Introduction Authority has been a discussion in church history throughout the years. Early churches were often regional with the bishop of the region having a vast amount of power. Later the church became more centralized until the clergy oversaw and had authority over every aspect of the spiritual and sometimes Read more…
Introduction Every true believer knows the struggle with sin. This means that every believer and even those who are not followers of Jesus can empathize with the early monastics. As the Christian religion became a politicized version of itself, many considered it necessary to protest by retreating from the Read more…
Introduction Once the massive difficulties of persecution were history with the coming of the Christian emperors, the concentration of Christianity turned to defining and defending Christ and the Trinity. The first issues came in addressing Christ’s relationship with the Father, this controversy touched on the divinity of Jesus; however, in Read more…
Pietism cannot really be understood without taking into account the impact of the writings of the Puritans. In the center of both the Puritan and pietist movements is an emphasis on holiness and a personal rebirth. These ideas of personal application are not a denial of the Reformation. Calvin talking Read more…
Social Engagement Between Evangelicalism and Liberalism The difference between Evangelical and Liberal social engagement is best summed up by looking at intent or authority. Both groups intend to make an impact in the world. The Evangelicals wanted to call people to join the orthodox Christian position without compromising that position. Read more…
What people wanted to know changed. The Renaissance signified the start of the shift from “the collective dreamlike life of medieval Christianity”[1] to the fully Enlightenment rejection of the validity of relational authority. The word Renaissance means rebirth and it is used to explain a remarkable renewal of interest in Read more…
What’s the same? When talking about the differences in Protestantism, it is also important to notice the similarities. All Protestants express a belief in the doctrine of justification by faith alone. That word alone is what sets Protestants apart from Roman Catholics at the most fundamental levels. No matter if Read more…
The Enlightenment represented a shift is man’s understanding of the purpose of life. The Enlightenment is a period between the rule of Christianity over Europe and the emergence of Modernism. It is usually excepted as the years 1680 to 1789.[1] Prior to the Enlightenment, the idea that there was something Read more…
Introduction Karl Barth said, “The fear of scholasticism is the mark of a false prophet.”[1] Scholasticism since the Reformation period has endured much criticism. However, much of this criticism ignores the crucial fact that the term scholastic in and of itself is only a method. Application is personal and Read more…
Introduction The Reformation represents a tremendous breach of social, economic, and political norms in its day. In doing so, it threw entire areas into chaos, indeed, most of Europe’s social, economic, and political structures were challenged by it. The Reformation happened at a time when the Renaissance, the new Read more…