Controversies in Church History

In response to a viewer's request, I hereby present you with the story of my conversion to the Catholic Church, and how I went from atheism to believing in Jesus Christ. 

Our series of mini-biographies we call "Catholic Lives" takes a look at the life and career of Orestes A. Brownson (1803-1876), a convert from New England whose spiritual journey took him from Evangelical revivalism to Unitarianism and the Transcendentalist Movement, before entering the Catholic Church in 1844. A thinker with a wrestling, combative style, Brownson became one of the premier Catholic thinkers in 19th century America, and someone whose political thought was grounded in the need for transcendent truths, above all the truth of the Catholic faith.  

In this episode of our "Catholic Lives" series, we look at the life of Hugh-Ross Williamson, the son of a Presbyterian minister, journalist, author historian, playwright, and an Anglican clergyman before his conversion to the Catholic Church in 1955. In his later life, he was a critic of the new rite of the mass introduced in 1969, and became one of the founders of the Latin Mass movement in England. 

In the final episode, I briefly discuss the legacy of 19th century Catholic Liberalism, and how it influenced theological movements in the 20th century. In particular, I look at the impact of Catholic Liberalism on the thinkers who prepared the way for Vatican II, and how knowledge of Catholic liberalism helps us understand the era that followed the Council. 

The latest episode in our series on Catholic Liberalism is now available. "Eclipse, 1870-1905," begins in the aftermath of Vatican I, when the Church faced even greater hostility from liberal governments, making the position of Catholic Liberals even more difficult. The Ralliement under Leo XIII seems to embrace Catholic liberal ideals, but its failure followed by the condemnation of Americanism and the final separation of Church and State in France put an end to liberal hopes. Finally, we explore how the intellectual and social dimensions of Catholic Liberalism fed into the Modernist Crisis of the early 20th century. 

Greetings! The next episode in our series on Catholic Liberalism is now available. "Catholic Liberalism in Retreat, 1848-1870," explores how political events and a changing papacy conspired to derail the movement of Catholic Liberalism. The Revolutions of 1848, and the wars of unification in Italy and Germany, left the Church exposed to hostile, anti-clerical governments, and in response Catholics across Europe turn to the power of the papacy to shield them. At the same, time, pope Pius IX and his advisors decided on a combative stance toward political liberalism in Europe, issuing the Syllabus of Errors in 1864, and convoking the First Vatican Council in 1870, which made papal infallibility a dogma binding on the faithful. These events seemed to lead to the demise of any Catholic liberalism hoping to compromise with the modern world--or did they? 

Greetings everyone! In the fourth installment in our series on Catholic Liberalism, we look at the sources of Catholic liberalism beyond France. Specifically, we look at the making of Catholic liberalism in Italy, where dissatisfaction with the government of the Papal States fueled Catholic engagement with liberalism. Also discussed are Church-State relations in German speaking lands, and the emergence of theological liberalism in German Catholic circles. Finally, we note the connection between Catholic liberalism and the beginnings of the Catholic Revival in England, including its connection with John Henry Newman.

In the third installment of our series on Catholic Liberalism, we take a look at the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Felicite Robert de Lamennais (1782-1854), the apologist, writer and priest who inspired a young generations of Catholics to engage with the modern world, but whose embrace of liberalism clashed with the Vatican. Though Rome condemned his teachings, he left a legacy that influenced the Church in its attempts to come to grips with the modern world, and ensured that Catholic liberalism would long outlive him.

In the second installment of our series on Catholic Liberalism, we delve into the historical background out of which a Catholic form of liberalism emerged. We discuss the French Revolution and its impact on the French Church, the emergence of political liberalism in Restoration France, and the nature of the French Church after 1814, and how these contributed to the birth of Catholic Liberalism. If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and recommend it to friends and other interested parties. 

Controversies in Church History is back with a new series. This time, we delve into the history of Catholic Liberalism, a movement that began in the French Church in the early 1800s, and whose influence touched most of Europe and even the United States during the nineteenth century. This movement sought to reconcile the Church to modern society in France, was condemned by the papacy more than once, and left a lasting impact on the Church. In this episode, we discuss what Catholic Liberalism as a movement sought to achieve, its main intellectual sources, and key terms that will help us understand this important, and still very relevant, episode in the life of the Catholic Church.