Division within Christianity, originating with the 16th century Reformation, that now numbers 40% of all Christians
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In this week's episode, I take a historical digression to look at the four major Thomases of the English Reformation - Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragonskull series at my Payhip store: QUEST25 The coupon code is valid through March 9 2026. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 292 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February 27th, 2026. Today we are taking a digression into history by looking at the four Thomases of the English Reformation (with one bonus Thomas). We'll also have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing and publishing projects. First up, let's do Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Dragonskull series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is QUEST25 and as always, the links to the store and the coupon code will be available in the show notes of this episode. This coupon code is valid through March 9th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this winter, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I am very nearly done with Cloak of Summoning. As of this recording, I am 35% of the way through the final editing pass. This episode should be coming out on, let's see, March the 2nd. I'm hoping Cloak of Summoning will be available a few days (hopefully like one or two days) after this episode goes live, but we'll see how things go. In any event, it should be out in very early March, which is not far away at this point. I'm also 14,000 words into Blade of Wraiths, the fourth book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. Hopefully that will be out in April, if all goes well. That's my secondary project right now, but once it gets promoted to primary project once Cloak of Summoning is available, my new secondary project will be Dragon Mage, which will be the sixth book in the Rivah Half-Elven Thief series. I'm looking forward to that since it is going to bring to an end a lot of ongoing plot threads. So it should be quite a fun book to write and hopefully to read. That should hopefully be out in May or possibly June, depending on how things go. In audiobook news, Cloak of Titans, the audiobook narrated by Hollis McCarthy, should be available in more audiobook stores than it was this time last week, though it's still not on Amazon, Audible, or Apple. Brad Wills is working on recording Blade of Storms and I think the first six chapters are done. Hopefully we should have those audiobooks available to you before too much longer. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:18 Main Topic: The Four Thomases of the English Reformation Now without further ado, let's get to our main topic and it's time for another of my favorite topics overall, a digression into obscure points of history. I've mentioned before that Wolf Hall (both the TV show and the book) is a lot easier to understand if you are at least passingly familiar with the key figures of the English Reformation, which happened during the reign of King Henry VIII. But who were these key figures? I had a history professor who said that to understand the English Reformation, you need to know about the four Thomases of the English Reformation: Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer, since each one of them altered events in a major way. Fun fact: only one of the four died from natural causes and right before he was about to go on trial for treason, which would have likely ended with his execution. The English Reformation was a tumultuous time and the Tudor court was not a place for the faint of heart or the morally scrupulous. So let's talk about the four Thomases and one bonus Thomas today. But first to understand them, we should look at three background trends that converged and boiled over during their lifetimes. #1: Henry VIII needs an heir. King Henry VIII was quite famously married six times and executed two of his wives in his quest for a male heir. To the modern era, this sounds odd and chauvinistic, but one of the errors of studying history is assuming that the residents of the past had any interest in 21st century standards of behavior. By the standards of Henry's time, having a male heir to assume the kingdom after his death was absolutely vital. In fact, an argument could be made that Henry was attempting to act responsibly by going to such lengths to father a male heir, though naturally he went about it in a spectacularly destructive and self-absorbed way. Remember, Henry's father, Henry VII, came to the throne after a 30-year civil war, and there were noble families that thought they had a better claim to the throne than Tudors and would be happy to exercise it. A good comparison is that the lack of a male heir for Henry VIII was as serious a crisis as a disputed presidential election in 21st century America would be. You can see evidence for this in Henry's famous jousting accident in 1536. For a few hours, people were certain that he was dead or was about to die, and this incident caused a brief constitutional crisis. If Henry died, who would rule? His daughter, Mary, who he had just declared a bastard? His young daughter Elizabeth from Anne Boleyn? His bastard son, Henry FitzRoy? A regent? One of the old families who thought they had a claim to the throne? Now, these are the sort of questions that tend to get decided by civil wars, which nobody wanted. So Henry needed a male heir and it weighed on him as a personal failure that he had been unable to produce one, which was undoubtedly one of the reasons he concluded that several of his marriages had been cursed by God and needed to be annulled. Though, of course, one of Henry's defining traits was that his self-absorption was such that nothing was ever his fault, but a failing of those around him. #2: The Reformation is here. At the same time Henry was beginning to have his difficulties, the Protestant Reformation exploded across Europe. The reasons for the Reformation were manifold. There was a growing feeling across all levels of society that the church was corrupt and more concerned about money than tending to Christ's flock, a feeling not helped by the fact that several of the 15th and 16th century popes were essentially Renaissance princelings more interested in luxury, money, and expanding the power of the papal states than in anything spiritual. Many bishops, archbishops, abbots, and other high prelates acted the same way. The situation the early 16th century church found itself in was similar to American higher education today. Many modern professors and administrators go about their jobs quietly, competently, and diligently, but if you want to find examples of corruption, folly, and egregious waste in American higher education, you don't have to try very hard. Reformers could easily find manifold examples of clerical and papal corruption to reinforce their arguments. Additionally, nationalism was beginning to develop as a concept, as was the idea of the nation state. People in England, Scotland, Germany, and other countries began to wonder why they were paying tithes to the church that went to build beautiful buildings in Rome and support the lavish lifestyle of the papal court when that money might be better spent at home. For that matter, the anti-clericalism of the Reformation was not new and had time to mature. At the end of the 14th century, Lollardy was a proto-Protestant movement in England that challenged clerical power. In the early 15th century, the Hussite wars in Bohemia following the teachings of Jan Hus were a preview of the greater Reformation to come. Papal authority had been severely damaged by the Great Schism at the end of the 14th and the start of the 15th century when two competing popes (later expanded to three) all tried to excommunicate each other and claim control of the church. In the aftermath, Renaissance Humanists had begun suggesting that only the Bible was the proper source and guide for Christianity, and that papal authority and many of the church's practices were merely human traditions that had been added later and were not ordained by God. A lot of the arguments of the Reformation had their earliest form from the writers of the 15th century. Essentially, the central argument of the Reformation was that the believer's personal relationship with God is the important part of Christianity and doesn't need to be mediated through ordained priests in the official sacraments of the church, though such things were still important. Of course, all the various reformers disagreed with each other about just how important and what the nature of that relationship was, how many sacraments there should be, and what the precise relationship between the individual, the church, and the state should be (and that argument got entangled with many other issues like nationalism), but that was a central crux of the Reformation. So all these competing pressures have been building up, and when Martin Luther posted his statements for debate on church reform in October of 1517, it was the equivalent of lighting a match in a barn that had been stuffed full of sawdust and was suffering from a natural gas leak. #3: The printing press. So why did Luther's action kick off the Reformation as we know it and not the other proto-Protestant movements we mentioned? I think the big part of that is the printing pass, perhaps the biggest part. The printing press did not exist during the early proto-Protestant movements, which meant it was a lot harder for the ideas of reform to spread quickly. The Lollards in particular wanted to translate the Bible into English instead of Latin, but the Bible is a big book and that is a lot of copying to do by hand. In 1539, after a lot of encouragement from Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII decreed that an English Bible should be placed at every church in England. In 1339, that would have been an impossible amount of copying by scribes. In 1539, thanks to the printing press, it was essentially on the scale of the government embarking on a mid-sized industrial project, perhaps a bit of a logistical and organizational challenge and you have to deal with contractors, but by no means impossible. The printing press made it possible for the various arguments and pamphlets of the Reformers to spread quickly throughout Europe. Luther published tracts on a variety of religious and political topics for the rest of his life, and those tracks were copied, printed, and sold throughout Europe. In fact, he had something of a flame war with Thomas More over Henry VIII's "Defense of the Seven Sacraments". Kings and governments frequently tried to suppress printers they didn't like, but the cat was out of the bag and the printing press helped drive the Reformation by spreading its ideas faster than had previously been possible. AI bros occasionally compare modern large language model AIs to the printing press as an irreversible technological advancement, but one should note that the printing press of the 16th century did not require an entire US state's worth of electricity and an unlimited supply of water. So those were some of the undercurrents and trends leading up to the English Reformation. With that in mind, let's take a look at our four Thomases. #1: Thomas Wolsey. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was Henry's right hand man during the first 20 years of his reign and essentially the practical ruler of England during that time. He started his career in Henry's reign as the almoner, essentially in charge of charity, and it ended up becoming the Lord Chancellor of England. Since Henry was not super interested in actually doing the hard work of government, Wolsey ended up essentially running the country while Henry turned his full enthusiasm towards the more ceremonial aspects of kingship. Wolsey was an example of the kind of early 16th Century church prelate we mentioned above, more of a Renaissance princeling than a priest. However, as Renaissance princelings went, you could do worse than to have been ruled by someone like Wolsey. And if you were a king, you would be blessed to have a lieutenant as diligent in his work as the Cardinal. Granted, Wolsey did amass a large fortune for himself, but he frequently patronized the arts, education and the poor, pursued some governmental reforms, and deftly maintained England's position in the turbulent diplomacy of the time. He was also much more forgiving in questions of religious dissent than someone like Thomas More. Wolsey was the most powerful man in England at his apex, and the nobility hated it for him because his origins were common. So long as he had Henry's favor, Wolsey was untouchable and the nobility couldn't move against him. But the royal favor came to an end as Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was unable to produce a son. Since Catherine had previously (and briefly) been married to his older brother Arthur before Arthur's death, Henry became convinced (or succeeded in convincing himself) that his marriage was cursed by God for violating the prohibition against sleeping with your brother's wife in the book of Leviticus. His eye had already fallen on Anne Boleyn and Henry wanted an annulment and not a divorce in his marriage with Catherine. In the eyes of God, he would never have been married at all, and then he could marry Anne Boleyn with a clear conscience. Here, Wolsey's gift for diplomacy failed him, but perhaps it was an impossible task. Catherine of Aragon was the aunt of Emperor Charles V, who at the time was the most powerful man in Christendom. All of Wolseley's efforts to persuade the pope to annul the marriage failed, partly because the pope had already given Henry VIII dispensation to marry his brother's widow. Wolsey's failure eroded his support with the king. Anne Boleyn likewise hated Wolsey partly because she believed he was hindering the annulment, and partly because he had blocked her from marrying the Earl of Northumberland years before she had her eyes set upon Henry. Finally, Henry stripped Wolsey of his office of Lord Chancellor, and Wolsey retired to York to take up his role as archbishop there. Wolsey's popularity threatened Henry and Anne, so Henry summoned him back to London to face treason charges. Perhaps fortunately for Wolsey, he died of natural causes on the journey back to London. His replacement as Lord Chancellor was Thomas More, the next of our major for Thomases. #2: Thomas More. More was an interesting contrast-a Renaissance Humanist who remained a staunch Catholic, even though Renaissance Humanists in general tended towards proto-Protestantism or actual Protestantism. He was also in some ways oddly progressive for his time. He insisted on educating his daughters at a time was considered pointless to educate women about anything other than the practical business of household management. Anyway, More's training as a lawyer and a scholar led him to a career in government. He held a variety of posts under Henry VIII, finally rising to become the Lord Chancellor after Wolsey. In the first decades of his brain, Henry was staunchly Catholic and despised Protestantism, in particular, Lutheranism in general and Martin Luther in particular. In 1521, Henry published "Defense of the Seven Sacraments" against Luther, and More helped him write it to an unknown degree. In their dislike for all forms of Protestantism, More and Henry were in harmony at this point. More was involved in hunting down heretics (i.e. Protestants) and trying to convince them to recant. During his time as the Lord Chancellor, More ended up sending six people to be burned at the stake for heresy, along with the arrest and interrogations of numerous others. This rather clashes with his "humanist man of letters" aspect, but More was undoubtedly convinced he was doing the right thing. And while he might have believed in education, he most definitely did not believe in freedom of conscience in several areas. To be fair to More, in the view of many at the time, Protestants, especially Anabaptists, were dangerous radicals. Likely More viewed hunting heretics in the same way as some modern politicians view hunting down covert terrorist cells or surveilling potential domestic terrorists. Harsh measures true, but harsh measures allegedly necessary for the greater good of the nation. However, the concord between More and Henry would not last. Henry wanted to set aside Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, which More staunchly opposed. More especially opposed Henry breaking away from Rome and becoming head of an independent English Church. At first, More was able to save himself by maintaining his silence, but eventually Henry required all of his subjects take an oath affirming his status as head of the church. Thomas Cromwell famously led a deputation to try and change More's mind, but he failed. More refused, he was tried on specious treason charges, and beheaded in 1535. Later, the Catholic church declared him the patron saint of politicians. This might seem odd given that he oversaw executions and essentially did thought police stuff against Protestants, but let's be honest-it's rare to see a politician even mildly inconvenience himself over a point of principle, let alone maintain it until death when he was given every possible chance to change his mind. Probably the most famous fictional portrayals of More are A Man For All Seasons and Wolf Hall. I would say that A Man For All Seasons was far too generous to More, but Wolf Hall was too harsh. #3: Now for the third of our four Thomases, Thomas Cromwell. After Wolsey's fall and More's refusal to support Henry's desire to either annul his marriage to Catherine or to make himself head with the church so he couldn't annul the marriage, Thomas Cromwell rose become Henry's new chief lieutenant. Cromwell is both a fascinating but divisive figure. For a long time, he was cast as the villain in Thomas More's saga, but Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall really triggered a popular reevaluation of him. Like A Man For All Seasons was too generous to More, I would say Wolf Hall was too generous to Cromwell. Nonetheless, I suspect Cromwell was and remained so divisive because he was so effective. He got things done on a scale that the other three Thomases of the English Reformation never quite managed. Cromwell's origins are a bit obscure. It seems he was either of non-noble birth or very low gentry birth and his father Walter Cromwell was a local prosperous tradesman in a jack of all trades with a reputation for litigiousness. For reasons that are unclear, Cromwell fled his birthplace and spent some time in continental Europe, possibly as a mercenary soldier. He eventually made his way to Italy and started working for the merchant families there, gaining knowledge of trade in the law, and then traveled to the Low Countries. When he returned to England, he became Cardinal Wolsey's right hand man. After Wolsey's fall, Cromwell went into Parliament and defended his master whenever possible. This loyalty combined with his significant talent for law and administration caught the eye of Henry and he swiftly became Henry's right-hand man. Amusingly, Cromwell never became Lord Chancellor like More or Wolsey, but instead accumulated many lesser offices that essentially allowed him to carry out Henry's directives as he saw a fit. Unlike More and Wolsey, Cromwell had strong Protestant leanings and he encouraged the king to break away from the Catholic Church and take control of the English Church as its supreme head. Henry did so. His marriage to Catherine of Aragon was nulled. The rest of Europe never accepted this until Catherine died of illness and it became a moot point. In 1533, he married Anne Boleyn. Like Cromwell, Anne had a strong Protestant bent and began encouraging reformers to take various offices and began pushing Henley to make more reforms than he was really comfortable doing. For example, Cromwell was one of the chief drivers behind the English Bible of 1539. This, combined with Anne's inability to give Henry a son, contributed to Anne's downfall. Unlike Catherine, she was willing to argue with Henry to his face and was unwilling to look the other way when he wanted a mistress, and this eventually got on Henry's nerves. Events are a bit murky, but it seems that Henry ordered Cromwell to find a way he could set aside Anne and Cromwell complied. Various men, including her own brother, were coerced and confessing to adultery with Anne on charges that were most likely fabricated and Anne's "lovers" and Anne herself were executed for treason in 1536. Cromwell had successfully used a technique that many modern secret police organizations and dictatorships employ- if you want to get rid of someone for whatever reason, accuse them of a serious crime, coerce them to a confession, and then have them executed. Joseph Stalin did basically the same thing when he purged the Old Bolsheviks after Lenin's death. Henry married Jane Seymour shortly after Anne's execution, and she finally gave Henry his long-waited son, though she died soon afterwards of postpartum complications. Cromwell also oversaw the dissolution of the English monasteries in the 1530s. Monasticism had become quite unpopular even before the Reformation, especially among humanist writers. The concentration of property in the hands of monasteries made for a ripe target. Using Parliament and with Henry's approval, the monasteries of England were dissolved, the monks and nuns pensioned off, and the various rich properties held by the monasteries were given to the king and his friends. Cromwell himself profited handsomely. This was essentially legalized theft, but there was nothing the monasteries could do about it. Cromwell pushed for more religious reforms, but that combined with the dissolution of the monasteries caused "The Pilgrimage of Grace" in 1537, a rebellion that Henry was able to put down through a combination of lies, stalling, outright bribery, and brutal repression under the Duke of Norfolk (more about him later). Cromwell was at the zenith of his power and influence, but his reformist bent and made him a lot of enemies. For that matter, Henry was increasingly uncomfortable with further religious changes. He wanted to be head of his own church, but essentially his own Catholic Church, not his own Reformed or Lutheran one. Cromwell's alignment with the reform cause gave his more traditionalist enemies a tool to use against him. Cromwell's foes had their chance in 1540 when Henry married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. Cromwell had heavily pushed for the match, hoping to make an alliance with the Protestant princes of Germany against the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor. For whatever reason, Henry took an immediate dislike to Anne and never consummated the marriage, which was swiftly annulled and Anne pensioned off. Henry blamed Cromwell for the failed marriage and Cromwell's enemies, particularly Duke of Norfolk and Bishop Gardiner of Winchester, were able to convince Henry to move against him. Cromwell was arrested, stripped of all the titles and property he had amassed, and executed in July of 1540. The sort of legal railroading process he had born against Anne Boleyn's alleged lovers and numerous other enemies of Henry's was used against him. This was one of the very few executions Henry ever regretted. Within a year, the French ambassador reported that Henry was raging that his counselors had misled him into putting to death the most faithful servant he had ever had. Once again, nothing was ever Henry's fault in his own mind. The fact that Henry allowed Cromwell's son Gregory to become a baron and inherit some of his father's land shows that he likely changed his mind about the execution. For once in his life, Henry was dead on accurate when he called Cromwell his "most faithful servant". He never again found a lieutenant with Cromwell's loyalty and skill. The remaining seven years of Henry's reign blundered from setback to setback and all the money Henry obtained from the dissolution of the monasteries was squandered in indecisive wars with France and Scotland. I think it's fair to say that the English Reformation would not have taken the course it did, if not for Cromwell. As ruthless and as unscrupulous as he could be, he nonetheless did seem to really believe in the principles of religious reform and push such policies whenever he could