Way of the Fathers
A podcast about the Fathers of the Church—the foundational figures in Christian history. A production of CatholicCulture.org. Seasons 1-3 were hosted by Mike Aquilina. Season 4 is hosted by Dr. Jim Papandrea. 1: The Church Fathers 2: The Early Ecumenical Councils 3: Cities of God 4: Heresies
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4.11 The Heresies — Arianism: A Man Who Became a God
04/24/2024
4.11 The Heresies — Arianism: A Man Who Became a God
Arianism was the fourth century evolution of adoptionism, in which Arius made a concession to the mainstream by accepting a quasi-divinity in Jesus Christ. But this was an acquired divinity, an earned divinity, and a divinity that was less than that of the Father. The controversy led to the first worldwide (ecumenical) council of bishops, the Council of Nicaea, in the year 325 AD, and it ultimately led to the crafting of the Nicene Creed, as the Church’s definitive statement of orthodox faith. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 23 on Alexander of Alexandria: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 24 on Athanasius of Alexandria: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.2 on The Council of Nicaea: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 33 on Ambrose of Milan: To read the letter from Alexander of Alexandria to Alexander of Byzantium (Constantinople): For an introduction to Athanasius’ many writings against Arianism: To listen to the full text of St. Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine as an audio book: For more on the Arian controversy in its historical context, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For a line by line explanation of the Nicene Creed (with cameo appearances by Batman and Superman), see the book: Trinity 101: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the conversation in the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.10 The Heresies — Rebaptism and the Donatists
04/10/2024
4.10 The Heresies — Rebaptism and the Donatists
In the aftermath of the persecutions, controversies arose over the sacraments, which required clarification of the Church’s sacramental theology. Out of those controversies, new schisms emerged which had a correct understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity, but incorrect understandings of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church) and incorrect understandings of what makes a sacrament valid and effective. The significance of these schisms cannot be overstated, since it is still true to this day that the practice of rebaptism is one of the most prevalent acts of schism against the universal Church, and one of the greatest barriers to unity. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 18 on Cyprian of Carthage: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 39 (the 2nd of 3) on Augustine of Hippo & the controversies: To read the anonymous document On Rebaptism: To read St. Augustine’s treatise, On Baptism, Against the Donatists: To read St. Augustine’s letter, The Correction of the Donatists: For more on the controversy surrounding the third and fourth century schisms and the implications for the Sacraments, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For all the details on Novatian, see the book: Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.9 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 2 (The Bad and the Ugly)
03/26/2024
4.9 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 2 (The Bad and the Ugly)
In this second part of a two-part series on Novatian of Rome, Dr. Papandrea discusses the flawed sacramental theology and ecclesiology of Novatian, which led to a schism that not only lasted for centuries, but created a new situation in which a faction could be orthodox with regard to the doctrine of the Trinity, yet not within the mainstream of the Church and her Tradition (i.e., Christian, but not Catholic). Links To read the document Against Novatian (possibly by Pope Sixtus II): To read the correspondence between Pope Cornelius and Cyprian of Carthage regarding Novatian: For all the details on Novatian, see the book: Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy: For more on the controversy surrounding Novatian’s schism and the development of the sacrament of Confession, Penance, and Reconciliation, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.8 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 1 (The Good)
03/13/2024
4.8 Novatian: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Part 1 (The Good)
Novatian of Rome is an extremely important, but conflicted, character in the early Church. On the one hand, he clarified and helped define the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, preparing the Church for the ecumenical councils. On the other hand, he was the central figure of a schism in a controversy over the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. In this first part of a two-part series on Novatian, Dr. Papandrea discusses the positive contributions of Novatian, as a Church father, and as the subject of his doctoral dissertation. Links To read Novatian’s letters to Cyprian (letters #29 and #30 from “the Roman clergy” were written by Novatian): For more information on Cyprian of Carthage, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 18: For more information on those Church fathers who were significantly influenced by Novatian, listen to Mike Aquilina’s episodes 26 (Hilary of Poitiers), 23 (Alexander of Alexandria), 24 (Athanasius of Alexandria), and 33 (Ambrose of Milan). For more on the historical context of the third century and the sacraments, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For all the details on Novatian, see the book: Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.7 The Heresies – Modalism: God as a Monad with Three Names
