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1347 AD – Black Death and the Response of the Church – When Ministry Costs Us Safety
1347 AD – Black Death and the Response of the Church – When Ministry Costs Us Safety
CHUNK 0 – Pre-Script SEO Framework
Website: https://ThatsJesus.org
Metadata Package:
In 1347, ships from the East brought a disease that would kill nearly half of Europe within four years. Priests died twice as fast as others because they stayed to pray with the sick and bury the dead. The church struggled to survive and to make sense of suffering—but some found the courage to stay when everyone else ran. This episode asks what happens when faith has to choose between comfort and calling. Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
Keywords: Black Death 1347, plague and faith, medieval church response, Pope Clement VI, Christian courage, ministry during crisis, service over safety, church credibility, acts of mercy, plague history, COACH podcast
Hashtags: #BlackDeath #ChurchHistory #FaithInCrisis #CourageousMinistry #ClementVI #ServeWhenItsHard #MinistryThatCosts #ChristianCompassion #PlagueAndFaith #COACHPodcast
Episode Summary (~250 words):
In October 1347, merchant ships reached southern Europe carrying more than spices and silk—they carried death. Within four years the Black Death would kill between a third and half of Europe’s people. Cities fell silent. Families dug graves for their own. The church—the one voice meant to bring hope—faced its own trial.
Many priests stayed to pray with the dying and bury the dead. Others fled. Monasteries emptied. With so many gone, young men were rushed into service just to keep worship going. Pope Clement VI granted broad forgiveness for those who died without a priest present and wrote letters calling for mercy instead of blame. Lay believers stepped up—tending to the sick and burying bodies when no clergy remained.
The Black Death forced the church to ask what love really costs. It was an era of fear and faith, despair and courage. This episode explores how believers showed mercy when it meant risking their lives—and how their choices still coach us today to serve others when it’s dangerous or uncomfortable. What does it look like to follow Jesus when ministry costs safety?
CHUNK 1 – Cold Hook (≈275 words)
The story may begin somewhere in the early 1300s, high in the rugged foothills of Central Asia—perhaps near the Tian Shan [tee-AHN shahn] mountains. For generations, herders in those valleys had seen a strange sickness strike the marmots and field rodents they hunted. People feared it and moved their camps when animals died too suddenly to explain. Maybe they even had a name for it—something like the Great Sickness—though no record tells us for sure.
Scientists today call its ancestor Yersinia pseudotuberculosis [yur-SIN-ee-uh SOO-doh-too-ber-kyoo-LOW-sis], a germ that once caused fever and stomach pain when animals drank tainted water. At some point, maybe through a tiny mistake in its genetic code, it mutated. That one change taught it how to live inside a flea’s stomach. The insect filled with thick germ-sludge that blocked its throat and drove it to bite again and again—spreading infection with each desperate attempt to feed.
A small change in a tiny organism had turned a local illness into a force that could cross continents. Riding on rodents and merchants, it moved west through caravans and coastal ports. No one knew it was coming. No one knew the world was about to change.
It’s impossible to know who first realized that the invisible had escaped its mountain home, but it was already traveling toward the faithful cities of Europe.
When that unseen terror finally arrived, what would faith do when the invisible came to its door?
[AD BREAK]
CHUNK 2 – Intro (80 words, Fixed Format)
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch. On Wednesday, we stay between 500 and 1500 AD. In this episode we’re in the year 1347, as a mystery from the East reaches the harbors of Sicily and Europe faces a trial that will test its faith, its courage, and its heart.
CHUNK 3 – Foundation
The sickness did not stay in the mountains.
By the fall of 1347, ships from the East reached Sicily. From there it moved north into Italy—to Genoa, Pisa, and Florence. By spring it crossed into France; by summer, over the English Channel to London. Nothing could stop it. It traveled wherever people traded, sailed, or prayed.
The signs were unmistakable. Fevers burned hot, chills shook the body, and painful lumps under the skin turned black before they burst. Most people died within a few days. No one knew what caused it. Doctors tried herbs, bloodletting, and diets. Nothing worked.
