Way of the Fathers
A podcast about the Fathers of the Church—the foundational figures of Christian history. A production of CatholicCulture.org. Currently covering all the Doctors of the Church! Seasons 1-3 were hosted by Mike Aquilina. Seasons 4-5 are hosted by Dr. Jim Papandrea. 1: The Church Fathers 2: The Early Ecumenical Councils 3: Cities of God 4: Heresies 5: Doctors of the Churcch Episodes marked as bonus are on miscellaneous topics.
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5.2 St. Bede the Venerable: Monk and Scholar
01/15/2025
5.2 St. Bede the Venerable: Monk and Scholar
In this episode, the first in our series on the Doctors of the Church, Dr. Papandrea introduces you to St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735 AD). He lived in a Benedictine monastery from the age of seven, and he wrote the first scholarly history of England and its conversion to Christianity. He is considered the “Father of English History” and the patron saint of historians Links SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: To ask questions, make comments, or interact with Dr. Papandrea, join the conversation in the Original Church Community: Dr. Papandrea’s latest book, Praying Like the Early Church: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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5.1 The Doctors of the Church–Introduction
01/01/2025
5.1 The Doctors of the Church–Introduction
With this episode, we begin our new series on the Doctors of the Church. What is a Doctor of the Church? Are all Doctors also saints? What makes a person a Doctor of the Church? All these questions, and more, will be answered, as well as some hints at what you can expect from this series. Get ready to sample the fruit of some of the greatest minds the Church has ever produced! Links To listen to our episode 4.13 on Pelagianism: SIGN UP for Catholic Culture’s Newsletter: DONATE at: Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: To ask questions, make comments, or interact with Dr. Papandrea, join the conversation in the Original Church Community: Dr. Papandrea’s latest book, Praying Like the Early Church: Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:
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St. Boethius: Church Father and Medieval Scholar
12/11/2024
St. Boethius: Church Father and Medieval Scholar
St. Severinus Boethius was a man with one foot in the ancient world and one foot in the middle ages. He is another one of our lesser-known fathers who were anything but forgotten among the medieval scholastics. In this episode, Dr. Papandrea introduces another enigmatic but highly influential Church father. This is the last episode of our interim series on “Forgotten Fathers” - the next episode of The Way of the Fathers will introduce us to the Doctors of the Church, and begin our new series on the Doctors. Links If you need a refresher on Arianism, listen to episode 4.11 in our series on The Heresies: To read Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy: To read Boethius’ On the Trinity: Here’s the video with an interpretation of the reconstruction of Boethius’ songs: For more general information on the historical context of the early Church, 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 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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Who Was Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite?
11/27/2024
Who Was Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite?
Whenever you see “Pseudo-“ in front of a name like this, it means we don’t really know who the person was. This Church father wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, a convert of St. Paul mentioned in the book of Acts. But the documents attributed to him were written hundreds of years later. Nevertheless, this unknown pseudonymous author was hugely influential for some of the most important fathers and doctors of the Church. The medieval scholastics and mystics found these writings especially inspiring. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on other anonymous Church fathers: To go deeper into the case of Dionysius the Areopagite, with some more cautions about this author’s theology and its use throughout history, see the New Advent article: To read Pseudo-Dionysius’ treatise, The Divine Names: To read Pseudo-Dionysius’ treatise, The Mystical Theology: For more general information on the historical context of the early Church, 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 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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Egeria the Pilgrim and the Stations of the Cross
11/13/2024
Egeria the Pilgrim and the Stations of the Cross
Egeria (or Etheria) was a woman who embarked on a three-year pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in the late fourth century. From her “pilgrimage diary” (actually fragments from her letters to her “sisters” back in Spain) we learn much about liturgy in Jerusalem. There we can see the beginnings of the lectionary, and the seeds of the Stations of the Cross. In this episode, Dr. Papandrea also talks about the history of the spiritual discipline of pilgrimage itself. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on the city of Jerusalem, Episode 3.2: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Cyril of Jerusalem, Episode 34: To read the fragments from Egeria’s “diary” (letters): For more on the historical context of the early Church in the fourth century, 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 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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Rufinus of Aquileia and the Apostles’ Creed
10/23/2024
Rufinus of Aquileia and the Apostles’ Creed