02/28/2024
4.7 The Heresies – Modalism: God as a Monad with Three Names
Modalism denies the distinctions between the three Persons of the Trinity, so that God is presented as, not a Trinity at all, but rather a monad with three names. Modalism can be expressed chronologically (the Father became incarnate as the Son) or functionally (the names describe activities like Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer), but either way, in modalism the Son IS the Father in disguise, which ultimately denies the real humanity of Jesus Christ and the reality of his passion. Links For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 10: To read Irenaeus of Lyons’ Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching: For more information on Tertullian, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 13: and Episode 14: To read Tertullian’s Against Praxeas: For more information on Hippolytus, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 17: To read Hippolytus’ Refutation of All Heresies: and: For more detail on the heresy of modalism, and an introduction to Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Novatian, see the books: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: and Trinity 101: Father, Son, Holy Spirit: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.6 The Heresies – The Enigma of Origen and Origenism
02/14/2024
4.6 The Heresies – The Enigma of Origen and Origenism
Whether Origen is considered a father of the Church, or a heretic, depends on whom you ask. But everyone agrees he may have been just a bit too smart for his own good. At best, he tried in vain to out-gnostic the gnostics, at worst, he was too influenced by gnosticism. In the end, the Fifth Ecumenical Council declared him a heretic. In this this episode, Dr. Papandrea gives evidence why Origen should not be considered a father of the Church, but should be considered a heretic, but in the end, you decide! Links Make sure to listen to Mike Aquilina’s episodes on Origen, Episode 19: and Episode 20: For more information on Epiphanius of Salamis, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 35: To read Jerome’s Letter to Rufinus of Aquileia: To read the Canons of the Fifth Ecumenical Council (the Second Council of Constantinople) 553 AD: Also check out this article by Thomas Mirus on Origen’s theology and this one on Pope Benedict XVI on Origen’s thought: For more detail on the controversy over Origen in context, and related topics, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.5 The Heresies – Gnosticism: Christ as Cosmic Mind
01/24/2024
4.5 The Heresies – Gnosticism: Christ as Cosmic Mind
The heresy of docetism evolved into a complicated web of schools of mythology, which we lump together under the name of gnosticism. These all still denied the real humanity of Christ, though in two distinct ways. Docetic gnosticism continued the trend of seeing Christ as a phantom, with no real tangible body. “Hybrid” gnosticism made concessions to the accounts of a tangible body of Jesus, but called it an ethereal, or luminous, body - in other words, not a true material flesh and blood body. Links For more information on Clement of Alexandria, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 16: To read Clement of Alexandria’s Exhortation to the Heathen: For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 10: To read Irenaeus of Lyons’ Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching: For more information on Hippolytus, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 17: To read Hippolytus’ Refutation of All Heresies: and: For more information on the gnostic gospels, listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode “Apocrypha Now!…”: To read some of the gnostic writings, see the Primary Sources tab on Dr. Papandrea’s home page (scroll down to Infancy Gospel of Thomas and following): For more detail on the heresy of gnosticism, see the books: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: and The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Post-Apostolic Age: For more on gnosticism (and the other heresies) and Science Fiction, see the book: From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films: For more on the doctrine of the Resurrection Body and its relationship to anthropology, see the book: What Really Happens After We Die?: There WILL Be Hugs in Heaven: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.4 The Heresies – Adoptionism: Christ as Anointed Prophet
01/10/2024
4.4 The Heresies – Adoptionism: Christ as Anointed Prophet
In the third century, the heresy of the Ebionites evolved into a more general form of adoptionism, still denying the divinity of Christ, and now emphasizing his status as an anointed, but adopted, son of God, much like the kings and prophets of the Old Testament. Adoptionism is also known as “dynamic monarchianism,” in part for its claim that it was preserving the oneness (monarchy) of God by denying the divinity of Christ. Links For more information on Justin Martyr, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 9: To read Justin Martyr’s First Apology: For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 10: To read Irenaeus of Lyons’ Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching: For more information on Tertullian, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 13: and Episode 14: To read Tertullian’s Against Praxeas: Read the Vatican document, Instruction on Certain Aspects of the “Theology of Liberation”: For more detail on the heresy of adoptionism, see the books: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: and The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Post-Apostolic Age: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.3 The Heresies – Docetics & Marcionites: Denying Christ's Humanity
