Podcast Episode 9
Council of Trent
with Dr. Edwin Woodruff Tait & host Nick Walters
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This Week in Christian History offers its weekly combination of historical insight, expert conversation, and global Christian memory. Every episode follows a consistent structure: an interview with Nick Walters, founder and director of the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College; a Deep Dive with a subject-matter expert; and two verified historical highlights from the same week. This familiar format anchors each episode in reliable, accessible storytelling shaped by the mission of the Center.
The Deep Dive in this episode focuses on the beginning of the Council of Trent, one of the most influential church councils in the entire sweep of Christian history. To help guide the discussion, Nick is joined by Dr. Edwin Woodruff Tait of the Christian History Institute, whose work in historical interpretation and editorial leadership brings clarity to major turning points in Christian tradition.
Rather than recounting the episode’s conversation, it is important simply to situate the opening of Trent within its broader historical impact. Convened in the sixteenth century, the council became a defining moment for global Christianity. Its early sessions took shape during a period marked by controversy, division, and calls for reform, and the decisions made there eventually shaped theology, worship, education, and the structure of Christian life for generations. The council addressed questions about Scripture and authority, clarified major points of doctrine, and initiated reforms that influenced pastoral training, the development of seminaries, and the standardization of liturgy. Its effects were felt not only in Europe but across emerging mission fields as Christian communities expanded worldwide. Whether one studies global Christianity, theology, art, education, or ecclesiastical life, the long shadow of the Council of Trent remains unmistakable, and its beginnings continue to attract the interest of historians seeking to understand how Christian tradition develops over time.
This episode also includes two highlights from the same week in Christian history. The first is April 12, 1850, the day Adoniram Judson died after decades of missionary service in Burma. As the first American missionary to Burma, his work in language, translation, and ministry helped build the roots of Burmese Christianity. His wife Ann is honored through Judson College in Alabama, and the community of Judsonia, Arkansas, reflects the family’s enduring legacy.
The second highlight recalls April 7, 2007, when Johnny Hart, the creator of the B.C. comic strip, passed away. Hart’s widely syndicated daily comics reached millions of readers, and in the latter part of his life he used that reach to communicate Christian themes. Some objected to the religious content, but his commitment to expressing his beliefs through a popular medium has led some to describe him as possibly the most-read Christian author of the twentieth century.
This podcast is produced by Blue & Gold Media and Mississippi College students in partnership with the Center for Christian History. Each week’s episode contributes to the Center’s goal of preserving, presenting, and exploring the Christian past for churches, educators, students, and the wider public.
Image citation: Pasquale Cati da Iesi, “The Council of Trent,” public domain image, via Wikimedia Commons.
