The History of the Reformation class will examine the reasons for the Reformation and its impact on Christian church development through the ages as well as its meaning for individual believers. Questions to be examined include: Why was it necessary, What are the lasting affects and why it is so relevant for Christians today? Come and join me in discovering what it means to “Protestant”.
Dr. Don E. Galardi
Class 1 — The Early Church and the Foundations of the Reformation
This opening class provides the historical background needed to understand the Reformation, beginning with Jesus’ declaration that He would build His church. It traces the early church through persecution, Constantine, the development of church doctrine, and the growing relationship between the church and political power.
Class 2 — The Early Church, Authority, and Scripture
This class continues the story of the early church by examining the development of Christian doctrine, the formation of the New Testament canon, and the growing authority of church tradition and church leadership. Particular attention is given to the distinction between progressive revelation and progressive discovery, and how this distinction becomes important to the Protestant Reformation.
Class 3 — The Medieval Church and the Road to Reformation
This class examines the medieval church and the circumstances that increasingly created the need for reform. It covers the development of scholasticism, the growing power and struggles of the papacy, the Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism, and the development of practices such as penance and indulgences that would become major issues leading into the Reformation.