Rufinus is mostly known as the translator of Origen, and the opponent of St. Jerome in the controversy over Origen. But he also wrote an important commentary on the Apostles’ Creed, which is on Dr. Papandrea’s list of “state of the art documents,” patristic works that succinctly showcase the state of the development of doctrine at the time they were written. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episodes on Origen, Episode 19: and Episode 20: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Jerome, Episode 37: To read Jerome’s Letter to Rufinus of Aquileia: To read Rufinus’ Apology (reply to Jerome): To read Rufinus’ Commentary on the Apostle’s Creed: For more on the historical context of the early Church, including the development of the Christian Bible, 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 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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Pope St. Stephen and the Sacraments
10/09/2024
Pope St. Stephen and the Sacraments
After the controversies in the mid-third century, in the aftermath of the persecution of the emperor Decius and the schism of Novatian, Pope St. Stephen was instrumental in clarifying the Church’s theology of the sacraments of Baptism and Penance and Reconciliation. What is required for a valid baptism? What is the solution for falling away into mortal sin? Who may offer the absolution of the Church and by what authority? Are confession and penance to be done publicly, or privately? Should we rebaptize Protestants coming into the Catholic Church? What if I “backslide”? Should I get baptized again? Is it OK to baptize in an alternate formula, like “Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer?” These questions, and more, were answered during the papacy of Stephen of Rome, which served to formalize and standardize the sacraments as we still know them today. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Cyprian of Carthage, contemporary and sometimes opponent of Pope St. Stephen: For more on the third century context in the history of the early Church, 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 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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Father Caius and the Tomb of St. Peter
09/25/2024
Father Caius and the Tomb of St. Peter
Caius was a priest in Rome, in the third century. He wrote that if one comes to Rome, one can visit the shrines at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. These tombs had been known and visited since the apostle’s deaths, and are known to this day - they are in the same place where Caius knew them. The tomb of St. Paul is directly under the main altar of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, which was built on the site of the first memorial chapel, which was itself built on the site of the original shrine. The tomb of St. Peter is directly under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. The present St. Peter’s Basilica, built in the renaissance, was built on the same site as the original St. Peter’s, which was commissioned by the emperor Constantine in the fourth century. The tomb has always been directly under the altar. Links To read the fragments that we have from Caius: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Hippolytus, contemporary of Caius and antagonist of Pope St. Zephyrinus: For more on the third century context in the history of the early Church, 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 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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Athenagoras the Athenian: Apology Not Accepted
09/11/2024
Athenagoras the Athenian: Apology Not Accepted
The early Christian apologist Athenagoras may not be as famous as some of the other Church fathers, but he’s a great example of someone who started out as an apologist against Christianity, but when he actually learned what the apostles and the Church taught, he was converted. He teaches us about the doctrines of the Trinity, and the Resurrection. Links To read Athenagoras’ A Plea for the Christians: To read Athenagoras’ On the Resurrection of the Dead: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Justin Martyr: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Melito of Sardis: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Minucius Felix: For a short explanation of the word “consubstantial,” see the video: “What Does Consubstantial Mean?”: For more on Athenagoras and the other apologists in the context of the history of the early Church, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For more on the doctrine of the Trinity in the early Church, see the book: 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 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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Papias of Hierapolis and the Book of Revelation
08/28/2024
Papias of Hierapolis and the Book of Revelation
In the first episode of an interim series on lesser known fathers, Dr. Papandrea introduces one of the “apostolic fathers,” Papias of Hierapolis. We only have fragments of his writings, but those fragments started a controversy over the authorship of the book of Revelation and the Johannine letters. Papias is a good example of how the Church fathers, as individuals, were not right about everything - Papias was wrong in his methodology for interpreting the Book of Revelation, among other things, but he gives us some important clues into the authorship and writing of the Gospels. Links To read some of the fragments of Papias’ Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Ignatius of Antioch: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Polycarp of Smyrna: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on the fourth century historian Eusebius of Caesarea: For more on Papas and the apostolic fathers, in the context of the history of the early Church, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For Dr. Papandrea’s take on the Book of Revelation, see the book: The Wedding of the Lamb: A Historical Approach to the Book of Revelation: To watch Dr. Papandrea’s short video on the early hierarchy of the Church and the definitions of the Greek words for the clergy, see: Did The Original Church Have Bishops?: 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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A message for Way of the Fathers listeners
08/17/2024
A message for Way of the Fathers listeners
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4.18 The Heresies—Conclusion: So Then, What is Orthodoxy?
