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

Semester 1, Week 09: All Authority on Earth

The disintegration of Rome did not mean just the loss of a culture. There were very pragmatic and dire consequences to losing governing institutions, including loss of most basic needs like food distribution, social order, law enforcement, and so on. When Rome disintegrated, the Holy Roman Empire emerged to fill the void.

This class looks at the development of that Empire. We also look at an institution that continues to this day: the Papacy.

Lesson Notes

White Board

Lecture Recording (1:16:53; 70.3 MB)

Maps of Europe from 1 - 2000 AD

Errata: During the lecture, I incorrectly referred to Pope Innocent II as the one that placed England under a Papal Interdict in 1208. The correct person was Pope Innocent III.

Postscript: Some questions came up regarding how the Pope was elected, and how his name is chosen. I found the following website that addresses some of those questions.

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/03/20-fun-facts-about-papal-elections-in.html

Semester 1, Week 08: Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo was a singular figure who stood in the gap between a dying Classical world and what would come to be called the Middle Ages. His thinking would help shape the Christian world for the next 1000 years, yet is still as vital and controversial today as ever.

He will help advance our thinking about the nature of church and salvation. He is equally celebrated by Protestants and Catholics. But his impact doesn’t stop at spirituality – it will extend into psychology and philosophy

St. Augustine may be considered the first Modern thinker. Much of Western civilization’s conception of self will be informed by him. His life is captured for us in an autobiography that pulls no punches. He sees in himself the great battle that all humanity contends with.

This lesson will be split into two segments. The first part will look at his life – the major events that helped form him. The second will look at the Theological positions he held. Looking at his life first will make clearer the positions he later took on doctrinal issues and in his writings. Remember: theology is biography.

Lesson Notes

White Board

Lecture Recording (1:12:38; 66.5 MB)


Additional Resources

Resource	URL	Description
Augustine of Hippo: A Life	Click Here	Great short biography
The Confessions of Saint Augustine	Click Here	Great autobiography

Semester 1, Week 07: The Bible

Christians have always revered the word of God, but we didn't always have it in the form we enjoy today - the Holy Bible. This class traces the events that led to the Bible in its final canonized form. We focus on the dates of the books, the languages involved, and why the Church had to begin the process of canonization. We end by briefly addressing some common objections to the authenticity of our sacred scriptures.

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (1:24:47; 78 MB)

Additional Resources

Resource	URL	Description
Dates of the Books of the Bible	http://www.provethebible.net/T2-Integ/B-0402.htm
British Library	http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/index.html	Online Sacred Texts
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts	http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts.aspx	images of manuscripts
Codex Sinaiticus	http://www.codexsinaiticus.com/en/	Codex Sinaiticus images, translations, etc
The Development of the Canon of the New Testament	http://www.ntcanon.org/index.shtml	Great resource, especially the "Cross Reference Table: Writings and Authorities"
"How We Got The Bible" by Neil Lightfoot	http://www.amazon.com/How-Got-Bible-Neil-Lightfoot/dp/0801072611/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426140299&sr=8-1&keywords=how+we+got+the+bible	An excellent book detailing the development of the Bible.
"The Story of The Bible" by Larry Stone	http://www.amazon.com/Story-Bible-Fascinating-Translation-Civilization/dp/1595551190/ref=sr_1_2_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426140394&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Story+of+the+Bible	Another great book detailing the development of the Bible. This one includes pull-out copies of famous manuscripts.

Semester 1, Week 06: Monks - Rebels With a Cause

Tonight's class looks at a revolution that grew when Christianity began to enjoy the favor of the Empire. What motivated St. Anthony to leave his inheritance behind? When did monks start living together as a community? Who lived on top of a column for 30 years? And what did the Church think about these rebellious monks?

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (0:55:05; 50.4 MB)

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