12/27/2023
4.3 The Heresies – Docetics & Marcionites: Denying Christ's Humanity
For the second heresy, Dr. Papandrea examines the opposite extreme from the first: these are the Docetics, including the most famous docetic teacher, Marcion and his followers. They concluded that Christ was a god, not necessarily different from the many other gods or demigods in the Greco-Roman pantheon, but that he was not really a human. Links For more information on Polycarp of Smyrna, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 5: To read Polycarp of Smyrna’s Letter to the Philippians: To listen to Polycarp of Smyrna’s Letter to the Philippians: For more information on Ignatius of Antioch, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 4: To read Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Smyrnaeans: To listen to Ignatius of Antioch’s Letters to the Smyrnaeans: For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, listen to Mike Aquilina’s Episode 10: For more detail on the heresy of docetism and the Marcionites, see the book: Reading the Early Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.2 The Heresies – Judaizers and Ebionites: Denying Christ’s Divinity
12/13/2023
4.2 The Heresies – Judaizers and Ebionites: Denying Christ’s Divinity
Is Jesus Christ God? Is he a man? Is he both? Spoiler alert: the mainstream Church answered with the both/and, but the factions on the fringes tended to choose one or the other. For our first heresy, we take a look at the Ebionites, and their New Testament-era predecessors, the so-called Judaizers. These concluded that Jesus Christ was a mere human. A human who became a prophet perhaps, but just a human. Links For more information on Ignatius of Antioch, see Mike Aquilina’s Episode 4: To read Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Magnesians: To listen to Ignatius of Antioch’s Letter to the Magnesians: For more information on Irenaeus of Lyons, see Mike Aquilina’s Episode 10: For more detail on the Ebionite heresy, see the book: The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Post-Apostolic Age SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube - The Original Church: Join the Original Church Community on Locals: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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4.1 The Heresies - Introduction to the Series
11/22/2023
4.1 The Heresies - Introduction to the Series
I am honored to be picking up the Way of the Fathers podcast where my good friend, Mike Aquilina, left off. In season 4 of The Way of the Fathers, we’ll be looking at the heresies of the early Church, and how the Church fathers confronted and refuted them. This first episode is the introduction to the series, where I define some terms and tell you what you can expect as we trace through the early centuries of Christianity, tracking chronologically the alternatives to orthodoxy that were proposed, debated, and shown to be inconsistent with Scripture and prior tradition. Links For more detail on the Church fathers and the heresies of the early Church, see my book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine, from Sophia Institute Press (2022) https://sophiainstitute.com/product/reading-the-church-fathers/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters/ DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, on YouTube - The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch Join the Original Church Community on Locals: https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/ Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: http://www.jimpapandrea.com Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/
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The future of Way of the Fathers: Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea in conversation
11/08/2023
The future of Way of the Fathers: Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea in conversation
After 99 wonderful episodes by Mike Aquilina, Way of the Fathers is getting a new host! We are sad to see Mike go, but excited about his hand-picked successor, Jim Papandrea. In this conversation, Mike introduces Jim to the listeners and these two friends and collaborators talk about their love for all things Patristic. Please help CatholicCulture.org - and Way of the Fathers - to continue in the new year. Donate now and your gift will be matched! Jim Papandrea's website SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter:
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3.13 Cities of God: Last and Lasting Lessons
10/25/2023
3.13 Cities of God: Last and Lasting Lessons
