Columbus & Cortez, Conquerors for Christ
By Jay Rogers
Published August 1992
A BOOK REVIEW
John Eidsmoe, New Leaf Press, 304 pages, Paperback.
Did Christopher Columbus exploit the people of America – or did he evangelize them? Did Hernando Cortez subjugate the people of Mexico – or did he liberate them?
These are two of the questions posed by John Eidsmoe, a U.S. Reserve Air Force Lt. Colonel, who serves as a law professor at Faulkner Universit. Columbus & Cortez, Conquerors for Christ counters what Eidsmoe terms “the assault on Western culture” by media elites and liberal scholars on American university campuses. Eidsmoe surmises that this attack on culture is in actuality an attack on values – the biblical values upon which our nation was founded.
Dealing with a subject far broader than the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ first voyage to America, Eidsmoe captures a glimpse of the greater Providential forces which shaped our nation. He includes two sections to give the reader a historical understanding of the forces which shaped the Age of Exploration.
“Explorers Before Columbus: For Odin or Christ?” traces the Christian influence in America to the the Viking explorers who had become Christianized in the tenth century by Norway’s King Olaf. Christianity was brought to Greenland and later to “Vinland” (Newfoundland or New England) by none other than Leif Erickson, who was converted by the preaching of Olaf. Sixteen churches were established in Greenland by Leif Erickson, and while the influence of his Christianity on Vinland is mere conjecture, the Greenland colonies flourished until the 1500s and were the first Christian colonies in North America.
“The Crescent or the Cross?” deals with the Moslem conquest of North Africa and Spain in the eighth century. The Moslems advance northward to France was finally driven back to Spain by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours. The Crusades – a futile attempt by Christian Europe to overcome Islam by force – were fought during the five centuries of world domination by Islam. Making no excuses for the travesty of the Crusades, Eidsmoe includes this section of the book as a valuable background to understanding the European mindset of 1492. Isabella and Ferdinand spent much of their reign driving the last Moslems out of Spain. They hoped that Columbus’ voyages to the Indies would bring enough gold to finance a Last Crusade to the Holy Land and drive the Moslems out of Jerusalem.
If the Spanish monarch’s motives in financing Columbus’ voyages were less than exemplary, the misconception that Columbus himself sailed for selfish reasons is refuted by Eidsmoe. The reader is given an insightful glimpse into the personality, temperament and character of Columbus as Eidsmoe makes extensive use of Columbus’ journals and the writings of those who knew him. The popular practice of Columbus bashing of our day is rebutted by the words of Columbus himself.
Many books have been written on Columbus in this quincentenary year. Most of these volumes paint a secular gloss over Columbus’ true motivations. Yet the information contained in Columbus & Cortez was readily available to all Americans a century ago when numerous volumes were published around the time of the Columbian Exposition of 1892. Sadly, the historical revisionists of the 20th century have sought to obscure the Christian character of a great man to fit their own political agenda. If there is to be a reversal of this trend, the rarer volumes, such as Eidsmoe’s, need to be studied and critiqued by Christians. We must make the real Columbus known in 1992.
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The Four Keys to the Millennium (Book)
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the “sign of His coming” (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
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Dr. Francis Schaeffer - A Christian Manifesto (DVD)
That Swiss Hermit Strikes Again!
Dr. Schaeffer, who was one of the most influential Christian thinkers in the twentieth century, shows that secular humanism has displaced the Judeo-Christian consensus that once defined our nation’s moral boundaries. Law, education, and medicine have all been reshaped for the worse as a consequence. America’s dominant worldview changed, Schaeffer charges, when Christians weren’t looking.
Schaeffer lists two reasons for evangelical indifference: a false concept of spirituality and fear. He calls on believers to stand against the tyranny and moral chaos that come when humanism reigns-and warns that believers may, at some point, be forced to make the hard choice between obeying God or Caesar. A Christian Manifesto is a thought-provoking and bracing Christian analysis of American culture and the obligation Christians have to engage the culture with the claims of Christ.
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The Beast of Revelation: Identified (DVD)
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
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Abortion Clinic 911 Calls
Exposes the Dangers of Abortion to Women!
These shocking eyewitness accounts expose the dangers of abortion not only to unborn children, but to the health and lives women as well. An antidote to the smokescreens of the liberal media, these six short clips show what really happens in and around abortion clinics.
Although the content is emotionally gut-wrenching, these videos have been used in church seminars and small groups to educate Christians on the abortion issue and to lead people toward a pro-life position.
Watch these pro-life videos on-line.
“These videos helped change my mind from pro-choice to pro-life. Your videos are what did it for me. I will be walking in next year’s March For Life in San Francisco.” — A. Jackson, California
“I was going to have an abortion until I saw your video. Praise Jesus!”
— M. Drew, YouTube Commenter
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Martin Luther (DVD) 1953 Classic
Niall MacGinnis – Digitally Remastered
The dramatic classic film of Martin Luther’s life was released in theaters worldwide in the 1950s and was nominated for two Oscars. A magnificent depiction of Luther and the forces at work in the surrounding society that resulted in his historic reforming efforts, this film traces Luther’s life from a guilt-burdened monk to his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church.
In spite of its age, this film continues to be a popular resource to introduce Luther’s life. This historical epic captures the life and times of the greatest figure of the Protestant Reformation with depth and clarity, while giving a glimpse at the private man in the eye of the storm. Luther’s protest against the established order of the Church gave birth to one of the largest religious and cultural movements history and serves as a prime example of how one man’s spiritual convictions can change the course of human events.
Running Time: 105 minutes
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