Where Did Bishops Come From

This Week in Church History

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6d ago 21:31

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In this compelling 20-minute episode, host Professor Rachel Chen sits down with Bishop Andy Lewter, a Harvard-trained church historian and serving bishop, to explore one of Christianity's most consequential developments—the emergence of the office of bishop as we know it today.

Journey through the crucial period between 96-254 CE as they discuss five pivotal figures who shaped the office of bishop at the close of the first century AD/CE:

Clement of Rome - who first articulated apostolic succession as a legal chain of authority
Ignatius of Antioch - whose passionate letters made the bishop essential to church life ("where the bishop is, there is the church")
Irenaeus of Lyons - who transformed succession into a guarantee of doctrinal truth against Gnostic heresy
Tertullian of Carthage - the brilliant lawyer who both defended and ultimately revolted against episcopal authority
Origen of Alexandria - who insisted that spiritual worthiness and learning matter as much as institutional office

The conversation traces how these early principles shaped Christianity through Constantine's empire, Charlemagne's kingdom, the East-West Schism, the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and into our modern era.

Bishop Lewter brings unique insight as both scholar and practitioner, revealing how these ancient debates about authority, unity, and truth remain urgently relevant across Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions today. Whether your church has bishops or not, you're still wrestling with the questions these church fathers first articulated.

Perfect for: Church history enthusiasts, theology students, clergy, and anyone curious about how Christianity's leadership structures developed and why they still matter.

13 episodes

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