Persecutions are tough. I think we can all agree with that. But an issue that doesn't get as much attention is what the church does after a time of persecution. Specifically with the Christians who may or may not have caved under the threat of harm or violence. The 3rd Century in Rome (as we've discussed on the show before) was a tough time to be a…

What does a multiverse movie starring Michelle Yeoh, hot dog fingers, and googly eyes have to teach us about generational sin, shame culture, love, and… church history? In this chaotic and colorful episode, the gang takes a deep dive into Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Oscar-sweeping A24 film that made us laugh, cry, and rethink our family …

For the past few weeks, we've been covering the stories of the Apostles after the biblical narrative concludes. And...we can be honest. This series has gone over like watching a jaded old magician spoiling a handful of classic magic tricks in front of an unsuspecting child's birthday party. But sometimes that's just how history is. But what about S…

The lore surrounding the lives of the Apostles never ceases to amaze. People getting boiled alive (and surviving). Dudes getting thrown off the top of the Temple. Crazy stuff. But what if most of these crazy things are actually false? And what if nobody had a cool martyrdom? And what if Santa Claus is a FRAUD? Well, you'll just have to listen to fi…

Christmas in July? Never heard of it. We're thinking Dia de los Muertos. En...Julio. Join the gang as we discuss everyone's favorite musical about a family that hates music, Coco. We discuss the pressing questions about this film, such as: What are the best mustaches in movie history? Is this a good afterlife, or is it kind of terrible? And, how do…

When you think of the persecution of the Christians in the early church, it doesn't take long for the mind to naturally think of the Colosseum. But how involved was the Roman Colosseum in the practice of executing Christians in the first 4 centuries after the life of Christ? And what about the other stadiums built around that time? Join us as Tommy…

James the Greater. James the Lesser. James the brother of Jesus. Three stories. Three mysteries. Three Jameses. Join Jay, Tay, and Tray as we uncover more of the apostolic legacies after the biblical narrative. Also, we discuss Taylor's keto-tastic weight loss journey, and some harsh words he has for the Chump Nation if he doesn't get the fan mail …

Church history this, church history that. Blah blah blah. Let's get ready for some TRIVIA. Join us for a fun time of Chump Talk, where Taylor and Thomas will go head to head over some church history trivia. Listener, feel free to play at home! And then send us messages making fun of Taylor (or Thomas) for getting their questions wrong. Thanks for l…

Bienvenido al programa! Here's a pregunta for you, dear listener: What do you get when you combine a legend in the world of Mexican cinema, a delightfully charming little girl, and 122 minutes of slapstick gags and poorly-made wigs? You get this movie. And you know what? It made $100 million, so clearly something clicked in this film. Join the gang…

We all know how the story of the Apostles went down. They all went on missions to different regions of the world, and everyone but John was martyred. Right? ...Right? MAYBE NOT! Join us as we dive into a mini-series within our "Early Church Gets the Worm" series, where we'll discuss what history says about the disciples of Jesus beyond the biblical…

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PREPARE YOUR BALLOTS. Few church fathers have a legacy as controversial as Origen of Alexandria. From rumors of self-mutilation, heresy, and crooked bishops, the story of Origen somehow only got more complicated in the years following his death. So this week, we're gonna take this controversial topic and duel it out. Each of o…

Has there EVER been a better animated film than The Lion King? Maybe. Probably. I guess the Prince of Egypt still exists. But still, this movie kicks all kinds of hyena tail. It's awesome. We're psyched to talk about it. Join the gang as we discuss the boyish appeal of Jonathan Taylor Thomas and how much this film really is a Disney-fied version of…

"Hey! I'm walkin here!" St. Ignatius, probably Not much is known of the 1st Century early church father known as Ignatius of Antioch. His early life, conversion, and place of origin are steeped in mystery. What we do know is this: after serving as the Bishop of Antioch for many years, Ignatius was captured during the persecution of Trajan. Rather t…

"F is for friends who do stuff together" -St. Peter, about Clement, probably You know what we love about the early church? That with a couple of history books and a number 2 pencil, you can sketch a nice, neat line right from the Book of Acts to the first wave of church fathers. Apostolic succession is a heck of a drug. And chief of these early chu…

One man. One mission. Chris Pratt. Versus Osama Bin Laden. The battle to end all battles. That's...not really what this movie is about. There's a lot more waterboarding. And a lot more of Jessica Chastain being empowered and independent. But it's a really good watch. And this episode is a really good listen. Join your favorite four-piece (after the…

Imagine if you were a really cool guy. Like, a really cool guy. You helped all your friends know Jesus better. Wrote all these interesting theological ideas. Came up with all these fun words in Greek. Everybody liked you. And then in 500 years, someone read your journal and became a heretic, so now everyone hates you. And even now, everyone hates y…