Christianity conquered cities one by one, not by arms or propaganda, but by the quiet witness of ordinary lives well lived. Worldly power yielded before the prayers of the saints and the blood of the martyrs. What can we learn from the first evangelization as we work our witness today? Links Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries Rodney Stark, Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome Wayne Meeks, The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul Thomas A. Robinson, Who Were the First Christians? Dismantling the Urban Thesis Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.12 Cities of God: Carthage, African Christian Genesis
10/11/2023
3.12 Cities of God: Carthage, African Christian Genesis
Western Christianity—Latin Christianity—began in Africa and made its way across the sea to Italy. All the great orthodox Latin writers of the first through third centuries were African. The distinctive western liturgy was likely a product of Roman Africa. Christianity came to Africa at a time of literary renaissance, and the Church is still the beneficiary of that particular Christian culture. Links Mike Aquilina, Africa and the Early Church: The Almost-Forgotten Roots of Catholic Christianity J. Patout Burns Jr., Robin M. Jensen, Christianity in Roman Africa: The Development of Its Practices and Beliefs Thomas Oden, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.11 Cities of God: Ravenna, Capital on the Swamp
09/27/2023
3.11 Cities of God: Ravenna, Capital on the Swamp
From Rome to Milan to Ravenna, the Western capital moved—searching for the site least vulnerable to barbarian incursion. And wherever the capital moved, money followed. And where there’s money, there’s monumental art, science, and literary culture. In Ravenna there were great figures such as Galla Placidia and Peter Chrysologus. Today, the early Christian art and architecture of Ravenna are among the world’s great treasures. It’s one of the few places on earth where you can walk into a church and have almost the same experience one of the Fathers of the Church would have had. Links Judith Herrin, Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe Fr. Félix López, S.H.M., “Mary in the writings of St. Peter Chrysologus” Peter Chrysologus, “Each One of Us Is Called To Be Both a Sacrifice To God and His Priest” Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.10 Cities of God: Constantinople (Not Istanbul)
09/13/2023
3.10 Cities of God: Constantinople (Not Istanbul)
In a short span of time, in the fourth century, Byzantium made the leap from a relatively insignificant harbor city to the de facto capital of the world. Constantine moved there from Rome and gave his empire a new (and Christian) founding. He also laid the foundations for a political milieu that made “Byzantine” a byword meaning complicated, bureaucratic, and corrupt. Constantinople’s laws, for better and worse, circumscribed the movements and actions of many of the later Fathers. Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.54 Socrates Scholasticus, The Ecclesiastical History 1.16 John Julius Norwich, A Short History of Byzantium Thomas Madden, Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World They Might Be Giants, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.9 Cities of God: Ejmiatsin and Christian Armenia
08/30/2023
3.9 Cities of God: Ejmiatsin and Christian Armenia
As if an interest in patristics isn’t strange enough, in this episode we’re getting still more exotic. We’re entering the world of Armenian patristics. We’re visiting the ancient city of Ejmiatsin—leaping over the barriers of language (and even alphabet) to encounter the heroes too often neglected in the histories. This is the story of St. Gregory the Illuminator and his contemporaries, and the Church they founded. Armenia also became a great center of learning and so houses translations of many Greek and Syriac works that would otherwise be lost. LINKS Mike Aquilina, “Ancient Christian capital rises again in stunning New York exhibit” Helen C. Evans, ed., Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages Society for Armenian Studies, Digital Resources Robert W. Thomson, Five Studies in Armenian Patristics Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.8 Cities of God: Lugdunum, the French Connection
08/15/2023
3.8 Cities of God: Lugdunum, the French Connection
Faith came to France very early and very strong. It seems likely that traders brought the Gospel from distant Smyrna (modern Izmir in Turkey) to Lugdunum (modern Lyon). The blood of martyrs was seed. Blandina, a sickly slave, emerged from her trials an epic hero, honored forever. Irenaeus, the globetrotting scholar-bishop, arose as the second century’s greatest theologian. LINKS Museum and ruins of Lugdunum The Letter of the Churches of Vienna and Lugdunum to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia Eusebius, Church History, Book 5 (including the deeds of Irenaeus) Richard Krautheimer, Three Christian Capitals: Topography and Politics Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.7 Cities of God: Edessa Starts with the Abgar Score
07/31/2023
3.7 Cities of God: Edessa Starts with the Abgar Score
In Edessa—the borderlands of the Empire—we make our first encounter with Syriac Christianity. Its origins are shrouded in mist, and within the mist we meet the indistinct figures of heretics, saints, and a king who is both historic and mythic. LINKS Labubna, Acts of Addaeus (Addai), Various, Extracts from Various Books Concerning Abgar the King and Addaeus the Apostle Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.6 Cities of God: Ephesus, a Church and Its Riots
07/12/2023
3.6 Cities of God: Ephesus, a Church and Its Riots
