Catholic Culture Podcasts
Catholic Culture Podcasts

How Clericalism Happened: A Tale of Theodosius

By Mike Aquilina ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 09, 2022 | In Way of the Fathers (Podcast)

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When asked what’s wrong with the Church, commentators from Pope Francis to Russell Shaw will blame an elusive beast named “clericalism.” But what is clericalism, and where did it come from? In this episode we track the beast to its birthplace, the Church of the fourth century. Our native guides are Augustine, John Chrysostom, and others—who offer us good counsel for defeating it in our own time.

LINKS

Anonymous, The Epistle to Diognetus https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm

Minucius Felix, Octavius https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0410.htm

Joseph Carola, S.J., Augustine of Hippo: The Role of the Laity in Ecclesial Reconciliation https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Hippo-Ecclesial-Reconciliation-Gregoriana/dp/8878390232/

Mike Aquilina’s website https://fathersofthechurch.com

Mike Aquilina’s books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/

Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org

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Mike Aquilina is a popular author working in the area of Church history, especially patristics. He is executive vice-president and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a contributing editor of Angelus (magazine) and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History Series from Ave Maria Press. See full bio.

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  • Posted by: feedback - Mar. 09, 2022 2:23 PM ET USA

    What a delightful and well researched lecture! Thank you! Pope Francis keeps condemning "clericalism" (along with Catholic "rigidity" and Catholic "proselytism") but I'm not sure if he talks about the same thing which St. John Chrysostom condemned.

  • Posted by: feedback - Mar. 09, 2022 2:23 PM ET USA

    What a delightful and well researched lecture! Thank you! Pope Francis keeps condemning "clericalism" (along with Catholic "rigidity" and Catholic "proselytism") but I'm not sure if he talks about the same thing which St. John Chrysostom condemned.