Imagine going to a country with one of the oldest expressions of Christian faith...as a BAPTIST?!?!? Just kidding. But really, Taylor just got back from a week-long mission trip in Ethiopia, eastern Africa's historic den of Christianity. So how did it go? What is the relationship between the Ethiopian Protestants and the Ethiopian Orthodox Christia…

"Nice pagan temple. Be a shame if someone...Christianized it." -Constantine, probably The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity was one of the most groundbreaking events to occur in the history of Rome. The single most influential political figure in the world had official changed divine allegiances. But as we'll talk about today, the i…

We must, we must, we must talk about this movie. Wow. Not a lot of stories capture so well the weight of a religious existential crisis AND the crushing desire to make googly eyes at a teenage boy named Moose. It's like this movie was made for us. Join the gang as we (okay, really just Danielle and Annie) explore the familiar woes of growing up as …

The scandal of Christianity is that the Church is seldom greatest amongst the rich and powerful. Often, those rich in spirit are poor in worldly treasure. The "abundant life" promised in the Gospels is nearest to those who share in Christ's sufferings. History often shows how the power of the Spirit is felt in the quiet, overlooked spaces of the po…

Tertullian always had a dragon's tongue. After his conversion and baptism, he would unleash his fiery rhetoric on heretics, pagan emperors, and persecuting powers. In the process, he would pen some of the finest Latin theology of the early 3rd century. But over time, this dragon would lose its wits. If you've ever wondered why, of the many early ch…

If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to abuse one. And, ya know, it takes a village to...make a podcast? I don't know. I'm sorry. This isn't a very laugh-y movie. Join the gang as we dive into the 2015 investigative drama Spotlight, which chronicles a team of Boston journalists as they uncover the rampant abuse cover-ups …

Imagine you're a 4th century Roman soldier on assignment in North Africa. Among the theological tension of this region, strange rumors begin to circulate. That within the region of Carthage, there are a peculiarly zealous sect of young men who, well...you'll see soon enough. Join Jonathan Taylor Thomas as we discuss this strange phenomena in church…

Every story needs a good villain. Thanos. The Joker. Tom Brady. In the late 4th Century, the Church had a villain by the name of Arianism. After the Council of Nicaea, the post-persecution church had united under the banner of Nicene theology, girded by the writings of Athanasius. Under this creed, they affirmed the humanity and divinity of Jesus C…

Well I'll be a sonofagun. Join the gang as we travel back to 1930's Mississippi for the Coen Brothers' most bona fide film in their catalogue, O Brother Where Art Thou? Does the music in this movie stand the test of time? Was there any redemption for Baby Face George Nelson? Did Tommy Johnson ever get his soul back? We'll answer these questions and…

Have you ever been 'volun-told' to do something? Maybe volunteer for setup at your church, or work the sound board? Imagine being 'volun-told' to lead one of the most influential dioceses in the nation, when you're not even a baptized Christian yet. That would be the story of Ambrose of Milan, a kind-hearted young man with a soft spot for diplomacy…

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." -Constantine, probably The 4th century has begun to dawn. The Christian church is in hot water. The new system of tetrarchy established by Diocletian has already started to teeter, and Rome looks to fall back into the chaos of the prior century. But in the West, stands a man. A man who, unknown t…

Grab your flamethrowers, space cadets. Join the team (with special guest, our producer Ray!) as we discuss Quentin Tarantino's love letter to the golden age of cinema, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Is this Tarantino's best work? Does Rick Dalton deserve a friend as good as Cliff? Are there enough feet??? We'll answer these questions and more. Than…

"Conference room, five minutes!" -Emperor Constantine, probably 325 AD was a year of rebirth. The Church was recovering from the Diocletianic Persecution, the worst wave of violence and discrimination faced thus far. Theologians and clergy were also battling the schism of the Donatists and the heresy of the Arians, both of which brought division to…

"Y'all gon' make me lose my mind up in here." -Emperor Diocletian, probably The third century wasn't a great time to be a Roman. But believe it or not, it was a great time to be a Christian! Churches were built, the faith was spread, and the influence and witness of Christ's followers flowed far and wide. But that would soon come to an end. I mean,…

Dismantling the patriarchy has never been so…pastel! The world was a simpler place when we were all sitting around, wondering what to wear to our Barbenheimer themed parties. Come take a trip with the John, Jarrad, Danielle, and Annie back to 2023, to the cultural explosion of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and listen along as we explore the facets of this …

Imagine you had a friend who was, I dunno, an alien. They have no grasp of life on earth, no understanding of human customs, minimal grasp of the language, culture, music, anything like that. And so for years, they undergo a process of both learning and un-learning. Gradually detaching from their weird Martian ways (no disrespect to our Martian lis…

Have you ever had to move across the country? It's a life-changing experience. Disrupting your regular routines and rhythms, adjusting to a totally foreign environment, learning new regional customs. Now imagine being forced to move, against your wishes. Five different times, after being welcomed back home. That sounds pretty rough, huh? Welcome ou…

Did you know that Saint Patrick was the first Christian clergyman to ever don a priestly robe in green? No? That's because it's not true! There's a lot of mythology around our boy, Paddy. But that just makes his story that much more interesting. Thanks for tuning in! Don't forget to leave us a cool review and tell a friend about us. Or an enemy. IG…

Every sport has a Wayne Gretzky. A Hank Aaron. A Michael Jordan. The 4th Century didn't have Michael Jordan, though. It had Augustine of Hippo. And maybe Augustine didn't drop 30 points against the Jazz with a flu (or whatever), but Michael Jordan never took down Pelagianism without breaking a sweat. Wayne Gretzky never wrote Confessions, bro. Hank…

When most Christians (okay, all Christians that aren't Catholic) look back on the Reformation, we typically do it with a little twinkle in our eyes. It feels like a time of triumph, of sticking it to the man once and for all. In reality, the Reformation, for all its successes, was often a mess. And nowhere was that mess more evident than in 17th ce…

Imagine that you're a teenager. You live in one of the biggest cities in the world, and your parents have just died, leaving behind a Bruce Wayne-esque amount of wealth and land. This is any kid's dream come true. The world is your oyster. Unless your name is Anthony the Great. Then you decide to sell all your stuff, give it to the poor, and then g…

"Awwww here it goes." --Kel Mitchell, Kenan and Kel We're back in the early church again, which means we're into the story of Christian persecution in the Roman Empire. The 3rd Century was no pleasant time for the Romans, Christian or not. Through a series of civil wars, external threats, and economic woes, the Empire was closer to collapse than ev…

John Brown was a man on a mission from God. Or so he thought. Less than a decade before the Civil War began, John Brown would attempt to lead a slave rebellion by taking over a military armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Although unsuccessful, he would solidify his actions as a villain of the proslavery south and a hero of the antislavery north. Br…

Is our nation more divided than ever? Are we losing the ability to respectfully disagree with each other? Welcome to our first ever bonus episode: Chump Talk. In these episodes, we'll tackle larger ideas and themes in the culture and talk to even cooler guests. (Don't worry though, we'll be right back with your church history fix next week) This we…

Have you ever heard someone say that Christianity is anti-intellectual? Well, you should send them this episode. And have them 'like' and 'subscribe' too, that would help us a lot. But anyways. Justin Martyr was a 2nd-century Greek man with a love for philosophy, who found the fullness of all love of wisdom in Christ. We think he's a pretty cool gu…

As you guys know, we love presenting church history as a beautiful anthology of the story of God's people. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the vastness of that story when we don't venture out of our own contexts. So today, we're going to peer to the far outside branches of our Christian family tree, and discuss the origin of one of the most lo…

"Why are you booing me? I'm right!" - the early church, probably The first century was a funky time to be a Christian, but persecution as we know it was pretty scattered and sporadic. In the second century though, things are starting to ramp up. Join us for another episode from our "The Early Church Gets the Worm" series, and listen to us forget to…

In our newest piece in our series of Early Church lore, we discuss another tale of martyrdom, that of Perpetua and Felicity. The early third Century was not an easy time for Christians in Northern Africa. But as so many tales of martyrs go, their story was one of both tragedy and triumph, as they took up the cross of Christ in the truest way. Thank…

"It's hard out here for a pimp." -the early church, probably As we continue our aptly named series, "The Early Church Gets the Worm," we discuss one of the most pressing topics for early Christians: persecution in the Roman Empire. Happy New Year, friends. Text Us! Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chumphistory…

GUESS WHO'S BACK Man, it's been a minute you guys. I don't know if you missed us, but we definitely missed you. This kicks off our new season, "The Early Church Gets the Worm." We'll be focusing on, you guessed it, stories from the early church era. The story of Sergius and Bacchus is a tale of brotherhood, friendship, and the lasting legacy of the…

In many parts of the world, the question of whether you're a Catholic or Protestant means a lot more than if you submit to the Pope, or how you feel about Martin Luther. One such place is Northern Ireland. For generations, the people of Ireland and the United Kingdom have been steeped in a conflict about religious freedom, civil rights, and discrim…

Have you ever wondered why some churches use grape juice for communion, while others insist on using wine instead? The answer is more complicated than you think. Or it might be less complicated, I don't know, I feel like you're probably pretty smart. Either way, join us as we discuss Thomas Welch, the Prohibition Era, and the impact still felt by c…

Church history isn't always as, well, historically reliable as we wish it was. Sometimes the stories of saints and heroes tend to blur the lines between fact and fiction. That would be the case of Saint Dymphna, an Irish-Catholic runaway who sought refuge from her violent father in a small town in Belgium. What's interesting though, is that whether…

It's 1550. A generation has passed since the Reformation swept across Europe like a wildfire. The Catholic Church has launched the Counter-Reformation, a multi-layered initiative to restore the continent to its former Roman glory. One step of this plan in Germany is to recognize the cities that have fallen into the clutches of Lutheranism and coerc…