History of the Papacy Podcast

The second part of our tour of the popes before the Council of Nicaea will start in a fairly stable situation where Christianity was largely tolerated, but we will quickly move into the first formal, centralized persecution of the Christian Church. The third centry of the common era was not a great time to live in the Roman Empire, especially as a Christian. We are right around the corner from Con...

This is the first of a new series called "Sidetrack Episodes." These episodes will investigate some issues, ideas and personalities around the history of the Roman Popes, but don't exactly fit into the narrative of the main episodes. In this first Sidetrack Episode, we will take a closer look at Irenaeus Bishop of Lyon. Irenaeus wrote many books, some of which are still in existence today. Irenaeu...

In this special episode, we will take a look at the formation and development of the biblical canon. Why were certain documents accepted as canonical and others tossed out? This will be a wide ranging discussion with New Testament scholar Dr. Robert M. Price. Dr. Price is the author or numerous books and essays on the topic of the New Testament and early Christianity. He also is the host of two po...

In the previous episode, we discussed some of the beliefs of the Gnostics. Now we will talk about the documents various Gnostic groups used as their scared literature, along with the characteristics of these groups. We will also discuss the Marcionites, a group that held Gnostic beliefs and for a time was a serious contender with the Proto-Orthodox movement for the development of the mainstream Ch...

What is a Gnostic and Gnosticism? In this episode we'll discuss the beliefs and practices of the group of early Christians who may have referred to themselves as Spirituals, but we know as Gnostics. This group of early Christians shared many rites with mainstream Christian groups, but interpreted sacred literature, sacraments and the role of the deity in drastically different ways. You can learn m...

In this episode we will take a look at the story of the first popes before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. This was a period of growth and controversy for the early Christian movement. From the beginning, the Popes of Rome were central figures in these controversies. We will also discuss the story of the first of many schisms or factional breaks in the Roman Church. Thank you very much to Tom...

The Avignon papacy was an extremely difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church and Western Europe. This is the time when the Bishop of Rome picked up and moved the entire operation to Avignon in the south of France. The period of the Avignon Papacy has all the elements of a great story: political intrigue, murder, war and religious conflict at the highest levels all across Medieval Europe. A ver...

Was Simon Magus the ultimate bad guy or is there more to the story. Simon Magus has been potrayed as the first heretic in Church history, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. In this episode we will look at the background of Simon Magus and how his story was documented by the early Church. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://...

John the Baptist is referred to variously as the precursor, ground layer and forerunner of Jesus. His story is quite well known and is documented in each of the four canonical gospels. In this episode, we will take a closer look at John and see how he was involved in the religious situation of the early first century AD. We will also look at John's own organization and how it could have interacted...

In this episode we will take a look at the situation of Judaism in the First Century AD. This was an extremely chaotic time in history. We will discuss the religious factions and how they interacted with each other and the Romans. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.ac...

In this episode we take a look at another important part of the religious situation of the 1st century AD: Mystery religions or mystery cults. We will talk about some of the more popular mystery religions and the influence of the mystery religions on early Christianity. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto...

In this episode we begin a series on the religious situation in the Roman Empire during the first years of the Christian Movement. We will take a look at the Roman State religion, personal religion and the Cult of Sol Invictus. The early Christian movement did not develop in a vacuum. Instead, it developed in a rich religious and cultural environment. We will look at how the various religions of t...

Welcome back to the History of the Papacy Podcast. In this episode we will look at the monumental first council of the Church, called the Council of Jerusalem or the Apostolic Council. This was a major event in the early Church and would set the Jesus movement on the course to becoming a separate religious movement. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great pl...

This is the final episode of the Papal Resignation Series. The Papal Conclave of 2013 has wrapped up and there is a new Pope. 700 years another pope resigned, the first Pope to retire. Pope Celestine V was a pious man who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Come join in on a tour of the life and times of Celestine V. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at a...

In this episode in the Papal Election Special series, we will take a look at a few of the top contenders to be the next Pope. There are any number of people who could be the next Pope, but we will take a look at some of the Cardinals who are most likely. We will also discuss some of the issues that the next Pope and the Roman Catholic Church face. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and...

In this episode we will take a look at the current rules that will be followed for the upcoming 2013 Papal election conclave. This will include the places where the Cardinals will stay and meet and the procedures they will follow during the actual voting. The election of a Pope is an interesting process that has developed and evolved over many centuries. You can learn more about the History of Pap...

In this mini-episode we will take a brief look at one aspect of the papal conclave. The chant "Veni Creator Spiritus" is sung by the Cardinals as they prepare to elect the next pope. A new episode on the papal election process will be out soon. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve@atozhistorypage.com...

With the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, we are going to take some time off from the early Church history and focus on this important event in current Church history. This is the first part in a multiple part series on various aspects revolving around the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. In this first episode, we will take a look at the College of Cardinals. You can learn more about the...

In this episode we will do a brief biographical sketch of St. Paul of Tarsus. We will explore the major impact he had on the early Christian movement. St. Paul's theology will lead us towards the Council of Jerusalem, a major turning point in early Church history. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve...

In this episode. we will look at the major ordained offices of the church and how they relate to the Roman Papacy. We will look at the roles of the deacons, priests and bishops. Like the page and learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacy Agora: www.agora...

Welcome to the History of the Papacy Podcast! Here is a brief introduction to the podcast and the trip we are about the embark upon! This episode also includes episode 2 - Peter Prince of the Apostles. Please let me know what you think! You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve@atozhistorypage.com See omn...