading to the closing of all Māori schools.
9. Education: New hope comes for 20th Century Māori
Hear a summary of how the shutdown of Māori education and identity came to be reversed, leading to the current era of bicultural restoration.
10. Education: What England was like at the time of New Zealand’s first school
Hear about the nation our early missionaries came from, to understand the radical activism that our nation benefitted from until shortly after the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
1. Slavery: The global norm
Gain a perspective on how widespread and ‘normal’ slavery has been in global history.
2. Slavery: Slavery in Rome
Hear how slaves were priced, and what they did.
3. Slavery: Jesus – the humanitarian activist
Gain a perspective on how radically different Jesus’ teachings and life were, when compared to the views of most cultures in history – including his own.
4. Slavery: Early Christians buying slaves
Hear a short insight into the remarkable changes in thinking that began to take place in the years following Jesus.
5. Slavery: Slavery’s first defeat in England
Hear a synopsis of the history within which views slowly changed, until the first end came to slavery in England following the Magna Carta in 1215.
6. Slavery: Slavery makes a come-back
Hear about how successes in ending slavery were undone through the discovery of African peoples by the Portuguese and Spanish.
7. Slavery: William Wilberforce and a growing humanitarian vision
Hear about the changes in cultural thinking that followed the Clapham Groups successful campaign against the slave trade in the early 1800s.
8. Slavery: Colonisation – another form of slavery
Hear how radical Christian thinkers understood colonisation, and how they tried to stop it in New Zealand.
9. Slavery: The Treaty of Waitangi – an attempt to stop colonisation
Hear about the humanitarian activism of our early missionaries, as they and their friends in England attempted to stop the colonisation of New Zealand.
10. Slavery: The Darwin-effect in England
Hear the uncomfortable results of Darwinian theory upon the equality of the races.
11. Slavery: The Darwin-effect in Australia
Hear about the uncomfortable power of beliefs upon behaviour, as seen in the justification of racial prejudice and genocide in Australia.
12. Slavery: The Darwin-effect in South Africa
Hear about the uncomfortable power of beliefs upon behaviour, as seen in the justification of racial prejudice and genocide in South Africa.
13. Slavery: The Darwin-effect through wider-Europe
Hear about the uncomfortable power of beliefs upon behaviour, as seen in the justification of racial prejudice and genocide in America, Germany and Russia.
14. Slavery: Slavery among NZ Māori
Hear about the end of Slavery that took place among New Zealand Māori in the mid 1800s.
15. Slavery: Taumata-ā-Kura – an unexpected result of Māori slaves being freed
Hear about the significant changes in values that spread to Māori north of Gisborne following the release of a slave known as Taumata-ā-Kura.
16. Slavery: Minarapa – an unexpected result of Māori slaves being freed
Hear about the significant changes in values that spread throughout Taranaki and down to Wellington when the slave, Minarapa, was freed.
17. Slavery: Worse today than ever
Hear how the number of slaves has exploded with population growth, and the unavoidable conclusion that cruelty exists within human nature, and is only overcome in a broad way when logically consistent beliefs are adopted that can condemn it.
1. Charity: A comparison to the ancient world
Hear how global concepts of charity have not typically included care for the poor in the way we would esteem today.
2. Charity: The teachings of Jesus that changed the world
Hear how Jesus challenged the absence of true charity toward the poor and needy, while radically suggesting that all races were equal in a world where they were not.
3. Charity: Early Christians apply Jesus’ teachings
Hear how early followers of Jesus began to care for widows, orphans, the disabled, unemployed and imprisoned – even with the risk of death, in contrast to all around them.
4. Charity: Early Christians still apply Jesus’ teachings when persecuted
Hear how Christian charity in the first Century quite remarkably continued even when the Christian community was being persecuted and killed.
5. Charity: The first ‘social welfare’ system
Hear how the concept of Christian charity spread throughout the Roman Empire in a very short space of time following the conversion of Emperor Constantine (272-337AD).
6. Charity: Christian charity during the abuses of church hierarchy
Hear how, through the darkest days of Church power-abuse in the Crusades and Inquisitions, Christian charity shone a light so bright that it drew the continued following of the people.
