While he might well be one of those very gifted young folks who begin college at 13 or 14, and by the time they're 25 have a doctorate, (the fantastic job he does on his research and videos certainly wouldn't make that out of the question) he also might simply look a lot younger than he is. Great videos, though, either way!
I grew up in churches of Christ, and have also been Catholic. I find your videos to be very balanced and factual. They aren’t the typical attack pieces, and I find them very profitable for learning. Thank you for the work that goes into them.
@@ReadyToHarvest I have seen a number of your videos and I haven't found them to be terribly balanced. The "factual" part is a bit hard for me to concur with for that matter. Whereas you don't make up points you do get rather selective with facts. The facts you present are generally those selected to have a salacious appeal to those of your own mindset. That is inherently unbalanced. I have to say you do your utmost to cover up bias by selecting what denominations say to make your point far more than to make the point that those denominations would make of themselves. I find your videos to be rather cleverly deceptive. I keep trying to find words that don't imply you are bearing false witness but keep coming back to believing that is what you are doing.
@@kitiowa I don't believe Ready To Harvest is being deceptive or selective or secretly biased. For one many responses from people in the other (totally different or opposing) denominations have clearly stated that their opposing doctrines were well and fairly described. This has included ministers, priests, theologians et cetra. I myself, have a much different background, culture, ethnicity (church & heritage), and I also have training in comparative church history and I feel Ready To Harvest has done well. The author has never claimed perfection. Relax.
My mother was Independent Baptist, I am a United Methodist. My brother is Church of God, another brother is an Atheist, I have relatives that are Mormon, Presbyterian, Pentecostal Holiness and others. We all do our best not to talk about our faith when we get together (which I find to be sad) My beliefs have evolved over the years, and I have noticed that most Christians do not really know what their denominations believe. You my friend are doing a great service to the Christian faith. I have never seen a more non-judgmental or a more unbiased presentation. Your students are very lucky to have you as their professor. Note: You look way too young to be a professor.... but that is a good thing. Thanks.
Imagine graduating and coming back week after week to hear your professor again! Almost a year after graduation and I'm thinking back to him casually mentioning his youtube presence and me cracking some "Smash that like button!" Thanks again brother
Hello Joshua, I am Don. I appreciate your dilligence and thoroughness. As you pointed out, the "content density" in many RU-vid presentations is fairly low, and very few presenters are truly "objective." Here is a thank you gift. As a Professor, in what I imagine is a relatively small private school, I suspect extra cash is rapidly deployed for necessities or mission. Blessings.
Very cool how through RU-vid, you have essentially extended your classroom and made us all your students. I’m a recent subscriber. I love the content. God bless!
I did not realize a 20 year old could be a professor. Wow. I knew Joshua was highly intelligent and well spoken. I am very impressed with him. Lord continue to bless him. Thank you Sir.
@@ReadyToHarvest - "Unfortunately?" Wouldn't we all *wish* to be ten years younger and yet still know everything that we've learned in the past ten years? 😊
I was baptized as an infant in the Christian Reformed church (highly Calvinistic) and when the family moved we were in the Brethren church, and when I was nine we moved into the Baptist church where I spent the rest of my formative years, through high school. In my early twenties I had discerned so many contradictory teachings that I looked for something different. Because of the esthetics involved I became an Episcopalian where the worship, hymnody, and theology wee beautiful and consistent. This however was almost sixty years ago, and much has changed in Anglicanism since then. 38 years ago I entered the Roman Catholic Church, and then 30 years ago I was ordained a priest. Things have indeed changed a bit since then but certainly not to the degree they have in other Christian denominations. As with others comments above, I have truly enjoyed, Joshua, your clear and non polemic descriptions of the various Christian groups. I have found very little that I can disagree with in your presentations, if indeed any at all. I have deeply studied Christianity all my life which I think gives me a valuable, at least to me, access to discern honesty and truth about Christian matters. I therefore value your wonderful careful and accurate research and evaluation which you so clearly present in each of your videos! Thank you, and may God bless you!
