Church History for Chumps

As we comb through history's ranks of church fathers, we tend to take something for granted. Many of these people had a natural desire for leadership. Augustine, Athanasius, Antony, they all had a natural penchant to address the crowds and stir up courage.  This was not the case with our next Cappadocian Father, Gregory of Nazianzus. Gregory had a monastic soul, he longed for a quiet and peac...

Do you know what happens when you combine the trauma of growing up as a PK (pastor's kid, of course) with the Game of Thrones-esque violence of the Roman Empire? Well, you sort of get Julian the Apostate.  Born in the era of Constantine's great conversion to Christianity, Julian was the last emperor not to be wooed by the Empire's new religious convictions. Raised on the classics an...

We asked for Q's, and you guys delivered. So now we're back with the A's.  Who's our favorite heretic? Are we Calvinist, Arminian, or something else? Do we have any advice for someone considering pastoral ministry? We answer those questions and many, many more.  As fun as this episode was to record, we honestly just enjoy any chance we get to interact with the folks who listen...

We're back in the 4th century, baby.  And it's time we finally talk about the Cappadocian Fathers. Two brothers and one lifelong friend, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus were three of the most pivotal figures in the history of Eastern Christianity. And today, we begin with Basil.  During a thyme of heretical emperors, he was a voice of Nicene wisdom. When the...

This week, we're taking a short break on our early church series, mostly because Taylor put "I get to lead an episode on Baptist missions every once in a while" in his contract when he joined the show :( Isaac McCoy was a Baptist missionary in the early 19th century who endeavored to bring the Gospel to the American Indians that lived throughout the Midwest. Historically, he's...

Imagine you're writing a letter to the President (or Emperor, depending on what era you live in). Point by point, you bring up each idol of that day and age, and refute it thoroughly. Then you explain, it clear and compassionate terms, that the reader should submit themselves to the God of Christianity, repent of their sins, and commit to a Christian life.  Actually, the more I talk about it,...

Persecutions are tough. I think we can all agree with that.  But an issue that doesn't get as much attention is what the church does after a time of persecution. Specifically with the Christians who may or may not have caved under the threat of harm or violence.  The 3rd Century in Rome (as we've discussed on the show before ) was a tough time to be a Christian, and while the persecution...

For the past few weeks, we've been covering the stories of the Apostles after the biblical narrative concludes.  And...we can be honest. This series has gone over like watching a jaded old magician spoiling a handful of classic magic tricks in front of an unsuspecting child's birthday party. But sometimes that's just how history is.  But what about Saint Peter? We all know the story...

The lore surrounding the lives of the Apostles never ceases to amaze. People getting boiled alive (and surviving). Dudes getting thrown off the top of the Temple. Crazy stuff.  But what if most of these crazy things are actually false? And what if nobody had a cool martyrdom? And what if Santa Claus is a FRAUD? Well, you'll just have to listen to find out. Join Taylor and John as we continue...

When you think of the persecution of the Christians in the early church, it doesn't take long for the mind to naturally think of the Colosseum.  But how involved was the Roman Colosseum in the practice of executing Christians in the first 4 centuries after the life of Christ? And what about the other stadiums built around that time?  Join us as Tommy leads us through a rabbit trail for the ag...

James the Greater. James the Lesser. James the brother of Jesus.  Three stories. Three mysteries. Three Jameses.  Join Jay, Tay, and Tray as we uncover more of the apostolic legacies after the biblical narrative.  Also, we discuss Taylor's keto-tastic weight loss journey, and some harsh words he has for the Chump Nation if he doesn't get the fan mail encouragement he needs to stay on tra...

Church history this, church history that. Blah blah blah.  Let's get ready for some TRIVIA.  Join us for a fun time of Chump Talk, where Taylor and Thomas will go head to head over some church history trivia.  Listener, feel free to play at home! And then send us messages making fun of Taylor (or Thomas) for getting their questions wrong.  Thanks for listening, happy Friday!  Support the show

We all know how the story of the Apostles went down. They all went on missions to different regions of the world, and everyone but John was martyred. Right? ...Right? MAYBE NOT!  Join us as we dive into a mini-series within our "Early Church Gets the Worm" series, where we'll discuss what history says about the disciples of Jesus beyond the biblical narrative.  This week we kick thi...