Ephesus was home to one of the Wonders of the World; and it’s the setting for one of the most dramatic moments in the itineraries of the Apostles: the riot of the silversmiths. It was also the location of one of the most dramatic moments in the age of the Fathers: the riotous council that condemned Nestorius. LINKS Socrates Scholasticus, Church History (Book VII) Jerome Murphy O’Connor St. Paul’s Ephesus: Texts and Archaeology Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.5 Cities of God: Alexandria: Library and Lighthouse of Christian Learning
06/29/2023
3.5 Cities of God: Alexandria: Library and Lighthouse of Christian Learning
Alexandria was cultural capital of the ancient world — and the ancient Church. It had the greatest library on the planet and a state-subsidized community of scholars. It was the city where theology first developed as a science. The Alexandrians had their own distinctive way of interpreting Scripture, developed over centuries by giants: Clement, Origen, Athanasius, Cyril. Its influence on the development of Christianity was profound and permanent. LINKS Jean-Yves Empereur, Alexandria: Jewel of Egypt Michael Grant, The Ancient Mediterranean Mike Aquilina’s website https://fathersofthechurch.com/ Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.4 Cities of God: Rome between Time and Eternity
06/15/2023
3.4 Cities of God: Rome between Time and Eternity
No one would have guessed when Rome was founded that it would become anything important. But it became the capital of a vast empire and earthly center of the universal Church. It is the destination of the Acts of the Apostles — a place consecrated by martyrs' blood, a city to which the Fathers ventured as pilgrims, a city whose Church and bishop spoke with a singular authority. LINKS Mike Aquilina's 2023 Rome pilgrimage Margherita Guarducci, The Primacy of the Church of Rome Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast!
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3.3 Cities of God: Antioch, the City of Lights
05/25/2023
3.3 Cities of God: Antioch, the City of Lights
3.3 Cities of God: Antioch, 'First Called Christian' Antioch, in so many ways, was the place where the lights first went on. It was the first city in the ancient world to have street lamps and unending night life. It was the city where the disciples were first called Christians. And it blazed brightly for centuries, in the lives and words of the Fathers: Ignatius, Theophilus, John Chrysostom. LINKS D.S. Wallace-Hadrill, Christian Antioch: A Study of Early Christian Thought in the East Christine Kondoleon, Antioch: The Lost Ancient City Glanville Downey, History of Antioch Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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3.2 Cities of God: Jerusalem, the City of Origin
05/10/2023
3.2 Cities of God: Jerusalem, the City of Origin
Jerusalem, the holy city — a city built with compact unity and beloved by the Apostles — was the first home of the Christian Church. Sacred to the Jews, it was for the early Christians a pilgrim destination. Melito and Egeria and Gregory of Nyssa visited there. Cyril reigned there as bishop. John of Damascus moved there. In any consideration of Christian communities, it must come first, because it was the origin and the model for all that came afterward. LINKS Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, The Early Church in Jerusalem https://ffhl.org/early-christian-church-jerusalem/ History of the Church in Jerusalem Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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Mike Aquilina Q&A on early Christianity
05/09/2023
Mike Aquilina Q&A on early Christianity
For those who missed the YouTube livestream Q&A with Mike Aquilina on May 8th, 2023, here is the audio. It was a lively conversation where Mike fielded viewer questions about important cities of the early Church, early evidence for papal primacy, the role of charity in the early Church, Origen, the providential role of easy travel for the spread of the Gospel in the first centuries, and more. We're a week into CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. Generous donors have offered a $50,000 matching grant, so any donation you make by May 24 will double in value! You can donate on our website or PayPal (tax-deductible). Donation links below: We’ll be doing more YouTube livestreams where viewers will be able to interact, ask questions and prompt discussion via the live chat box. Upcoming livestreams: 5/15, 8pm ET—Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic Culture Audiobooks, Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast) 5/22, 8pm ET—Phil Lawler & Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.org writers)
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Livestream announcement
05/04/2023
Livestream announcement
We'll be doing YouTube livestreams on the next 3 Monday evenings, as part of CatholicCulture.org's May fundraising campaign. In these freewheeling conversations, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions and prompt discussion in the live chat box! 5/8, 8pm ET - Mike Aquilina (host, Way of the Fathers podcast) 5/15, 8pm ET - Thomas Mirus & James Majewski (hosts,Catholic Culture Podcast, Catholic Culture Audiobooks, Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast) 5/22, 8pm ET - Phil Lawler & Jeff Mirus (CatholicCulture.org writers) You can use this link to connect to the Mike Aquilina livestream: The links to the other two livestreams will go up on the Catholic Culture YouTube channel a few days before each one.
