Jan 18, 2024
John Calvin is one of the major figures of the Protestant Reformation, famous for his doctrine of pre-destination. This episode covers his time in Geneva, and how he turned that city into a grim and terrifying experiment in theocracy. It is also the story of Protestants burning a heretic at the stake, in a...
Oct 25, 2023
In this episode we cover the unlikely journey of one young man from earnest Augustinian monk to rebel reformer. Martin Luther ignited a firestorm of existing anti-clerical sentiment across Europe, with results that would change Europe and the Western Christian Church forever.
Jul 10, 2023
What is the Protestant Reformation and why does it matter? To begin to understand how thoroughly it has shaped Western Europe and North America we must travel back in time to see the world as it was before the Reformation. This episode is all about the Middle Ages, when an emperor braved the Alps in winter to appeal...
Jan 11, 2023
1492 was a year that changed everything. In Castile, it was the end of the Reconquista, as Isabella and Ferdinand ended a decade long war with a triumphant ride through the streets of Granada. It was also the year they signed the Alhambra Decree, which banished all Jews from Castile, and it was the beginning of the...
Dec 18, 2022
You have probably heard of the Spanish Inquisition, even if only from a certain Monty Python sketch. The truth about why it was started and for what purpose will probably surprise you. In this episode we take a close look at the episodes in Spanish history that prepared the way for the Inquisition. We also examine...