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PREPARE YOUR BALLOTS. Few church fathers have a legacy as controversial as Origen of Alexandria. From rumors of self-mutilation, heresy, and crooked bishops, the story of Origen somehow only got more complicated in the years following his death.  So this week, we're gonna take this controversial topic and duel it out.  Each of our hosts has researched this topic, and wil...

"Hey! I'm walkin here!"  St. Ignatius, probably Not much is known of the 1st Century early church father known as Ignatius of Antioch. His early life, conversion, and place of origin are steeped in mystery.  What we do know is this: after serving as the Bishop of Antioch for many years, Ignatius was captured during the persecution of Trajan. Rather than offer him a merciful executio...

"F is for friends who do stuff together" -St. Peter, about Clement, probably You know what we love about the early church?  That with a couple of history books and a number 2 pencil, you can sketch a nice, neat line right from the Book of Acts to the first wave of church fathers. Apostolic succession is a heck of a drug.  And chief of these early church leaders was Clement of Rome, autho...

Imagine if you were a really cool guy.  Like, a really cool guy. You helped all your friends know Jesus better. Wrote all these interesting theological ideas. Came up with all these fun words in Greek. Everybody liked you.  And then in 500 years, someone read your journal and became a heretic, so now everyone hates you. And even now, everyone hates you. They think you're the worst.  That&apos...

Imagine going to a country with one of the oldest expressions of Christian faith...as a BAPTIST?!?!? Just kidding. But really, Taylor just got back from a week-long mission trip in Ethiopia, eastern Africa's historic den of Christianity.  So how did it go? What is the relationship between the Ethiopian Protestants and the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians? Are mission trips something that the chu...

"Nice pagan temple. Be a shame if someone...Christianized it." -Constantine, probably The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity was one of the most groundbreaking events to occur in the history of Rome. The single most influential political figure in the world had official changed divine allegiances.  But as we'll talk about today, the implications for this change would...

The scandal of Christianity is that the Church is seldom greatest amongst the rich and powerful. Often, those rich in spirit are poor in worldly treasure. The "abundant life" promised in the Gospels is nearest to those who share in Christ's sufferings.  History often shows how the power of the Spirit is felt in the quiet, overlooked spaces of the powerless and vulnerable.  For many...

Tertullian always had a dragon's tongue.  After his conversion and baptism, he would unleash his fiery rhetoric on heretics, pagan emperors, and persecuting powers. In the process, he would pen some of the finest Latin theology of the early 3rd century.  But over time, this dragon would lose its wits. If you've ever wondered why, of the many early church fathers, Tertullian was one of th...

Imagine you're a 4th century Roman soldier on assignment in North Africa.  Among the theological tension of this region, strange rumors begin to circulate. That within the region of Carthage, there are a peculiarly zealous sect of young men who, well...you'll see soon enough.  Join Jonathan Taylor Thomas as we discuss this strange phenomena in church history, and how it may, or may not,...

Every story needs a good villain.  Thanos. The Joker. Tom Brady.  In the late 4th Century, the Church had a villain by the name of Arianism.  After the Council of Nicaea, the post-persecution church had united under the banner of Nicene theology, girded by the writings of Athanasius. Under this creed, they affirmed the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father and Spirit. ...

Have you ever been 'volun-told' to do something? Maybe volunteer for setup at your church, or work the sound board? Imagine being 'volun-told' to lead one of the most influential dioceses in the nation, when you're not even a baptized Christian yet.  That would be the story of Ambrose of Milan, a kind-hearted young man with a soft spot for diplomacy. He comforted the unrul...

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." -Constantine, probably  The 4th century has begun to dawn. The Christian church is in hot water. The new system of tetrarchy established by Diocletian has already started to teeter, and Rome looks to fall back into the chaos of the prior century.  But in the West, stands a man. A man who, unknown to anyone at this point, would bec...