do so without drawing Henry's ire. #4: Now the fourth of our four major Thomases, Thomas Cranmer. If Thomas Cromwell did a lot of the political work of the English Reformation, then Thomas Cranmer wrote a lot of its theory. Cranmer was a scholar and something of a gentle-minded man, but not a very skillful politician. He seemed happy to leave the politicking to Cromwell. I think Cranmer would have been a lot happier as a Lutheran pastor in say, 1950s rural Nebraska. He could have married a farmer's daughter, had a bunch of kids, and presided at weddings, funerals, and baptisms where he could talk earnestly about Jesus and Christian virtues, and he probably would have written a few books on obscure theological points. But instead, Cranmer was destined to play a significant part in the English Reformation. He started as a priest and a scholar who got in trouble for marrying, but when his wife died in childbirth, he went back to the priesthood. Later, he became part of the team of scholars and priests working to get Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. While he was at university and later in the priesthood, he became fascinated by Lutheran ideas and became a proponent of reform. As with Cromwell, Henry's desire to marry Anne Boleyn gave Cranmer his great opportunity. Anne's family were also in favor of reform, and they arranged for Cranmer to become the new Archbishop of Canterbury. The new archbishop and the like- minded clerics and scholars laid the legal and theological groundwork for Henry to break with Rome and become head of the English church with Cranmer and the rest of the reform faction wanted to be used to push for additional church reforms. He survived the tumults of Henry's reign by total loyalty to the king – he mourned Anne Boleyn, but didn't oppose her execution (though he was one of the few who mourned for her publicly), did much the same when Cromwell was executed, and personally sent news of Catherine Howard's adultery to the king. Because of that, Cranmer had a great chance to pursue the cause of reform when Henry died and his 12-year-old son Edward VI became King. Edward's uncle Edward Seymour acted as the head of the King's regency council, and Seymour and his allies were in favor of reform. Cranmer was at last able to steer the English church in the direction of serious reform, and he was directly responsible for writing the Book of Common Prayer and several other key documents of the early Anglican church. But Cranmer's of luck ran out in 1553 when Edward VI died. Cranmer was part of the group that tried to put the Protestant Lady Jane Grey on the throne, but Henry's daughter Mary instead took the crown. Mary had never really wavered from her Catholicism despite immense pressure to do so, and she had last had a chance to do something about it. She immediately brought England back to Rome and started prosecuting prominent reform leaders, Cranmer among them. Cranmer was tried for treason and heresy and sentenced to be burned, but that was to be commuted if he recanted his views in public during a sermon, which he did. However, at the last minute, he thunderously denounced his previous recantation, asserted his reformist faith, and vowed that he would thrust the hand that signed the recantation into the flames first. Cranmer was immediately taken to be burned at the stake, and just as he promised, he thrust his hand into the flames, and his last word is that he saw heaven opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Cranmer had spent much of his life trying to appease Henry while pushing as much reform as possible, but in his final moments, he had finally found his defiance. When Mary died and Elizabeth took the throne, she returned England to Protestantism. Elizabeth was much more pragmatic than her half siblings and her father ever were, so she chose the most expedient choice of simply rolling the English church back to as it was during Edward VI's time. Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer and religious articles, lightly edited for Elizabeth's sensibilities, became the foundational documents of the Anglican church. So these four Thomases, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer were central to the events of the English Reformation. However, we have one bonus Thomas yet. Bonus Thomas: Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. Thomas Howard was a powerful nobleman during the reign of Henry, and the Duke of Norfolk was frequently Henry's lieutenant in waging various wars and putting down rebellions. He was also the uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, Henry's second and fifth queens. He was also involved in nearly every major event of Henry's reign. So with all that, why isn't Norfolk as remembered as well as the other four Thomases of the English Reformation? Sometimes a man would be considered virtuous by the standards of the medieval or early modern age, yet reprehensible in ours. For example, for much of the Middle Ages, crusading was considered an inherently virtuous act for a knight, whereas in the modern age, it would be condemned as war mongering with a religious veneer. However, by both modern standards and Tudor standards, Thomas Howard was a fairly odious character. For all their flaws and the morally questionable things they did, Wolsey, More, Cromwell, and Cranmer were all men of conviction in their own ways. More and Cranmer explicitly died with their faith. Cromwell's devotion to the Protestant cause got him killed since he insisted on the Anne of Cleves match. Even Wolsey, for all that he enriched himself, was a devoted servant of Henry after his downfall never betrayed the king. By contrast, Norfolk was out for Norfolk. This wasn't unusual for Tudor nobleman, but Norfolk took it to a new level of grasping venality. He made sure that his daughter was married to Henry's bastard son, Henry FitzRoy, just in case FitzRoy ended up becoming king. He used both his nieces, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, to gain power and lands for himself, and then immediately turned against him once he became politically expedient. In fact, he presided over the trial where Anne Boleyn was sentenced to death. After the failure of the Anne of Cleve's marriage, Norfolk made sure to bring his young niece Catherine Howard to court to catch Henry's eye, and to use the Anne of Cleve's annulment as a lever to get rid of Thomas Cromwell. Both stratagems worked, and he attempted to leverage being the new Queen's uncle to bring himself to new power and riches, as he had with Anne Boleyn. Once Henry turned on Catherine Howard, Norfolk characteristically and swiftly threw his niece under the bus. However, as Henry aged, he grew increasingly paranoid and vindictive, and he had Norfolk arrested and sentenced to death on suspicion of treason. Before the execution could be carried out, Henry died, and Norfolk spent the six years of Edward VI's reign as a prisoner in the Tower of London. When Edward died and Mary took the throne, she released Norfolk since she was Catholic and Norfolk had always been a religious traditionalist suspicious of reform. He spent the remaining year of his life as one of Mary's chief advisors before finally dying of old age. As I often say, history can be a rich source of inspiration for fantasy writers, and the English Reformation is full of such inspiration. Wolsey, More, Cromwell, and Cranmer can all make excellent inspirations for morally ambiguous characters. For that matter, you can see why the reign of Henry VIII has inspired so many movies, TV shows, and historical novels. The real life events are so dramatic as to scarcely require embellishment. So that's it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show and thank you for listening as I went on one of my little historical digressions. I hope you found the show enjoyable. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.
The Perfected Church is an alternative to Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy. The present forms of church are not ‘wrong', they are embryonic or early-stage churches. Perfecton (The Perfected Church) is the solution to the lack of places for the spiritually mature Christian to do works of faith in. Christianity has lots of churches providing introductory courses to the faith, but no graduate courses for Christians who want to move past the praise of words to the praise through works of faith. Christians are called out to add value to the assets of God in keeping with the principle of Dominion and our own need to build an advanced civilization.
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-eastern-orthodoxy
A new MP3 sermon from Berean Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Eastern Orthodoxy vs. Protestantism Subtitle: Being Bereans | Acts 17:11 Speaker: Sean E. Harris Broadcaster: Berean Baptist Church Event: Podcast Date: 2/25/2026 Length: 40 min.
Pastor Josh continues our sermon series, Reformatio. With this Sunday's theme of, The Five Solas of Protestantism.
Doug Wilson's appearance at a Pentagon prayer service hosted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is more than a symbolic moment—it's a window into the kind of Christianity being elevated at the highest levels of American power. Wilson, a self-identified Christian nationalist and longtime pastor in Moscow, Idaho, has built an influential religious and media network rooted in a theology that centers male authority, rejects pluralism in the public square, and frames “Christ is King” as a political claim over the nation itself. His record—documented by journalists like Brian Kaylor and Sarah Stankorb—includes defending rigid patriarchal structures, opposing women's suffrage, limiting public religious freedom to conservative Protestantism, and mishandling abuse cases within his orbit. That this theology is now platformed inside the Pentagon, amid ongoing fallout from the Epstein scandal and broader debates about power, sexuality, and accountability, raises urgent questions about what kind of moral vision is being fused with state authority—and who it protects. At the same time, CBS's decision not to air Stephen Colbert's interview with Texas State Representative James Talarico—an outspoken Christian critic of Christian nationalism—reveals the other side of the equation. Talarico, a seminary student and public school teacher, argues that separating church and state protects both democracy and the integrity of Christian faith. His warning that Christian nationalism is “a cancer on my religion” stands in sharp contrast to Wilson's vision of public Christianity. The juxtaposition is stark: a hardline theocrat welcomed at the Pentagon, and a soft-spoken Christian democrat sidelined from broadcast television. Together, these events underscore a growing dynamic in American public life—where the state appears increasingly willing to privilege one brand of religion while marginalizing dissenting voices, even within Christianity itself. Subscribe for $3.65: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Subscribe to our free newsletter: https://swaj.substack.com/ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What leads a committed Christian to become Catholic? In this powerful conversation, Keith Nester sits down with Eric Sammons, editor of Crisis Magazine, to discuss his journey from Protestantism into the Catholic Church, the moments that challenged his beliefs, and the truth that ultimately led him home. Eric also shares the mission behind Crisis Magazine, why faithful Catholic media matters today, and how Catholics can stay rooted in truth during confusing cultural times. If you're exploring Catholicism, love conversion stories, or want deeper insight into today's Catholic conversation, this interview is for you. Eric's links: https://ericsammons.com/ https://crisismagazine.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@UC2c-Ei798-Xuz8jfuBwleVA In this episode: Eric Sammons' conversion to Catholicism Key theological questions that led him to Rome The role and vision of Crisis Magazine Encouragement for converts and lifelong Catholics Catholic Feedback is a production of Down to Earth Ministry, which exists to provide encouragement and resources to those considering, converting, and growing in Catholicism.
