In the late 2nd century AD, a Christian convert from Phrygia (modern Turkey) named Montanus began experiencing visions and speaking in tongues, which he believed were the Holy Spirit speaking through him. Soon he was joined by two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, who experienced the same ecstatic episodes. Montanus and his followers believed he was a prophet, called to lead Christians back to their primitive purity. In this episode of Controversies in Church History, we take a look at the history of Montanism, as its followers were called, and how it parallels other heretical movements in the history of the Church.
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45:40
Church Musings: Thoughts on a New Pope
With the election of Pope Leo XIV, we move into a new papal reign, and in this brief episode, I share a few thoughts about the new pontiff, the challenges he will face, and musings on the larger historical context of those challenges. Cheers!
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29:36
That the Bones You Have Crushed May Rejoice: the Origins of the Cult of Relics
Our latest episode continues our discussion on the cult of the saints, but this time focusing on one of its more controversial aspects: the veneration of relics. In this episode, I talk about what the veneration of relics entails, how it emerged from the cult of the martyrs, and the evidence for its practice among early Christians. I also describe how by the sixth century, belief in the powers of relics became a defining feature of Christianity, and why the practice distinguished Christians from both pagan Greco-Roman religion and Judaism in the ancient world.
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50:09
Guadalupe & the Flower World: an Interview with Joseph and Monique Gonzalez
Controversies in Church History is back! This time, I interview the husband and wife team of Joseph and Monique Gonzalez about their book, Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy: How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion Before the Lady Appeared. In our interview, they discuss the history and culture of the peoples of Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest, and how certain aspects of their culture prepared them to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ. They make the case that the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in 1531 led to the conversion of millions of native Mexican peoples because of this "preparatio evangelica" deposited within Nahua culture (Nahua is the native language of the peoples of Mexico the Spanish encountered). This is an enlightening discussion and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Cheers!
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55:35
Updates/Upcoming Episodes and Other Things
Hello! This is just a brief update on what's cooking for Controversies in Church History. Please take a listen, I have some good things in store for my followers. Cheers!
My name is Darrick Taylor, and I am the founder and proprietor of Controversies in Church History, a podcast that takes an in depth look at difficult, even disturbing, issues in the history of the Catholic Church. My perspective is unique, in that I am a faithful Roman Catholic, yet trained as a secular historian. Designed for Catholics but accessible for anyone interested in history, it balances storytelling with an academic sensibility.
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