Controversies in Church History

This podcast explores the Liturgical Movement in the Catholic Church and how it changed after Vatican II. It discusses the origin and impact of the movement, efforts to restore the Roman right and study of liturgy in France, restoration of Guru Arrhenchand and active participation in liturgy, modern founding of the movement, involvement in ecumenism and Eastern liturgies, migration of ideas and professionalization of the movement, and the impact of the movement on the mass.

In the final episode on the Early Modern Era, our series on Latinization covers the relations of the Latin Church with Eastern Christians in Eastern Europe, primarily the Ukrainians, as well as the sad tale of the Italo-Albanian Church and its struggles to maintain its heritage in Italy. Finally, we also take a look back at the Early Modern Period itself, and discuss the changes spurred the increasing insistence of the Western Church that its traditions and customs take precedence over those of Eastern Christians. 

Explore the Latinization of the Thomas Christians in India from 1500-1800, including divisions within the community and the influence of Portuguese missionaries. Learn about cultural clashes between the Jesuits and Thomas Christians, reactions to customs and practices, and the clash caused by the Portuguese veneration of icons. Discover historical misunderstandings and mistakes, and the upcoming episode on Roman and Byzantine churches.

In this episode, I take a look at some of the most important magisterial documents that state there are limits to papal authority issued in the recent history of the Church (since 1870).

Hey everyone. On this episode of the podcast, I read a blog post in which I look at the term and concept of "synodality," and argue that it is an unnecessary novelty which neither "conservative" or "traditionalist" Catholics should not use.

This podcast explores the historical contact between the Church of the East and Rome, including the creation of the Chaldean Catholic Church. It discusses the practice of nepotism in the Church of the East and the struggle for recognition and alliances with Eastern Christian churches. It also delves into the challenges faced by the Chaldean Catholic Church in maintaining relations with Rome and concludes with updates on future content.

In this brief episode, I respond to a listener's question about Elisabeth Anscombe and Truman, while also giving an update on future episodes of the podcast.

In this episode, I take a look back at a 1995 book by the Polish philosopher Lezsek Kolakowski, "God Owes Us Nothing: A Brief Remark on the Religion of Pascal and the Spirit of Jansenism." Kolakowski's book tackles the problem of theodicy (how a good and just God can allow evil in the world) via an examination of the 17th century heresy of Jansenism. In this episode I take a look at his arguments for the idea that God is not a subject of any human moral obligations, and that the modern split between faith and science has left believers with an all-powerful but inscrutable God who "owes us nothing."

From the blog, a meditation on the controversy over World Youth Day, and what it says about larger trends in the Church since Vatican II. You can check out the original post on the website here: https://churchcontroversies.com/2023/08/14/world-youth-day-syndrome/

In this brief episode, I discuss Elisabeth Anscombe's argument against the dropping of the atom bomb on Japan and defenses of Harry Truman's actions. But the real purpose is to ask the listeners what they think--was Anscombe right in saying that Truman was a mass murderer?