Introducing episode 1 of a 4 episode series on the history of ecclesiology. STG is grateful for Dr. Matthew Esquivel who speaks about the scriptural witness and early church expression of the church. This will not be the last time he's on the podcast. Please send us your questions or areas you feel like we need to explore further.

Matthew Esquivel seeks to contribute to the field of the History of Christianity by exploring the early Church’s notion of salvation as sharing in the life of God, what it means to be the Church, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church. This includes how early Church communities, particularly in the Roman Province of North Africa, understood and practiced the sacraments, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, martyrdom and martyr veneration, and spiritual authority. He seeks to uncover insight as to how the Church today, including his own Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition, which he has pastored since 2009, could explore these questions in light of its own context.

For resources pertinent to our conversation:

Robert Louis Wilken. The Spirit of Early Christian Thought.

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Early-Christian-Thought-Seeking/dp/0300105983

Robert Louis Wilken. The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity

https://www.amazon.com/First-Thousand-Years-History-Christianity/dp/0300198388/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q9N345KGRBUU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-qpZC1tdcn2JYlxDgp3bG_oGRfuGcclkci6Qc3VB-VgXqdlXgo2QqFd9IWl6eQhC.lnLK7vUvPOMXDTLDC6_yK8s_MPzH0uZ7oa54jSxDrv8&dib_tag=se&keywords=wilken+first+thousand+years&qid=1746548388&sprefix=wilken+first%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1

Forthcoming: Podcast on early church history with Dr. Matthew Esquivel. Stay tuned to my Facebook page for launch information:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012284504593