FACTS

In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce explores one of the most beautiful and overlooked writings of the early Church — the Epistle to Diognetus. Written in the second century, this anonymous apology offers a stunning portrait of early Christian identity before Constantine, before the great councils, and before Christianity held cultural influence.

What did Christians actually believe about their place in the world?
How did they explain themselves to pagan critics?
And what does it mean that Christians are described as “the soul in the body” of the world?

We’ll examine the historical background of the letter, its theology, its apologetic strategy, and its powerful vision of Christians living as citizens of heaven while dwelling among the nations. Long before Christendom, this text shows us a faith that was confident, distinct, and radically countercultural.

If you want to understand how the earliest Christians saw themselves — and what that means for the Church today — this episode is for you.

#ChurchHistory #EarlyChristianity #EpistleToDiognetus #Patristics #Apologetics #FACTSPodcast

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

Link to the Letter: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm

Is Ash Wednesday apostolic? Medieval? Biblical? Or something in between?

In this special Ash Wednesday episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce examines the historical development of the imposition of ashes, tracing its roots from the biblical symbolism of dust and repentance to the public penitential practices of the early Church, and finally to its formal codification in the medieval West.

Were ashes universally practiced in the early centuries? How did Lent develop into a 40-day fast? Why does the East not observe Ash Wednesday in the same way as the West? And does later liturgical development undermine theological legitimacy?

Rather than sentimentality or polemics, this episode offers careful historical analysis—grounded in Scripture, the Fathers, and liturgical history. Ash Wednesday may not be apostolic in its fixed form, but its symbolism is deeply biblical and its theology profoundly Christian: we are dust, and we stand in need of repentance.

Join Dr. Boyce for a historically grounded exploration of how dust became devotion.

Stephen Boyce and Pat May examine Against Heresies Book III, chapters 3–4 from Irenaeus of Lyons to explore a bold claim: that the early Church could have sustained itself in faith and practice even if the apostles had never left written texts.According to Irenaeus, the apostolic tradition was deposited in the successors of the apostles and preserved publicly in the churches. So much so that even illiterate “barbarians,” without a Bible in hand, were able to refute heretics by holding fast to the rule of faith they had received.#SolaTraditio #TraditionAlone #MissingSola #ReformationDebate #ChurchHistory #EarlyChurch #Irenaeus #AgainstHeresies #apostolictradition Link to Irenaeus: https://ccel.org/ccel/irenaeus/against_heresies_iii/anf01.ix.iv.v.htmlIf you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

In this co-recorded discussion with Susan Sonna, we take a careful, historically grounded look at Origen of Alexandria, cutting through centuries of caricature and polemics to ask a more basic question: Who was Origen actually, and how should the Church understand his legacy?Rather than treating Origen as either a misunderstood saint or a condemned heretic, this conversation focuses on primary sources, historical context, and reception history. We explore Origen’s role as a foundational biblical exegete, his influence on the Nicene Fathers, and the crucial distinction between Origen’s own theology and the later Origenist controversies that erupted centuries after his death.Special attention is given to: • Origen’s method of biblical interpretation • His Christology and doctrine of the eternal Word • How figures like Athanasius and the Cappadocians engaged him • The difference between speculative exercises and settled doctrine • And why later condemnations often reflect sixth-century debates, not third-century realitiesThe goal of the discussion is not to rehabilitate Origen uncritically, but to redeem the historical conversation—to read him as the early Church read him: critically, appreciatively, and with theological discernment.This episode is for listeners who want a more precise, historically responsible account of Origen, beyond soundbites and inherited assumptions.If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

I joined John DeRosa on Classical Theism to discuss the reliability and authorship of the Pastoral Epistles—1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus—and why the traditional view that St. Paul wrote them remains historically strong.

In this conversation we walk through:

How I got into New Testament textual criticism and early patristic sources

What the “Pastorals” are and why scholars group them together

Modern scholarly views on the Pauline corpus

The earliest evidence for Pauline authorship (and why it matters)

Major objections: vocabulary, church structure, and “developed theology”

Additional lines of evidence often ignored in popular treatments

Permission granted to share this interview on my channel. Here is the interview on John's Channel: https://www.classicaltheism.com/facts/

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7