Truce - History of the Christian Church

By Chris StaronReligion & Spirituality Christianity History Religion

Favorites
82
Followers
Typical duration
28 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Truce - History of the Christian Church episodes

February 04, 2020The Rise of Lenin and Stalin
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

When the Russian tsars fell, they left a power vacuum. Who would rule Russia after the Romanov dynasty? The Bolshevik's rose to power, led by Vladimir Lenin. Lenin immediately began persecuting anybody he didn't like.
In this episode, we'll examine the dark realities behind the Russian revolution: how it started with good intentions but ended with the death of millions. We'll also see how a culture of fear and suspicion held the nation captive.
Our guests today are Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia").
This is part of our series examining how the rise of communism in Russia impacted the Christian church. Check out the rest of season three for more information. We're working hard to make Truce the best Christian podcast on the market. Please rate and review the show!

FACT CHECK NOTICE:
Genghis Khan, who I did not mention in the episode, is in the running for having murdered the most people in history. I discovered this fact after the episode had been completed. Sorry!

Topics covered:
How did Vladimir Lenin come to power?
How did Stalin come to power?
How many people did Stalin kill? (20-25 million)
Is communism bad?
What was the Soviet Union?
How did the Soviet Union begin?
Who were the Bolsheviks?
Why do some people like Stalin?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 min
January 21, 2020What is the Difference Between Communism and Socialism?
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

What is the difference between communism and socialism? They get used interchangeably in our culture, but do they really mean the same thing?
In this episode, we'll give a textbook definition of each and then see how those ideas change in the wild. Our guests today are my friend Brian Faehnrich, Professor Barbara Engel (author of "Russia in World History"), and Roland Elliott Brown (author of "Godless Utopia").

The basic difference between communism and socialism is where the profit goes:
In communism, the profits go to the government
In socialism, the profits can go to the people
Also, communism is inherently atheistic, in keeping with the vision of Karl Marx.

Topic Covered:
What is the difference between communism and socialism?
Who was Karl Marx?
Who invented communism?
What was the first communist country? (Russia)
How did Vladimir Lenin rise to power?
Does communism work?
Is communism a utopian idea?
What did Karl Marx have against the Christian church?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
33 min
January 07, 2020History of The Russian Church
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

"We did our best, but it turned out as it always does".
Kind of a dark statement, no? It is a popular Russian phrase that kind of encapsulates the spirit of Russian history. People who try hard to make a change, but that change is not exactly great. In this episode of the Truce Podcast, we spoke with Jennifer Eremeeva, author of the excellent book, "Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia" about the history of the Russian Christian church.
Christianity came to Russia by sword point. It started out as a pagan culture, heavily influenced by the Vikings. When Vladimir, ruler of ancient Moscow, wanted some of the treasures of the Byzantine empire, he had a couple of options. He could invade and capture them, or he could make a trade deal. He tried both, but it didn't quite work out. As part of the peace deal, the Byzantine empire offered him a bride and trade if he converted to Christianity. So he did. Then Vladimir forced his kingdom to convert to Christianity or face death.
This means that Russian held on to their pagan ancestry and co-mingled it with their new Christian faith.
But that's not the end of the journey! Their shared faith became a bonding opportunity when the Mongols invaded. The church was their hub, the thing that connected them to all of the disconnected parts of Russia.
After the Mongols left, things settled down for a bit. Until the Orthodox church showed up. You see, when the Byzantine empire fell to Muslim forces, the Orthodox church needed a new home. So Ivan brought them to Moscow. Now Moscow is home to one of the largest branches of Christianity in the world - the Russian Orthodox church.
From sword point to housing one of the largest branches of the faith, Russia has a varied history with Christianity. Listen to this episode to get the full story.

Sources and links:
Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia - book by Jennifer Eremeeva
Stephen Mansfield interview featured in this episode
Five Minute Bible Hour video about the Orthodox Church
Topic Discussed:
How did the Russian Orthodox church begin?
Who was Prince Vladimir?
When did the Mongols enter Russia?
Who was Ivan the Great?
Why is the Russian church associated with paganism?
What is a good primer on Russian history?
The fall of the Byzantine Empire
How did Moscow become the capital of Russia?
Why do we like dark jokes?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
36 min
December 24, 2019A Russian Christmas
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

Christmas and New Years can be a stressful time for us. But what if you had to celebrate two Christmas' and two Years'? Our special guest Jennifer Eremeeva (author of Have Personality Disorder Will Rule Russia) is an American married to a Russian. Each year they have the potential of four holidays in less than a month. But why?
The confusion has to do with a discrepancy in calendars. It turns out that the old Julian calendar, which is used by the Russian Orthodox Church, is several days different than the Gregorian calendar that we use. This has to do with an old disagreement between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Subscribe to Truce so you'll get every new episode as it is released!
Donate here to keep Truce going!

Herring Under Fur Coat:
This recipe is pretty simple, but it may take a few hours to make so do this one in advance.
Ingredients:
1 jar of mayonnaise (squeeze-able is easiest)
3 medium size beats (peeled)
4-5 carrots (peeled)
1 large potato (peeled)
1 jar of pickled herring
1 bag of grated cheddar cheese
1 bunch of fresh green onions
1 jar of pickles
Cooking Instructions:
Peel the beats, carrots, and potato then put them on boil for an hour. Yes, it will look like blood and the beats will dye the other veggies.
While the vegetables are boiling, open the pickled herring (if in a jar). Remove any bones. Dice. Keep refrigerated until it is used.
After the vegetables are boiled, grate each of them separately with the small holes.
On a pie plate make a mound with the potato. Spread it out to the edges of your plate.
Cover the potato with the following layers: mayo, pickled herring, green onions, mayo, carrots, mayo, pickles, beats, mayo, grated cheese.
Place the whole thing in the refrigerator and let it sit for 2-3 hours before consuming. Overnight is okay too. The whole thing will turn a light pink color.
Serve it like any other dip with veggies, crackers, or tortilla chips.
Other Sources
Russian Christmas blog post - Dividing My Time
Jennifer Eremeeva blog post - Is This Christmas?
Britannica article on the Julian Calendar
Topics Discussed:
Why is the Orthodox church on a different calendar?
What are the differences between the Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar?
What is Christmas like in Russia?
What unique dish should I make for Christmas?
Russian food
Why did Pope Gregory establish the Gregorian calendar?
Who created the Julian calendar?
Russian history

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
23 min
December 18, 2019 Christmas Episode Exchange
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

Merry Christmas! As a bonus, we are featuring some stories from the Christian Podcasters Association Christmas Episode Exchange. Each person in the group was allowed to submit a 5-minute mini-episode on the theme of Christmas. I've collected a few of them here and some more will be on our Patreon page for people who donate a little each month to keep Truce going. You can access the Truce Patreon page and for those extra stories.

Here are the submissions in order of appearance:

1) Truce Podcast – Christmas Bolero
Chris Staron
http://www.trucepodcast.com
http://www.twitter.com/trucepodcast
http://www.facebook.com/trucepodcast

2) The Road Home To You Podcast
Brandy Goebel – Every Home Needs a Gnome
http://theroadhometoyou.libsyn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/166024570692834/

3) Biblical Chili
https://biblicalchili.podbean.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BiblicalChili/
http://www.twitter.com/BiblicalChili

4) Raising Kids on Your Knees
https://raisingkidsonyourknees.org/
https://www.instagram.com/raisingkidsonyourknees/
http://www.facebook.com/raisingkidsonyourknees
http://www.twitter.com/prayingforkids

5) Letters from Home Podcast
Margaret Glesener and her family sharing their Christmas tradition of sharing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/letters-from-home/id1444502295
https://www.instagram.com/lettersfromhomepodcast/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 min
December 10, 2019 Rasputin
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

Rasputin - the rogue monk who changed the face of the world. Or did he?
Grigory Rasputin was a wandering monk from Siberia. A peasant. A long-haired man with a family. Through a series of connections with powerful people, he became the right-hand man of Nicholas II, the Russian tsar. Some claimed that he had the power to heal. He was also a known philanderer.
Rumors of his relationship with the tsarina ran rampant. He, a peasant, may have influenced military decisions in WWI. The man was everywhere all at once--until he was brutally murdered in Petersburg one dark night. They tried cyanide and nothing happened. The shot him, and he fled. Who was this mystery man? What was his impact on Russia? On the Christian church? Listen to this special episode to find out!
Our goal is to become the best Christian podcast out there. We can only do that with your financial support. You can donate on Patreon and Paypal. Every little bit helps!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
32 min
November 26, 2019 The Fall of the Romanovs (2 of 2)
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

This is the second in a two-part story about the fall of the last czars of Russia. Their murder had a ripple effect across history. After them came Lenin and the rise of communism and the USSR. The modern American church changed to keep up. If Russia was going for collectivism and atheism, the USA would hold on to capitalism and Christianity. Which means that the gospel would soon be identified with money, power, and military might.
In this episode we follow the abdication of Nicholas II to the untimely end of him and his family. Theirs was just the first of a long string of murders that would elevate Lenin and Stalin to power.

Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible.
Our research was greatly aided by the following books:
The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore
A Well Ordered Thing - Michael D Gordin

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
24 min
November 12, 2019Romanov Stroganoff (1 of 2)
Become a patron of the show and help me make even more great episodes!
Donate by visiting www.patreon.com/trucepodcast

One murder changed the course of Christian history. And it wasn't of a pope or church leader - it was the murder of Russia's last czars, the Romanovs. This is the beginning of our series on how communist Russia shaped modern Christianity in America. Tsar Nicholas II made many crucial mistakes: allowing Rasputin into his life, ignoring workers, the Russo-Japanese War, and many others. How we dealt with these tragic errors led the country into the hands of the Bolsheviks.
Oh yeah, and we made stroganoff. The recipe is below.
Truce is a listener-supported show. Please consider donating a little each month via Patreon (which entitles you to some cool bonus material) or helping out with a one-time gift on Paypal. These gifts are not tax-deductible.

Our research was greatly aided by the following books:
The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore
A Well Ordered Thing - Michael D Gordin

Dairy-free stroganoff recipe
Ingredients:
Egg noodles (as many as necessary - we used half a bag)
1 lbs ground beef
1 can mushrooms (small)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 diced onion
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup dairy-free sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions:
Brown ground beef in a skillet. A little extra beef is fine. Elk and deer meat work just as well, though you may want to add more seasoning if it is too "gamey".
Put hot water on to boil for the noodles.
Drain the fat from the beef.
Add noodles to hot water.
When the meat is brown, add in garlic powder, pepper, mustard powder, onion, and mushrooms. Cook at about medium heat and stir.
When the onion has softened a little, add in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and beef broth. Let that simmer for about 15 minutes.
Drain noodles. Stroganoff is best served over a big heap of noodles. Put the beef mixture over the noodles and enjoy!
Questions we examine:
Why did communism take over Russia?
Who were the last tsars of Russia?
Who was Rasputin?
What was the Russo-Japanese War about?
Why did Lenin want to stay out of WWI?
Was Tsarina Alexandra crazy or just on a lot of drugs?
How did the downfall of the Russian tsars impact American Christianity?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
34 min
October 29, 2019 Phil Vischer (creator of VeggieTales)
Truce is back with a special guest: Phil Vischer, one of the creators of the VeggieTales video series. He's also the creator of the new Laugh and Learn Bible and one of the hosts of the Holy Post Podcast (strongly recommended).

You can find our bonus material for this episode at www.patreon.com/trucepodcast.

Links:
https://philvischer.com/

Topics discussed:
* How did Phil create VeggieTales?
* How do Christians deal with loss and negative criticism?
* Phil Vischer's recent response to LGBT rights in the Christian Post
* Answering your questions about VeggieTales
* Where is my hairbrush?
* The Laugh and Learn Bible
* Why should I read the Bible on my own?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 min
October 17, 2019 Season 3 Trailer
Truce is back for a third season! We'll begin with a conversation with Phil Vischer, creator of the popular VeggieTales animated series and the author of the new Laugh and Learn Bible. Then we're going to take a sharp turn and study Russia: how did tsarist Russia fall, how did communism gain its hold, and how did that shape the American church. I promise you, it's going to be fascinating! Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 min

About Truce - History of the Christian Church

From the publisher's feed

Truce explores the history of the evangelical church in America, from fundamentalism to pyramid schemes to political campaigns. Host Chris Staron uses journalistic tools to investigate how the church got here and how it can do better.