08/14/2024
4.18 The Heresies—Conclusion: So Then, What is Orthodoxy?
Throughout this series, Dr. Papandrea has been outlining the major heresies of the early Church, defining them in contrast to the orthodoxy of mainstream Catholicism. So after all of this, what can we say about orthodoxy (correct doctrine) in general? How do we know it when we see it, and how to we define it? What is the role of orthodoxy in the development of doctrine and the tradition of the Church? Links For an overview of the information in this series on the heresies, along with HELPFUL CHARTS showing the heresies and how they differ from orthodoxy, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For an overview of the heresies using the analogies of popular culture, super heroes, and science fiction characters, see the book: From Star Wars to Superman: Christ Figures in Science Fiction and Superhero Films: 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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4.17 The Heresies—Iconoclasm and the Art-Smashers
07/24/2024
4.17 The Heresies—Iconoclasm and the Art-Smashers
Does the devotional use of Christian art and iconography break the commandment against worshiping idols? How and where does one draw the line between legitimate reverence and idolatrous worship? In this controversy - as is often the case - the heresy is a criticism of an ancient practice. And you may be surprised to learn that the related tradition of the veneration of relics is even older! Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 56 on John of Damascus: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.8 on The Second Council of Nicaea: For a bit more on the icon controversy in context, 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 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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4.16 The Heresies—Eutyches and Monophysitism: A Drop in the Ocean
07/10/2024
4.16 The Heresies—Eutyches and Monophysitism: A Drop in the Ocean
The pendulum swings one more time as Eutyches overreacts against Nestorius, and emphasizes the union of the two natures in Christ, to the point of blurring the distinction between them. In this conception of the Person of Christ, the divine nature so overwhelms the human nature that Jesus’ humanity is absorbed and cancelled out like a drop of oil in the ocean. This solution corrected Nestorius’ separation of the two natures, but it went too far and compromised the integrity of his human nature and, even more than Apollinarius before him, described a Jesus who was not really fully human. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 46 on Cyril of Alexandria: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 48 on Leo the Great: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.5 on The Council of Chalcedon: To read the Tome of Leo (Letter to Flavian): To listen to the audiobook of the Tome of Leo: To read Cyril of Alexandria’s On the Unity of Christ: For more on the christological controversies in context, 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 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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4.15 The Heresies—Nestorianism: Two People in One
06/26/2024
4.15 The Heresies—Nestorianism: Two People in One
The pendulum swings again as Nestorius overreacts against Apollinarius, and emphasizes the distinction between the two natures in Christ, to the point of describing a radical separation of natures. It was as if Nestorius was saying that Christ is not one Person, but two - a divine Person and a human Person, united only as long as the human will submits to the divine will. This solution corrected Apollinarius’ diminished human nature, but it divided the life and actions of Christ into two, even to the point of claiming that Mary was not the Mother of his divine nature. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 45 on John Cassian: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 46 on Cyril of Alexandria: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.4 on The Council of Ephesus: To read John Casein’s On the Incarnation of the Lord Against Nestorius: To read Cyril of Alexandria’s On the Unity of Christ: For more on the christological controversies in context, 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 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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4.14 The Heresies—Apollinarius and Monothelitism: The Word in a Human Suit
06/12/2024
4.14 The Heresies—Apollinarius and Monothelitism: The Word in a Human Suit
