Reformation And Modern Europe

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Last Fall we began our survey of the history of the Christian Church by looking at the period from the end of the New Testament era to the eve of the Protestant Reformation.  We left the Church in a deplorable condition, mired in unbiblical traditions and corruption.  Under such circumstances, it is good to remember Christ’s promise that the gates of Hell will never prevail against His chosen instrument for the progress of His work in the world.

This section of the course will cover a roller-coaster ride that reminds us in some ways of the book of Judges, with its cycles of apostasy and revival.  This is the glorious age of the Reformation, with its emphasis on the Scriptures as the only foundation for faith and practice, the decline of the Church into rationalism and Deism, the great revivals of the eighteenth century, the rise of liberal criticism, and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world during the missionary movement of the nineteenth century.  In the process we will see not only the truth that Christ will not allow His Church to fail, but will also examine the importance of Christians determining their beliefs and practices by the Word of God rather than the popular philosophies of the age in which they live.  We will also see the origins of the major Protestant denominations and gain insight into their distinctives and the reasons for those differences.

This class is taught by Pastor Bob Walton and will meet every Sunday from September 11, 2016 to January 1, 2017 at 9:45am in the Main Sanctuary.