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3.1 Cities of God: Introduction to Series 3
04/26/2023
3.1 Cities of God: Introduction to Series 3
With this introductory episode we begin our exploration of the cities where the Fathers lived and taught. At first these were cities that raged against the Gospel and persecuted the Church. The Fathers brought them to faith. Each city was different from all the others—and each became more perfectly itself through its encounter with Jesus Christ. We can learn from the history. LINKS Mike Aquilina’s 2023 pilgrimage to Rome Fustel de Coulanges, The Ancient City John Julius Norwich, Cities that Shaped the Ancient World Rodney Stark, Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed Please donate to this podcast:
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Patristic Pilgrims’ Progress
04/12/2023
Patristic Pilgrims’ Progress
Christianity is the odd religion that does not require pilgrimage, but Christians do it anyway, and in great numbers, as they have since the earliest days of the Church. Many of the early Fathers made the journey to the holy sites. They trekked to the Holy Land to walk in Jesus’ footsteps and to Rome to honor Peter and Paul. How can we follow their example? LINKS Mike Aquilina’s 2023 pilgrimage to Rome Margherita Guarducci, The Primacy of the Church of Rome https://www.amazon.com/Primacy-Church-Rome-Documents-Reflections/dp/0898709229/ The Pilgrimage of Etheria [or Egeria] Jas Elsner and Ian Rutherford, Pilgrimage in Graeco-Roman and Early Christian Antiquity: Seeing the Gods Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed
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The Mother of All Vigils
03/22/2023
The Mother of All Vigils
’Twas the night before Easter, and all through the Church every heart was stirring. The early Christians kept a Vigil that made a lasting impression. The symbols were elemental: fire, water, darkness, nakedness, music, dramatic preaching, surprising chalices, and more-than-marathon endurance. Prepare for your Easter Vigil by learning about theirs. LINKS Melito of Sardis, Peri Pascha Melito of Sardis, Peri Pascha (another translation) Eusebius of Caesarea, On the Celebration of Easter St. Augustine, Sermon 227 Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed
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Work of Human Hands: The Fathers and the Revaluing of Labor
03/08/2023
Work of Human Hands: The Fathers and the Revaluing of Labor
Plato scorned manual labor. Aristotle believed that “no one who leads the life of a worker or laborer can practice virtue.” Plotinus, Celsus, and Herodotus agreed that work was ignoble and contemptible. Pagan religion reflected these precepts of the philosophers. In such a world, Christianity seemed revolutionary. The churches were full of laborers, who worshipped a Laborer—and whose Scriptures preserved NOT the syllogisms of philosophers, but the stories of people who got jobs done. Implicit in the writings of the Fathers is a radical and new idea: a theology of work. LINKS Paul Veyne, A History of Private Life, Volume I: From Pagan Rome to Byzantium Jose H. Gomez, All You Who Labor: Towards a Spirituality of Work for the 21st Century Mike Aquilina, Work, Play, Love: How the Mass Changed the Life of the First Christians Mike Aquilina, How Christianity Saved Civilization ...And Must Do So Again Mike Aquilina’s website Mike Aquilina’s books Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed
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