7. Charity: Generosity within Māori society
Hear about concepts of charity within Māori culture to their own people which displayed the same seeds of thought Christianity has suggests we apply to all people.
8. Charity: Helping the poor made fashionable again in ‘modern’ times
Hear about the rise of the Clapham Group in England, who spawned a new era in thinking on charity, with 233 charitable organisations established in a short time-frame, directly shaping the thinking and values of our society today.
9. Charity: Do religions promote generosity equally?
Hear a comparison of concepts of charity within world religions – in recognition that while all have a concept of charity, what they advocate for is significantly different.
10. Charity: The affect of beliefs in Karma on concepts of charity?
Hear Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwade’s assessment of Hindu concepts of charity, with contrasts to those of ‘Christian’ society today.
11. Charity: The affect of core beliefs on the practice of charity?
Hear some of the similarities and difference between Buddhist concepts of charity and those of our own society today.
12. Charity: What motivates generosity? Some American statistics
Hear about the generosity levels of the world’s most generous nation – America, and of the connection between levels of generosity and religious belief.
13. Charity: What motivates generosity? Some global statistics
Hear the results of a study on the world’s most generous nations, and where New Zealand places in the list.
14 . Charity: What motivates generosity? Some New Zealand statistics
Hear the results of a Victory University of Wellington study that revealed the continuing connection religious beliefs have to levels of charity within our own nation today.
Human rights and freedoms, how did these become ours?
In this series we consider an overview of the history and process by which the freedoms we enjoy became ours – positioning us today as one of the most free, prosperous and equality based societies in the world, as also in all of human history.
What will stand out, yet again, is how significantly the teachings and values of Jesus (and the ancient Jewish practices) have been in the shaping of our cultural values and practices.
1. Human rights: The importance of history
How is culture preserved from one generation to the next – what happens when a generation fails to tell the story?
2. Human rights: How did our society come to believe these rights are real?
Hear not only how amazing it is that we’ve built a culture that actually believes people have ‘human rights’ in the way it does, but also how rare this view of life has been in history.
3. Human rights: Did our democratic ways come from the Greeks?
Hear about the ‘democracy of the elite’ found in Greece and Rome – and the contrast to the values our own democratic freedoms are built upon today.
4. Human rights: Are European values European?
Hear the conclusion of secular historian Tom Holland about just who a European is - after decades of study of ancient European history.
5. Human rights: A starting basis for human rights (>5000BC)
Hear the core idea that, in our own cultural history, seeded the idea that every human being might have intrinsic worth, and therefore also have rights that need protecting.
6. Human rights: The Ten Commandments to define them (3400 BC) – Part I
Take a look at the 10 Commandments with new eyes – to consider not only what they tell us not to do, but what those prohibitions achieved within culture for the poor, weak and vulnerable.
7. Human rights: The Ten Commandments to define them (3400 BC) – Part II
Take a look at two other of the 10 Commandments, to see how these seemingly simple prohibitions achieved profound and wide reaching results for the poor, weak and vulnerable.
8. Human rights: A template for modern Democracy from the ancient world (3400BC)
Hear about a template for ‘modern democracy’ that has been overlooked in recent times, but which was well-known and studied by those who have worked to establish our freedoms in history.
9. Human rights: Taxes to Caesar and a limitation on government powers (30AD)
Hear the simple teaching from Jesus that challenged the approach of nearly all Governments prior – laying a path for what we have today.
10. Human rights: Early Church breaks protocols – to affirm equality (50AD)
Hear how a small group of radicals chose to live as if individual human worth (rights) were real - in contrast to the practices of an empire.
11. Human rights: A brave pastors confronts the Roman Emperor (390AD)
Hear how ideas of a moral law that is above everyone , (and therefore the idea that people have inalienable rights irrespective of status) seeped even into Government – making a protection of the rights of even the common people a possibility!
12. Human rights: Saint Patrick - A foundation for common law in Ireland (430AD)
Hear how and when an objective basis for believing in the rights and freedoms of the common people was established in Ireland – changing their history to this day.
13. Human rights: King Alfred the Great - A foundation for common law in England (890AD)
Hear how and when an objective basis for believing in the rights and freedoms of the common people was established in England – shaping the history that followed, which ultimately affected us!
