The Post Nicene Church Fathers

This engaging podcast episode features Dr. Rachel Chen and Bishop Andy Lewter exploring the profound contributions of seven pivotal Post-Nicene Church Fathers who shaped early Christianity following the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The conversation illuminates how Athanasius defended Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism through multiple exiles, how John Chrysostom's "golden mouth" combined powerful preaching with fearless advocacy for the poor, and how Jerome's Vulgate translation became the standard Latin Bible for over a millennium. The discussion highlights Ambrose of Milan's remarkable journey from unbaptized governor to influential bishop who challenged imperial power, Basil the Great's theological refinement of Trinitarian doctrine alongside his pioneering social welfare work, Eusebius's invaluable preservation of early church history despite his theological ambiguities, and Augustine of Hippo's towering intellectual legacy encompassing everything from spiritual autobiography to political theology and the doctrine of grace. Throughout the conversation, both scholars emphasize how these diverse figures—fighter, preacher, scholar, statesman, organizer, historian, and philosopher—collectively transformed Christianity from a persecuted minority into a dominant religious and intellectual force while acknowledging their human flaws and the ongoing relevance of their insights for contemporary Christian faith and practice.

Episode Description:

What happened between the Old and New Testaments? Discover the dramatic 400-year period that transformed the biblical world from Persian rule to Roman occupation, from a modest temple to Herod's architectural wonder, and from religious unity to competing Jewish sects.

Join Professor Rachel Chen and Harvard-trained church historian Bishop Andy Lewter as they trace the epic story from Alexander the Great's Hellenistic revolution through the Maccabean Revolt, the rise and corruption of the Hasmonean Dynasty, and Herod the Great's ruthless climb to power. Learn how Antiochus IV's persecution sparked a guerrilla war led by the priest Mattathias and his sons, establishing Jewish independence celebrated today as Hanukkah.

Explore why synagogues, rabbis, the Sanhedrin, and major Jewish sects like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots—all absent from the Old Testament—dominate the New Testament landscape. Understand how Roman roads, Greek language, and diaspora communities became divine instruments for spreading the gospel.

This episode reveals why those "silent" centuries weren't silent at all, but rather God's orchestration of world history to prepare for the perfect moment when "the fullness of time had come."

Perfect for: Bible students, history enthusiasts, church leaders, seminary students, and anyone seeking deeper understanding of the New Testament's historical context.

Key Topics: Inter-Testamental Period, Alexander the Great, Hellenism, Maccabean Revolt, Hanukkah, Hasmonean Dynasty, Herod the Great, Jewish sects, Roman occupation

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.