Anabaptism: The Radical Reformers

Well gang-- our Instagram followers supplied the questions, and here we are with the answers.

What heresy do we find most dangerous to the church? How do we feel about nondenominational churches? How has our study of church history affected our work as pastors? WILL WE EVER DO AN EPISODE ON THE CRUSADES???

All of these questions (and a lot more) will be answered. 

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

Manifest Destiny is a heck of a drug. 

In the 1800's, American and Canadian settlers were faced with a problem: what should be done about all these Native/Indigenous people? The result was a pretty gross blemish on the face of North American Christianity: the adoption of Indigenous Boarding Schools. 

The story behind this episode isn't a fun one, but we believe it's important as believers to remember the full story of our Christian heritage, even the parts that make us squirm a little. Praise God for His abundant mercies. 

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

Okay fine, "original doomsday cult" is a little on the dramatic side. But come on, Montanism is like the perfect Frankenstein's monster of heresies. You've got a dash of modalism, a sprinkle of hyper-pentacostalism, and a healthy splash of end times panic. And all before the 3rd Century!

Montanism was a strange movement in the early days of Christianity. It demonstrated a growing tension that some believers had about how the Holy Spirit interacted with believers at that point in history. There are lots of cool things to talk about in this episode.

Thanks for being here! You're the coolest person we know. 

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

The Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century wasn't just a movement. It was a million dominoes falling to trigger a BUNCH of movements all across Europe.

One of the most unique of these movements was that of the Anabaptists. While Lutherans and Calvinists fought about whether justification or predestination were cooler sounding words, Anabaptists were marching to the beat of a very different drum.

So what's the deal? Are Anabaptists the ancestors of modern day Baptists? We'll talk about all that and more. 

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

Have you ever read through the Old Testament and thought, "Geez, God seems a little harsh compared to that Jesus guy"? 

Well, Marcion of Sinope had that thought as well. In fact, he would have argued that they were completely different gods. 

Join Thomas and John as they explore Marcionism, a 2nd century heresy with lots and lots of fun heretical ideas. Oh and John will consistently call him "Marcius" instead of Marcion, because we're really bad historians. 

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David Brainerd was an 18th century colonial man for the people. We also have it on good authority that his pals called him 'Davey the Brain.' 

After running into obstacles on his path into pastoral leadership, David opted for a different calling: mission work to the Native Americans.

Although his life would be cut short by illness, Brainerd's legacy would survive him through his journal, published by Great Awakening titan Jonathan Edwards. 

Check it out. 

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

Historically, Christians have believed that when the first humans sinned, it introduced corruption into everything. Human hearts turned away from God, nature began to decay, and all creation groaned for its Redeemer. 

But what if that wasn't the case? What if humans weren't born bad at all? In fact, what if humans could be perfect?

Join John and Tommy as they discuss Pelagianism, as Tommy recovers from his brief bout of 'the pox.'

Have you ever wondered why Protestants don't have a richer view of the sacraments (a fancy word for 'visible means of grace,' like baptism if you're a Protestant, or confession if you're a Catholic)? Or ever wondered why most Protestant churches tend to be so "dressed down" and casual, compared to high-church settings?

Well then you're in good company. 

Join us today as we're joined by our good friend Nick Davis, who will be walking us through the life of John Williamson Nevin, 19th century theologian and author of Mercersburg Theology. 

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At this point, people really should have learned to stop making up new ideas about Jesus' nature. But some people never learn. 

This week, we end up with Eutychianism, an overcorrection of the heresy of Nestorianism. This one suggested, "What if Jesus' two natures were just kind of, like, blended together into one?" 

We'll break down why that's problematic, but also how this particular issue broke a lot of church unity...and why that may not have been a bad thing...

IG: @churchhistory4chumps 

The Council of Nicea might be one of the most commonly misunderstood events in church history. 

Everyone from TikTok influencers, Joe Rogan, and that one guy who wrote the Da Vinci Code, have different opinions on what went down on that fateful day in 325 AD. 

So hey, let's uh, break up some myths! Also, our wonderfully fun guest Ben Lansing (of Our Church Speaks) will be joining in as well. What could be better than that?

@churchhistory4chumps