Emperors, bishops, monks, riots - and that Creed you hear on Sunday mornings. Join the Rev. Ben Wyatt in a fascinating account of Christ, creed, and controversy in the turbulent 4th century.
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Our long journey has reached its end. What are we going to do? Harangue you about proper historiography one final time!
In which Ben gives a few updates on the future of his endeavors.
A golden-mouthed preacher, a monk with a past, a celebrated poet, and a notorious heretic - come learn about the next generation of theologians and how they responded to the Christological controversies of their day!
Sometimes the biggest impact of a council is on, well, other councils! See what later gatherings of bishops would make of Nicea's legacy. Oh, and there's a guest appearance by...Attila the Hun?
You already know that Nicea didn't create the biblical canon. But how did Nicea change the way the Bible was read? Listen on to find out!
In which we delve into one of the most pernicious of religious problems: the frequency with which conviction and violence go together.
Had enough of ancient history? Get your fill of modern history as we cover Nicea's continuing relevance to modern theology and church politics through one of its most controversial interpretations: social trinitarianism.
Gregory of Nazianzus may be out of Constantinople, but his pen is as sharp as ever. Come see how he uses it to defend the Holy Spirit, his honor, and true love.
In which we finally cover the lasting Nicene controversy: the notorious filioque clause.
The "orthodox" may be enjoying their victory, but that doesn't mean Nicea's dissenters are going to take it lying down! They are going to persist! They are going to argue! Mostly with each other. They are going to have mystical visions! Where everything is married. They are going to...invent classical physics. Seriously. Listen on to learn more!
Well, that's that. The Council of Constantinople is done, Nicea is victorious and its opponents refuted. Now it's time to see what will become of the victors. How will they use this extraordinary new power they hold?
Our plucky players have finally made it to the main event: the Council of Constantinople. But with bishop elections to decide and heretics to denounce, who will come out on top - and what will it take to get there? Find out today!
Just who are these pesky Germanic raiders who keep pillaging Rome's cities and beheading its emperors? Listen today to find out - and to learn the limits of Rome's tolerance for outsiders. The Gothic crown described in this episode can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goths#/media/File:CoronaRecesvinto01.JPG
Good news! Valens is no more and the Nicene-respecting Theodosius has ascended to the imperial purple. But before he can change history, he has to get from Spain to Constantinople - and there's a very angry Gothic army in his way.
The historical narrative FINALLY gets moving as the plucky defenders of Nicea must deal with yet another anti-Nicene emperor. But will they be able to make any progress when they can't agree with each other? Tune in to find out!
Eunomius won't say sorry...even if this book might have killed someone! Tune in and learn more.
It's time to meet the Cappadocian the orthodox don't want you to know about.
What better way to understand Basil and Gregory's friendship than by reading through their mail?
Gregory is in the belly of the homoian beast in Constantinople. Will his words be enough to convince them to accept the Nicene Creed? Well, no. But they WILL inspire the church for centuries to come! So join us as we explore the genius of Gregory's thought.
Gregory of Nazianzus has finally landed in the big city of Constantinople! Learn about all his wild adventures in this episode. But is he a Carrie, a Miranda, or even a Mr. Big?
It's time to meet the third Cappadocian Father! Basil's friend Gregory is a brilliant orator, dedicated theologian, and Father of the Church. He'll change the course of history forever...but first, he has to stop loafing around on his dad's farm and get a job. Learn how in this episode!
It's time to put some old rumors about Nicea to rest - and who better to do so than Athanasius of Alexandria? Join us as we read his festal letter and learn who really decided what books were in the Bible!
It's a lonely night in the fourth century...but one of our Cappadocians just might be getting some extra company this Christmas!
There's no better time than now to review one of Gregory's most celebrated ideas: the notion of epektasis, or "constant progress." Tune in to learn all about it!
The legacy of the Cappadocians remains with us today! Listen in to hear how Gregory of Nyssa continues to inspire modern theological reflection and innovation. And also, to learn how bad Ben is at accents.
Time passes, centuries roll on, but some things never change. One of those things is that people always want to talk about Origen! Listen to Professor Haecker walk us through how Origen's Trinitarian theology intersects with his contemporary research in theology and logic. It turns out that logic has a theological foundation, and that theological foundation is essentially Trinitarian!
Get ready for your crash course in Trinitarian math! It's time to hear Gregory's full answer to the old question: just how can three persons be one God?
We've seen Gregory and Eunomius spar over whether God can suffer, and how. Now we turn to one of today's leading scholars of the period to explain this controversy! Professor Paul Gavrilyuk is also organizing a conference on the Council of Nicea to be held in June of 2025 in Rome. Paper submissions are open until March 1, 2024. Learn more here: https://iota-web.org/rome2025/
The heretical refutations continue! Can Gregory carry on his brother's legacy? Find out in this week's episode!
As if two brilliant brothers weren't enough, it's time to meet a THIRD exemplary member of the family: Macrina the Younger. She was a beloved sister, a learned teacher, and the inspiration for several of Gregory's most celebrated works. Learn all about her in this week's episode!
It's time for our second Cappadocian to enter the scene! Get ready to meet Gregory of Nyssa: theologian par excellence, married bishop(!), and little brother extraordinaire.
In which we take a peek at Basil's *other* contribution to church history: the liturgy that bears his name!
In which the neglected Third Person of the Trinity finally gets some time in the spotlight! Come hear about Basil's mature thought on the Holy Spirit.
In which we learn how Basil thought a monk should live, think, eat - and get woken up in the middle of the night!
It's Basil against the final boss of the heteroousians. But who will come out on top in the rhetorical fracas? Listen to find out!
Lions, tigers, and bears...and a Church Father messing up a sermon?
Ever wanted to hear an ancient sermon? Now's your chance! Join Ben for this exploration of one of Basil's most celebrated sermons, titled "To the Rich."
In which the first of the Cappadocian Fathers makes his debut on the world stage. What will he do to break the impasse of our long-running debate?
In which we examine all the different roles a fourth century monk could play: saint, wonder worker, spiritual director, superhero, and...skincare guru?
In which a new generation takes its place on world history...and Ben's enthusiasm for certain sci-fi fandoms prompts our first-ever double sponsorship!
It wouldn't be the Road to Nicea without a few U-turns. It's time to meet one of the biggest. Tune in to learn about Julian the Apostate: emperor, philosopher, idealist, nerd.
It's time for a little diversion as we meet the man who was there for all of Nicea's history - and we mean ALL of it.
In which the anti-Nicene forces seem to have the upper hand...and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff of ancient history is revealed.
For legal purposes, this episode is a joke.
As the empire changes, the theologies of the Church change too. Just what were mid-fourth-century theologians making of Nicea's odd "homoousios" language?
In which we take a look at another member of the Constantinian court: Lactantius, tutor to Crispus and writer of treatises. What does he have to tell us about the Great Persecution and its aftermath?
Persecutor, lucky son, mild-mannered emperor, forgotten bureaucrat. He has so many descriptors. But who really is Constantius II?
Well yes, we've had one creed, but what about a second creed? And a third, and a fourth, and...
In which old faces pass away, new leaders emerge, and theology gets riotously important.
You've met Theological Treatise Athanasius, now meet Polemical Athanasius: 50% less relaxed theologizing, 200% more snark.
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