Catholic:Under The Hood

The Church of the East moves away from the Church of the Roman Empire through the adaptation of married clergy and the adaptation of the Christology of Theodore of Mopsuestia as its official teaching. Meanwhile, the Church of Armenia adopts Zeno’s Henotikon. Links: Map of the Roman/Persian Border by Cplakidas. On the map, Iberia is […]

As the conflict between East and West over the Henotikon continues, Pope Felix III needs to deal with Nicenes in North Africa abandoning the faith and the Ostrogoths invading Italy. We also look at the theology of Philoxenus of Mabbug. Links: Photo of coin of Theodoric the Great Information on Philoxenus of Mabbug Check out […]

Zeno’s Henotikon succeeds in establishing a tenuous religious peace in the East but provokes schism with Pope Felix III over its apparent failure to defend the Council of Chalcedon and Acacius’ unwillingness to recognize Felix’s claims of Petrine Authority Links: Photo of coin of Emperor Zeno by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Christopher Haas. “Patriarch and […]

St. Faustus of Riez leads the bishops of Gaul against the theology of Predestination showing that the defeat of Pelagius has not meant the complete acceptance of Augustine. In the East, in an attempt to create unity between Chalcedonians and Monophysites, Eastern Emperor Zeno issues the Henotikon. Links: Photo of image of Saint Faustus by […]

In the West, the Fall of Roman power in the West meant the domination of Arians in the Kingdom of the Vandals of North Africa, the Kingdom of the Visigoths in Hispania and Gaul and the Kingdom of Odoacer in Italy. In North Africa, the Nicene Romans experienced severe persecution. In Italy, there was relative […]

As the Church grew, so did the number of the saints and so did the diversity of their stories. The beginnings of the fifth century also saw increased devotion to Mary and new ways of showing one’s appreciation for the saints. Plus, Peter Chrysologus and Patrick of Ireland. Links: Photo of ampulla from Shrine of […]

In this episode, we look at changes in the Church’s liturgical and sacramental practice in the first half of the 5th century – how the church of Rome used liturgy to promote unity and Augustine’s problem with a congregant over liturgical innovation [on Augustine’s part]. We finish with an examination of the developing understanding of […]

The increasing dominance of the Catholic Church over its rivals was revealed in the legislation of the Roman Empire and in the violence of monks against pagans, Jews, and heretics. Indeed, by the mid-5th century, we find a growing willingness to punish theological differences with the highest penalties. Links: Photo of Santa Sabina with pillars […]

The complex interaction between Catholic teaching and the historic traditions of the Greco-Roman tradition on the particular issues of slavery and the treatment of the poor are the focus of this episode and help us to see the how Christianity affected and was affected by the surrounding culture. Links: Photo of mosaic of two Roman […]

The first half of the 5th century sees significant changes in Christian artistic representation of Christ and the Virgin Mary in response to the growing power of the Church and the recent controversy over Mary as the Mother of God. Church construction also underwent some important developments both in terms of placement and architecture. Links: […]