TSP 33: Interview with Historian Andrew Jones on the History of Papal Resignations

Recently I spoke with Dr. Andrew Jones, a Church historian with Logos Bible Software, on the history of papal resignations. Jones does a fantastic job, surveying all the evidence, beginning with the early Church.

He was nice enough to provide an outline, which you'll find posted below.

This is the most thorough overview you'll find in a single podcast. I hope you enjoy it! Leave your comments below!

Listen on iTunes or click the link below.
TSP 33: Interview with Historian Andrew Jones on the History of Papal Resignations

1. Early Church - Problem: Persecution
1. St. Potian, 230-235: Maybe abdicated before being martyred, but the evidence is shaky.
2. St. Marcellinus, 296-304: There is some evidence he abdicated after offering sacrifice to idols and before being martyred, but there is other evidence that he did not.
3. Liberius, 352-366: There is some evidence that he abdicated while in exile. This, though, is slight and can be interpreted otherwise.
4. St. Martin I, 649-655: Odd situation. Martin was the last of the martyr popes. He was exiled and Eugenius I was elected while he was still alive.
2. 11th Century - Problem: Secular Power and Corruption
1. Benedict IX (e. 1032) and Gregory VI (1045-6) – very dramatic series of abdications and depositions. Resulting ultimately in the intervention of the Emperor and the establishment of the Reform party. Benedict IX appears on the list of popes three times.
2. The Reform party set up for the first time a process by which the cardinals would chose the pope—trying to stop these sorts of things from happening.
3. 14th Century - Problem: the Papal Monarchy, the College of Cardinals, and the Rise of the National Kingdoms.
1. The Construction of the Papal Monarchy: large, centralized institution throughout Europe.
2. The College of Cardinals: they became very powerful and important, a part of the papacy.
3. The Problem of Papal Vacancies: the see was vacant for 13 years between 1241 and 1316. The Cardinals couldn’t decide, couldn’t compromise.
4. The Invention of the Conclave (it’s initial failure to work), 1274
5. Election and Abdication of Celestine V in 1294: he was a compromise candidate who was elected to end a two year conclave.
6. Boniface VIII and the Avignon papacy
7. The Western Schism and Conciliarism
8. The Council of Constance and the abdication of Gregory XII in 1415 to end the Schism.
9. Election of Martin V in 1417 and the end of the medieval Papacy and the start of the Renaissance papacy.

TSP 32: Leroy Huizenga on Hildegard of Bingen, a New Doctor of the Church

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI made headlines when he added a new name to the official list of figures given the title "Doctor of the Church": St. Hildegard of Bingen. Who was she? Why did the Holy Father choose to declare her a doctor of the Church at this time?

In this episode of The Sacred Page Podcast I am joined with Leroy Huizenga who has done a good deal of work on St. Hildegard.  At the Society of Biblical Literature last year, he presented a paper entitled, "St. Hildegard of Bingen's Premodern and Postmodern Paul." In fact, for a fantastic overview of St. Hildegard, see this excellent piece written by Leroy over at First Things. 

As you'll learn here, she fought heretics, but opposed burning them at the stake; she wrote the only surviving medical treatise of her time; she related visions of Christ. . . in short, St. Hildegard was a truly fascinating figure!

Dr. Huizenga is Professor of Scripture at the University of St. Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he also serves as the Director of the Christian Leadership Center. To learn more about him and his work, check out his website. Also, I'd encourage you to follow him on Twitter: @LHuizenga

(This podcast was recorded before Christmas. Due to some technical issues, it is only being posted today, which is an appropriate day for it to go up--January 8th is Leroy's birthday. Happy birthday, Leroy and thanks for coming on the show!)

Listen on iTunes or click the link below.

Your comments are welcome as always in the comment box. 

TSP 32: Leroy Huizenga on Hildegard of Bingen, a New Doctor of the Church

TSP 31: Epiphany: Who were the Magi and what was the Christmas Star?

Who were the magi (Philosophers, Persians, Arabs, Babylonians)? What was the star that guided them (comet, constellation, or angel)? What is the significance of their gifts? What connection is there between the birth of the Messiah and the arrival of Gentiles?

This podcast is completely devoted to the story of the Epiphany. What is this feast? How is related to Jesus' baptism and the wedding feast at Cana in Church tradition? Find out here.

As always, you can listen on iTunes or click the link below and, as always, your comments are welcome in the comment box below.

TSP 31: Epiphany: Who were the Magi and what was the Christmas Star?

TSP 30: Herod and the Slaughter of the Innocents: The Rest of the Story

Today the Church remembers the slaughter of the innocents, Herod's savage massacre of all the children two years and younger in the region of Bethlehem after Jesus' birth. The story is recounted in Matthew 2.

Who was Herod? How did he become king? How were the Romans involved in Palestinian political affairs? Understanding the historical backdrop of first-century Judea helps us put the story in perspective. It also reveals its historical plausibility. This podcast will give you the complete run down.

I hope you enjoy it!

As always, you can listen on iTunes or click the link below and, as always, your comments are welcome in the comment box below.

TSP 30: TSP 30: Herod and the Slaughter of the Innocents: The Rest of the Story

St Stephen: Deacon, Martyr, Theological Genius (Special TSP Podcast)

Today our focus--as it should be--is on Christmas. Tomorrow we continue to celebrate the Christmas season, but, as we do that, we celebrate the Feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church.

Why is he so important that he is the follow-up to Christmas Day?

I've always had a fascination with St. Stephen. Over on the right you can see a picture of me standing at the traditional site of his burial site in Rome. So I couldn't let December 26th go by without posting some thoughts on this great figure from the Acts of the Apostles.

Learn more in this special podcast.

Listen on iTunes or click the link below.

As always, we welcome your comments below.

Merry Christmas!

St. Stephen: Deacon, Martyr, Theological Genius (Podcast for 12/26/12)

St. Stephen TSP Podcast

TSP 29: The First Christmas: The History and Theology of Jesus' Birth in Matthew and Luke

With Christmas upon us, The Sacred Page Podcast turns to look at the birth narrative of Jesus in Matthew and Luke.

Are the infancy narratives hopelessly contradictory? Were they simply invented out of whole cloth? Why are there so many hymns in Luke 1-2? Why did Luke not tell us about Magi? Why did Joseph seek to divorce Mary? Was he really suspicious of her?

Find out the answers to these and many other questions in this podcast.

For more on Joseph, see this post.

Listen on iTunes or click the link below.

Your comments are welcome as always in the comment box. 

TSP 29: The First Christmas: The History and Theology of Jesus' Birth in Matthew and Luke

"Widows, Miracles and Sacrifice" (Sunday Readings Podcast for 11/11/12)

This Sunday we turn to the story of the widow's mite. Notably, we read this story against the backdrop of a miracle worked by Elijah and the Epistle to the Hebrews. [Readings here]

Who was Elijah? Why was he important? How do the Gospels portray Jesus as a New Elijah? How does the reading from the Gospel relate to the first and second readings?

Learn about all that in more in this brief podcast.

Listen on iTunes or click the link below.

As always, we welcome your comments below.

"Widows, Miracles and Sacrifice" (Sunday Readings Podcast for 11/11/12)