Podcast Episode 36
Peace of Westphalia
with Dr. David Mayes & host Nick Walters
Welcome to another episode of This Week in Christian History. Each week follows the same format: an interview segment with Nick Walters of the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College, a Deep Dive with a subject matter expert, and two historical highlights tied to this week in Christian history. The purpose of this series is to make the long story of Christianity accessible, searchable, and connected to the events and people who shaped its global development.
Deep Dive interview: Dr. David Mayes on the Peace of Westphalia (October 24, 1648) This week’s Deep Dive features Dr. David Mayes of Sam Houston State University for an in-depth look at the Peace of Westphalia, the 1648 settlement that reshaped Europe after more than a century of conflict rooted in the Protestant Reformation. The treaties negotiated at Münster and Osnabrück brought the Thirty Years’ War to an end, stabilized the Holy Roman Empire’s political and religious landscape, and set patterns for diplomatic negotiation that influenced Europe for generations.
The Peace of Westphalia acknowledged that Europe would remain home to multiple Christian confessions and expanded legal protections for the Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions. It reinforced the authority of territorial rulers, reduced the potential for enforced religious uniformity, and contributed to emerging concepts of sovereignty that helped shape the later international order. For Christian history, Westphalia stands as a major turning point, closing the door on an era of large-scale confessional warfare and clarifying how political boundaries and religious identities would coexist in Europe.
Historical highlight: Philip Schaff (died October 20, 1893) This week also recalls the life and legacy of Philip Schaff, whose scholarship shaped how millions of readers understand church history. Schaff taught at the German Reformed Theological Seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and later at Union Theological Seminary in New York. His eight-volume History of the Christian Church remains one of the most widely used narrative histories in English. He also helped produce the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, the three-volume Creeds of Christendom, and an extensive twenty-eight-volume series on the writings of the early church fathers before and after the Council of Nicea. His work continues to influence Christian study and teaching in seminaries, universities, and churches.
Historical highlight: Constantine’s conversion (October 28, 312)
A second major moment from this week is the traditional dating of Constantine’s conversion on October 28, 312, during his battle against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge near Rome. Early Christian accounts describe Constantine seeing a sign of Christ in the sky that he believed promised victory. While scholars still debate the nature of his conversion, its historical impact is clear. Constantine’s support for Christianity transformed its legal status in the Roman world, opened the door to religious toleration, and shaped the direction of the church for centuries.
About This Week in Christian History
This podcast series connects listeners with the major events, figures, and turning points that shaped Christianity across two thousand years. Each episode pairs a scholarly Deep Dive with weekly events from Christian history, offering an accessible way to learn the story of the church year-round. Whether you are interested in historical context, theological development, or the global growth of Christianity, this series provides a clear pathway into the past.
Photo credit: Gerard ter Borch, The Swearing of the Oath of Ratification of the Treaty of Münster (1648). Public domain image via Google Art Project / Wikimedia Commons.