Congrats on your hard work and professional unbiased way to teach all of us on different denominations. As Roman Catholic, with Puritan and Quaker genes, living in South America, I hope you would be glad to know your teachings reach as far as Buenos Aires!
Im a Catholic that’s a former protestant. I knew you weren’t Catholic from the way you talked but assumed you had to be a high church protestant of some sort. You do a good job at being objective. I really appreciate your channel. Just discovered it a few days ago.
Talk about being confused… I am a product of a mixed marriage (MSL + RC). All of our differences seem to be called up in “what the individual believer believes,“ and “doctrine“. ie: What the RC Church “teaches” about the Saints and the Blessed Mother, how I’ll informed Catholics “believe”, and how their misbelief is construed to be the teaching of the church.
@@Frptlinyy As a Roman Catholic myself (a convert) my understanding and belief is that "the church" is the sum total of the congregants. As polls have shown, what US Catholics believe has a number of differences from official Vatican positions. What surprised me when I began attending Mass and learning about the Catholic church is how so many American Catholics (by poll data the majority) have made peace with this dichotomy. I would wager that this goes on in most, if not all, major denominations. Thus comparing and contrasting the official teachings of denominations involves the decisions of councils and committees but might not have much relevance to the beliefs of the people in the pews.
Joshua, your labor is not in vain. You’re producing truly great stuff. I appreciate your straightforward, non-biased presentations. Denominations are sort of the behind the scenes story in the fabric of our society. (Especially in the United States.) Keep up the great work!
I have just discovered your channel, I am a Catholic deacon. You really do quite a phenomenal job. These videos are clearly presented without bias, and are obviously intended to teach the unfamiliar about denominational differences.
You’ve been doing a great job. Fun to see someone who’s an independent Baptist who is not as high strung about being an independent Baptist. I actually am about to graduate PCC next month and have come to the conclusion I wish to stay non-denominational, but I always love these videos. You’re awesome. Keep up the fight.
I’m Catholic (ex Nondenominational/Baptist) and love your vids, they allow me to learn more about denominations of Protestantism that I have little exposure to and even learn more about the denomination I left as I wasn’t THAT well educated on it
As a Catholic man, I love and appreciate your videos. Your videos are amazing in helping to explore the other faiths around us. Your neutral view point in the videos helps to make the information far more clear and understandable.
@@ReadyToHarvest I would love to see a video of you talking with an Imam comparing ideas of Faith between Islam and Christianity. It would be an amazing video, or maybe series of videos, to see.
I caught your channel right as I was really digging in and learning about what I believe and why. Your lectures about a faith crisis and how to actually lead someone to Christ were significant in teaching me to think critically about my beliefs and from there learning for myself that independent fundamental baptist is the denomination that follows closest to what the bible says. (Plus or minus a few variations considering they are independent) Praise God for leading you to start this and I'll be keeping an eye out for more.
Joshua sir, thank you so much for the wonderful work you are doing in educating all of us about the many and different Christian Denominations in an unbiased presentation! I am a Catholic and have been intrigued with the various expressions of Christian faith therefore your videos satisfies my interests! God bless you and your teaching ministry!
I’m an Orthodox Christian (converted 3+ years ago) and I recommend your channel all the time to people wanting to learn more about the fabric of (especially American) Christianity in the West.
You're an exceptionally organized thinker and clear communicator, on top of being charitably objective and well researched. That you have labels on your bookshelves denoting sections makes my Aspie heart happy.
I have found your videos to be very fair and accurate without being judgmental. No one could know your personal religious affiliation from the way you present, even though it is obvious that you are a person who is very serious about your personal beliefs. Well done!
I speak as a theologian, with numerous degrees though mostly in Science. You have made a valuable contribution to the history and status of the church, and I esteem you.
As someone who has been trying to fill the gap of personal ignorance about the various denominations while pondering where he fits into the church at large, I really appreciate your ability to examine the spectrum of practice and belief without applying a personal agenda. Thank you for providing a much needed resource.
