ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Bill and Rich introduce Collars and Calluses and begin a series shifting from Proverbs to ecclesiology, responding to online “ortho bro” and Roman Catholic apologetics urging Protestants to convert. Drawing on decades of pastoral experience and personal study, they argue that both Rome and the East market stability, certainty, masculinity, and unbroken historical continuity, but that church history is messy, diverse, and contested. They contend Protestantism can affirm true believers and visible-church status in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy without identifying a single denomination as the true church, and they critique papal and conciliar claims, the Filioque dispute, and selective appeals to church fathers. They preview a historical flyover from the ante-Nicene era through early councils and urge listeners—especially young men—not to convert based on vibes, but to read and do the work.
For questions: collarsandcalluses@gmail.com. Bill on X: @wrs2_. Rich on X: @Vicar1973.