Church History

When it comes to the history of Christianity, the Catholic Church makes a pretty bold claim: that the earliest Christians were Catholics—and that their beliefs and practices have continued unbroken all the way to the present-day Church. But the...

What Did Early Christians Really Believe? The Answer Will Surprise and Amaze You!The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church is a unique resource that introduces you to the teachings of the first Christians in a way...

From the cross Jesus gave us his mother to be our mother, too: a singularly holy model, consoler, and intercessor for our spiritual journey. Yet most Protestants—and too many Catholics—don’t understand the role that God wants her to...

Many Protestants call themselves “Bible Christians”—in contrast with Catholics, who ignore the Bible because they have the Church instead. Too many Catholics have taken this mistaken assumption for granted. We don’t have to...

The papacy is no stranger to controversy. In many ways it’s Catholicism’s defining doctrine—but also its most divisive. From medieval pontiffs who acted like princes to a modern pope whose every casual statement sets off a social-media...

Common Sense About the Common Good Pope Leo XIII wrote of the “harvest of misery” that socialism brings. Pius XI said that it’s impossible to be a good Catholic and a good socialist. John Paul II spent his papacy combating...

We seem to be living in an age of insanity. Crimes against children, born and unborn; marriage defiled and redefined; the madness of transgenderism; the looming terror of trans-human-ism . . . the list goes on and on. And it’s getting uglier out...

Ask Catholics about the crisis in the Church today and you’ll often get one of two responses: The end is upon us! or Everything’s fine—the Holy Spirit is in charge! Neither of those attitudes makes sense from the perspective of history,...

We’ve grown way too comfortable with the story of Jesus. Nice man, right? Taught us to love one another. Said not to judge people. Tragically killed by his enemies. We celebrate his birthday every year. It’s time to put away this small, safe...

The Men Were the MissionOne, holy, Catholic… and apostolic Church? Catholics often overlook that last part. And Protestants tend to downplay its importance, treating the apostles as accidental byproducts of Jesus’ ministry rather than key...

What if there’s a better Christian religion than Catholicism? One that has true apostolic doctrines, a more beautiful and ancient liturgy, and freedom from all that “pope” baggage—and valid sacraments, too. That’s what...

How can the Crusades be called “glorious”? Our modern mindset says they were ugly wars of greed and religious intolerance—a big reason why Christians and Muslims today can’t coexist peacefully. Historian Steve Weidenkopf...