How did Roman Catholic respond to the Reformation? The Council of Trent condemned Protestants, but also aimed to purify the Roman church.

We discuss the radical reformers, who believed every post-Constantine development in the church was negative. We explore four expressions of the radical movement and contrast their methodology with that of the Magisterial Reformers

The Church of England became its own thing — not really Reformed or Lutheran. How did this happen, and who contributed to its distinct shape?

How did England — and especially Henry VIII — lose their Catholic sympathies and join the Protestant movement?

Calvin explains how Gomer symbolizes Israel by explaining what her name means in the “parable.” He also begins looking at their first child, Jezreel.

In this episode, we explore Calvin’s commitment not to go beyond what is written in the text of Scripture. We look specifically at Calvin’s view of salvation and his exegesis of the Old Testament.

This episodes looks at the life of Calvin, especially highlighting his time in Geneva and a few of his most notable works.

This episode highlights two events after the Diet of Worms. First, Luther debated Erasmus on the issue of free will, arguing for the Augustinian definition. We then turn our sights to Switzerland and the emerging reform church. As pressures mount, the two sides consider an alliance, but cooperation stalls at the Colloquy of Marburg.

After the Leipzig Disputation, Luther’s ideas and writings become much more radical. During his “Tower Experience,” he begins to discover the ideas of imputed righteousness and justification by faith alone. When he is condemned by the Roman Catholic Church, he fires off three provocative treatises, landing him on trial before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.

Calvin ends his first lecture on Hosea by asking whether Hosea really married a prostitute. Highlighting difficulties in the text, Calvin concludes the prophet spoke in a parable, not intending us to believe that he actually took Gomer as his wife.

This episode explores Luther’s entry into the monastic life, his growing anxieties, the posting of the 95 Theses, and his showing at the Leipzig Disputation. Luther self-consciously associated himself with the Hussite movement, finishing our material chain from the Franciscan Spirituals to the Reformation.

John Wycliffe’s reform movements largely build on the efforts and teachings of Franciscan Spirituals. He went further, challenging what he perceived to be Roman Catholic doctrinal errors. We end by connecting Wycliffe with the Hussite movement, named after the formidable John Huss.

In this episode, Calvin explains why only Jeroboam II is mentioned in 1:1 while four kings of Judah are named, despite Hosea being a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Calvin then holds Hosea up as an example of courage and fidelity of Scripture.

In this lesson, Calvin shows that Hosea’s ministry lasted about 70 years and provides an example of patience for us. He also points us to a difficulty in this verse that we are prone to overlook.

In this episode, we look at a reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church that tried to bring about reform. Francis of Assisi and his friars aimed to be “new fools for Christ” by following the spirituality they found in Scripture rather than those models offered by church tradition. One group — the Franciscan Spirituals — increasingly favored the Bible over and against the papacy, eventually influencing John Wycliffe.

Why did the church need to be reformed? We highlight moral corruptions that plagued the Medieval church in the 1100-1200s and two groups who offered alternative versions of spirituality.

This episodes describes how Calvin’s Hosea commentary was compiled, its purpose, and one practical benefit Calvin believes we should glean from the minor prophets.

This lesson caps off our survey of church history with some practical considerations regarding Christian unity. We explore the ecclesiology of the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs and look at modern ecumenical movements which have tried to give Christian churches greater degrees of visible unity.

The Charismatic/Pentecostal movement was born from traditions focused on experiential Christianity. It sought to achieve a “higher life” that experienced the presence and blessing of God in more profound ways, particularly through the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues.

As liberal and Neo-Orthodox beliefs gained traction in the United States, conservative Christians re-emphasized the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Two movement — Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism — emerged, but what is the difference between the two?