History Discussion Questions: Episode 2

Choose one of the following questions and respond to it below.

1. What do you think of the medieval evangelism strategy that targeted kings and queens? Have you seen Chi Alpha or other campus ministries target certain groups of people on campus for similar reasons?

2. What parallels do you see between the medieval monastic orders and an organization like Chi Alpha? How are they similar? How are they different?

3. What do you see as the pros and cons of the doctrine of purgatory? Do you think it has a place in campus ministry?

1. What do you think of the medieval evangelism strategy that targeted kings and queens? Have you seen Chi Alpha or other campus ministries target certain groups of people on campus for similar reasons?

In the episode, they note that the strategy was to go to kings and queens, with the assumption that the people under them would follow. Similarly, one of the main pillars of the mission of Chi Alpha is "Empowering Future Leaders". We know that the students on our campus will literally be the leaders of their fields and all around the world. The benefit of having those leaders be followers of Jesus is enormous! I can imagine why medieval evangelism did the same with current world leaders.

3. What do you see as the pros and cons of the doctrine of purgatory? Do you think it has a place in campus ministry?


I can think of a couple of pros regarding purgatory as a doctrine. It makes sense to most people. You're average Joe isn't a great person, nor a warlord, but of average morality. A final purifying place for people who didn't do enough in life is comforting. "As long as I'm not Hitler I'll be alright."

One of the biggest cons to this is the way the church handled people's destiny in purgatory while on Earth. To manipulate people's belief of their destiny in the afterlife is taking after the ruler of this world, Satan, twisting the truth for their own monetary gain... that is detestable to me.

If purgatory is truly one's conviction, then I think it is okay to have in campus ministry. If it leads to missionaries or ministers taking people's money so they can get time off of purgatory, as Peter said in Acts 8:20 "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money."