Explaining the Catholic Church

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the Catholic Church's 2000-year evolution from Constantine through modernity, examining its role in shaping Western civilization amid profound historical transformations. -- SPONSOR: ZCASH | SHOPIFY The right technology reshapes politics and culture toward freedom and prosperity. Zcash—the "machinery of freedom"—delivers unstoppable private money through encryption. When your wealth is unseen, it's unseizable. Download Zashi wallet and follow @genzcash to learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/genzcash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at ⁠https://shopify.com/cognitive⁠ -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:39) The Catholic Church's 2000-Year Legacy (13:52) Sponsors: Zcash | Shopify (17:53) Constantine and the Christianization of Rome (32:00) St. Augustine and the Fall of Rome (37:00) The Dark Ages: Fathers of the Church (59:53) The High Middle Ages Renaissance (73:49) The Papal-Imperial Conflict (82:06) The Babylonian Captivity and Italian Renaissance (86:27) Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation (94:00) Counter-Reformation and the Turn Against Science (102:00) Descartes, Enlightenment, and the Death of the Mystic (107:00) Napoleon, 19th Century, and Modernity (114:27) The Future: Third World Growth and Protestant vs. Catholic (123:00) Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices