Molly Worthen
Author
Language
English
Description
Psychologically astute and passionately written, Molly Worthen's remarkable debut charts the intricate relationship between student and teacher, biographer and subject. As a Yale freshman, Worthen found herself deeply fascinated by worldly-wise professor Charles Hill, a former diplomat who had shaped American foreign policy in his forty-year career as an adviser to Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, among others. Hill was never...
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 2
Language
English
Description
Delve into the early Reformation, which begins with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. An original thinker and an outlaw to Catholic authorities of the time, Luther was also surprisingly conservative in many ways. Review his critique of the church and his theology in the context of the 16th century.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 16
Language
English
Description
Is America a "Christian" country? Did the Founding Fathers use the Bible as a blueprint for government? What about France - how did revolutionaries there both oppress and adopt religion to advance their cause? In both cases, history is so much more complicated than culture-war slogans.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 22
Language
English
Description
In the 19th century, Christians debated whether to focus on saving souls, or to try to save society first. Here, learn about Protestant activists in Britain and North America who preached the "Social Gospel," a mission to help the poor, push for social services, and effect political reform - and learn why some failed while others succeeded.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 21
Language
English
Description
Dig into the rise of the modern university and its influence on the history of Christianity. By examining modern biblical scholarship in Germany and Britain as well as advancements in 19th century science and the theory of evolution, you will gain a greater understanding of the battle between faith and reason.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 28
Language
English
Description
In 1962, thousands of bishops gathered in Rome to convene the Second Vatican Council. Here, they debated how the church should respond to the challenges of modernity. Explore the high drama of these debates and see how Catholic reforms in worship, church authority, and doctrines of sexuality made real-life impact everywhere from America to the Philippines.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 34
Language
English
Description
Continue your study of contemporary global Christianity. In China, the rise of Christianity has met with an uneasy mix of enthusiasm and suspicion. After reviewing early Christian contact with China, Professor Worthen traces 19th and 20th century missions, delves into the brutal Cultural Revolution, and reflects on religious tensions under the Communist regime.
8) History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch: Pietist Revival in Europe
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Series
Great Courses volume 14
Language
English
Description
In the ongoing clash between faith and reason, some Protestants embraced carefully reasoned arguments, but in the 17th century, another group of thinkers chose to emphasize heart over head. Survey the rise of Pietist communities and see how they responded to the historical context of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 13
Language
English
Description
On the heels of the Scientific Revolution, the "Enlightenment," as Professor Worthen explains, was not one single movement but rather a constellation of ideas and philosophers who debated the relationship between faith and reason. Explore the theories and worldviews of Diderot, Voltaire, Locke, and other Enlightenment thinkers.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 24
Language
English
Description
Christianity started as an apocalyptic religion, and prophecies of "end times" have endured. Take a look at different strands of apocalyptic thinking and their relationship to the Bible and to society. Then unpack how apocalyptic preaching became so popular and examine how several churches and evangelists preached about the last days.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 33
Language
English
Description
Christianity today is a truly global religion. Even as church attendance declines in America and Western Europe, Christianity is growing rapidly around the world. Here, Professor Worthen reviews the explosion of controversial revival movements in Africa, as well as the promise - and peril - they offer to struggling believers trying to survive times of political upheaval.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 17
Language
English
Description
During the 19th century, a second wave of revivals swept North America and Britain, and this "Second Great Awakening" had tremendous consequences for Christianity in the West. After reviewing the origins of Methodism, Professor Worthen surveys the new approach to revivals and shows how America became a majority-Christian country.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 3
Language
English
Description
Continue your study of the Reformation with a look at several thinkers who were more radical than Martin Luther. Here, you'll explore the ideas of Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, and others who advanced their own theological and political critiques of the church. You'll also consider Henry VIII's quarrel with Rome and the founding of the Church of England.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 32
Language
English
Description
Revisit Latin America to examine the role of Protestant missionaries and their rivalry with the established Catholic Church. After surveying politics and culture in Latin America over the past century, you'll see how Catholic leaders responded to evolving societies. The lecture concludes with a look at liberation theology and the impact of the Christian Right.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 6
Language
English
Description
One key theme from this course is the way religious motives are often inseparable from political and economic ambitions. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than Spain in the 16th century. See how Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand joined forces to create a unified Catholic nation, and how they worked to spread Catholicism into the Americas.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 7
Language
English
Description
The Thirty Years' War is one of the most confusing episodes in world history. Was it truly a religious war, in which Protestants battled for religious tolerance and freedom, or was it a political ploy to depose kings and change the balance of political power? As you delve into this messy conflict, you'll discover that the war unfolded in the midst of witch-hunting hysteria across Europe.
17) History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch: The First Great Awakening
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 15
Language
English
Description
Meet George Whitefield, an Anglican evangelist who experienced a "new birth" and led a series of religious revivals up and down the East Coast. Here, you will consider the context of religious revivals, examine controversies over evangelism, and reflect on the impact revivals had on American political culture.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 20
Language
English
Description
How do you make people and a society Christian? What does it mean to "convert" foreign lands for Christ? In this lecture, Professor Worthen tackles these difficult questions. After reviewing early missions in Africa, she examines the role of women (particularly abolitionists) in the process of Christian reform.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 18
Language
English
Description
Despite TV shows like Big Love, the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, and the political career of Mitt Romney, Mormonism remains somewhat mysterious to those outside the religion. Uncover the origins and practices of this American faith, and find out how it has grown so large so quickly.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 25
Language
English
Description
The Russian Revolution of 1917 is arguably the single most cataclysmic event in the history of religion in the 20th century. After surveying the landscape of religion in Russia in the early 20th century, including the various Christian minorities, take a look at the Bolshevik coup and Lenin and Stalin's subsequent efforts to stamp out religion.