Church History for Chumps

The Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century wasn't just a movement. It was a million dominoes falling to trigger a BUNCH of movements all across Europe.One of the most unique of these movements was that of the Anabaptists. While Lutherans and Calvinists fought about whether justification or predestination were cooler sounding words, Anabaptists were marching to the beat of a very different drum.So what's the deal? Are Anabaptists the ancestors of modern day Baptists? We'll talk about all that and more. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Have you ever read through the Old Testament and thought, "Geez, God seems a little harsh compared to that Jesus guy"? Well, Marcion of Sinope had that thought as well. In fact, he would have argued that they were completely different gods. Join Thomas and John as they explore Marcionism, a 2nd century heresy with lots and lots of fun heretical ideas. Oh and John will consistently call him "Marcius" instead of Marcion, because we're really bad historians. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

David Brainerd was an 18th century colonial man for the people. We also have it on good authority that his pals called him 'Davey the Brain.' After running into obstacles on his path into pastoral leadership, David opted for a different calling: mission work to the Native Americans.Although his life would be cut short by illness, Brainerd's legacy would survive him through his journal, published by Great Awakening titan Jonathan Edwards. Check it out. IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Historically, Christians have believed that when the first humans sinned, it introduced corruption into everything. Human hearts turned away from God, nature began to decay, and all creation groaned for its Redeemer. But what if that wasn't the case? What if humans weren't born bad at all? In fact, what if humans could be perfect?Join John and Tommy as they discuss Pelagianism, as Tommy recovers from his brief bout of 'the pox.'Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Have you ever wondered why Protestants don't have a richer view of the sacraments (a fancy word for 'visible means of grace,' like baptism if you're a Protestant, or confession if you're a Catholic)? Or ever wondered why most Protestant churches tend to be so "dressed down" and casual, compared to high-church settings?Well then you're in good company. Join us today as we're joined by our good friend Nick Davis, who will be walking us through the life of John Williamson Nevin, 19th century theologian and author of Mercersburg Theology. IG: @churchhistory4chumpsBuy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

At this point, people really should have learned to stop making up new ideas about Jesus' nature. But some people never learn. This week, we end up with Eutychianism, an overcorrection of the heresy of Nestorianism. This one suggested, "What if Jesus' two natures were just kind of, like, blended together into one?" We'll break down why that's problematic, but also how this particular issue broke a lot of church unity...and why that may not have been a bad thing...IG: @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

The Council of Nicea might be one of the most commonly misunderstood events in church history. Everyone from TikTok influencers, Joe Rogan, and that one guy who wrote the Da Vinci Code, have different opinions on what went down on that fateful day in 325 AD. So hey, let's uh, break up some myths! Also, our wonderfully fun guest Ben Lansing (of Our Church Speaks) will be joining in as well. What could be better than that?@churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Through our Hefty Heresies series, we've kind of done a "series within a series" as we cover the four major Christological heresies of the early church (following Arianism and Docetism). This week we're covering Nestorianism (kind of a part 3 for our series within a series), which was borne from a dude who thought that Docetism was just the worst. Also: in the first minute or so, we joked about an episode that hasn't *actually* dropped yet. But, you should get excited because our next chat with Ben Lansing is coming next week! Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

Not often do you have the privilege of interviewing a relative of one of the figures you talk about. But today is a special day. Today John and Tommy are joined by long time-friend (and Tucson LEGEND) Tom Askew, who shares the story of his great x 17 grandmother, Anne Askew.  This was a fun episode to record, and Tom was a delightful guest. Give it a listen and let us know what you think. @churchhistory4chumps Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory

The worst persecution against Christians that the world has ever known has just ended. Christian leaders bear scars of torture and violence all across their bodies. The priests and bishops who kept the faith despite the brutality of the Romans now look forward to a brighter future. But here's a question...what do you do with the Christians who sold out? The ones who traded in the Scriptures to save their skin? Is their leadership still legitimate, or should they be thrown out to the dogs? This was the starting point of the Donatist Controversy, where a bunch of dudes try to answer this very question. And they're not willing to compromise. Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory