Church History for Chumps

In the 5th Century, the Western Roman Empire is on its last leg. Riddled with internal conflict, external threats, and even theological disputes tearing at the fabric of the Church, Rome has seen better days. And the great shadow of the Huns looms larger and larger as days go by. This leads to one of the most engaging (and unexpected) encounters in church history: the frail and elderly Bishop of Rome face to face with the bloodthirsty tyrant of the Hunnic Empire. Also, John and Tommy talk about why there was no episode last week, but why that's okay, because cool godly guys staying bros is more important. IG: churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

If you're not a Baptist (and we still love you even if you are), you're probably no stranger to the idea of infant baptism. The doctrine of paedobaptism is saturated with the idea that the children of believers are heirs of the covenant of grace, and through baptism are welcomed into God's family. But did you know that for several centuries of church history, the youngest believers weren't just baptized, but were also given communion?Join us for an episode that might ruffle a little feathers, where we discuss the history of paedocommunion. But just remember, if you don't ruffle any feathers, you'll never make any pillows. So bear with us. We love ya. IG: churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Beginning as a fringe interpretation of the creation story in Genesis, the Serpent Seed Doctrine asks a question that no one really seems to be asking: what if Satan and Eve had a little...fling?It's a wild doctrine with even more of a wild history. So let's talk about it!Also, we're not gonna be too crude this episode, but given the nature of this episode's topic, it may not be appropriate for our youngest listeners. Maybe ask your parents. Or your grandparents. Thanks for listening, cool cats. IG: churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Annie Valencia, longtime listener and co-host who offers reflective context on church history and ethics. They trace 16th-century Japan from rapid Christian growth to violent backlash. Stories include the San Felipe scandal, the brutal march to Nagasaki, the crucifixion of the 26 martyrs, and the centuries-long survival of hidden Christians.

The discovery (well, sort of discovery) of the New World was one of the most groundbreaking events in world history. The decades that followed however, would be marked by widespread violence and abuse of power as the colonizing Europeans came to settle in a foreign new land. In the midst of this broken system, there were several voices who were critical of these injustices. They believed that the Church was betraying a fundamental value of Christianity: to love and lay your life down for your neighbor. One of those voices was the Dominican friar known as Bartolomé de las Casas. Join us as we chat about your new favorite Spaniard, while John enjoys pretending he can roll his r's. Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Well folks, we've danced around this topic for long enough. It's time to unpack the grand-daddy of all heresies (most heresies), the second-century slammer, the demiurge devastator...Gnosticism.Unlike many of the heresies we've discussed so far this season, Gnosticism is a tricky one to pin down. There is no singular, authoritative Gnostic worldview, so it takes a little nuance to define. But we'll do our darnedest. Thanks for listening, pal. (you can skip to 7:21 if Christian metal banter isn’t your cup of tea btw)IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

In the second century, it's safe to say that Christians were still kind of figuring things out. One of those things for example, was the celebration of Easter. There was a heated disagreement in the church about whether Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday (the Lord's Day) or whether it should stay on the day of the Jewish Passover. What came of this agreement is one of the oldest and richest homilies from that era: the Peri Pascha (roughly translated to 'On the Passover') by Melito of Sardis. It contains some beautiful affirmations of Christ being the center of the Christian faith, and how He fulfills the themes introduced in the Old Testament. It's really cool. So we're gonna talk about it!IG: @churchhistory4chumpsBuy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Well gang-- our Instagram followers supplied the questions, and here we are with the answers.What heresy do we find most dangerous to the church? How do we feel about nondenominational churches? How has our study of church history affected our work as pastors? WILL WE EVER DO AN EPISODE ON THE CRUSADES???All of these questions (and a lot more) will be answered. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Manifest Destiny is a heck of a drug. In the 1800's, American and Canadian settlers were faced with a problem: what should be done about all these Native/Indigenous people? The result was a pretty gross blemish on the face of North American Christianity: the adoption of Indigenous Boarding Schools. The story behind this episode isn't a fun one, but we believe it's important as believers to remember the full story of our Christian heritage, even the parts that make us squirm a little. Praise God for His abundant mercies. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Okay fine, "original doomsday cult" is a little on the dramatic side. But come on, Montanism is like the perfect Frankenstein's monster of heresies. You've got a dash of modalism, a sprinkle of hyper-pentacostalism, and a healthy splash of end times panic. And all before the 3rd Century!Montanism was a strange movement in the early days of Christianity. It demonstrated a growing tension that some believers had about how the Holy Spirit interacted with believers at that point in history. There are lots of cool things to talk about in this episode.Thanks for being here! You're the coolest person we know. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory