Where Did All The Nice Come From?

St. Nicholas of Myra slapping Arius – (legend) of the Council of Nicaea 325

As I am working through the many preserved writings of the ancient and early Church on various theological and disciplinary disputes, such as the back-and-forth on the Nestorian controversy, the Monophysite controversy, or even the early dispute over which date to celebrate Pascha, I could not help but to be struck, from watching this brief interview of Bishop Robert Barron, by the stark difference in language from these ancient Saints and Doctors and the modern intellectuals of the Church when it comes to diversity in the Church. The men of old had strong, vivid, and what seems overly-presumptuous language which calls others out to stand condemned. Today, we are more worried about not stepping on anyone’s toes.