Strength to Strength welcomed Finny Kuruvilla to reexamine the record of the church as recorded in Acts.
Is the book of Acts an historical account which is not intended to be repeated? Or is it supposed to be the template for the Christian life? This talk will explore this age-old question and make a biblically grounded proposal.
An interactive question-and-answer period follows.
Books recommended by Finny particularly for those with Anabaptist heritage, in order of priority:
- Book: “Conrad Grebel: The Founder of the Swiss Brethren” by Harold S. Bender
- Book: “The Legacy of Michael Sattler” by C. Arnold Snyder
- Book: “The Anabaptist Story” by William Estep
- Book: “The Sources of Swiss Anabaptism: The Grebel Letters and Related Documents” (primary source)
- Book: “Writing of Pilgram Marpack” (primary source)
- Book: “Complete Works of Menno Simons” (primary source)
Other recommendation by Finny in the context of continuationism:
- Study: “Is There a Pattern to the Bible’s Miracles?” by Joel Arnold
- Book: “A Story of God’s Faithfulness” by George Chavanikamannil
Finny Kuruvilla works with Eventide Asset Management, a values-based and faith-based investing firm. He is a physician who works at the intersection of business, investing, and healthcare.
He is the president and founder of Sattler College, a Christian college located in downtown Boston.
He has a keen interest in biblical interpretation and church history, for the purpose of fostering a strong and vibrant church today. He writes about this topic in his book, King Jesus Claims His Church. His interests also include ante-Nicene Christianity, Reformation and Anabaptist history, and the Great Awakenings of the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Finny lives with his wife Laura, six sons and two daughters in the greater Boston area, and is a part of the church Followers of the Way.
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This presentation is part of a series called “Sacred Roots: Rediscovering the Ancient Faith.” Be sure to follow the entire series:
AD 0–100 (Apostolic era):
- Talk 1 — “Sacred Roots: Why Study Church History” by David Anderson
- Talk 2 — “Sacred Roots: The Book of Acts: The Kingdom of God Fills the Earth” by Finny Kuruvilla
- Talk 3 — “Sacred Roots: The Book of Acts: Descriptive or Prescriptive?” by Finny Kuruvilla
- Talk 5 — “Sacred Roots: Why ‘Above All’ Matters: Moses, Jesus, James, Paul, Maximilian, and You” by Zack Johnson
AD 100–300 (Ante-Nicene era):
- Talk 4 — “Sacred Roots: Why Study the Early Christians” by David Bercot
- Talk 8 — “Sacred Roots: Practical Distinctives of the Early Church” by David Anderson
- Talk 16 — “Sacred Roots: Canonization of the New Testament” by Philip Hess
- Talk 6 — “Sacred Roots: Gnosticism: The First Serious Threat to the Church” by Stephen Russell
- Talk 7 — “Sacred Roots: Neo-gnosticism: Today’s Most Serious Threat to the Church” by Stephen Russell
- Talk 14 — “Sacred Roots: Nature of the Church: ‘Assembly of the Saints’ vs. ‘Hospital for Sinners'” by David Anderson
- Talk 10 — “Sacred Roots: Beyond the West: How Africa Shaped Christianity” by Anan Twijjukye
300–800 (early Medieval era)
- Talk 11 — “Sacred Roots: Trinity and Christology – part 1” by David Anderson
- Talk 12 — “Sacred Roots: Trinity and Christology – part 2” by David Anderson
- Talk 9 — “Sacred Roots: Development of the Relationship Between Church and State” by Stephen Russell
800-1400 (late Medieval era)
- Talk 15 — “Sacred Roots: Monasticism: Holiness and the Communal Rhythm of Life” by David Anderson
- Talk 13 — “Sacred Roots: Medieval Europe: The Dark Ages, or…?” by Stephen Russell
1400–1600 (Reformation era)
- Talk 17 — “Sacred Roots: Setting the Stage for the Reformation” by Stephen Russell
- Talk 18 — “Sacred Roots: Panel discussion Q&A on church history” by Stephen Russell, Finny Kuruvilla, David Anderson, and Philip Hess
- Talk 19 — “Sacred Roots: The Radical Reformation: A Model for Our Time” by Dean Taylor
- Talk 20 — “Sacred Roots: The Anabaptists, the Sacraments, and the Words of Jesus” by Dean Taylor
- Talk 21 — “Sacred Roots: Q&A on the Anabaptists’ Understanding of the Sacraments” by Dean Taylor
- Talk 22 — “Sacred Roots: Martyrs Only in the Past: What About Us?” by Stephen Gingerich
- Talk 23 — “Sacred Roots: Faith at the Stake: Michael Sattler and the Cost of Discipleship” by Finny Kuruvilla
- Talk 24 — “Sacred Roots: Separation—a Swiss Brethren Article of Faith” by Edsel Burdge
- Talk 25 — “Sacred Roots: How the Reformers Slipped in Soteriology” by Philip Hess