OC professor publishes articles on early Christianity in North Africa

Assistant Professor of Bible Alden Bass opens gateway to new knowledge of Early Christianity.

Photo courtesy of oc.edu.

Oklahoma Christian University’s professor Alden Bass, an assistant professor of Bible, has published many chapters on Early Christianity in North Africa and the different views present in the early 5th and 6th century, searching for the difference between modern religious views and the viewpoints of early North Africa. While his most recent publication this year focuses on North Africa, his upcoming chapter will pertain to other historians that have also been researching early North Africa’s religious views.

Bass explained that his most recent article was primarily about preaching. 

“I focused on North Africa, which was a center of Early Christianity,” he said. “I focused on preaching and sermons of that time period, around the 5th and 6th century.”

North Africa was one of the key centers of Christianity during the 5th and 6th century. Bass is discovering new facts from that history, which he has shared in his published chapters.

Bass enjoyed focusing on this specific time period of Christianity because the Christians were so reliant on God’s word.

“It is a treasure trove of information because they [early Christians] are just preaching about the Bible, so we can kind of see how they are reading and interpreting it,” said Bass.

The history Bass is sifting through is ripe with information that others may not yet know, giving him the opportunity to provide in-depth knowledge of previously unknown history to others.

Bass believes this new knowledge can benefit OC students.

“With scholarship at this deeper level, I have to study, and I have to read Latin, so it forces me to be disciplined,” he said. “I think it makes me a better teacher, which benefits the students.” 

Bass outlined how his scholarship is important to him, not just as a teacher, but also on a personal level since he grew up in a family of preachers. Since beginning his  journey of insight, Bass has published many pieces, and he plans to continue publishing. His next article will focus on the historians that have been studying the same time period as him, to hopefully gain more knowledge that he may not have found.

Bass’ scholarship, including titles, are listed below:

-“Contemporary Historiography of Christianity in North Africa,” Revista de Historiografía, to be published later this year.

-The chapter “Scripture in Anonymous African Sermons,” The Reception and Interpretation of the Bible in Christian North Africa, vol. 2 edited by Jonathan Yates and Anthony DuPont. Berlin: DeGruyter

-The chapter “Augustine and Optatus of Milevis,” Augustine and Tradition: Studies in Honor of J. Patout Burns, edited by Jonathan Yates and David Hunter. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2021.

-Presented “Seeing with Eyes Asquint: A Re-visionist Reading of Augustine's Teaching on Original Sin” at Christian Scholars Conference in June.

-Reviewed Becoming What We Sing: Formation through Contemporary Worship Music by David Lemley for Englewood Review of Books.