Summary: I talk with the man who helped me get this whole podcast started, Craig Fickle. Craig talks about the early church and its shift towards seeking power through the sword and government. 0:00:00 My Introduction 0:4:00- Craig's Introduction 0:11:20 - Why should we care about the early church? 0:21:00 - What are some of the biggest differences between the Antenicene Church and the Post-Constantinian Church? 0:28:00 - Did Constantine change the church overnight, or was he just watering the seeds latent in the church? 0:38:10 - What is the Donatist Controversy and how does it inform our discussion of empire, orthodoxy, and ecumenicism? 0:49:45 - Are the Donatists or the Post-Constantinians the true/best representation of the true church? 0:56:15 - How do we know what orthodoxy is and what aspects of the faith handed down to us is the winners writing orthodoxy/history? 1:09:00 - What did disputes in the church look like prior to having access to the sword of the state? 1:013:45 - How has the power of the sword influenced our world today? What might the world look like today if Christians didn't bear the sword? 1:24:20 - Closing thoughts: The church changed, but empire remained the same.
