
In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores who does the thinking in the Church, tracing the shift in theological leadership from monasteries and monks to the new universities and the friars, especially the Dominicans and Franciscans, who became some of the Church's leading scholars.He explains how figures such as Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas developed Christian doctrine through rigorous debate, while new learning from the Islamicate world, including the rediscovery of Aristotle through Arabic scholarship, provided fresh philosophical tools for expressing the faith.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Aug 25
20 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the growing distinction between state law and canon law strengthened papal authority, illustrated by the conflict between Church and Crown in the case of Thomas Becket and the Church's increasing claim to govern its own affairs.It also examines how Pope Urban II used this new authority to launch the First Crusade to Jerusalem, while the Lateran Councils, especially under Innocent III, consolidated papal leadership, defined key doctrines and practices of the Latin Church, and reinforced the pope's role as the Church's supreme legislator.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Aug 18
24 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the growing struggle for control of the Church between the Pope and Christian monarchs, tracing the shift from imperial oversight in both East and West to the sweeping reforms of the eleventh century.He explains how Pope Gregory VII asserted the Pope as the supreme lawgiver for all Christians, claiming authority over bishops, councils, and even emperors, culminating in the dramatic confrontation with Henry IV at Canossa.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Aug 11
19 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the intriguing story of how Christianity spread into Asia and Africa beyond the control of Constantinople and Rome, taking root through missionaries, trade and local kingdoms while developing a rich diversity of languages, liturgies and theological traditions.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Aug 4
15 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores the rise of a new Frankish dynasty that took charge of the Latin Church, as Charlemagne and his successors forged a close alliance between emperors, popes, and monastic reform while expanding Latin Christianity across Europe.He then traces the growing struggle between imperial and papal authority, showing how reform movements, monastic networks, and evolving claims of papal supremacy reshaped the Western Church.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jul 28
12 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how, between 500 and 750, the pope navigates a changing political landscape, negotiating with emperors in the East while forging new alliances with the emerging dynasties of the Latin West, as Christianity spread through kingdoms, monasteries and pilgrimage to Rome.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jul 21
14 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explore how St Augustine of Hippo made sense of the sack of Rome, presenting the rise and fall of empires within God's universal plan and arguing that the true focus of history is the eternal destiny of individual souls rather than earthly kingdoms.He also examines how the Saxon monk Bede told the story of the Christian mission to the English, weaving together martyrdom, miracles, heresy and missionary witness to portray God's providential work in Britain's history.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jul 14
22 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ explores how the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, theological controversies, and new migrant kingdoms elevated the bishop of Rome into an increasingly significant political and spiritual leader. He concludes with Gregory the Great and his mission to the Saxons through Augustine of Canterbury, showing how it helped establish Christianity in England and expanded Rome's influence in the West.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jul 7
16 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ examines how two Christians tell their version of history from the early centuries through Luke’s Acts of the Apostles and Eusebius’ History of the Church, presenting historical events as part of God’s unfolding plan for humanity.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jun 30
25 min

In this “Theology Unpacked” episode, Dr John Moffatt SJ takes us on a race through the first 400 years of Christianity, tracing its journey in the Roman Empire from a persecuted minority to an imperial faith.He explores how bishops and church councils began to define orthodoxy, establishing shared beliefs and practices across diverse Christian communities. Councils such as First Council of Nicaea and First Council of Constantinople shaped core doctrines, including the Trinity, while the growing influence of the bishop of Rome laid the foundations for the papacy.📚 Explore the wide range of reading materials in the Heythrop Library🤓 Join online or in-person courses at the London Jesuit CentreIf you find our podcasts helpful, please consider donating to the London Jesuit Centre.
Jun 23
20 min
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