When families fell sick, they called for the priest. Someone had to pray, bring communion to the dying, and speak words of comfort. But the one who came often died next. In many towns, half the priests were gone within a year. In some church districts, there were none left at all. Monasteries lost most of their members.
Pope Clement VI, ruling from Avignon [ah-veen-YOHN], realized that desperate times required mercy. He announced that anyone who died from the plague could still receive God’s forgiveness, even if no priest was present to say the words. He ordered bishops to train and appoint new priests as fast as possible—sometimes men with only the barest knowledge of Latin or Scripture. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was survival.
Ordinary believers stepped up too. They visited the sick, comforted the dying, and buried the dead. Faith wasn’t a theory anymore. It was courage with a shovel and a prayer.
CHUNK 4 – Development
Fear changed everything.
Preachers filled pulpits with warnings that the plague was God’s punishment for sin. Crowds filled churches and city squares, weeping, fasting, and begging God to have mercy. Processions wound through the streets—people singing, crying, and asking forgiveness as they walked beside the sick and the dying.
But not every voice shouted judgment. Some spoke softly about mercy and compassion. They reminded people that Jesus healed lepers and touched the untouchable. These pastors urged believers to stay near the hurting, not to run from them. Their message was quieter but more hopeful.
Then came the bands of people who whipped themselves in public to show repentance. They believed their pain could make peace with God for everyone. At first, the church tolerated them. Their devotion seemed sincere. But as they marched from town to town, some began claiming they no longer needed the church or its leaders. Others said their suffering mattered more than prayer or communion. What began as repentance turned into rebellion.
Pope Clement condemned their movement in an official letter declaring it dangerous and calling Christians back to order and humility. Some bishops enforced his words; others looked the other way.
Meanwhile, fear searched for someone to blame. Rumors spread that Jewish communities had poisoned wells. Violence followed. Entire neighborhoods burned. In Strasbourg, hundreds of Jewish men, women, and children were killed by mobs who thought they were saving their city.
Again the pope spoke out, sending an official letter called “Although the Faithless” —written in Latin as Quamvis Perfidiam—to declare the violence sinful and the accusations false. But many refused to listen. Fear shouted louder than faith.
The church’s greatest challenge wasn’t the plague itself. It was whether its love would survive the fear.
CHUNK 5 – Climax and Impact
By 1351, the first wave of the plague had burned itself out. It never truly disappeared—it returned in waves for centuries—but the worst had passed. Europe began to count the cost.
The losses were beyond imagination. Many monasteries were empty. Whole church districts had no priests left. Those who survived were often barely trained, pushed into ministry just to fill the gaps. Some could hardly read. Worship continued, but the sense of stability was gone.
Church discipline collapsed in places. Some parishes were taken over by wealthy families who appointed their own priests for convenience. Others had no worship at all. The financial base that once supported Christian life—tithes, farms, endowments—had withered. The institutional church survived, but it limped.
And yet, faith didn’t die.
Stories spread of ordinary believers who risked everything to serve. In London, priests stayed beside plague victims, whispering prayers as they fell sick themselves. In some convents, every sister died because none would abandon the dying. In small villages, farmers and widows buried neighbors when no clergy were left to do it.
They couldn’t stop the plague. But they refused to let compassion die with them.
Courage didn’t save their bodies, but it kept faith alive. Those simple acts of mercy reminded the world that Christianity was not a set of rules or titles—it was love that shows up, even when it costs everything.
The question lingered long after the plague faded:
When ministry costs safety, what will we do?
[AD BREAK]
CHUNK 6 – Legacy and Modern Relevance
The church remembered.
We still talk about outreach, but comfort often rules our calendars. Programs fit around convenience—mission trips when the weather is good, service projects when schedules allow. But what if real compassion isn’t safe? What if credibility comes not from words but from showing up when it’s hard?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, some churches closed and stayed closed long after it was necessary. Others turned parking lots into food lines, opened buildings for testing, or sent volunteers into nursing homes when families couldn’t go. The difference wasn’t theology or money—it was willingness to take risks for others.
Credibility erodes when believers talk about love but organize life around safety. It rebuilds when the church runs toward need instead of managing risk. The world still watches to see if we believe what we say about love.
Every crisis—whether a storm, a pandemic, or a neighbor’s grief—tests what we truly value. Will we protect our comfort, or will we show the same courage that once carried the church through plague and fire?
Maybe credibility is simply love that stayed when it could have left.
CHUNK 7 – Reflection and Call to Action
So what about us?
I can’t control headlines or epidemics. I can’t fix every broken system or predict the next disaster. But I can choose what drives me when crisis comes—fear or love.
If I’m honest, I don’t know how brave I’d be. I like safety. I like control. But faith that hides is belief untested. Faith that shows up—tired, scared, unseen—is the faith that changes the world.
The people around me don’t need more explanations of theology; they need examples of love. The sick need presence, not speeches. The lonely need a phone call. The grieving need someone who will sit in the silence. None of that earns attention or applause—but it reflects Jesus more than anything else.
He touched lepers when it was dangerous. He ate with outcasts when it was scandalous. He faced the cross when it was lethal. And He never waited for comfort to be convenient.
If I claim to follow Him, my love has to look like His.
I don’t want to be remembered as the believer who talked about faith while protecting comfort. I want to be known as someone who showed up—because love always shows up.
CHUNK 8 – Outro (Fixed Template + Humor + Humanity)
If this story of the Black Death and the Church’s response challenged or encouraged you, share it with a friend—they might really need to hear it. Make sure you go to https://ThatsJesus.org for other COACH episodes and resources. Don’t forget to follow, like, comment, review, subscribe and TUNE IN for more COACH episodes every week. Every episode explores a different moment in church history. But on Wednesday, we stay between 500 and 1500 AD. Thanks for listening to COACH—where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day—and be blessed.
Humor paragraph:
You know, I spent weeks studying medieval death rates and priestly courage for this episode, and my podcast stats are still smaller than the choir at a weekday mass. At this rate, I’ll need a miracle—or maybe just one more subscriber—to keep the lights on. But hey, even the smallest flock counts if it’s faithful.
Humanity paragraph:
Last night, my wife Wendy asked if I’d stay and serve if something like that happened today. I hesitated, because honesty matters more than bravado. I don’t know if I’d have that kind of courage. But I do know this: the stories that cost the most to tell are the ones that change us the most. This one reminded me that faith isn’t proven by comfort—it’s proven by presence. And I want to be someone who shows up.
CHUNK 9 – References
9a: Quotes
Q1 – Paraphrased: Pope Clement VI announced that anyone dying from the plague could still receive forgiveness, even without a priest present. (Chunk 3)
Q2 – Paraphrased: Some priests preached that the plague was God’s judgment, while others emphasized mercy and compassion. (Chunk 4)
Q3 – Paraphrased: Pope Clement VI condemned violent attacks against Jewish communities and defended their innocence. (Chunk 4)
Q4 – Paraphrased: Bishops later complained that many newly appointed priests were barely trained but were ordained out of desperation. (Chunk 5)
9b: Z-Notes (Zero-Dispute Historical Facts)
Z1 – The Black Death reached Europe in 1347, first arriving by ship in Sicilian ports.
Z2 – Between 1347 and 1351, the plague spread through Italy, France, England, Germany, and Scandinavia.
Z3 – An estimated one-third to one-half of Europe’s population died during the first outbreak.
Z4 – Priests and monks died at extremely high rates while caring for plague victims.
Z5 – Many church leaders rushed to train and appoint new priests due to shortages.
Z6 – Ordinary believers often cared for the sick and buried the dead when clergy were unavailable.
Z7 – Public processions and repentance ceremonies became common across Europe.
Z8 – Groups of people publicly whipped themselves as a show of repentance.
Z9 – Pope Clement VI ruled from Avignon and granted broad forgiveness for plague victims.
Z10 – Violent attacks against Jewish communities took place in several European cities during the plague.
Z11 – Clement VI issued official letters condemning those attacks and defending Jewish communities.
Z12 – Some convents and monasteries lost nearly all their members to the plague.
Z13 – The first wave of the plague ended around 1351, but new outbreaks returned over the next centuries.
