The Didache and the Domestication of Dissidents

The Didache has often figured prominently in scholars' constructions of early Christianity, especially with regard to two groups: the nascent positions of the overseers and agents in one, and the prophets, apostles, and teachers in the other. While many scholars portray these figures on relatively peaceful terms, this work argues that the relationship between these two groups is characterized by antagonism and conflict. This conflict is based upon a struggle to control prophecy and teaching, thus ultimately being a contest to create doctrine. This early Christian quarrel was not settled by dialogue, debate, or democracy, but by the control of material goods to influence who would be allowed to teach, supporting only certain teachings and prophecies. Early Christian doctrine and ideology can therefore be seen as a product of material manipulation, subject to the constraints of physical and historical pressures that condition all human thought

Laura Shriner Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Laura Shriner conducted by Clint Shriner in Wichita, Kansas, on December 10, 2009. In this interview, Laura Shriner describes her experiences growing up attending both Lutheran and Baptist churches in a largely Danish community in the sandhills of Nebraska. She discusses her experiences as a member of the congregation of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wichita, and her decision to leave that church and join the congregation of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Wichita due to its outreach to the poor, its acceptance of gay people, and its program of Christian education for adults. She describes events that shaped her views of social justice, and the importance of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's (ELCA) decision to express acceptance for homosexuality. She also discusses the response of Wichita congregations to the Vietnam War. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas course taught at the University of Kansas by Dr. Timothy Miller in the fall of 2009.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie

Mary Tholen Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Mary Tholen conducted by Clint Shriner in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 10, 2009. In this interview, Mary Tholen describes her experiences growing up as a member of the Catholic Church, primarily in Hays, Kansas. She also discusses her German heritage. She describes the Catholic Church's efforts to raise money during the Depression years by methods such as renting pews to parishioners. She discusses the importance of individual priests who served the Catholic community in Hays, and describes incidents of tension between Catholics and Protestants in Hays. She also discusses changes to the practices of the Catholic Church that resulted from the implementation of Vatican II. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas course taught at the University of Kansas by Dr. Timothy Miller in the fall of 2009.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie

Paul Miller Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Paul Miller conducted by Clint Shriner in Wichita, Kansas, on December 10, 2009. In this interview, Paul Miller describes his family's history with the Seventh Day Adventist Church, growing up in Eureka, Kansas. He discusses his eventual conversion to the Congregationalist Church, and his involvement with the debates surrounding an ecumenical movement in the 1950s to join all Protestant denominations into one church; he served as moderator for the National Association of Congregationalist Christian Churches. He describes the experience of attending church during the Great Depression and World War II. He discusses his involvement with Plymouth Congregational Church in Wichita, Kansas, and the ways that his perspective on religion has changed over time. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas course taught at the University of Kansas by Dr. Timothy Miller in the fall of 2009.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie

Michael Gardner Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Dr. Michael Gardner conducted by Clint Shriner in Wichita, Kansas, on December 10, 2009. In this interview, Dr. Michael Gardner describes his early experiences with church membership, his decision and training to become a pastor, and his path to becoming pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He describes the history of the First United Methodist Church, and his role and duties as its pastor. He describes the governance of the United Methodist Church, how people become members of the congregation, and the relationships between the First United Methodist Church and other religious organizations in Wichita. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas course taught at the University of Kansas by Dr. Timothy Miller in the fall of 2009.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie

Dan Chaverin Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Dan Chaverin conducted by Clint Shriner in Lenexa, Kansas, on December 6, 2009. In this interview, Dan Chaverin, executive pastor of Westside Family Church in Lenexa, Kansas, discusses the operations, missions, and doctrinal stance of his church, as well as his own journey from a Catholic childhood to his current role within the Westside Family Church.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie

Gene Carlson Oral History

Oral histories created by University of Kansas students, staff and faculty as part of the Religion in Kansas Project are archived at http://hdl.handle.net/1808/12524 in KU ScholarWorks, the digital repository of the University of Kansas.Oral history interview with Gene Carlson conducted by Clint Shriner on December 10, 2009. In this interview, Gene Carlson, lead pastor at Westlink Christian Church, discusses the formative experiences that resulted in his decision to join the ministry, and the influences that shaped the development of Westlink Christian Church (now Pathway Church) in Wichita, Kansas, including a focus on evangelicalism. He also discusses the experience of serving as a pastor to a church with a large and growing congregation. This interview was conducted for the Religion in Kansas course taught at the University of Kansas by Dr. Timothy Miller in the fall of 2009.Friends of the Department of Religious Studie