Church History, Volume 3 (of 3)

This volume turns the listener’s ear toward the tangled web of 17th‑century church politics, where the ambitions of Rome, the hopes of Reformed thinkers, and the steadfast traditions of the Eastern churches collide. It sketches the bold, often doomed, Catholic missions among the Turks, Greeks, and Abyssinians, while also following the daring Calvinist overtures that sought to bridge the divide between Geneva and Constantinople. Through vivid episodes—Jesuit envoys, exiled patriarchs, and royal intrigues—the narrative reveals how religious conviction was repeatedly tested by the shifting sands of empire and intrigue.

The book then follows the Orthodox response, highlighting the rise of an independent Russian patriarchate and the theological defenses crafted by figures such as Peter Mogilas. Synods and confessional statements become the stage for fierce debates over doctrine, Eucharistic theology, and the limits of ecumenical compromise. Listeners will come away with a nuanced picture of a century in which faith, politics, and cultural identity were inextricably intertwined.