This is part 2 of 3 talks by Dr. Nathan Jacobs about the "nones", the religiously unaffiliated, a group that has grown dramatically over the past two decades. In this talk, Nathan Jacobs argues that many who leave are not rejecting God, per se, but a particular vision of God shaped by Western theological developments. Exploring themes like grace, freedom, divine goodness, fatalism, and anthropology, he contrasts key Western trajectories with the vision of the Eastern Church Fathers. The result is a compelling case that Orthodoxy does not suppress the moral and spiritual intuitions of today's seekers — it fulfills them.Watch part 1: The Modern Religious Debate Lost Its Audience: https://youtu.be/vun_XtxDt5E Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: http://theeastwestseries.com/Do you want to watch the Becoming Truly Human documentary? Watch it along with other exclusive content on Jacobs Premium. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Timestamps:00:00 - Coming up next01:28 - East West series02:36 - Introduction05:18 - What the nones believe10:39 - Rejecting Western Christianity14:12 - Augustine18:40 - The nature/Grace divide25:42 - Protestantism & predestination31:48 - God's will39:36 - Competing goods46:17 - Our world is spiritual59:02 - Return to talk59:51 - Man as microcosm01:01:51 - Was man made mortal or immortal?01:06:11 - Energies01:15:02 - What happens after death01:18:06 - The remedy for divine hiddenness01:24:34 - Q&A: On trusting your intuitions about God01:29:21 - Q: Anxiety of the participants01:30:58 - Q: What about Jesus?01:33:11 - Q: Discussions about the Trinity01:36:07 - Q: Using the halo in the documentary01:40:06 - Q: Do nones go to other religions?======================================All the links:The Theological Letters Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast
In this final episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle step back from the 16th century to ask a pressing modern question: what does it actually mean to be Protestant today—and what have we gained (and lost) since the Reformation? Greg frames Protestantism with a memorable realism: it isn’t perfect—it’s the “least problematic” of the major options(Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism). From there, the conversation explores Protestantism’s strengths—Scripture in the common language, broad engagement with the Bible, the dignity and responsibility of ordinary believers, and the freedom to test tradition against God’s Word—while also naming the hazards that come with that freedom. James and Greg dig into one of the central tensions of modern Protestant life: authority without a pope must still include accountability. The Reformation wasn’t a call for every individual to interpret Scripture with equal authority; it assumed a teaching office and depended on catechesis to form faithful readers. But in today’s digital ecosystem—where influence is often determined by charisma, algorithms, and audience-size—Protestantism can drift into fragmentation, echo chambers, and “pastor-as-pope” dynamics inside independent churches. This episode also turns practical and pastoral: how should Christians live faithfully amid online outrage cycles, misinformation, and slander—especially when “everyone is a publisher”? Greg and James connect these issues to biblical ethics (truth-telling, false witness) and to the urgent need to rebuild theological formation in the local church. In this conversation, you’ll hear about: Why Protestantism is a “best worst” option—and why that matters The strengths of Protestant diversity (and why it’s also dangerous) Why the teaching office matters—and what happens when it collapses How the loss of catechism has weakened Protestant interpretation The modern digital “echo chamber” problem and credibility collapse Why truth, slander, and false witness apply directly to social media Practical next steps: near-term wisdom + long-term formation Quotelos Travel offers small, expert-led “Tours for Ten” that provide an intimate and unforgettable way to explore church history and culture with guides who truly know the locations. Learn more at quotelostravelservice.com, and check out their upcoming trips to Germany, England, and Switzerland. Subscribe to our YouTube channel
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle pivot to one of the defining features of Protestant tradition: the Reformation Solas—and why they still matter for Christians today. Rather than beginning with a list of “five solas,” Greg frames the Reformation around three theological questions that generated the solas: What is the Church? (ecclesiology) How am I saved / how do I stand before God? (soteriology) Who or what has ultimate authority to define belief and practice? (authority) From there, Greg explains the contrast between 16th-century Roman Catholic and 16th-century Protestant answers—especially the difference between church-as-organization (a hierarchical structure) and church-as-organism (the priesthood of all believers). That “priesthood” isn’t only about rights; it also includes responsibility—the idea that ministry is not a spectator sport, and that clergy exist chiefly to equip the saints through the Office of the Word. The conversation then traces how the solas flow from these questions: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone as final authority) Sola Fide (justification by faith alone) Solus Christus (Christ alone) and how these reshape Protestant ideas of salvation, grace, and the church’s mediating role. James also presses into a key modern confusion: “Bible alone” does not mean “my interpretation alone.” Both hosts argue that the Reformation assumed a teaching office, catechesis, and doctrinal boundaries—something many modern churches have lost. They connect this to contemporary debates about faith as mere intellectual assent versus faith as a way of lifemarked by trust, repentance, and fidelity. This episode includes discussion of: The three Reformation questions behind the solas Church as organism vs. church as organization Priesthood of all believers: rights and responsibilities The “Office of the Word” and why it still matters Catholic sacramental mediation vs. Protestant justification by faith Why authority (Sola Scriptura) is the “non-negotiable” dividing line Faith as lived trust and repentance—beyond a one-time decision Why modern American Protestant individualism isn’t the same as Reformation Protestantism Quotelos Travel offers small, expert-led “Tours for Ten” that provide an intimate and unforgettable way to explore church history and culture with guides who truly know the locations. Learn more at quotelostravelservice.com, and check out their upcoming trips to Germany, England, and Switzerland. Subscribe to our YouTube channel
In the second part of this two-episode series, Greg moves from the initial Profession of Faith to the lifelong Catholic posture of religious submission of intellect and will to the Church's authentic magisterium on matters of faith and morals. Drawing from forty years of ministry experience, he contrasts the deepening crisis of trust and doctrinal fragmentation in Protestantism with the stability offered by a divinely protected Church that demands—and deserves—trust. Using G.K. Chesterton's insights and Catechism passages, Greg explains why this submission is liberating humility rather than blind obedience, and he strongly clarifies what it does not require: trusting every priest, parish council, or Catholic organization in every practical matter. This episode speaks directly to Protestant pastors and investigators who struggle with institutional authority, while reassuring all listeners that the Church's guidance is Christ's own protection against the spirit of the age. If you've ever asked whether it's possible to trust the Church without losing your mind or integrity, this is the episode for you. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who's curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
In this episode of our German Reformation series, Dr. James Spencer and Dr. Greg Quiggle begin exploring what happens after the attempt to reform the Catholic Church breaks down and the division becomes permanent: What does Protestantism look like under Luther once it’s no longer simply a reform movement? The conversation opens with a key structural issue: the evolving relationship between church and state in early Protestant contexts. Greg explains that most Protestants still lived inside the world of Christendom—where church and state were distinct but not separate—operating like two authorities under one religious framework. That arrangement also clarifies a disturbing feature of the era: the execution of “heretics.” In the 16th century, the church might declare a person heretical, but it was the state that carried the sword—treating heresy as an act of political-religious destabilization and responding as “self-defense.” From there, James and Greg move into the heart of the episode: the post-Reformation negotiation of identity. With the old Catholic structure breaking apart, Protestants faced a massive question: What do we keep from 1,500 years of Christian practice—and what must go? Greg frames the spectrum of Protestant responses: Luther’s approach: keep as much as possible, removing only what clearly violates Scripture Anabaptist/Radical approaches: jettison the entire Constantinian project, rejecting the church-state synthesis and attempting to rebuild from the New Testament alone This clash didn’t remain theoretical. Greg explains how competing Protestant visions collided—sometimes violently—highlighting cases like Zurich where Anabaptists were condemned and executed under the authority of the city council after theological disputes (including disputes over baptism). The episode also touches on radical apocalyptic movements in Germany (including Münster and Thomas Müntzer), showing how social upheaval, plague trauma, and end-times expectations created fertile ground for charismatic extremism—and why Luther feared the Reformation could spiral beyond control. James connects these dynamics to modern organizational realities: how policy tools (like catechesis) can become “passive instruments” when accountability structures fail, and why early Protestant instability wasn’t simply “denomination vs. denomination,” but often included fringe movements driven by chaos, charisma, and apocalyptic certainty. The episode closes by returning to a critical constraint often overlooked today: mass illiteracy. “Bible alone” emerges in a world where most people cannot read, intensifying the importance—and vulnerability—of teaching authority, civic enforcement, and communal formation Quotelos Travel offers small, expert-led “Tours for Ten” that provide an intimate and unforgettable way to explore church history and culture with guides who truly know the locations. Learn more at quotelostravelservice.com, and check out their upcoming trips to Germany, England, and Switzerland. Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Roman Catholics argue that sola scriptura has splintered Protestantism into countless interpretations. Dr. John Neufeld responds by distinguishing between sola scriptura (Scripture as final authority) and solo scriptura (Scripture alone, rejecting all church history). Historic Protestants affirm Scripture's ultimate authority while valuing church fathers and the ecumenical creeds.The Case for Sola Scriptura: Is the Bible alone our ultimate authority? In this 5-part series, Dr. John Neufeld defends sola scriptura—that Scripture alone is our final authority for faith and practice. He addresses challenges from Roman Catholicism, Protestant liberalism, and the New Apostolic Reformation. Dr. John demonstrates that the 66 books of Scripture form a closed canon—God's complete and final word.