14. Human rights: The Magna Carta – The Great Charter of Freedoms (1215AD)
Hear about a ‘charter for freedoms’ established in a crazy time achieved something profound – resulting in its later labelling as ‘the birthplace of modern democracy’!
15. Human rights: John Calvin - Foundation stones of freedoms for Europe (1500s)
Hear how an objective basis for common law, and a belief in the rights and freedoms of common people came about in Geneva – affecting Europe so much that Calvin is widely recognised as the most influential thinker in the shaping of modern life in Europe!
16. Human rights: John Knox - Religious freedom in Scotland (1500s)
Hear how these same freedoms became established in Scotland, resulting in confidence coming even to the commoners to stand up boldly vocally against the tyranny of powerful leaders!
17. Human rights: The American battle for religious freedom (1775 to 1783)
Discover what the battle now celebrated as ‘Independence Day’ in America was about – while noting that this positioned them as plausibly as the most free nation, and certainly as the most generous nation, in all of human history!
18. Human rights: New Zealand recognises the equal rights of the races (1840)
Hear how a radical Christian belief in human value, and therefore of equality and of human rights, enabled a Treaty that would never have been proposed or offered otherwise.
19. Human rights: New Zealand recognises the equal rights for all religions (1840)
Hear where and when the idea of religious freedom was first agreed upon in New Zealand, and exactly where these freedoms are enshrined in law here today.
20. Human rights: The New Zealand Parliament’s first debate (1854)
Hear about the unexpected topic of this first Parliamentary debate, to consider how they understood the connection of Christian religion to our values – with the comparative silence on this matter today in view.
21. Human rights: Unexpected results in study on rise of democracy in Africa (2012)
Hear the conclusion of an in depth study that sought to discover what led a culture to eventually embrace democratic freedoms – as contrasted with the many nations that do not.
22. Human rights: The Christian foundations of the UN Declaration of Human Rights
Hear something of the origins of the values found in this widely accepted declaration, as well as of the existence of alternative declarations from people who know this.
23. Human rights: The rights of those with disabilities
See again how, without a basis for believing in individual human rights, those rights invariably become diminished, and then discarded by the common people.
24. Human rights: Why capitalistic freedoms only last in partnership with charitable values
Consider the values that are necessary to constrain capitalistic freedoms – which enable the wealth of a society, from the greed that otherwise takes over, leading to a failure in the system, and a loss of prosperity for all.
25. Human rights: Freedoms can be lost
Hear about the unimaginable suffering that resulted from people who believed themselves to be doing good, but whose core ideas rejected the basis from which the value of every human life can be argued. The end therefore now justified the means. By pulling down instead of building up they ruined their own freedoms and prosperity. The sobering reality is that this has happened many times in recent history – with almost 70 examples of socialism in the history books applied to gain power by people carrying the ideals of fascism or communism in the past 100 years alone.
1. Equality of genders: How remarkable our society is
Hear how remarkable and recent our cultural views on the equality of women to men are, and what triggered our ‘recent’ change in perspective.
2. Equality of genders: The Ancient World
Hear how women were viewed in the ancient world, as supported by their philosophers, prior to the teachings Jesus and his followers brought.
3. Equality of genders: Abortion in Rome
Hear of the extent of prejudice that has existed against women in the ancient world, leading to abuse and death of women and girls, and how it continues today.
4. Equality of genders: Why it waited for Christ for things to change
Hear about the unique basis for equality between women and men found in the Bible, which gave birth to our society’s views on equality today.
5. Equality of genders: Why male dominance is a curse, not the plan
Hear the Christian explanation for male dominance, which empowered our culture-wide movement against that dominance.
6. Equality of genders: The specifically Christian motivations of the women’s movement in New Zealand
Hear the motivations of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union here in New Zealand, despite opposition.
7. Equality of genders: How Jesus challenged male dominance
Hear an example of Jesus radically challenging cultural injustices against women through advocating for the rights of women within marriage.
8. Equality of genders: How Jesus advocated for women’s education
Hear an example of Jesus radically challenging a cultural injustices against women through advocating for the rights of women to education.
9. Equality of genders: The Apostle Paul’s world-changing equality statement
Hear the most noteworthy statement from the early Christian leader, Paul, where in one single sentence he summarised the new Christian views on equality irrespective of race, social status or gender.