Im glad to know that you are an independent Baptist.I understand it to mean an independent baptist that is not critical of non king James only and calling those who don't agree with you as brothers in the faith and not compromisers and leaning toward new evangelicalism.Thank you very much for those videos about the different Christian denominations that save me a lot of time researching and visiting bookstores who sell used books containing the history of churches now available this RU-vid channel.
Hello Joshua i learn many new information about Christian domination from you. Thank you so much for your hard work. Im from India and I belong to Presbyterian(PCI)
Hello, Joshua (my middle name, by the way 😊). What I appreciate most about your channel is the information density that you mentioned, and the objectivity of your content, the latter being a super important reason to SCRIPT YOUR VIDEOS. The directness of your content falls on the ear very nicely, I think. There are no frills, no bells and whistles. I appreciate that a lot, as someone who speaks with that kind of directness myself. Thank you. You are doing a great service by using God’s calling to teach worshipers and future pastors about our faith and those who practice it.
Thank you Boris! I just made the kind of videos I wished already were out there, and I am glad to find out that other people were looking for this kind of stuff too!
Amen Brother, thanks for the formal introduction. I watch all your videos and some of them several times. Your series on the "IFB vs ..." gave me great insight and helped me learn new things about other denominations. I feel that I have been better equipped as a Baptist Christian because of your content. Thank you and God bless you for your labour in the word and doctrine.
I'm an undenominational Christian reared in an unchurched environment. I greatly appreciate your scholarly and unemotionally factual approach. I've subscribed and have already recommended one of your videos to 8 people. I'll be watching more of your stuff. Thanks.!
Love your content Joshua! I look forward to watching your new videos every week, and I love your rigorous efforts to be both unbiased and incredibly informative. Keep up the good work!
Could you cover the "alternative" Catholic groups? Old Catholic, Anglican Catholics, SSPX (and other groups that call themselves Catholic but don't recognize the pope), etc
@@shane8037 if you want to attend trident mass, you can do it not only in FSSPX parishes, you can go to mass that is celebrated by Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, they are ex-FSSPX and they are in full connection with holy see.
@@shane8037 Their parishes actually have the most faithful and virtuous Catholics I've seen, along with a young population. The modernist Vatican II sect has been dropping off in the west while we traditionalists grow.
I'm not Catholic myself, or even a Christian for that matter but I used to be Roman Catholic and I can tell you the SSPX definitely does accept the Pope and the doctrine of Papal Primacy and infallibility they just don't recognize all the reforms from Vatican II. .. VERY DIFFERENT from the Old Catholics who reject Papal Primacy and infallibility.
I enjoyed your video explaining Primitive Baptists, but now, after watching the broader view of your channel, I'm REALLY impressed. You did a better job than many of our own members, in representing and explaining our little churches.
It's great to see you grow as a creator, I actually needed a religious youtuber to look into because I'm really interested in learning about Christianity. My journey to looking for religious youtubers was kinda hard for me, because I was always recommended atheist youtubers who hated religion and those who believe in it. Finding youtubers like you is so refreshing. I was born and raised as Church of the East, but I've also studied in a Catholic school. I find your content to be extremely informative and unbiased, and I would happily recommend you to some of my friends in church
You do an incredible job on this scholarship dude. You’re right about the lack of content like this on the web. You have become maybe the single best and most accessible resource on denominations. Very cool. ✌️
Appreciate how serious your work is, and you're totally right the reason I found your channel is because there was an absolute paucity of good information on youtube about denomination cheers
I love your hobby! These videos are absolutely brilliant. I grew up PCA, joined the Vineyard in mid '90s, and now train music leaders and teams in multiple denominations. There is so much honor and care with these videos. Keep it up.
Thanks Mike, I am glad you enjoy the videos! One day I would like to start putting some interview or stories of people's experiences in denominations. Sounds like you probably have some interesting stories about your journey.
Thank you so much for your wealth of knowledge and the time you put into this channel! I am trying to understand church history and attain a better understanding of all of the denominations and why the church is so disunified.