For many Americans, untangling today's U.S. politics feels especially tough because the rise of religious‑right conservatism can seem sudden and ominous. Without a grounding in religious history and its influence on American political development over time, sweeping dominionist initiatives like Project 2025, fringe movements such as QAnon, and shadowy organizations like the Heritage Foundation may appear to come out of thin air. Fortunately, author and fundamentalist‑politics expert Keri L. Ladner, Ph.D., guides listeners back through the archives, tracing these phenomena to roots that reach back to the late 1800s. Ladner, who earned her doctorate in Divinity from the University of Edinburgh, is the author of End‑Time Politics: From the Moral Majority to QAnon (2024). The book maps the evolution of conservative Christianity, from its use of prophecy and rapture‑focused visions to the rise of figures like Jerry Falwell. She shows how those ideas have mutated over decades, ultimately feeding the ideologies that underpin today's Trump‑era regime. Ladner first explained that the type of religious movements she specializes in is not the same as what was known as ‘Christianity' before the late 1800s. “The movements that I'm looking into are very new. They're very new offshoots of Christianity, specifically of Protestantism, American evangelicalism. They did not begin to develop in a form that we would recognize today until the late 1800s,” she explained. Her doctoral thesis essentially covered Jerry Falwell and the theological system known as dispensationalism, a historical movement she connects to John Nelson Darby, a 19th-century religious leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dark Ages, the difference between big and small dark ages, the loss of collective knowledge, the library of Alexandria & and its destruction, Jacques Vallee, court magicians, networks/secret societies in Europe & the US, technocracy, censorship, biometric verifications, the relation of women to mysticism, how the suppression of female spirituality becomes a suppression of mysticism, the lack of female spirituality in Protestantism vs Catholicism, the apocalypse and how it can be prevented, Joachim of Fiore, dueling visions of Joachimism, will the Status of Spirit technological or organic?, noosphere as an adoption of JoachimismCherlyn's substack: https://substack.com/@drcherlynhtjonesMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gavin Ortlund examines John Henry Newman's famous claim that “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant,” arguing that historic Protestantism is deeply rooted in the earliest Christian tradition.Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.SUPPORT:Tax Deductible Support: https://truthunites.org/donate/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truthunitesFOLLOW:Website: https://truthunites.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truth.unites/X: https://x.com/gavinortlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnitesPage/
In this interview I'm joined by Dr. Ryan Burge (aka, Graphs about Religion) to discuss the state of religion in America. We cover claims of a Gen Z revival, the decline of mainline Protestantism, and what the data tells us about polarization. Read the Book: https://amzn.to/3ZrUpqnWant to support the channel? Here's how!Give monthly: https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicity Make a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.com/Support the show
Welcome back to The Fifth Question Podcast — I'm your host, Daniel Levine. In today's wildly unexpected episode, I sit down with @DavidWilberBlog — a popular Christian writer, teacher, and theologian — who makes a provocative case: Christians should be keeping Jewish (biblical/Mosaic) law.This is Part 1 of a longer conversation, and it focuses on David's framework as a Christian who practices Torah observance through Messianic Judaism — what he describes as a “Jewish form of Christianity” rooted in first-century practice.✅ What We Cover in Part 1In this episode, we unpack:
In this first episode of a new Thinking Christian series on the German Reformation, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle—a historian, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and leader of Tours for Ten—to set the stage for the world that produced Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation. Before you can understand Luther, you have to understand the world Luther lived in: a late-medieval Germany marked by constant death, recurring plague, widespread poverty, church corruption, and spiritual fear. Greg helps listeners reconstruct the medieval imagination—where God was often perceived as perpetually angry, life expectancy was low, child mortality was staggering, and the question “How can I stand before a holy God?” was not theoretical but urgent. Greg also clarifies an often-missed point: there wasn’t one Reformation, but multiple Reformations—Germany (Luther), Switzerland (Zwingli and Calvin), England (Henry VIII), and the Radical movements—each emerging from distinct contexts and theological pressures. This series focuses specifically on the German stream and its implications for Protestantism today. In this conversation, you’ll hear about: The split between Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Latin/Catholic) Christianity (1054) Why “Reformation” is really Reformations (Germany, Switzerland, England, Radicals) The medieval experience of death: plague, famine, and childhood mortality How the church often failed to provide spiritual comfort or clarity Why fear of judgment and purgatory shaped daily religious behavior The role of literacy, sermons, Latin worship, and “sheep without a shepherd” The core question driving Luther: certainty before God through Christ This episode lays the foundation for the rest of the series, where James and Greg will move from context into Luther’s theology, the 95 Theses, indulgences, justification by faith, and the long-term effects of the German Reformation on modern Protestant life. Related: Want to experience Reformation history on location? Greg leads small-group “Tours for Ten” through Germany (and beyond). Links are in the show notes. Quotelos Travel offers small, expert-led “Tours for Ten” that provide an intimate and unforgettable way to explore church history and culture with guides who truly know the locations. Learn more at quotelostravelservice.com, and check out their upcoming trips to Germany, England, and Switzerland. Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Your Church Should Be Older Than Your Mom | Orthodoxy Preserves While Protestants Still Cannot Agree.A restless teenager collides with the Jesus People and catches fire for Christ—but the fire has no hearth. Years later, after Anglican ordination and years of pastoral ministry on the Canadian prairie, Fr. Lawrence Farley (https://nootherfoundation.ca/) names the ache many believers feel today: Scripture untethered from apostolic Tradition slowly dissolves into preferences, platforms, and personality-driven faith. What followed was costly and clarifying—laying down his orders, entering the Orthodox Church, moving a young family with almost nothing, and helping plant a mission that had to fight for every soul. Along the way he discovered the priest's true work is fatherhood: gathering a family at the altar, preaching Christ, serving the sacraments, and learning to wash feet when it hurts.Together we take up the questions filling comment sections and pews alike. Why did streams of Protestantism drift toward liberalization? How did separating the Bible from the Church that preserved it fracture Christian unity? What does it mean to “live on Catholic capital,” and why do new conservative movements keep splintering from older ones? Fr. Lawrence traces a line from Reformation fault lines to the Jesus People's wide tent, showing how experience without shared confession leaves believers unmoored. Against that churn, he explains why Orthodoxy's ancient worship, coherent doctrine, and living tradition are quietly drawing young men, families, and weary pilgrims across the West.But this isn't nostalgia or culture-war comfort. “Come because we're anti-woke, stay because of Jesus,” he insists. Canons and rules matter only if they serve repentance and the healing of the heart; otherwise we trade chaos for a new Phariseeism. Fr. Lawrence offers bracing counsel on vocation—if you can be happy doing anything else, do it—and describes pastoral life as a slow crucifixion that somehow becomes a wellspring of joy. He points listeners to accessible resources for evangelicals exploring Orthodoxy, deep dives into the Psalms, a forthcoming book on suffering through Lamentations, and his weekly blog, No Other Foundation.If you're searching for a faith that's older than trends and sturdy enough for modern storms, this conversation offers clarity, challenge, and hope. Subscribe, share with a friend who's restless, and leave a review telling us where you're seeing ancient tradition bring new life today.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Please leave a comment with your thoughts!