10. Equality of genders: The Apostle Pauls challenge to male dominance
Hear an example of the Apostle Paul radically challenging the idea of male dominance within marriage, as contrasted with the common views at that time.
11. Equality of genders: First Century Christians improve the status of women
Hear of the radical actions of early Christians in serving the rights and interests of women and girls, in direct contrast to the views of Grecco-Roman philosophers at that time.
12. Equality of genders: First Century Christians improve protections for women
Hear a comment by Philosopher Rodney Stark that explains the remarkable difference in rights that quickly came to exist between women in the Roman Empire, and those who had embraced the Christian faith.
13. Equality of genders: The middle ages
Hear how monastic orders in the middle ages empowered women with education and into leadership roles in society at a time when this was not happening.
14. Equality of genders: A global movement for women spawned
Hear how the mission movement of the past 200 years naturally became the leading movement to work in defence of women’s rights in places others would never think to go.
15. Equality of genders: Bias in the current analysis of history
Hear how culturally-affected current views on the connection between religion and women’s rights can be, or not be.
16. Equality of genders: Suffrage: The status of women in early colonial New Zealand
Hear how our society’s environment became suited for a movement to arise that would address long-existing cultural injustices against women.
17. Equality of genders: Tough pre-colonial New Zealand women
Hear the story of one our bicultural nation’s toughest early women leaders.
18. Equality of genders: Suffrage: Why Christian activism invariably led to Christian feminism
Hear why America instead of Britain seeded our New Zealand women’s rights movement.
19. Equality of genders: Pre-colonial Māori women better off
Hear of the difference that existed between the rights and status of women in pre-colonial New Zealand Māori society as compared to British and wider-European society.
20. Equality of genders: Suffrage: The Women’s Christian Temperance Union
Hear of the initial issues that motivated the organisation in New Zealand.
21. Equality of genders: Suffrage: Kate Sheppard takes a leading role
Hear words and motivations of Kate Sheppard, who became a leading figure in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in New Zealand.
22. Equality of genders: Suffrage: Did Christian men support their Christian women?
Hear of the division that took place within the Christian community in the early days of what was also a national divide on this topic.
23. Equality of genders: Suffrage: Mary Ann Colclough’s speech to a divided Auckland
Hear words from a stirring speech given to a strongly divided Auckland community.
24. Equality of genders: Suffrage: WCTU presses Parliament
Hear how the Women’s Christian Temperance Union worked to press Parliament toward a landmark decision for women.
25. Equality of genders: Suffrage: New Zealand first nation for women to get the vote
Hear of the final history and tensions leading up to our nation’s landmark decision to allow women a vote and voice in politics.
26. Equality of genders: The modern women’s movement’s ironic divorce from Christian roots
Hear a detail-filled summary of the journey from 1893 (women getting the vote) through to today, explaining why some no longer consider the Christian faith a part of the women’s movement.
27. Equality of genders: The failure of the equality movement to protect women
Hear a reflection on the failure of the equality movement to protect women from abuse, because the law is an inadequate tool to change the heart.
28. Equality of genders: A never-ending Christian battle
Hear why the roots of the equality movement within Christianity might need further consideration for the movement to succeed in bringing about better outcomes for women.
29. Equality of genders: Doesn’t the Bible say men are the ‘head’?
Hear the common understanding on an otherwise awkward Bible verse which states men are the head of their households.
30. Equality of genders: Continuing Christian efforts from Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Hear of the unique and amazing efforts Christian workers from our nation continue to pioneer to advocate for and protect the rights of women around the globe where few others would think to look or care.
1. Bicultural History: A tribute to Patuone
Hear a 2.5 minute tribute to Ngapuhi Rangatira, Patuone, who not only saw Captain Cook on his first visit in 1770, and signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, but also lived to see the landwards and their end in 1872.
2. Bicultural History: Two Ngāti Ruanui men give their lives for peace – Part I
Hear how the discovery of the idea of unconditional love from above caused two men to bravely travel to make and share peace with their tribes long-time enemies.
3. Bicultural History: Two Ngāti Ruanui men give their lives for peace – Part II
Hear how when two men who had travelled to share a message of unconditional love with their enemies were killed, their tribe decided to break with hundreds of years of protocol and forgive.