Z14 – The church’s wealth and population declined sharply after the pandemic.
Z15 – Stories of courageous priests and laypeople survived in later chronicles and became part of the church’s collective memory.
Z16 – The Black Death influenced theology, art, and worship practices throughout medieval Europe.
Z17 – Pope Clement VI’s letters are preserved in papal archives and quoted in later collections.
Z18 – Flagellant movements were eventually condemned by church authorities.
Z19 – The plague’s impact led to social and economic changes that reshaped medieval Europe.
Z20 – The event remains one of the most devastating pandemics in recorded history.
9c: POP (Parallel Orthodox Perspectives)
P1 – Some historians view the church’s response as proof of pastoral courage and mercy; others see it as a moment of necessary adaptation.
P2 – Many theologians believe the crisis strengthened personal faith among ordinary believers.
P3 – Others argue that the emergency measures weakened confidence in church institutions.
P4 – Some scholars note that the compassion of clergy who stayed to serve became a moral model for later Christian ministry.
P5 – Others point out that failures in leadership during the plague revealed the need for reform centuries before the Reformation.
9d: SCOP (Skeptical or Contrary Opinion Points)
S1 – Some secular historians claim the church’s actions were motivated more by survival than compassion.
S2 – Others argue that preaching judgment instead of public health guidance caused unnecessary suffering.
S3 – Some question whether clergy death rates were exaggerated in later church records.
S4 – Critics claim indulgences and emergency forgiveness cheapened the idea of repentance.
S5 – Others see the church’s slow reaction to anti-Jewish violence as proof of moral weakness.
9e: Sources (APA Style + ISBNs)
(All are published books or peer-reviewed studies—no websites or theses.)
Aberth, J. (2005). The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348–1350. A Brief History with Documents. Bedford/St. Martin’s. ISBN 978-0312400873. (Supports Z1–Z3, Q1, Q2)
Benedictow, O. J. (2004). The Black Death 1346–1353: The Complete History. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0851159439. (Z3, Z13, Z19)
Byrne, J. P. (2004). Encyclopedia of the Black Death. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1783270365. (Z9–Z12, Z16–Z20, Q3)
Cohn, S. K. Jr. (2002). The Black Death Transformed: Disease and Culture in Early Renaissance Europe. Arnold. ISBN 978-0340761729. (P3, S1–S3)
Gottfried, R. S. (1983). The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe. Free Press. ISBN 978-0029123707. (Z2–Z4, Z14, Z19, Q4)
Horrox, R. (Ed.). (1994). The Black Death. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719034980. (Z1–Z2, Q1)
McNeill, W. H. (1976). Plagues and Peoples. Blackwell. ISBN 978-0385121224. (P2, P4, S4–S5)
Slack, P. (1990). The Impact of Plague in Tudor and Stuart England. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198201908. (Z15, P1, P5)
Ziegler, P. (1969). The Black Death. Penguin. ISBN 978-0140132761. (Z1–Z5, Z6, Z12, Z14–Z15, Q1–Q2)
CHUNK 10 – Credits
Host & Producer: Bob Baulch
Production Company: That’s Jesus Channel
Production Notes:
All research, theology, and editorial decisions are by Bob Baulch and That’s Jesus Channel. AI tools were used only for drafting and organization; all content was reviewed and verified by human oversight.
Research Assistance:
Perplexity.ai — historical fact verification using only published or peer-reviewed sources.
Script Development:
Claude (Anthropic) — initial structure and historical draft.
ChatGPT (GPT-5, OpenAI) — emotional and accessibility enhancement.
Sound: Adobe Podcast
Video: Adobe Premiere Pro
Audio Licenses:
“Background Music Soft Calm” by INPLUSMUSIC — Pixabay Content License.
“Epic Trailer Short 0022 Sec” by BurtySounds — Pixabay Content License.
Production Note:
Audio and video elements were edited in post-production. All AI inputs served as research and drafting aids only; final responsibility for accuracy and message rests entirely with Bob Baulch.
View all episodes
By That’s Jesus Channel / Bob Baulch1347 AD – Black Death and the Response of the Church – When Ministry Costs Us Safety
CHUNK 0 – Pre-Script SEO Framework
Website: https://ThatsJesus.org
Metadata Package:
In 1347, ships from the East brought a disease that would kill nearly half of Europe within four years. Priests died twice as fast as others because they stayed to pray with the sick and bury the dead. The church struggled to survive and to make sense of suffering—but some found the courage to stay when everyone else ran. This episode asks what happens when faith has to choose between comfort and calling. Make sure you Like, Share, Subscribe, Follow, Comment, and Review this episode and the entire COACH series.
Keywords: Black Death 1347, plague and faith, medieval church response, Pope Clement VI, Christian courage, ministry during crisis, service over safety, church credibility, acts of mercy, plague history, COACH podcast
Hashtags: #BlackDeath #ChurchHistory #FaithInCrisis #CourageousMinistry #ClementVI #ServeWhenItsHard #MinistryThatCosts #ChristianCompassion #PlagueAndFaith #COACHPodcast
Episode Summary (~250 words):
In October 1347, merchant ships reached southern Europe carrying more than spices and silk—they carried death. Within four years the Black Death would kill between a third and half of Europe’s people. Cities fell silent. Families dug graves for their own. The church—the one voice meant to bring hope—faced its own trial.
Many priests stayed to pray with the dying and bury the dead. Others fled. Monasteries emptied. With so many gone, young men were rushed into service just to keep worship going. Pope Clement VI granted broad forgiveness for those who died without a priest present and wrote letters calling for mercy instead of blame. Lay believers stepped up—tending to the sick and burying bodies when no clergy remained.
The Black Death forced the church to ask what love really costs. It was an era of fear and faith, despair and courage. This episode explores how believers showed mercy when it meant risking their lives—and how their choices still coach us today to serve others when it’s dangerous or uncomfortable. What does it look like to follow Jesus when ministry costs safety?
CHUNK 1 – Cold Hook (≈275 words)
The story may begin somewhere in the early 1300s, high in the rugged foothills of Central Asia—perhaps near the Tian Shan [tee-AHN shahn] mountains. For generations, herders in those valleys had seen a strange sickness strike the marmots and field rodents they hunted. People feared it and moved their camps when animals died too suddenly to explain. Maybe they even had a name for it—something like the Great Sickness—though no record tells us for sure.
Scientists today call its ancestor Yersinia pseudotuberculosis [yur-SIN-ee-uh SOO-doh-too-ber-kyoo-LOW-sis], a germ that once caused fever and stomach pain when animals drank tainted water. At some point, maybe through a tiny mistake in its genetic code, it mutated. That one change taught it how to live inside a flea’s stomach. The insect filled with thick germ-sludge that blocked its throat and drove it to bite again and again—spreading infection with each desperate attempt to feed.
A small change in a tiny organism had turned a local illness into a force that could cross continents. Riding on rodents and merchants, it moved west through caravans and coastal ports. No one knew it was coming. No one knew the world was about to change.
It’s impossible to know who first realized that the invisible had escaped its mountain home, but it was already traveling toward the faithful cities of Europe.
When that unseen terror finally arrived, what would faith do when the invisible came to its door?
[AD BREAK]
CHUNK 2 – Intro (80 words, Fixed Format)
From the That’s Jesus Channel, welcome to COACH—where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch. On Wednesday, we stay between 500 and 1500 AD. In this episode we’re in the year 1347, as a mystery from the East reaches the harbors of Sicily and Europe faces a trial that will test its faith, its courage, and its heart.
CHUNK 3 – Foundation
The sickness did not stay in the mountains.
By the fall of 1347, ships from the East reached Sicily. From there it moved north into Italy—to Genoa, Pisa, and Florence. By spring it crossed into France; by summer, over the English Channel to London. Nothing could stop it. It traveled wherever people traded, sailed, or prayed.
The signs were unmistakable. Fevers burned hot, chills shook the body, and painful lumps under the skin turned black before they burst. Most people died within a few days. No one knew what caused it. Doctors tried herbs, bloodletting, and diets. Nothing worked.
