Podcast Episodes
Back to Search2.2—The Council of Nicaea: First and Foremost
Season 2 Episode 2
Nicaea (325 A.D.) is the first of the ecumenical councils, not only in chronology, but also in importance. It occupies a certain primacy. The phrase…
3 years, 11 months ago
2.1 Where Councils Come From: An Introduction
Season 2 Episode 1
When the Church is in crisis, its bishops meet in council. Since the generation of the Apostles, this has been the customary way of settling major di…
3 years, 11 months ago
Martyrdom and the Mass
Season 1
In the first three centuries of Christian history, the practice of the faith was a capital crime, and many gave their lives as the ultimate testimony…
4 years ago
Through Hymns, With Hymns, In Hymns: The Fathers & Music
Season 1
Music formed the early Christians in faith. It catechized them. Inspired them. Unified them. Healed them. The Fathers — from Ignatius of Antioch to …
4 years ago
Apocrypha Now! On the Myth of the Lost Gospels
Season 1
Why is it big news when someone claims to find a fragment of a lost "gospel"? Why do people say that these ancient apocrypha threaten to overturn eve…
4 years ago
The Paradoxical Prestige of the Deacon in the Early Church
Season 1
Most lowly and most loved, deacons played supremely important roles in the early Church. Think Lawrence of Rome. Think Ephrem of Syria. They were con…
4 years, 1 month ago
Catena — The Chain That Set Scripture Free
Season 1
Ever wonder how Bible study was done in the early Church? It was done with chains. The CATENA did the work that Bible software does for us today. It …
4 years, 2 months ago
How Clericalism Happened: A Tale of Theodosius
Season 1
When asked what's wrong with the Church, commentators from Pope Francis to Russell Shaw will blame an elusive beast named "clericalism." But what is …
4 years, 2 months ago
The Healing Imperative: How Christians Invented the Hospital
Season 1
The hospital arose as a Christian institution, dependent on the Christian principles of charity and hospitality. There were no pre-Christian hospita…
4 years, 3 months ago
Women and Children First: Reconfiguring the Roman Family
Season 1
The Empire faced a crisis in the year 9 A.D. Romans were not reproducing. They weren't even marrying. Caesar Augustus recognized that this posed a di…
4 years, 3 months ago