Evangelicalism In the 1800s, there are a large number of Protestant denominations living alongside each other in relative peace. While they differ on important doctrinal matters, they develop in similar directions, and work together in various ways. One particular movement (esp. in England and North America) may be identified as evangelicalism. In recent time, evangelicalism … Continue reading CH 14: Liberals and evangelicals →

Rationalism The period between (roughly) 1700 and 1900 is known as the “Age of Reason” or “Enlightenment”. It was dominated by a philosophy that put high hopes in the human mind and accomplishments. This rationalist worldview shifted the focus from religious, doctrinal truth to more humanistic, secular principles. (Some of this development already started in … Continue reading CH 13: Rationalism and revival →

The Church of England becomes Protestant In 1534, King Henry VIII denounced the Pope, thereby separating the Church of England from the Catholic church. He did not have sympathy for the Protestant theology; he resented the Pope for not sanctioning the divorce from his wife. Henry’s successor, the “boy king” Edward VI, was sympathetic to … Continue reading CH 12: Developments in England →

John Calvin Calvin was born in France and joined the Reformation movement while a student. His main work is the Institutio Religionis Christianae, “Instruction in the Christian Religion”, commonly called “the Institutes”. This book presents the principles of Christian doctrine from a Protestant point of view. The first edition was in 1536, but Calvin expanded … Continue reading CH 11: The Reformed churches →

Christian traditions resulting from the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther The Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther on October 31, 1517. He was a preacher and theology professor in Wittenberg, North Germany. Luther disagreed with the practice of selling indulgences, church-issued declarations of forgiveness of sins. To start a debate, he wrote … Continue reading CH 10: The Protestant Reformation →

Charlemagne After the fall of Rome (476 AD), Western Europe was divided. This marks the beginning of the Middle Ages, which may be roughly dated from 500 to 1500 AD. An important factor during the Middle Ages is the rise of Islam (around 625 AD) and the following Muslim conquest. In the early 700s, Muslims … Continue reading CH 09: The medieval church →

The Byzantine Empire After the invasion of Odoacer in 476 AD, the Western part of the Roman Empire fell apart. It was a time of unrest, war and poverty. Meanwhile, the East (Greece, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Egypt) flourished, especially in the sixth and seventh centuries. From this time onward, the Eastern Roman Empire is usually … Continue reading CH 08: The Eastern church →

Augustine is often considered the greatest historian in the first 1000 years of the Western church. His life story is inspiring, his many books are still worth reading. His thinking defined much of the theology of the church, including that of the Protestant Reformers. The life of Augustine Aurelius Augustine was born in 354 AD … Continue reading CH 07: Augustine →

In the early middle ages, the organizational structure of the church was solidified. In the West developed a hierarchy with at the top the archbishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Meanwhile, the monastic movement began. Offices in the New Testament Already in the New Testament we find various offices or designated functions in … Continue reading CH 06: Church organization →