How Forgery Built the Church’s Power (And Got Exposed by a Librarian)

Imagine a document so powerful it gave the pope divine authority over kings and no one questioned it for 700 years. It claimed to be from Constantine the Great himself. It was quoted, revered, and used to justify centuries of papal rule.There’s just one problem: It was completely fake.In this episode, we uncover the wild true story of the Donation of Constantine, the most influential forgery in Church history, and the unlikely hero who exposed it: a Renaissance linguist named Lorenzo Valla.No sword. No protest. Just a pen, a sharp eye, and the courage to ask: “Who really wrote this?”Theology Made is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Theology Made at theologymade.substack.com/subscribe