FACTS

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce and PhD candidate, James Gilbert, examine Gavin Ortlund’s claims that infant baptism and icon veneration are later accretions rather than apostolic practices. As a Catholic and Orthodox team, we walk through Scripture, the early Church Fathers, archaeology, and conciliar history to show that these traditions are rooted deeply in the first centuries of Christianity. If you’re exploring the early Church, apostolic succession, baptismal theology, or the role of sacred images in worship, this conversation is for you.Here is the link to Gavin's Video on Infant Baptism: https://youtu.be/3WE0Ea2ke_c?si=pnQTfv524Ce7B5zVHere is his link to Icons and Nicaea II: https://youtu.be/aoU4PO5d6kQ?si=jjsfAhB36x6J4F1CHere is a link to Nicaea II Documents: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum07.htmIf 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 episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce explores the remarkable story of Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII — from alliance to captivity, and finally to forgiveness at death. After imprisoning the pontiff and waging political war against the Papal States, Napoleon spent his final years exiled on St. Helena. Yet in one of history’s most unexpected turns, the same Pope he once humiliated would later restore Napoleon to the Catholic Church on his deathbed. We trace the breakdown of Franco-Vatican relations, the French occupation of Rome, Pius VII’s steadfast resistance, and the extraordinary act of mercy that reunited the emperor with the Church at the end of his life. A story of power, pride, exile, and grace — and why Napoleon died a reconciled Catholic.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

In this final episode of our series on the Seven Ecumenical Councils, Stephen Boyce and Pat May examine the Second Council of Nicaea (787) — the council that defended the veneration of icons and grounded sacred images in the Incarnation of Christ.We walk through the historical background of Byzantine iconoclasm, the political and theological tensions leading up to the council, and Nicaea II’s crucial distinction between veneration (proskynesis) and worship (latreia). The episode explains why the Church affirmed icons as a confession of the Incarnation rather than a lapse into idolatry.Along the way, we discuss early Christian Gospel manuscripts, the role of material culture in Christian worship, papal involvement at Nicaea II, and why this council remains a major dividing line between Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestant traditions.This episode brings the series to a close by showing how Christology, authority, Scripture, and sacred art come together in one of the most misunderstood councils in Church history.Link to the document: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum07.htmIf 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

What is Monothelitism, and why did the Sixth Ecumenical Council condemn it as heresy?In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce examines the Third Council of Constantinople (680–681) and its decisive rejection of Monothelitism—the teaching that Jesus Christ has only one will. He will explain why the Church affirmed that Christ possesses two wills, divine and human, and why this doctrine is essential for preserving Christ’s full humanity and the reality of human obedience in salvation.What we cover: • What Monothelitism is and why it was promoted as a theological “compromise” • How the Sixth Ecumenical Council defined two wills and two operations in Christ • Why Pope Honorius I was condemned for negligence rather than dogmatic teaching • How Pope Leo II confirmed the council’s judgment from Rome • What this council reveals about conciliar authority, papal responsibility, and episcopal accountability#EcumenicalCouncils #PapalAuthority #HonoriusI#Monothelitism #FACTSPodcast Additional Links for more Information:Erick Ybarra: https://www.patreon.com/collection/1283607?utm_campaign=collectionshare_creatorMichael Lofton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIIW_Me9zIshttps://youtube.com/live/F5MwBdUbEYU?feature=share

Kirk Cameron’s recent comments on hell have reignited a long-standing debate within Christianity: Is hell eternal conscious torment, annihilation, or something else entirely?In this episode of FACTS, Stephen Boyce moves beyond modern soundbites and return to the early Church Fathers to examine what the earliest Christians actually taught about judgment, punishment, and the fate of the wicked. We explore how early Christian writers used biblical language such as “death,” “destruction,” “fire,” and “eternal,” and whether that language supports eternal conscious torment, annihilationism (conditional immortality), or a more complex historical picture.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