When families fell sick, they called for the priest. Someone had to pray, bring communion to the dying, and speak words of comfort. But the one who came often died next. In many towns, half the priests were gone within a year. In some church districts, there were none left at all. Monasteries lost most of their members.
Pope Clement VI, ruling from Avignon [ah-veen-YOHN], realized that desperate times required mercy. He announced that anyone who died from the plague could still receive God’s forgiveness, even if no priest was present to say the words. He ordered bishops to train and appoint new priests as fast as possible—sometimes men with only the barest knowledge of Latin or Scripture. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was survival.
Ordinary believers stepped up too. They visited the sick, comforted the dying, and buried the dead. Faith wasn’t a theory anymore. It was courage with a shovel and a prayer.
CHUNK 4 – Development
Fear changed everything.
Preachers filled pulpits with warnings that the plague was God’s punishment for sin. Crowds filled churches and city squares, weeping, fasting, and begging God to have mercy. Processions wound through the streets—people singing, crying, and asking forgiveness as they walked beside the sick and the dying.
But not every voice shouted judgment. Some spoke softly about mercy and compassion. They reminded people that Jesus healed lepers and touched the untouchable. These pastors urged believers to stay near the hurting, not to run from them. Their message was quieter but more hopeful.
Then came the bands of people who whipped themselves in public to show repentance. They believed their pain could make peace with God for everyone. At first, the church tolerated them. Their devotion seemed sincere. But as they marched from town to town, some began claiming they no longer needed the church or its leaders. Others said their suffering mattered more than prayer or communion. What began as repentance turned into rebellion.
Pope Clement condemned their movement in an official letter declaring it dangerous and calling Christians back to order and humility. Some bishops enforced his words; others looked the other way.
Meanwhile, fear searched for someone to blame. Rumors spread that Jewish communities had poisoned wells. Violence followed. Entire neighborhoods burned. In Strasbourg, hundreds of Jewish men, women, and children were killed by mobs who thought they were saving their city.
Again the pope spoke out, sending an official letter called “Although the Faithless” —written in Latin as Quamvis Perfidiam—to declare the violence sinful and the accusations false. But many refused to listen. Fear shouted louder than faith.
The church’s greatest challenge wasn’t the plague itself. It was whether its love would survive the fear.
CHUNK 5 – Climax and Impact
By 1351, the first wave of the plague had burned itself out. It never truly disappeared—it returned in waves for centuries—but the worst had passed. Europe began to count the cost.
The losses were beyond imagination. Many monasteries were empty. Whole church districts had no priests left. Those who survived were often barely trained, pushed into ministry just to fill the gaps. Some could hardly read. Worship continued, but the sense of stability was gone.
Church discipline collapsed in places. Some parishes were taken over by wealthy families who appointed their own priests for convenience. Others had no worship at all. The financial base that once supported Christian life—tithes, farms, endowments—had withered. The institutional church survived, but it limped.
And yet, faith didn’t die.
Stories spread of ordinary believers who risked everything to serve. In London, priests stayed beside plague victims, whispering prayers as they fell sick themselves. In some convents, every sister died because none would abandon the dying. In small villages, farmers and widows buried neighbors when no clergy were left to do it.
They couldn’t stop the plague. But they refused to let compassion die with them.
Courage didn’t save their bodies, but it kept faith alive. Those simple acts of mercy reminded the world that Christianity was not a set of rules or titles—it was love that shows up, even when it costs everything.
The question lingered long after the plague faded:
When ministry costs safety, what will we do?
[AD BREAK]
CHUNK 6 – Legacy and Modern Relevance
The church remembered.
We still talk about outreach, but comfort often rules our calendars. Programs fit around convenience—mission trips when the weather is good, service projects when schedules allow. But what if real compassion isn’t safe? What if credibility comes not from words but from showing up when it’s hard?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, some churches closed and stayed closed long after it was necessary. Others turned parking lots into food lines, opened buildings for testing, or sent volunteers into nursing homes when families couldn’t go. The difference wasn’t theology or money—it was willingness to take risks for others.
Credibility erodes when believers talk about love but organize life around safety. It rebuilds when the church runs toward need instead of managing risk. The world still watches to see if we believe what we say about love.
Every crisis—whether a storm, a pandemic, or a neighbor’s grief—tests what we truly value. Will we protect our comfort, or will we show the same courage that once carried the church through plague and fire?
Maybe credibility is simply love that stayed when it could have left.
CHUNK 7 – Reflection and Call to Action
So what about us?
I can’t control headlines or epidemics. I can’t fix every broken system or predict the next disaster. But I can choose what drives me when crisis comes—fear or love.
If I’m honest, I don’t know how brave I’d be. I like safety. I like control. But faith that hides is belief untested. Faith that shows up—tired, scared, unseen—is the faith that changes the world.
The people around me don’t need more explanations of theology; they need examples of love. The sick need presence, not speeches. The lonely need a phone call. The grieving need someone who will sit in the silence. None of that earns attention or applause—but it reflects Jesus more than anything else.
He touched lepers when it was dangerous. He ate with outcasts when it was scandalous. He faced the cross when it was lethal. And He never waited for comfort to be convenient.
If I claim to follow Him, my love has to look like His.
I don’t want to be remembered as the believer who talked about faith while protecting comfort. I want to be known as someone who showed up—because love always shows up.
CHUNK 8 – Outro (Fixed Template + Humor + Humanity)
If this story of the Black Death and the Church’s response challenged or encouraged you, share it with a friend—they might really need to hear it. Make sure you go to https://ThatsJesus.org for other COACH episodes and resources. Don’t forget to follow, like, comment, review, subscribe and TUNE IN for more COACH episodes every week. Every episode explores a different moment in church history. But on Wednesday, we stay between 500 and 1500 AD. Thanks for listening to COACH—where Church origins and church history actually coach us how to walk boldly with Jesus today. I’m Bob Baulch with the That’s Jesus Channel. Have a great day—and be blessed.
Humor paragraph:
You know, I spent weeks studying medieval death rates and priestly courage for this episode, and my podcast stats are still smaller than the choir at a weekday mass. At this rate, I’ll need a miracle—or maybe just one more subscriber—to keep the lights on. But hey, even the smallest flock counts if it’s faithful.
Humanity paragraph:
Last night, my wife Wendy asked if I’d stay and serve if something like that happened today. I hesitated, because honesty matters more than bravado. I don’t know if I’d have that kind of courage. But I do know this: the stories that cost the most to tell are the ones that change us the most. This one reminded me that faith isn’t proven by comfort—it’s proven by presence. And I want to be someone who shows up.
CHUNK 9 – References
9a: Quotes
Q1 – Paraphrased: Pope Clement VI announced that anyone dying from the plague could still receive forgiveness, even without a priest present. (Chunk 3)
Q2 – Paraphrased: Some priests preached that the plague was God’s judgment, while others emphasized mercy and compassion. (Chunk 4)
Q3 – Paraphrased: Pope Clement VI condemned violent attacks against Jewish communities and defended their innocence. (Chunk 4)
Q4 – Paraphrased: Bishops later complained that many newly appointed priests were barely trained but were ordained out of desperation. (Chunk 5)
9b: Z-Notes (Zero-Dispute Historical Facts)
Z1 – The Black Death reached Europe in 1347, first arriving by ship in Sicilian ports.
Z2 – Between 1347 and 1351, the plague spread through Italy, France, England, Germany, and Scandinavia.
Z3 – An estimated one-third to one-half of Europe’s population died during the first outbreak.
Z4 – Priests and monks died at extremely high rates while caring for plague victims.
Z5 – Many church leaders rushed to train and appoint new priests due to shortages.
Z6 – Ordinary believers often cared for the sick and buried the dead when clergy were unavailable.
Z7 – Public processions and repentance ceremonies became common across Europe.
Z8 – Groups of people publicly whipped themselves as a show of repentance.
Z9 – Pope Clement VI ruled from Avignon and granted broad forgiveness for plague victims.
Z10 – Violent attacks against Jewish communities took place in several European cities during the plague.
Z11 – Clement VI issued official letters condemning those attacks and defending Jewish communities.
Z12 – Some convents and monasteries lost nearly all their members to the plague.