It's an old theory that has recently gotten a facelift: the era of print literacy has come to an end, superseded by an age of screen time and short attention spans. Neil Postman's class Amusing Ourselves to Death looks ever more prophetic, leading Times of London journalist James Marriott to conclude that this is the dawn of the “post-literate society.” In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack the hypothesis and ask whether the culture shift has special implications for Protestantism, the word-saturated form of Christianity that emerged side-by-side with the explosion of literacy. The Dawn of the Post-Literate Society, by James MarriottTHE COMMENTARY is an in-depth conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.Subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Wales has something most countries don't: complete, intact court records from every witch trial held in the Court of Great Sessions. Author Mari Ellis Dunning used these archives to write Witch, a historical novel set in 16th century Wales.About the novel:Witch follows Doli, a Welsh young woman desperate to have a baby who seeks help from a local soothsayer. The story explores what happens when accusations arise in a community caught between old Welsh traditions and new English Protestant law.The historical context:Five witch trials in Wales resulted in death sentences. The records show fascinating details, including Gwen ferch Ellis's case where "ignoramus" (case dismissed) was physically crossed out before her conviction.Mari discusses the tension between licensed and unlicensed midwives, how the Royal College of Physicians excluded women from medicine, and why lay healers were often more effective than the male physicians who replaced them. Class boundaries determined which accusations progressed to trial.The conversation explores:How Mari balanced creating relatable, nuanced characters while staying true to the limited agency women actually had in the 16th centuryWhy Wales's cultural identity and the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism shaped different attitudes toward folk practicesThe connection between historical witch trials and modern medical misogyny, political rhetoric weaponizing "witch," and systemic violence against womenLinksBuy the book: Witsh by Mari Ellis Dunning Guest Article: Gwen ferch Ellis: The first woman in Wales to be sentenced to death on charges of witchcraft
Who is in charge in Protestantism? Catholics often argue that Protestantism fails because it lacks a single visible authority like the Pope. In this video, Christian Barrett responds to that claim and explains how Protestants understand church authority, Scripture, councils, and tradition by answering a recent objection made by @CameronRiecker Christian walks through infant baptism, denominational differences, Sola Scriptura, differences in Roman Catholicism, and the reasons for disagreements in both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.If you've ever wondered who decides doctrine in Protestant Christianity, how Protestants answer doctrinal disputes, or what authority looks like without a Pope, this video is for you.Topics covered:– Protestant vs Catholic authority– Who is in charge in Protestantism– Sola Scriptura and Tradition– Church councils and Acts 15– Infant Baptism– Ministerial vs Magesterial Authority of the Church00:00 – Who Is in Charge in Protestantism?00:10 – Protestant vs Catholic Authority Explained03:44 – Responding to Cameron Rieker on Church Authority07:24 – The Roman Catholic Argument Against Protestantism (Summary)09:48 – Does Infant Baptism Save?12:47 – Does Church Authority Come From Tradition?14:55 – Baptists vs Lutherans: Protestant Differences18:01 – Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem Explained21:01 – The Role of Christian Councils22:50 – Sola Scriptura and Tradition27:00 – Disagreements in Roman Catholicism29:25 – Ministerial Authority of the ChurchFair Use Disclaimer:This video may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. All clips used are protected by the Fair Use Doctrine within Title 17 of the United States Code. This doctrine safeguards the use of copyrighted material for transformative purposes, such as commentary, criticism, review and news reporting. Under Title 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who makes a false, bad faith, or misleading copyright claim or uses a copyright takedown to infringe on free speech, criticism, or commentary can be held liable for damages to the content creator.Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).#Protestantism #ChurchAuthority #SolaScriptura #ChristianTheology #CatholicVsProtestant #BibleTeaching
This video is a clip of my stream "Kabbalah & the Reformation: The Esoteric Roots of Protestant Thought (Sponsored Stream)" If you would like to watch the entire stream please click the following link. https://youtube.com/live/qVSU-i3shw4
Send us a textIn this deep conversation, Ryan Pineda and Brian Davila sit down with Catholic apologist Voice of Reason to debate Catholicism vs. Protestantism, covering church history, biblical authority, apostolic succession, and salvation.Connect with Alex: https://www.instagram.com/voiceofreason_clips/patreon.com/VoiceOfReason188__________If you want to start your real estate investing business, we'll give you 1:1 coaching, seller leads, software, & everything you need. https://www.wealthyinvestor.comJoin our private mastermind for elite business leaders who golf. https://www.mastermind19.comJoin free Bible studies and workshops for Christian business leaders. https://www.tentmakers.us__________CHAPTERS: 1:05 - Church History & Origins of Protestantism 5:02 - The Bible: Catholic or Christian? 10:00 - Do Denominations Equal Division? 14:00 - Faith vs Works: Do We Actually Disagree? 26:00 - Is the Catholic Church Equal to the Bible? 38:00 - Who Gets Saved? Catholics, Protestants... or Muslims? 48:00 - Is the True Church Visible or Invisible? 1:00:00 - Apostolic Succession vs Protestant Authority 1:13:00 - Mary: Sinless, Virgin, and DivisiveLearn how to invest in real estate with the Cashflow 2.0 System! Your business in a box with 1:1 coaching, motivated seller leads, & softwares. https://www.wealthyinvestor.com/Want to work 1:1 with Ryan Pineda? Apply at ryanpineda.comJoin our FREE community, weekly calls, and bible studies for Christian entrepreneurs and business people. https://tentmakers.us/Want to grow your business and network with elite entrepreneurs on world-class golf courses? Apply now to join Mastermind19 – Ryan Pineda's private golf mastermind for high-level founders and dealmakers. www.mastermind19.com--- About Ryan Pineda: Ryan Pineda has been in the real estate industry since 2010 and has invested in over $100,000,000 of real estate. He has completed over 700 flips and wholesales, and he owns over 650 rental units. As an entrepreneur, he has founded seven different businesses that have generated 7-8 figures of revenue. Ryan has amassed over 2 million followers on social media and has generated over 1 billion views online. Starting as a minor league baseball player making less than $2,000 a month, Ryan is now worth over $100 million. He shares his experiences in building wealth and believes that anyone can change their life with real estate investing. ...
It's Wednesday, January 28th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Mexican authorities expelled Protestant pastor Authorities in southern Mexico expelled a Protestant pastor from their community this month. The issue began after Pastor Velásquez Martínez refused to participate in a Roman Catholic ritual due to his religious beliefs. Local authorities detained him for five days without charge before expelling him and his family. Evangelical families can face arrest, fines, and expulsion in parts of Mexico for their faith. Mexico is ranked 30th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most oppressive countries to be a Christian. Catholicism declining in Latin America Analysis by Pew Research found that Catholicism has declined in Latin America over the past decade. Catholicism remains the largest religion across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. However, it has declined in the region by at least nine percent over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated have grown rapidly in Latin America. Protestantism has also grown in the region but only by a slight margin. United States withdrew from World Health Organization The United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization last Thursday. This comes a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to initiate the process. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated, “This decision was driven by profound failures in the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, China.” The withdrawal ends U.S. funding for the World Health Organization. The group is also known for its support of abortion and sexually perverted lifestyles. Thousands of California pro-lifers march Tens of thousands of pro-lifers joined the 22nd Annual Walk for Life West Coast in California on Saturday. Participants filled the streets of San Francisco in the financial district for more than a mile. Rally co-chair Eva Muntean said, “After 22 years I still find it hard to believe how blessed we are. When I see the enormous crowd that we had today—especially so many young people standing up with love and hope for women and children. I am filled with gratitude and hope. You can't come to the Walk without seeing the promise of a better world!” Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” Washington man stabbed for being a Christian Sadly, a man suffered an attack over his religion on Sunday morning in Washington state. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office reports they found the man in serious condition. The victim said a stranger approached him and asked what religion he was. He said something about being a Christian. In response, the stranger attacked and stabbed the victim and his dog. The perpetrator died after a confrontation with police. The Christian Post reports that the victim has been released from a local hospital. U.S. population down as Trump expels illegals The U.S. population growth rate is slowing as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau found the population reached nearly 342 million people last year. The 2025 growth rate was half a percent, down from almost one percent in 2024. Christine Hartley with the Census Bureau said, “With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today.” Geopolitical and economic uncertainly drives gold up. As The Worldview reported yesterday, the price for spot gold reached $5,100 an ounce, a record. That's up 18% so far this year. Ryan McIntyre, president at Sprott Inc., told Reuters, “Gold prices continue to be supported by elevated geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Central banks remain strong buyers as they diversify foreign exchange reserves and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.” 100-year-old great grandfather speaks at kindergarten class And finally, CBS News reports that a kindergartener in Georgia recently brought her 100-year-old great-grandfather to class. This was to celebrate K.J. Schmansky's 100th day of school this year at Saint Thomas More School in Decatur. Her great-grandfather, Sonny Ragan, was born on October 8, 1925. He got to share 100 years of wisdom with the young class. When asked what keeps him going, Ragan said it's faith and family. 1 Peter 3:10-11 says, “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, January 28th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Fr. Elias Mary Mills, F.I., served as Rector of the Shrine Church at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, from 2016 to 2021. He was ordained in May of 2000. In Today's Show: Why is Mount Sinai sometimes referred to as Mount Horeb in the Bible? How can I use my talents from God in my work? How can the Church be in a difficult time when we've just lived through an unprecedented golden age of saint popes? Are Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory physical spaces? What is the Church's stance on the Limbo of the Unbaptized? How can life be so unbalanced, and will those who cause suffering pay in the afterlife? Does God consider protestantism heresy/grave sin, or is He ok with it since they are at least believers in Christ? Why does God give some people time to repent late in life after living a life of sin while others die young? Is there any sort of fast for after Communion? Should I worry about attacks when working with people who are against my faith? Did St. John the Baptist and the Holy Family spend a lot of time together when they were growing up? Are there any prayers I can say while the host is lifted? Resources: Fr. Elias' 2026 Pilgrimage to Japan: Click here Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