Apollinarius tried to say that Jesus could not have sinned because his human nature had no will of its own. In doing this, he stumbled onto a heresy called Monothelitism (“one-will” christology), which would become a huge controversy later. But a Christ without a human will would be a Christ who is not fully human. He would only be wearing a human body like a costume, but he would not be truly human. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 30 on Gregory of Nazianzus: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.3 on The Council of Constantinople: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 54 on Maximus the Confessor: To read Gregory of Nazianzus’ First Letter to Cledonius Against Apollinarius: To read Gregory of Nazianzus’ Second Letter to Cledonius Against Apollinarius: For more on the christological controversies in context, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For more on the concept of the will of God as it relates to God’s sovereignty, human free will, and the submission of the human will to the will of God, see the book: Praying Like the Early Church: Seven Insights from the Church Fathers to Help You Connect with God: 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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4.13 The Heresies—Pelagianism and the Seeds of Calvinism
05/22/2024
4.13 The Heresies—Pelagianism and the Seeds of Calvinism
Pelagius was so optimistic about human nature and the freedom of the will that he went so far as to deny the reality of original sin and the need for infant baptism. Saint Augustine corrected Pelagius and his followers, but in the heat of the debate he went a bit too far in in the opposite direction, and proposed a doctrine of election that the Church ultimately did not embrace. This episode explores, not only the problems with Pelagianism, but also the problems with its opposite, and the ways in which Saint Augustine inadvertently laid the foundation for the later heresy of Calvinism. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 38 on Augustine of Hippo (part 1): To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 39 on Augustine of Hippo (part 2): To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 40 on Augustine of Hippo (part 3): To read St. Augustine’s Confessions: To read St. Augustine’s On the Proceedings of Pelagius: To read St. Augustine’s On the Spirit and the Letter: To read St. Augustine’s On Grace and Free Will: To read St. Augustine’s On the Soul and its Origin: To read St. Augustine’s Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Love: For more on the controversy over Pelagianism, St. Augustine’s rebuttal of it, and the Council of Orange, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: For more on the concept of the will of God as it relates to God’s sovereignty, human free will, and the submission of the human will to the will of God, see the book: Praying Like the Early Church: Seven Insights from the Church Fathers to Help You Connect with God: 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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4.12 The Heresies — The “Spirit-fighters” and the Aftermath of Nicaea
05/08/2024
4.12 The Heresies — The “Spirit-fighters” and the Aftermath of Nicaea
After the Council of Nicaea, all the same questions that had been asked of the Son of God, were now asked of the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit divine, and worthy of worship? Does worship of the Holy Spirit compromise monotheism? Some who reluctantly accepted the divinity of the Son still refused to accept the divinity of the Spirit, and so they continued to reject the doctrine of the Trinity - these were called “Spirit-fighters.” This controversy led to the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in the year 381 AD, and to the completion of the Nicene Creed. Links To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 29 on Basil of Caesarea: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 30 on Gregory of Nazianzus: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 31 on Gregory of Nyssa: To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode 2.3 on The Council of Constantinople: To read On the Holy Spirit by Basil of Caesarea: To read the Letter to Ablabius “On Not Three Gods” by Gregory of Nyssa: To read On the Holy Trinity by Gregory of Nyssa: To read The Fifth Theological Oration, On the Holy Spirit by Gregory of Nazianzius: For more on the “Spirit-fighters” and the Cappadocians in their historical context, see the book: Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: And if you want a deep scholarly dive into the Arian Controversy with all its factions, and the aftermath of the Council of Nicaea, the best book to read is Nicaea and its Legacy, by Lewis Ayres. 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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4.11 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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