Philip Ludwell: The Most Unlikely Founding Father Philip Ludwell

August 01, 2025
00:00 41:17
Listen on Your Favorite App

Before the American Revolution took off, a wealthy Virginian aristocrat named Philip Ludwell III made a bold and baffling decision—he became an Eastern Orthodox Christian. In an age where Catholicism was suspect and Protestant conformity was king, Ludwell’s journey into Orthodoxy was more than unusual—it was nearly unthinkable. In this special episode, we follow Ludwell’s story from Williamsburg to London, into the Orthodox Church, and through the tangled legacies of religion, property, slavery, and family that carried all the way to Texas and the Civil War. This is the forgotten story of the most unlikely Founding Father. #OrthodoxHistory #PhilipLudwell #AmericanReligiousHistory #EarlyAmerica #HistoryPodcast #PapacyPodcast #ColonialAmerica #OrthodoxChurch #FoundingFathers

Support the show:
Buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthepapacy
Patreon: http://patreon.com/historyofthepapacy
Buy me a book: http://bit.ly/40ckJ8E
Have questions, comments or feedback? Here are ways to contact me:
Email Us: steve@atozhistorypage.com
How to listen: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/podcast
Music Provided by:
"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Crusade Heavy Perfect Loop" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More Episodes
See all episodes
Meet Your Host
Steve Guerra is a historian and podcaster who hosts three different shows. He started with the History of the Papacy Podcast in 2013. In 2017, Steve began Beyond the Big Screen, a podcast that delves into the fascinating stories behind films through lively interviews. His newest show, Organized Crime and Punishment, takes a deep dive into the roots, evolution, and impact of organized crime across different cultures and countries.
Podcasts About Sign Up Advertise Contact