Sharifa Stevens Dr. Beth Felker Jones Why are we Protestant? Have you ever wondered what the differences are? BOW's guest for this episode is Dr. Beth Felker Jones, Professor of Theology at Northern Seminary, sits down with BOW Ministry Team Member Sharifa Stevens to talk about being a Protestant. They discuss how it intersects and differs from other Christian traditions. What are the major beliefs that differ? We so appreciate that Dr. Jones approaches this topic with grace and humility, not with an adversarial attitude. Dr. Jones' Resources Dr. Jones' book Why I Am Protestant Church Blogmatics Substack Bethfelkerjones.com This episode is available on video as well. Timestamps: 00:21 Introductions 01:46 Who is your audience? 04:35 Orthodoxy isn't about thinking right but about a right relationship with God. 08:50 God cannot be caged by a fallible church. 11:31 Why is Scripture alone, Sola Scriptura, such an important Protestant distinction? 16:31 Why is it good that Ecclesiology, the study of the church (the structure, etc.) is not that specific? 21:18 What makes Protestantism good for women? 25:30 The greatest challenge for Protestants today 26:33 What would you say to those who say that Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox aren't Christians? 27:12 Resources TranscriptSharifa >> Hello and welcome to Beyond Ordinary Women Ministry. I am Sharifa Stevens, one of the hosts of Beyond Ordinary Women. And today, I am very excited to talk to Dr. Beth Felker Jones. Dr. Jones. I love saying that, so I'll say that every time. Dr. Jones with a Ph.D. from Duke University, is a midwestern writer and professor of Theology at Northern Seminary. She writes theology and fiction, has published numerous books and writes regularly at her Sub Stack, which is entitled Church Blogmatics. I had to say that slowly. A lifelong book lover, as she writes about relationships, identity and redemption. Dr. Jones' latest book is entitled Why I Am Protestant. And we'll be talking about that book today. You can discover more about Dr. Jones on our website BeyondOrdinaryWomen.org. Welcome, Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones >> Thank you. Delighted to be here with you. Sharifa >> Thank you so much for being here. Let's jump right in, shall we? Dr. Jones >> Yeah. Sharifa >> Okay, so in your book, as you were writing your book, Why I Am Protestant, who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it? Who are your ideal readers? Dr. Jones >> This is really bad writing advice, but I have trouble imagining my reader and I tend to just write. Really, it's awful. It's awful writing advice. But I suppose I hoped I was writing for other Protestants who might be thinking through both the joys and challenges of being Protestant, as well as for Christians in other traditions who might want to understand something more about the Protestant tradition. So that dual audience to mix it makes it a little bit trickier. Yeah, I just wrote what I was feeling, and that's really what I did. So, yeah. Sharifa >> What prompted you to this feeling? What prompted you to write the book in the first place? Dr. Jones >> Yeah. Well, the book was written by invitation of Intervarsity Press. So really grateful for that invitation. And it's in a little series. There's also a book called Why I'm Roman Catholic, perhaps, by Matthew Levering, and in future, there'll be a Why I Am Orthodox volume. And Intervarsity Press' desire was to have a series here that is clear about conviction from theologians in these different traditions, but is also peaceful and kind and ecumenical. There are some kinds of books like this out there that are more fighting words. Right? And this is intended more as a heartfelt testimony to my own tradition than as a why I'm not these things and those things. So I was grateful to be tapped by IVP to write the book. But I had wanted to write a book like this for a long time because it's the case that I understand...
In part 1 of this session from TGC25, three speakers address critical weaknesses in our discipleship that cause believers to drift from the gospel. They provide a defense of Protestantism and give compelling reasons to rediscover the church's beauty. Jared C. Wilson talks about the danger of assuming gospel centrality rather than cherishing it. Gavin Ortlund talks about the desire, especially felt by young men, for assurance and depth, and he explains how the Protestant Church can provide these things. Brad Edwards considers how to address the modern assumption that the church is inherently harmful. Part 2 will include Q&A with the panelists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Another one from the newly discovered batch of old recordings. I'm assuming this is from 2009 as most of them are. This 2-parter is a conversation with Daniel Hyde, a pastor in the United Reformed Church. We invited him to discuss his book on Christian images "In Living Color," but also delved into the Calvinist movement within Protestantism. You see, Common Threads is produced in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And this part of the state is an epicenter of Calvinism (also known as Reformed Theology). I think these episodes are the most in-depth dive we've taken on this show. Sorry it's taken so long to get online. Theme music "Nigal."
In the January 22, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses the book of Genesis from the viewpoints of Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Latter-day Saints. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 22, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
This video is a clip of my stream "From Pulpit to Democracy: How Puritanism Shaped the Soul of America (Sponsored Stream)." If you would like to watch the entire stream please click the following link. https://youtube.com/live/kQQUzmOaCVI
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What happens to Lutheran identity when faced with cultural decisions, like adopting the English language? The Rev. Dr. Cameron MacKenzie (the Forrest E. and Frances H. Ellis Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN) joins Andy and Sarah for a series on the Battle of the Augsburg Confession in American Lutheranism to explore the impact of the American Revolution on Lutheran immigration patterns, noting a significant decline in German immigrants and the subsequent assimilation of Lutheran communities into English-speaking culture. This assimilation raises concerns about the preservation of Lutheran identity, particularly as many second and third-generation Lutherans begin to abandon their German heritage and language, leading to a potential loss of their religious roots. Dr. MacKenzie highlights the challenges faced by Lutheranism during westward expansion, where the demand for preachers outstrips the supply, resulting in many untrained individuals leading congregations. He also introduces Samuel Simon Schmucker, a pivotal figure in American Lutheranism, who seeks to establish a national Lutheran church body and seminary to preserve Lutheran identity amidst the changing American landscape. Schmucker's approach, however, leads to a redefinition of Lutheranism that aligns more closely with American evangelical Protestantism, raising questions about the future of traditional Lutheran beliefs in the face of evolving cultural dynamics. Find all episodes in this series at kfuo.org/tag/battle-for-the-augsburg-confession-series. As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.
Why are we committed to a Protestant understanding of Christianity? What is a unique Protestant view of the Bible, the gospel, and the ordinances? In this episode, we talk with Biola professor Fred Sanders about the historical and biblical reasons to be Protestant. We also carefully define what is meant by “Protestant” and respond to common objections such as the claim that Protestantism shifts the locus of authority to the individual and thus leads to fragmentation. Dr. Fred Sanders is a systematic theologian who studies and teaches across the entire range of classic Christian doctrine, but with a primary focus on the doctrine of the Trinity. Sanders has taught in Torrey Honors College since 1999, and is an amateur historian of Biola's institutional history. He is co-founder of the annual Los Angeles Theology Conference, and maintains an active internet presence via Twitter and blog. He and his family are members of Grace Evangelical Free Church. ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.
Gavin Ortlund and Wes Huff sit down to discuss the internet, Protestantism, and the state of Christianity.Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.SUPPORT:Tax Deductible Support: https://truthunites.org/donate/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truthunitesFOLLOW:Website: https://truthunites.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truth.unites/X: https://x.com/gavinortlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnitesPage/
On this episode of Trending with Timmerie: Episode Guide Polygamy is all the rage right now in Protestantism. What is marriage? What does the Bible say about being gay or lesbian? (0:43) What does the Bible say about being gay or lesbian? (21:48) At what age can you join a religious community? (37:34) What if a young girl is raped? Should she go through with the pregnancy? (39:35) What do you do when you are losing your faith? (43:01) How do I approach friends who are not virtuous? (45:11) Is it bad to make inappropriate jokes? (47:18) What do I do if I am tempted by pornography? (47:58)
Religious identities have shifted dramatically in the last quarter century. But how, and it what ways? Is religion as we once knew it dying in the U.S.? Or are people finding other ways of expressing the same kinds of needs for affiliation and meaning in different forms? What do people really mean when they say they are spiritual but not religious? Or religious but not affiliated with any traditional communities or institutions?This panel discussion, held on October 25, 2025, centered around what recent trends might tell us about the future of faith and belonging in American life. Our panel of experts, moderated by Bushman Chair Laurie Maffly-Kipp, explored one of the most communitarian traditions, the Mormon faith, as well as other American religious affiliations and spiritual identities.Visit our website to learn more.PanelistsRosemary Avance is Assistant Professor of Media and Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses on the interplay between social dynamics, communication technologies, and identity formation across diverse domains. Avance's recent book, Mediated Mormons: Shifting Religious Identities in the Digital Age, examines case studies of practicing and former Latter-day Saints to understand how these individuals relate to the church, the internet, and modernity during our media-saturated age.Matthew Hedstrom is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. He specializes in religion and culture in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, particularly examining the intersections of American modernity and Protestant and post-Protestant religious modernity in the United States. Within this field, Professor Hedstrom studies the rise in spirituality among Americans who aren't tied to particular religious institutions, as explored in his 2012 book The Rise of Liberal Religion: Book Culture and American Spirituality in the Twentieth Century, and his popular undergraduate course: “'Spiritual But Not Religious': Spirituality in America”.Jana Riess is an author, editor, and senior columnist for Religion News Service. Her written works have primarily focused on the intersections of American religion with popular culture, ethics, and society. Riess's most recent book, The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church (Oxford University Press, 2019) discusses the faith practices and institutional distrust of Millennial Mormons. She is currently writing a follow-up book, based on her research with Benjamin Knoll, about the Mormon faith crisis and changing understandings of belonging among Latter-day Saints.ModeratorLaurie Maffly-Kipp is the Richad Lyman Bushman Chair of Mormon Studies at the University of Virginia. She is a distinguished scholar of American religious history and has authored numerous influential works on Mormonism, religion in the American West, and African American religious history. Over the past few decades, Professor Maffly-Kipp has become an influential interpreter of Latter-day Saint history and participated in shaping the field of Mormon Studies. She is also a former president of the American Society of Church History and the Mormon History Association.
