Semester II, Week 03: The Reformations, part 1

A volatile mix of theological and political aggravation was prevalent throughout western Europe in the 16th century. All that was needed was a spark to ignite it. That spark came in 1517 when a young friar named Martin Luther nailed a series of arguments to the door of a Church in Germany. 

This lesson will discuss the life of this momentous figure. We will explore the events that shaped him and how he succeeded where others before had failed.

Lecture Notes


Whiteboard 1

Whiteboard 2

Map of Europe

Map of Germany

Lecture Recording (1:10:28; 64.5 MB)


Additional Resources

PBS Documentary of Martin Luther

"Here I Stand" by Roland Bainton

"Christianity's Dangerous Idea" by Alister McGrath

"Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences: by Geisler and MacKenzie"

Semester II, Week 02: Whispers of Reform

The Reformation began well before Martin Luther. A chorus of voices had already been crying out for the reform of a corrupt medieval Church. This was a Church that reigned supreme - whose influence extended beyond the borders of the spiritual, and into the temporal realms of politics and power. This lesson will provide a better understanding of the multiple factors leading up to the Reformation. We will see how this Church influenced all aspects of medieval life, and introduce those voices calling for her reform.

Class Outline

Lecture Recording (1:16:09; 69.7 MB)

Additional Resources
Transcript of Unam Sanctam

Definition of Indulgences

Semester II, Week 01: Introduction

This class continues our exploration of church history. This semester will pick up just before the Protestant Reformation and follow the life of the church through Modern Europe and into a new country called America. The teaching portion of this class seeks to provide a sense of what motivated people in the Late Middle Ages.

Class Outline

Slide Deck

Lecture Recording (1:16:16; 69.8 MB)
Teaching begins at 0:39:43

Update: It was asked what was the unaffected country in the Black Death map. The answer: Poland. So why was this area unaffected? A potential answer can be found here.

Errata: I misspoke when explaining that the term "Dark Ages" was a 17th-century French invention. The fact is that a 14th-century Italian poet name named Petrarch first coined the phrase. More information can be found here.

Semester 1, Week 10: War! - The Crusades

In the last class for this semester, we examine some of the simple questions one might encounter when talking about the crusades. We start off by defining what the Crusades were, and what they were not. We then looked at events leading up to the first campaign in 1096 and briefly review the remaining Crusades. Finally, we ponder the impact of the Crusades on Medieval Europe and beyond - the world we will be discussing next semester.

Lesson Notes

Lecture Recording (1:15:22; 69.0 MB)

Additional Resources

Various Crusade Topics	http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/2002//issue74
Details on each Crusade	http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the_crusades.htm
Pope Urban II Speech	http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-fulcher.html
Myths about the Crusades	http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=1483
St. Augustine’s Just War Doctrine	http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Augustine/augustine_justwar.html http://www.catholic.com/blog/steve-weidenkopf/were-the-crusades-just-wars
Pilgrimages	http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pilg/hd_pilg.htm http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/pilgrimage.htm
Indulgences	http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/286800/indulgence
Related Recent History	Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Levant/al-Sham https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2014/06/article_3183091.html http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/june/thousands-flee-as-terrorists-take-over-iraq-christian-mosul.html Pope backs up military action against IS http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/vatican-backs-using-force-against-is/ar-AA9Myn3