Podcast Episode 38
John Carroll Becomes
First Catholic Bishop of the US
with host Nick Walters
Episode 38 of This Week in Christian History brings together the familiar three-part structure that defines the series: an interview with Nick Walters, founder of the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College; a Deep Dive segment with a subject-matter expert; and two historical highlights drawn from this same week across the timeline of global Christianity. This episode focuses on John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States and the founder of Georgetown University. Although this description does not summarize the content of the podcast itself, it provides expanded context, background detail, and historical depth surrounding the people and events connected to the episode, supporting viewers who want to explore Christian history more broadly.
The Deep Dive features doctoral candidate Theodore Madrid of Hillsdale College. Madrid’s work engages with early American Catholic history, political thought, and the development of Catholic institutions in the new republic. His appearance offers an opportunity to place John Carroll within the broader environment of the early United States, a time when questions of religious liberty, denominational identity, and the structure of church leadership were still unsettled. Carroll’s appointment in 1789 as the first bishop of the United States marked a turning point: it unified scattered Catholic communities, established a stable ecclesiastical structure, and contributed to the founding of institutions that would shape American Catholic life for centuries.
John Carroll’s legacy reaches beyond church organization. He founded Georgetown University in 1789, the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher education in the United States. Carroll’s educational vision blended classical training, moral formation, and a commitment to shaping leaders capable of contributing to the civic and intellectual life of the nation. The Deep Dive explores the era, its challenges, and the context surrounding Carroll’s work without summarizing the discussion itself; this historical background helps viewers understand the importance of Carroll’s leadership within early American Christianity and the growth of the Catholic Church in a new and religiously diverse republic.
This Week in Christian History also brings two significant highlights from different centuries. On November 4, 1928, A. W. Tozer began his ministry. Tozer, who had only a sixth-grade formal education, became a self-taught theologian, devotional writer, and preacher whose influence continues today. His book "The Pursuit of God" remains one of the most widely read works in evangelical spirituality. According to accounts from those who knew him, Tozer wrote the entire manuscript of that book during an overnight train ride, working only with a Bible, a notebook, and a few pencils. He was known for spending three hours a day in prayer, preparing his heart and mind for writing and preaching. His commitment to personal devotion and spiritual depth made him an enduring figure in twentieth-century Christian thought.
Our second highlight comes from the Reformation era. On November 9, 1572, John Knox preached his final sermon. Knox was a central figure in the Scottish Reformation and played a crucial role in the development of Presbyterian identity and theology. His decades of preaching at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh helped shape both Scottish religious life and later Presbyterian movements around the world. Knox died fifteen days after that final sermon, closing a chapter in Reformation history while leaving a legacy that would influence Presbyterian and Reformed traditions from Scotland to North America.
Together, the interview with Nick Walters, the Deep Dive with Theodore Madrid, and the weekly highlights on A. W. Tozer and John Knox create a wide-ranging look at Christian history across several centuries. This episode connects early American Catholic leadership, the founding of Georgetown University, the Scottish Reformation, and modern evangelical devotional writing, giving viewers many entry points for exploring Christian stories that continue to shape church life today. By bringing these different periods together, This Week in Christian History offers a rich context for anyone interested in the history of Christianity, influential Christian leaders, and the development of faith traditions in the United States and beyond.
Photo credit: Image of the John Carroll statue at Georgetown University courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Patrickneil, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
