One Way or the Other

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“We will define our time by some system. The year is an inescapable year. Who is the Lord over it? How do we mark our days? Because we live in time, the rhythms of that time will either be Christian or not . . . Christians must define the year in an explicitly Christian way, and face the objections, or they must acquiesce in the secularization of time” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 80).

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timothy
timothy
8 years ago

Merry Christmas

andrewlohr
andrewlohr
8 years ago

So use A.D. whenever possible. But the details of the church year (“17th Sunday after Pentecost,” etc) are tongues which, if used, require interpretation.

jillybean
jillybean
8 years ago
Reply to  andrewlohr

I certainly do in my personal life. But when I am tutoring Euro history to Jewish and Muslim kids, I use CE. You are right about the details of the church year–try telling a non-Anglican that it is Septuagesima Sunday!

Christopher Casey
Christopher Casey
8 years ago
Reply to  jillybean

Useing CE would replace BC with BCE right?

jillybean
jillybean
8 years ago

Right. It is much easier for me to handle than Jewish year numbering!

Christopher Casey
Christopher Casey
8 years ago
Reply to  jillybean

Then being based on our calender CE/BCE does fix the weirdness of Jesus being born in 4 BC.