Z13 – The first wave of the plague ended around 1351, but new outbreaks returned over the next centuries.
Z14 – The church’s wealth and population declined sharply after the pandemic.
Z15 – Stories of courageous priests and laypeople survived in later chronicles and became part of the church’s collective memory.
Z16 – The Black Death influenced theology, art, and worship practices throughout medieval Europe.
Z17 – Pope Clement VI’s letters are preserved in papal archives and quoted in later collections.
Z18 – Flagellant movements were eventually condemned by church authorities.
Z19 – The plague’s impact led to social and economic changes that reshaped medieval Europe.
Z20 – The event remains one of the most devastating pandemics in recorded history.
9c: POP (Parallel Orthodox Perspectives)
P1 – Some historians view the church’s response as proof of pastoral courage and mercy; others see it as a moment of necessary adaptation.
P2 – Many theologians believe the crisis strengthened personal faith among ordinary believers.
P3 – Others argue that the emergency measures weakened confidence in church institutions.
P4 – Some scholars note that the compassion of clergy who stayed to serve became a moral model for later Christian ministry.
P5 – Others point out that failures in leadership during the plague revealed the need for reform centuries before the Reformation.
9d: SCOP (Skeptical or Contrary Opinion Points)
S1 – Some secular historians claim the church’s actions were motivated more by survival than compassion.
S2 – Others argue that preaching judgment instead of public health guidance caused unnecessary suffering.
S3 – Some question whether clergy death rates were exaggerated in later church records.
S4 – Critics claim indulgences and emergency forgiveness cheapened the idea of repentance.
S5 – Others see the church’s slow reaction to anti-Jewish violence as proof of moral weakness.
9e: Sources (APA Style + ISBNs)
(All are published books or peer-reviewed studies—no websites or theses.)
Aberth, J. (2005). The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348–1350. A Brief History with Documents. Bedford/St. Martin’s. ISBN 978-0312400873. (Supports Z1–Z3, Q1, Q2)
Benedictow, O. J. (2004). The Black Death 1346–1353: The Complete History. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0851159439. (Z3, Z13, Z19)
Byrne, J. P. (2004). Encyclopedia of the Black Death. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1783270365. (Z9–Z12, Z16–Z20, Q3)
Cohn, S. K. Jr. (2002). The Black Death Transformed: Disease and Culture in Early Renaissance Europe. Arnold. ISBN 978-0340761729. (P3, S1–S3)
Gottfried, R. S. (1983). The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe. Free Press. ISBN 978-0029123707. (Z2–Z4, Z14, Z19, Q4)
Horrox, R. (Ed.). (1994). The Black Death. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719034980. (Z1–Z2, Q1)
McNeill, W. H. (1976). Plagues and Peoples. Blackwell. ISBN 978-0385121224. (P2, P4, S4–S5)
Slack, P. (1990). The Impact of Plague in Tudor and Stuart England. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198201908. (Z15, P1, P5)
Ziegler, P. (1969). The Black Death. Penguin. ISBN 978-0140132761. (Z1–Z5, Z6, Z12, Z14–Z15, Q1–Q2)
CHUNK 10 – Credits
Host & Producer: Bob Baulch
Production Company: That’s Jesus Channel
Production Notes:
All research, theology, and editorial decisions are by Bob Baulch and That’s Jesus Channel. AI tools were used only for drafting and organization; all content was reviewed and verified by human oversight.
Research Assistance:
Perplexity.ai — historical fact verification using only published or peer-reviewed sources.
Script Development:
Claude (Anthropic) — initial structure and historical draft.
ChatGPT (GPT-5, OpenAI) — emotional and accessibility enhancement.
Sound: Adobe Podcast
Video: Adobe Premiere Pro
Audio Licenses:
“Background Music Soft Calm” by INPLUSMUSIC — Pixabay Content License.
“Epic Trailer Short 0022 Sec” by BurtySounds — Pixabay Content License.
Production Note:
Audio and video elements were edited in post-production. All AI inputs served as research and drafting aids only; final responsibility for accuracy and message rests entirely with Bob Baulch.