The Protestant Reformation: Its Impact and Inheritance

• Week 1: Medieval Christianity and John Wycliffe
  The High Middle Ages were the peak of power exercised by the institutional Christian church, expressed in towering cathedrals and expanding monasteries, as well as the ability to coerce kings and instigate violence. The power of the popes was at an all-time high, until a man named John Wycliffe challenged it directly.
• Week 2: Martin Luther
  Martin Luther’s name has become synonymous with the Protestant Reformation, and his teachings are the tipping point that started an inexorable revolution. We’ll learn what he protested against, and why his teachings were so consequential. 
• Week 3: John Calvin
  The man who gave “Calvinism” its name, John Calvin added new layers to Protestant theology and authored a massive tome called Institutes of the Christian Religion. He also helped found a Protestant community in Geneva, where at least one “heretic” was burned at the stake.
• Week 4: England and Scotland
  The Church of England is officially Protestant, but in a very different way. The origins of Anglicanism explain its unique characteristics. The Protestantism of England was deeply contested between traditionalists and those known as “Puritans.” The Reformation took on a different flavour in Scotland with the teachings of John Knox and communities of Scottish Covenanters. All of these developments had political effects.
• Week 5: Wars of religion
  The impact of the Reformation in Europe led to persecution and massacres within countries, and wars between them. The role of religion as a political organizing principle was radically revised. Controversy over who were the “true” Christians and attempts to eradicate different interpretations of the faith led to bloody consequences.
• Week 6: Art, politics and philosophy
  The inheritance of the Reformation can be felt everywhere. It is evident in the idea of the Protestant work ethic, and in the art of Vermeer and other Dutch painters. The emphasis on individual reason laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment, while the downstream effects of the wars of religion helped birth the doctrine of secularism.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Understand the key tenets of Reformation thought
• Identify the distinctions between Catholics and Protestants
• Recognize the significance of individual reformers
• Consider the political and social effects of the Protestant Reformation

• Participation in Zoom seminars
• Participation in class and written discussions with other students
• Academic and non-academic articles, and other online resources
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.