Church History for Chumps

Blah blah Byzantines, blah blah Seljuks, when do we get to the FIGHTING???
How about NOW. 
Well, sorta. 
Finally our story finds us back in the West, where Pope Urban II will stir affections far and wide, compelling the feudal Franks to storm the Holy Land. 
But what were the motivations of these war-hungry comrades? Fame? Piety? Dollar bills?? You'll have to tune in to find out.
You'll also find out all about skull shavers, Myrtle Beach, and whether golfing is cool yet (it's not). 
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Everyone loves a romance story. The initial flirting, then falling in love, then holding an ecumenical council where you promise to always love each other. 
But alas, then comes...the breakup. 
As we continue to set the stage for the Crusades, we are forced to answer one crucial question. Why don't the Byzantines and Western Christians like each other anymore? :( 
The answer is (probably) more complex than you'd think. So grab some popcorn and buckle up as we guide you through the messiest breakup in church history. 
Also, John talks about his new favorite theology teacher, Gavin Ortlund. Gavin if you're reading this, please be a guest on our show. You're a cool guy. 
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You know what they say: if you can't join them, beat them. 
And we're not taking any more cohosts on our show unfortunately. So if you want to get into the CRAZY LUCRATIVE world of church history, you're gonna have to start your own podcast. 
But don't actually do that, we can't really afford any more competition if we want to be financially stable anytime soon...
Anyways. 
This episode of chump talk dives into how we go about researching our topics, from finding reputable sources to sifting through the propaganda that pretends that it's real history. 
Also we talk about boy dinner, which sounds weird when you say it, Taylor. 
Bon appetit! 
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Today we discuss the third major character of our series on the Crusades, the mighty Byzantine Empire. 
Well...once mighty, that is. 
For centuries, the Byzantines have been tied up in military skirmishes with foes such as the Persians, Franks, and Seljuk Turks. 
Join us as Tom leads the gang through the highs and lows in the story of the Eastern Christian empire as we continue marching towards the dawn of the Crusades. 
We're always proud to be your favorite podcast to do laundry to. Thanks for listening! 
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Welcome to Islamic History for Chumps!
Wait a second, that's not right. *checks notes*
Welcome to week two of our long, loooong journey into the Crusades This week we'll discuss the second major character of this era, the Islamic armies. 
As we'll discuss in the episode, it's not quite as simple as discussing one Islamic group, as they existed across a wide spectrum ethnically, theologically, and culturally. So we've got a lot of ground to cover.
Be sure to head back to Episode 110 to hear the first episode of our Crusades series if you haven't already. 
And drop us a comment if you feel like being nice! 
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