The second episode of my podcast series on the history of the Catholic Church covers the first century. 1-100 AD The first episode is an introduction answering the question why we should study history and asking how historically reliable are the gospels. Each episode will cover about one century in [...]

The Early Church Wrestles Gnosticism: This third episode of my twenty part podcast series on the history of the Catholic Church takes us into the second century: 100 AD- 200 AD. As the last apostle dies, the church moves forward in a struggle to emerge from the marketplace of ideas, [...]

The Church Faces Persecution. This week's episode covers the third century: 200 AD- 300 AD. During this century the church continues to consolidate its growth with rapid expansion, while at the same time the persecution of the church increases. The development of firm doctrines, the three fold ministry of Bishop, [...]

The Victory of the Cross. The Roman Empire endorses Christianity and the church copes with Arianism. In this fifth episode of Triumphs and Tragedies I discuss the events of the fourth century--the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, religious freedom for Christians and the church dealing with the Arian heresy. This [...]

In the sixth episode of Triumphs and Tragedies the Catholic Church copes with the heresies of Pelagianism and Nestorianism. Giants of the church--St Jerome, St Augustine, St Ambrose are active while Pope St Leo the Great steps in to bring order out of the chaos of the crumbling Roman Empire. [...]

The sixth century sees the continued decay of the Roman Empire as barbarians invade Italy from the North and East. The Emperor Justinian reclaims large portions of the Empire, but it doesn’t last. Meanwhile, monasticism surges forth from an unexpected region and St Benedict establishes his simple monastic communities which [...]

The Power of Pope St Gregory the Great and the Clash of Popes and Emperors. This century sees the increase in temporal power of the papacy as the Roman Empire continues to crumble, and this brings the popes into conflict with the emperors in Constantinople. Meanwhile the monastic movements continue [...]

The eighth century - from 700 - 800 AD. The temporal power of the papacy increases as the Byzantine Empire disintegrates. The Lombards dominate Italy and the pope looks North for political support and military defense. Meanwhile the Benedictine monastic movement grows as English missionary monk St Boniface evangelizes the [...]

Half way through the twenty part history of the church, things become very grim. Its not called the Dark Ages for nothing. In this episode dealing with the ninth century we are faced with the nadir of the papacy. These popes were not just incompetent, venal or weak. They were [...]

The tenth century is a very dark chapter in the history of the papacy. The popes have become no more than mafia dons--killing, torturing and scheming to get the power and wealth that has come to be linked to the papacy. Once on the throne most of them live decadent, [...]

After two hundred years of a very dark time, the church struggles into reform. The German kings prompt the reform by appointing good popes, but it backfires when the popes clash with the kings over the question of who appoints the bishops, priests and abbots. Popes Leo IX and Gregory [...]

During the twelfth century the reform movement begun the century before moves into full gear. Motivated by the monastic movement which is also going through reform, the pope established an administrative and legal machine that unites Europe and provides a foundation for the expansion and consolidation of papal power. This [...]

In the thirteenth century Pope Innocent III continues the reform movement, confronts the Abigensians with violence, but welcomes the Dominicans and Franciscans. During this century power struggles with the secular rulers continue, but the papacy emerges as a strong monarchy bringing administrative and spiritual unity to Europe.

The events of the fourteenth century and thereafter can only be understood by having knowledge of the philosophical upheavals that took place in the 12th and 13th centuries. In this episode we look at the development of the universities and the thought of the great medieval philosophers before covering the [...]

The fifteenth century: As the French Avignon Papacy ended, the Great Schism began, only to be resolved at the beginning of the 15th century at the Council of Constance. As the century developed the rise of the Renaissance popes take place, and they seem oblivious to the mounting pressure for [...]

The sixteenth century is one of the most momentous 100 years in church history. We've had to break this up into two episodes. Episode 17 deals with the Renaissance papacy and the reform movements that were going on at the end of the fifteenth century and leading into the sixteenth. [...]

The second half of the two part episode on the momentous sixteenth century. How can you fit everything in? Luther, Calvin, Renaissance popes, Michelangelo, Raphael, Shakespeare, Henry VIII and his wives and offspring, St Thomas More, Erasmus. Whew! This episode also had to deal with the Council of Trent, the [...]