Podcast Episode 56
The Real St Patrick
with Dr. Elva Johnston & host Nick Walters
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Separating fact from fiction is one of the greatest challenges when studying the life of St. Patrick, the fifth-century missionary traditionally credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
In this episode of This Week in Christian History, we explore the life, legacy, and historical impact of Patrick, whose story blends captivity, calling, and missionary perseverance. Born in Roman Britain in the late fourth century, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders as a teenager and enslaved for several years. During that time he experienced a deep religious awakening that would shape the rest of his life. After escaping captivity and returning home, Patrick eventually sensed a call to return to Ireland—not as a slave, but as a Christian missionary determined to bring the Gospel to the people who had once held him in bondage.
Patrick’s ministry unfolded during a pivotal moment in the history of Christianity. The Roman world was undergoing enormous political transformation, and the church was spreading beyond its earlier centers in the Mediterranean. Ireland, never part of the Roman Empire, presented unique challenges and opportunities for Christian missionaries. Patrick’s writings, especially his Confession and Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, remain among the most important firsthand sources for understanding the development of early Christianity in the British Isles.
This week’s episode of This Week in Christian History features three segments designed to highlight important people and moments in the history of Christianity.
The episode includes an interview with Nick Walters, founder of the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College. In this conversation, Walters reflects on how figures such as Patrick help us understand the broader development of Christian missions, the spread of the church beyond the Roman world, and the ways personal faith and historical events intersect in shaping Christian history.
The Deep Dive segment features Dr. Elva Johnston, Associate Professor of Early Medieval History at University College Dublin. Dr. Johnston is a leading scholar of early Irish Christianity and the early medieval history of Ireland and Britain. Her research focuses on the cultural and religious transformations that accompanied the spread of Christianity in Ireland and the wider Irish Sea region. Through her work, she helps illuminate the historical Patrick and the context in which Christianity took root across Ireland during the early medieval period.
The episode also highlights two important historical moments from the same week in Christian history.
One highlight examines Cyril of Jerusalem, the fourth-century bishop whose Catechetical Lectures became one of the most influential instructional texts used to prepare new converts for baptism in the early church. Cyril lived during a time of intense theological debate and political conflict within Christianity, and his writings provide valuable insight into Christian doctrine and worship during the fourth century.
Another highlight looks at the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 in Los Angeles. Associated with preacher William J. Seymour, the meetings at the Azusa Street Mission sparked a revival movement that helped launch modern Pentecostalism. The revival attracted believers from many backgrounds and quickly spread across the United States and around the world, becoming one of the most significant religious movements of the twentieth century.
These moments remind us that Christian history stretches across centuries and continents—from the missionary work of Patrick in early medieval Ireland to revival movements that reshaped global Christianity in the modern era.
This Week in Christian History is produced by the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College, a trusted portal for Christian history committed to safeguarding and sharing the real story of the Church — for both the curious and the committed.