“Why Don't Catholics believe in Sola Scriptura?” This question opens a discussion on the foundations of Scripture and its authority, touching on related topics such as the Catholic understanding of Sola Scriptura and the sacrament of Confirmation in light of biblical spontaneity. Other questions include assessing the correctness of Catholicism versus Protestantism and the implications of indulgences in the context of original sin. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:40 – One Protestant challenge is that the sacrament of Confirmation conflicts with the Bible reveals about the spontaneity of the Spirit. 11:30 – How do I properly assess which Christian belief system is correct, Catholicism or Protestantism? 38:13 – Why don't Catholics believe in Sola Scriptura? 49:40 – How can one be free of attachment to sin and receive a plenary indulgence when we are born with original sin?
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Patrick responds to listeners wrestling with parish turmoil, scandal, and the tensions between Catholicism and Protestant churches, grounding his advice in Scripture and personal anecdotes. Communion debates, worries about Church "rules," and calls for prayer get honest airtime—he draws from stories of saints, practical analogies, and candid self-reflection. The hour moves quickly, shifting from heartfelt concern to moments of gentle humor, offering reassurance and clarity without shying away from uncomfortable truths. Cynthia - How do I know if and when I should leave my parish because my priest is not living right? (00:40) Joe - I want to thank you for explaining hermeneutics the other day. Can you defend Protestantism? (15:10) Jim - You were discussing Baptism. Pope JPII said that 'you are Christ'. Can you help me understand this? (23:43) Jennifer - We need to be united as Catholics, and we need to be patient and persevere. (27:55) Vanessa - Why is it acceptable to not go to daily Mass because it is not Latin? (33:21) Mary Ann - My husband is a great Protestant man but doesn't go to Church. Also, my friends are Protestant but don't want to be Catholic because it is too hard. (38:20) Joseph - How old do you think the world is? I think it is only 6,000-7,000 years. (48:29)
Most people know there are differences between Catholic and Protestant Bibles—but the reality is far more complex. In this video, I explore the incredible diversity of Bibles throughout history, shaped by geography, religious traditions, theological agendas, and social contexts. From variations within Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Judaism, and even Islam, to striking examples […]
Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdg7q4yf6II E. Michael Jones recently wrote a book titled: "Walking With A Bible And A Gun: The Rise, Fall, and Return of American Identity. He discusses some of the interesting subjects that The book contains in its 50 chapters. The underlining theme is the bold assertion the the hidden grammar of Protestantism is Satanism. In various ways in this discussion Dr. Jones attempts to prove his thesis. One aspect of this Satanism is what Dr. Jones assumes to be John Calvins heretical notion of total depravity. That man is basically evil even to the point of evil that the Church Fathers never taught. That discussion was not developed here. But what was developed was how Thomas Paine quotes Satan in Milton's poem: Paradise Lost. The American experiment in self government Dr. Jones points out get much of its foundation in Satan's speech for self-government. Satan says: "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven" in Book 1 (line 263) of Paradise Lost. In the pamphlet wars between the American Patriots and the British of 1775 and 1776 John Fletcher defended John Wesley's harsh critique of the Patriots. Fletcher did indeed suggest that the patriots doctrines were the same as Satan as articulated in his speech in Paradise Lost. For example the Patriots declared that they were not to be subject to the King but rather the King should be subject to them. Likewise in all the Biblical relationships. Under this new world order experiment the women would be able to come out from under her husbands authority, slaves would be able to come out from under their masters etc. etc. Dr. Jones Books: fidelitypress.org/ Subscribe to Culture Wars Magazine: culturewars.com Donate: culturewars.com/donate Follow: https://culturewars.com/links CW Magazine: culturewars.com NOW AVAILABLE!: Walking with a Bible and a Gun: The Rise, Fall and Return of American Identity: https://www.fidelitypress.org/book-products/walking-with-a-bible-and-a-gun
A major thank you to Journey of Abundance for sponsoring today's stream. In this stream I dive into the intellectual historical differences between East and west Christendom to demonstrate why Orthodoxy is both superior and preserves that which was lost in the West. Make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think. God Bless
In this video I read an article written from Anthony Westgate from his SUbstack discussing the very interesting relationship between the Reformation and Jewish Kabbalah. Check it out and let me know what you think. God Bless
Today, Francis Chan and Gavin Ortlund continue their conversation and share practical, everyday ways to connect with God's holiness, His deep love for us, and the call to live in the constant awareness of what Jesus' death and resurrection means for us in the here and now. Drawing from passages like 1 Thessalonians 5 and Ephesians 3, Francis reminds us that God calls us to both warn the wandering and tenderly encourage the fainthearted with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knowing that even when we make mistakes, He will teach and grow us through them. Gavin speaks vulnerably about navigating public ministry in an age of outrage, and how vital it is to withdraw from the noise and anchor ourselves in the simple, freeing truth of the gospel. Together, they offer practical wisdom for cultivating silence as a form of connection with God, strengthening yourself in Him, and entering His presence with confidence rather than condemnation. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the pressure to defend yourself, discouraged by online battles that never seem to end, or unsure how to grow in both truth and love at the same time, this episode will help you refocus your heart on Jesus and reflect His love for the world.
Francis Chan sits down with theologian and apologist Gavin Ortlund (truthunites.org) for a vulnerable, wide-ranging conversation about communion, church unity, and what it means to love other Christians in a fractured age. Francis shares his own journey wrestling with the Eucharist, reading the church fathers, engaging Roman Catholic and Orthodox perspectives, and discovering the “real presence” within a Protestant framework. Gavin explains why he remains gratefully Protestant and how he understands the richness of the Lord's Supper and church history. Together, they talk honestly about the harsh tone of much online “discernment” content, the temptation to chase clicks by attacking other believers, and the deep grief they both feel over division in the body of Christ. Francis opens up about this new season of life and ministry, sensing a renewed childlike faith, a burden to guard and walk with younger leaders, and a longing to see gospel-centered unity rooted in truth and shaped by the love of God. If you've ever wrestled with questions about the Lord's Supper, Protestant vs. Catholic/Orthodox claims, or how to contend for truth without losing love, this conversation will both challenge and encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus and pursue a unity that flows from the gospel itself.
Allie and Catholic apologist Trent Horn dig into what true masculine Christianity is — it isn't crude bravado, but it's bold, kind, and truth-driven. They cover everything from the Crusades to the death penalty while comparing such subjects through the lenses of Catholicism and Protestantism. Trent also weighs in on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' video condemning President Trump's immigration enforcement. Tune in for biblical clarity on manhood, womanhood, immigration, and everything in between. Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://www.toxicempathy.com --- Timecodes: (00:00) Intro (03:10) Christians Going on the Offense (11:30) Muscular Christianity (20:30) The Role of Women (25:50) Update on Trent's Wife (31:30) Pushing Back on Progressivism (40:20) The Pope's Perspective (49:20) The Death Penalty (52:30) Increase in Religious Revivals --- Today's Sponsors: A'del — Go to adelnaturalcosmetics.com for the biggest sale of the year, happening Black Friday weekend! Starting Friday, November 28, through Tuesday, December 2, A'del is offering 30% off everything. No discount code needed. Good Ranchers — Go to goodranchers.com and subscribe to any box, but preferably the Allie Beth Stuckey Box. And when you order by December 1 and use code ALLIE, you'll get an extra $100 off your first three orders. Seven Weeks Coffee — Go to sevenweekscoffee.com and save 15% forever when you subscribe, and this holiday season, you can claim up to four free gifts with your order! Plus, use code ALLIE for an extra 10% off your first order. Range Leather — Go to rangeleather.com/allie to check out their custom-stamped corporate gift items to be delivered in time for Christmas. These items work great for businesses, organizations, churches, and more. Receive 15% off all Range Leather products when you visit Allie's landing page. Shopify — Go to shopify.com/allie to get started with your own design studio to turn your big business idea into profit. Sign up for your $1-per-month trial and start selling with Shopify today! --- Episodes you might like: Ep 997 | Why Do Catholics Pray to Mary? | Guest: Trent Horn https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-997-why-do-catholics-pray-to-mary-guest-trent-horn/id1359249098?i=1000654720287 Ep 1216 | Can Catholics Claim the One True Church? | Lila Rose https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1216-can-catholics-claim-the-one-true-church-lila-rose/id1359249098?i=1000716862468 Ep 1224 | The Mary Debate: Catholics vs. Protestants https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098 --- Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://www.alliebethstuckey.com Relatable merchandise: Use promo code ALLIE10 for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices