by Daniel Mcclellan

Created on: April 24, 2008

Many Christians seem to find the modern academic use of BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era) disagreeable. They see it as a "PC" attempt to "de-Christianize" academia in an effort to protect other religious groups from offense. A primary concern is that it seems to indicate scholarship would like to view the present as a "post-Christian era," or want to remove the religious significance of the terms. This is offensive to many. A common argument focuses on the fact that the point of reference is identical, and thus the vorlage of the Christian calendar remains intact, undermining the entire change. While these concerns should not go ignored, most adherents to their position are unaware of the fundamental reasons for the change.

AD (or A.D.) is an abbreviation of the Latin Anno Domini, or "in the year of the Lord." The full phrase is Anno Domini Nostri Iesu Christi, or "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ." The term always precedes the year (thus "in the year of our Lord 1492," and not "1492 in the year of our Lord"). The term was developed in the sixth century by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, but it did not receive widespread adoption in Europe until well into the second millennium. Regnal years remained the common foundation of the calendar for some time. Modern scholars, however, recognize Dionysius' calculations were a bit inaccurate. Synchronism of various historical texts indicates Herod the Great died four years prior to Dionysius' calculation of the birth of Christ, moving the birth of Christ at least back to 4 BCE. BC (or B.C.) is an abbreviation for the English Before Christ, based on the Latin Ante Christum.

Contrary to popular opinion, the term CE did not originate among secularists, and it is not new. The term was originated, as far as can be discerned, in the early 17th century by Christians in Europe. The Latin term is Vulgaris Aerae, which is literally "Vulgar Era." "Vulgar" does not mean profane, but rather common, and it refers to the common people. The term originated among the common people to distinguish their calendar from royal calendars, which utilized regnal years. The first use of the English "Common Era" occurs in 1715, in an astronomical text. In 1856 a Rabbi named Morris Jacob Raphell used the CE and BCE abbreviations in his book, Post-Biblical History of the Jews. He also incorporates the term "Christian era."

The modern designations BCE and CE are used primarily to remove denominational preeminence from interfaith dialogue,

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