4. Bicultural History: Two Ngāti Ruanui men give their lives for peace – Part III
Hear a story of profound peace-making in which a chief responsible for the killing of two men who came in peace, upon his own embrace of their message of forgiveness not only built a first church in their region, but then invited the son of the chief of their enemy to be their pastor.
5. Bicultural History: Hēni te Kirikaramu – woman warrior – Part I
In a four-part series, hear about the formative years which explain how Hēni came to hold her Christian values so strongly – while also becoming uniquely qualified for a life of impact in difficult times – born in slavery, escaping war, choosing to forgive, embracing education.
Audio here or click link for YouTube video
6. Bicultural History: Hēni te Kirikaramu – woman warrior – Part II
Hear how and why Hēni became involved in the land wars, and of the source of her later fame – an act of unexpected chivalry in which she applied Jesus’ teachings to ‘love your enemies’ by choosing to help wounded enemy troops during a battle!
Audio here or click link for YouTube video
7. Bicultural History: Hēni te Kirikaramu – woman warrior – Part III
Hear how, following her fame at the battle of Gate Pa, Hēni then lived out that same faith and it’s values in an entirely different context – family life as part of a pioneering rural farming community.
Audio here or click link for YouTube Video
8. Bicultural History: Hēni te Kirikaramu – woman warrior – Part IV
Hear how, following a season of learning, then one of fame at the battle of Gate Pa – and then another a committed community member near Katikati - Hēni started yet another 33 year long season of life, making an entirely different set of remarkable contributions to the lives of others. How much good can one person do in one lifetime? Hēni’s example is remarkable!
Audio here or click link for YouTube video.
09. Bicultural History: Hēnare Taratoa Part I - the man
Hear about the formative years of Taratoa’s life, which positioned him for greatness.
10. Bicultural History: Hēnare Taratoa Part II - just war
Hear how and why Taratoa – a noted Christian teacher and highly moral man, left his Christian teaching position to pick up a weapon and fight the British.
11. Bicultural History: Hēnare Taratoa Part III - rules for war
Hear about the amazing rules Taratoa’s faith lead him to bring to war in New Zealand, affecting both inter-tribal wars and well-known battles between the British and Māori.
12. Bicultural History: Hēnare Taratoa Part IV - water for enemy troops
Hear about the radical love Taratoa and others demonstrated for enemy soldiers – beyond all imagination.
13. Bicultural History: Hēnare Taratoa Part V - an unjust end
Hear about not only Taratoa’s end, but also what was found on his body, revealing the character of the man.
Why does our society care like it does? We consider basic health care a personal right – while in most places on earth have no medical options like we do. How did we come to have it so good? LISTEN NOW
1. Healthcare: A world without hospitals
Hear about the lack of healthcare for the poor that existed from a charitable motivation prior to the time of Jesus – and how a change in viewpoint was triggered.
2. Healthcare: The idea of hospitals
Hear the argument that led to an acceptance of the idea that the first ever hospitals to care for the poor were needed.
3. Healthcare: The first hospitals (300s)
Hear how the first hospitals in the Middle East, and then in Europe, came about.
4. Healthcare: The Red Cross
Labelled one of the greatest humanitarian movements in history, hear about how this amazing organisation came into being.
5. Healthcare: The first medial nurses (1500s)
Hear about a radical movement who’s charity and love mobilised the first known mobile medical workers.
6. Healthcare: When nursing became a profession (1800s)
Hear about the motivations and history that led Florence Nightingale to train thousands to care for the sick and wounded, establish the career of the ‘nurse’ in the way we understand it today.
7. Healthcare: Overcoming the bugs that kill
Hear what motivated Louis Pasteur to engage in scientific study with discipline and rationality, from which new discoveries of bacteria and vaccines came about, saving millions of lives since.
8. Healthcare: Semmelweis and antiseptic measures
Find out who you have to blame every time your mother tells you to wash your hands - and the difference his discovery made.
9. Healthcare: Edward Jenner and the smallpox vaccination
Hear about the motivations and resulting discoveries of another man whose work stopped a sickness that consistently killed 20% of the population prior to him.
10. Healthcare: Healthcare goes global (1800s+)
Hear about the specific movement credited with taking medical care to people in need globally who would never have had it otherwise.