I found your channel just recently and have found every video seen to be well presented, entirely coherent, and certainly informative. I look forward to viewing more of your earlier presentations, and hope you keep providing new ones for a long time.
Joshua, you have done an excellent job of presenting fact-based descriptions of differences in belief. There is so much slanted data available, it is a joy to read/listen to honest, fair presentations.
I've been watching these videos for a short time and on the few occasions I know something about the denominations in question, I've found your information to be accurate and thoughtfully researched. Often I find I knew less than I thought I did. I'm always impressed by the fairness of your presentations as well as the clarity.
Joshua thank you so much for your content I spent years driving around town and wondering what these denominations do. Now I feel a lot more informed. If I am to change churches I know what churches to look for that align with my principles. I find your work is very well thought out and super informative thank you
Professor! Your videos are just mind-blowing. I'm glad I came across this video so that I learned that you are in fact a professor of religious studies. Your presentational style and the breadth of your knowledge fit that mold. I so appreciate all the work you have done. And yes, each video is packed with information, so much so that it can leave me breathless. Sometimes I watch the same video three or four times just to grasp all that you say. Thank you. May you be well and happy.
Love your videos. I have watched maybe 10 or so. So far, I have been wonderfully pleased to see how balanced and informative the videos have been. Based upon my own research and personal participation in various denominations during my own faith journey, I believe that you have clearly, accurately and objectively articulated the viewpoints of several groups I am intimately familiar with. Your objectivity has generated a confidence to weigh your information about groups that I have little or no information regarding. Keep up the good work!!
Recently found your channel. It is so helpful. I've already recommended you to several people. Really informative. Lots of information that I would otherwise struggle to find.
Thank you, Joshua. I've paid attention to your work long before this one was made----but just now seeing it. I had wondered. I appreciate your autobiographical stuff here but also that you strive for impartiality.
New to your channel and now a subscriber. I have viewed many of your videos and find them very helpful for understanding the multitude of denominations out there. Good content and a very pleasing format! Also feel that you are doing a good job keeping your presentations free from personal bias.
Thanks for doing these well produced videos. It is apparent that you put a great deal of time and effort into their development. I had to smile when you mentioned high content density. Sometimes it can feel like I’m drinking from a fire hose, so I stop, rewind, play again to be sure of what you have said. I could see how the students in your class find it challenging to take notes during one of your lectures.
Thanks so much for doing this. I’ve been wanting to learn about church history for a long time but never had the time. Now I can learn in bite size chunks while I’m doing other things.
Thank you for giving us an unbiased view of the big picture of what the different denominations believe. It helps whenever we find ourselves engaging in dialogue to get down to brass tacks.
Hello Joshua! Thank you for all of the labor you have put into producing these videos! I stumbled across your channel a couple of years ago and was amazed that something so obscure and specific could be presented with such excellence! I have found your channel to be helpful as a quick reference guide in parsing out the differences to better understand the variety of Christian denominations. I work as the director of a citywide prayer ministry in Terre Haute, Indiana. I’ve been in this ministry for 10 years and began launching efforts to unify the Body of Christ through worship and prayer 7 years before that. I don’t have an interest or even a need to go in-depth on my own studying every denomination, but I do want to try to better understand the people of God attending the 174 churches in my county so I can do a better job of finding ways to bring people together for the glory of Jesus! I have learned so much through watching your videos and have gained a greater appreciation for the spectrum of Church traditions with all of their variety. Thanks again, and may the Lord bless you for your hard work and commitment to accuracy. It’s almost impossible to find an unbiased source for information on social media, especially in regard to this type of content.
Thanks for leaving a comment! I am glad to hear that this channel has been helpful. People like you are my target audience. I always thought that folks who are doing ministry should have an easier time of figuring out what the people in their own city believe. I am actually surprised that more denominations aren't putting out RU-vid videos in this style about themselves. But I'm happy to fill in the gap!
