What is the Protestant Reformation? What Happened and Why It Matters

What is the Protestant Reformation? What Happened and Why It Matters

Taught by Gregg Allison , Frank A. James III, John D. Woodbridge, Douglas J. Moo

The Protestant Reformation was one of the most transformative events in church history.

But why did the Reformation happen when it did? Why Luther? What happened in the decades that followed? Why were such massive changes instigated by this single event?

With nearly 4 hours of video from expert historians, theologians, and biblical scholars, this online course is the best way to learn about the Reformation.

Course Details

  • 7 Units

  • Self-paced

  • 3.5 hours of video

  • Beginner

  • Church History Volume Two: From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day

6 Month Access
$5.00 USD


Regular Price: $49.99

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Course Description

The Protestant Reformation was one of the most transformative events in church history.

But why did the Reformation happen when it did? Why Luther? What happened in the decades that followed? Why were such massive changes instigated by this single event?

Most important, why does the Reformation still matter today?

With this mini-course, you’ll learn the full story of the Reformation. You’ll get the historical context—what was happening in the church, and what was happening in Europe more broadly. You’ll learn why Luther posted the 95 theses—and what happened next.

This course gives you access to nearly four hours of video from expert historians, theologians, and biblical scholars. Plus, you’ll also get access to readings and assessments through an easy-to-use online platform. When you sign up, you’ll have everything you need to dig into one of the most important events in the history of the church.

This online course is the best way to learn about the Reformation.

Here is what you will learn:

  • First, you’ll learn about the events leading up to the Reformation from John D. Woodbridge. What was happening in Europe at the time? What internal struggles in the Roman Catholic Church paved the way for Luther?
  • Second, you’ll learn about the events of Luther’s Reformation from Frank A. James. Why did he post the 95 theses? How did Luther develop the doctrine of justification by faith alone? And what cultural, socioeconomic, and political factors enabled Luther’s ideas to spread?
  • Third, you’ll learn the history of the core doctrines of the Reformation from Gregg Allison. You’ll trace these doctrines from the first century church, through the Reformation, all the way to the modern era.
  • Finally, you’ll take a deep dive into Romans 1 with Douglas Moo, and take a close look at some of the texts that became central to the theology of the Reformation.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a much fuller understanding of the Protestant Reformation.

Sign up today to begin your study.

Meet Your Instructors

Gregg Allison

Ph.D. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Gregg Allison (PhD) is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky where he teaches systematic theology. Previously he served on Cru staff at the University of Notre Dame and overseas in Italy and the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. He is a pastor of Sojourn Community Church, and is the theological strategist for Sojourn Network, a church planting network of about thirty churches. He is the author of Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine; Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church; and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment.

Frank A. James III

PhD, Oxford; PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary

Frank A. James III is the president of Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. He is the author or editor of numerous works on the Reformation and has been a consultant and script writer for a historical documentary film series.

John D. Woodbridge

PhD, University of Toulouse, France

John Woodbridge is research professor of Church History and History of Christian Thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, where he has taught since 1970. He was previously a senior editor of Christianity Today and is the author of Biblical Authority: A Critique of the Rogers/McKim Proposal and coauthor of Letters Along the Way. He is the editor of Great Leaders of the Christian Church and coeditor of works including The Mark of Jesus. Woodbridge is the recipient of four Gold Medallion Awards.

Douglas J. Moo

PhD., University of St. Andrews

Douglas J. Moo is the Kenneth T. Wessner Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He has written extensively in several commentary series, including the NIV Application Commentary, Pillar Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, and the New International Commentary on the New Testament.

Course Outline

  • European Christianity and Renaissance

  • Luther’s Reformation

  • Swiss Reformations, Radicals, and Rome

  • Swiss Reformations, Radicals, and Rome

  • Reformations in England and Refining the Reformation

  • Election, Reprobation, and Regeneration

  • Justification, Sanctification, and Perseverance

  • Romans 1

 

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