11. Healthcare: Christian charity - unique
Hear how unique the Christian values of our nation are, which have produced integrity in our society – which has enabled the kinds of charity and care we so value.
12. Healthcare: Christianity – a unique role to play
Hear why it has been left to Christianity to bring the kind of charity we enjoy to the world, because of the way it brings a unique basis for believing human rights actually exist.
1. Christmas & Easter Part I - Do Christians have to celebrate Christmas or Easter?
Hear the Bible’s instructions regarding the religious festivals for Christians – only to discover there are none!
2. Christmas & Easter Part II - No one knows the date of Jesus’ birth, so how did it come about?
Hear about the strange tradition that most-likely explains where the date of 25th December for Jesus’ birth comes from.
3. Christmas & Easter Part III - How did Christmas and Easter become CULTURAL festivals, and what does that mean?
Hear how the private annual celebrations of Christians transitioned to become cultural festivals with a wider purpose.
4. Christmas & Easter Part IV - Did Christmas borrow its date and theme from Sol Invictus?
Hear about the beginning of a new Sol Invictus festival on 25th December, and when this happened – begging a question about who took the date from who?
5. Christmas & Easter Part V - Did Christmas borrow its date and theme from Saturnalia?
Hear about a Roman mythological festival that some suggest is a precursor to Christmas – that when investigated had no thematic link and wasn’t even on the same date.
6. Christmas & Easter Part VI - Did Christmas borrow its date and themes from the Winter Solstice?
Hear a third theory put forward for the origins of Christmas – with claims sometimes so academically ridiculous that a question of motive has to be asked.
7. Christmas & Easter Part VII - What is the origin of the gift-giving and Christmas stockings tradition?
Hear how an act of love and chance created a tradition we follow today.
8. Christmas & Easter Part VIII - What is the origin of mistletoe and Christmas trees?
Hear the origins of these decorating traditions – and also of the creativity of our ancestors prior to the invention of plastic.
9. Christmas & Easter Part IX - The story of Ruatara
Hear the first of three historical stories intrinsic to Christmas in New Zealand.
10. Christmas & Easter Part X - The story of Saint Nicholas
In looking beyond a mythological baby born in a Coca Cola factory – hear about the actual man whose generosity shaped this tradition.
11. Christmas & Easter Part XI - The story of Jesus - prophecies
Get a glimpse into the reality of Biblical prophecy – with predictions made, with specific details, that were remarkably fulfilled, with profound implications.
12. Christmas & Easter Part XII - Why are Easter and Passover on different weekends?
Hear why Easter is still celebrated on the wrong weekend in the West – and also why no one really cares.
13. Christmas & Easter Part XIII - How did the name of a pagan God become associated with Easter?
Hear how, in Europe, a name unrelated to Jesus became connected to and then stuck to an already 600-year-old celebration of his self-sacrifice.
14. Christmas & Easter Part XIV - What is the origin of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs?
Hear where two traditions that have nothing at all to do with Jesus came from – and why they continue.
15. Halloween Part I - Samhain to Halloween
Hear how the Celts, as they abandoned their pagan beliefs along with superstitions and fearful practices, chose to give new meaning to the festival because its annual celebration was still their habit.
16. Halloween Part II - A culture of prior fear
Hear something of how fearful many of our ancient ancestors superstitions and practices have been, giving context to why so many embraced alternatives when they were offered.
17. Halloween Part III - Christianity enables new freedom from fearful superstitions
Hear the impact of the Romans and their religion on the Celtic Druid culture - and then the transformative impact of the Christian faith as the Celts embraced a belief-system based on hope instead of fear and life instead of death.
18. Halloween Part IV - A Christian festival replaces Samhain
Hear specifically where and when Halloween began and its largely unknown meaning and origin – as a hope-filled replacement for a festival that had lost its meaning.
19. Halloween Part V - Celebrating Ghosts for fun overtakes the Christian Halloween
Hear how ancient ‘spooky’ ideas came back into practice in America – as triggered by the effects of a potato famine in Ireland!
20. Halloween Part VI - The mighty dollar defines the culture
Hear how commercial ambitions in the early 1900s, with no wider meaning or purpose, created a cultural festival with traditions that have remained profitable to this day.