Very impressive! I really appreciate your outlook and philosophy behind what you do! Not to mention the high quality and the time you put into this project! I just subscribed! 👍🙏
Excellent videos very informative and is a great resource for those looking for a Church. Thanks and keep up the good work I’ll be watching for more of your videos.
Joshua, your "Ready to Harvest" RU-vid videos are insightful & express no judgment concerning any sect or denomination. Attended religious schools; one of the best classes was entitled "Comparative Religions." At the time, would have never entertained changing religion, but twenty some years later did so & it was to the one that intrigued me the most in the "Comparative Religions" class. One never truly know the path God has chosen for us. If your classes are reflective of your videos, your students are well served. AML
Dear Joshua. I appreciate your videos so much. They address many questions I've had over the years and you do so without prejudice or "spin." Fabulous. I also appreciate your professional style and the excellence of your producing. I believe your series is a great service to all who are interested in Christian denominations. It is bound to become classic! Thank you so much.
I highly respect your commitment to information density and presentation. I've always really admired that, and your labour of collecting this information from many, disparate sources, some perhaps rambling, and bringing it all into one clear place for the interested person to get clear, hopefully unbiased, overviews of it all.
Hi Joshua, it was only in the last month or two that I discovered your channel. You're a kindred spirit: we both are fascinated by denominations' history & thought. As a teenager I discovered on my Dad's shelf an early edition of "Handbook of Denominations." I pored over that book for hours! And continue to be fascinated (and sometimes appalled) by the denominating of Christianity. Thank you for your careful and extensive research into the varieties of Believers who call on the Name of the Lord through various expressions.
I love your videos. You are my "go to" source for learning about denominations, even my own church and the UMC-GMC split. It is a credit ro you that I had no idea of your denominational affilliation. Keep up the good work.
The most important thing you do well, that is very rare on RU-vid, is that you present each demonimation's teachings in their own words, and from their own perspective, rather than from the perspective of their critics.
I am in my 70’s and was a Chaplain for the Arkansas Department of corrections, from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. I am a 1977 graduate of Dallas theological seminary then my PHD is from LSU in clinical psychology. I was raised in the missionary Baptist then married into the Southern Baptist. As a Chaplain I was ordained Southern Baptist & Assemblies of God. Sad to say there are issues with both I disagree with. Now in my 70’s I have moved into the country side on a small Farm. There was a little church just across the road that was mennonite, so I thought this would be interesting so I have be attending their services and have enjoyed them. They have also ask me to fill in on several occasions. When people ask me what I am I usually say I a Christian.
Thank you so much for sharing these important information. You are a great teacher, I have not found this information anywhere else. It's really important to me since I am 70yrs old and have attended lots of different denominators and didn't understand what they were teaching. I do believe in the Trinity and that the only way to salvation is through our Lord Jesus Christ. I now attend calvery Chapel in Puerto Rico.
I stumbled across your videos a while back and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm a Baptist pastor and have often heard people say things about others, even other Baptist groups, that just wasn't accurate. Honestly, your videos are the most unbiased, straightforward, and informative videos on the subject of different denominations I've come across. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Barry, your experience is the same as mine. I'm a strong believer in representing people correctly, even when you disagree, and find that so much of the discussion around denominations can tend toward misrepresentation. So I am glad you found the channel and that it's helpful!
Joshua you have a great channel here and I appreciate the way you present the facts. You truly do have a calling from God and you are the type of professor that Bible colleges and seminaries need to produce ministers dedicated to preaching His word. God Bless.
Joshua, this really is a wonderful service to the Church, big C. I put this in the same category as what George Marsden, David Bebbington, Mark Noll have done for many years in trying to describe the landscape of American religion while trying to be fair to groups they privately disagree with. Noll’s “Scandal of the Evangelical Mind” has been formative on the way I consider how I think about religion and scholarship, and I think you do an excellent job of pushing Christians (or anyone watching) to engage their minds rather than their opinions.
Thank you, Joshua for adding this information. I must commend you for mentioning the amount of pre-production work is involved in production. I spent many years in media production and found that typically, for every hour of edited video, I spend about 8 hours in preparation and editing.
