Podcasts about melanchthon

Send us a textThe Reformation Part 1, Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Tyndalehttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZRISig89Ub3OSleEMFknoOfAgObOvTrQ/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=100334557285826442166&rtpof=true&sd=true

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/editorialtpv El día de hoy hablaremos sobre el capítulo 22 del libro The Oxford Handbook of the Protestant Reformations, titulado "University Scholars of the Reformation" por Michael Heyd. Ver aquí: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-the-protestant-reformations-9780199646920?cc=gb&lang=en& . La Reforma comenzó en un aula: un profesor, una disputa y un mundo intelectual en ebullición. Pero pronto surgió la tensión: si la salvación es sola fide, ¿para qué sirven lenguas, lógica y escuelas? La respuesta reformadora fue sola scriptura: para leer la Biblia con juicio hacían falta hebreo, griego y formación teológica, y eso se aprendía en la universidad. De Wittenberg a Ginebra, las facultades se volvieron semilleros de doctrina y, sobre todo, de ministros capaces de llevar el mensaje a plazas y parroquias. Melanchthon expandió el currículo con trivium, quadrivium e historia, mientras la disputatio dio forma a un habla teológica clara y breve. En la segunda generación, la scholastica regresó como método (no como dogma): Aristóteles para ordenar, Escritura para decidir. Ramus simplificó la dialéctica; Keckermann y Alsted soñaron con una enciclopedia que uniera “todas las cosas para todos”. Y cuando irrumpieron la ciencia nueva y el cartesianismo, algunos forjaron puentes —de la “libro de la naturaleza” a una teología natural— sin ceder el primado bíblico. Este episodio cuenta cómo cátedras, manuales y postas del saber fabricaron la Reforma tanto como púlpitos y prensas. Siguenos: - Web: https://teologiaparavivir.com/ - Blog: https://semperreformandaperu.org/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Youtube: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/

Temamøte FBB Bjørgvin på NLA kl 19.00 mandag 22.sept 2025 Tema: Løse- og bindenøkkelen i forkynnelse og sjelesorg. Taler: Jan Bygstad, formann FBB og prest. KI-generert sammendrag følger: I dette foredraget går foreleseren gjennom nøkkelfortellingen i Matteus 16–18 og den nytestamentlige forståelsen av binde‑ og løse‑makten, og kobler dette til kirkehistorisk praksis og reformasjonens kritikk av middelalderens botsakrament. Temaer som kirketukt, synagogens bannlysningsritualer, skriftemålet, lov og evangelium, og Luthers omtolkning av anger og absolusjon blir belyst. Teksten behandler også Augustana, Melanchthon og reformatorenes praktiske endringer i Wittenberg, samt hvordan skriftemålet og adgang til nattverden var organisert under og etter reformasjonen.

Send us a textWhy study history? To understand ourselves? To pass on the tradition of our ancestors to our progeny? To build something new? Jonathan and Ryan compare Richard M. Gamble's and Henri-Irénée Marrou's attempts to answer these questions. They look at Gamble's introduction to his anthology The Great Tradition, and then at Marrou's introduction to his scholarly masterpiece A History of Education in Antiquity.Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnOEvelyn Waugh's Scott-King's Modern Europe: https://amzn.to/43GcAvpHenri-Irénée Marrou's A History of Education in Antiquity: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780299088149Eric Hobsbawm's The Invention of Tradition: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781107604674New Humanists episode on Zwingli: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/13263919-only-the-weak-desire-a-quiet-life-episode-liiiNew Humanists episode on Melanchthon: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/13181921-return-of-the-old-gods-in-germany-episode-liiHenri-Irénée Marrou's The Meaning of History: https://amzn.to/4kGYbFrNew Humanists episode on Benjamin Constant: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/16302266-what-the-modern-world-lost-episode-lxxxEdmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France: https://amzn.to/3TlJM5jNew Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Das Pfarrhaus ist eine protestantische Erfindung, denn zum Pfarrhaus macht die priesterliche Bleibe erst eine Pfarrersfamilie, was sich mit katholisch-zölibatären Lebensweisen bekanntlich weniger gut verträgt. Als Geburtsstunde des Pfarrhauses gilt deshalb der Tag der Eheschließung Martin Luthers mit Katharina von Bora, und dieser jährte sich am 13. Juni 1925 zum vierhundertsten Mal. Für die Tageszeitungen im urevangelischen Hamburg ein durchaus gedenkwürdiges Datum, das zu begehen auch die konservativ-kirchennahen Hamburger Nachrichten nicht versäumen wollten. Ihre Würdigung erschien als Beilage der Sonntagszeitung vom 14. Juni und betrachtet, der Überschrift zum Trotz, nicht eigentlich die Institution des Pfarrhauses in seiner historisch-kulturellen Bedeutung. Vielmehr geht es um die Vorgeschichte der Liaison Luther-von Bora und den Weg zur Trauung – wie man ihn in diesem Tempo heutzutage kaum mehr in Wittenberg, sondern höchstens noch in Las Vegas zurücklegen könnte. Als Trauzeuge von Auf den Tag genau vor Ort war Frank Riede.

SummaryIn this episode of the Gird Up podcast, host Charlie Ungemach welcomes Dr. Robert Kolb, a leading scholar on Martin Luther and the Reformation. They discuss Kolb's academic journey, the impact of Luther and Melanchthon on their students, and the relevance of Lutheran theology in today's world. Kolb shares insights into Luther's unique understanding of righteousness, the complexities of Lutheran theology post-Luther, and the importance of Lutheran identity in modern times. The conversation emphasizes the enduring significance of Luther's teachings and their application to contemporary issues of faith and identity. In this conversation, Robert Kolb and Charlie Ungemach explore the profound impact of Luther's theology on personal identity and the church's role in contemporary society. They discuss the importance of understanding oneself as a child of God, the challenges facing the Lutheran Church today, and the significance of the universal priesthood. Kolb shares insights from his experiences in pastoral ministry and emphasizes the need for new pastors to embrace their calling amidst cultural shifts. The dialogue culminates in a call to cling to Christ during difficult times, highlighting the enduring relevance of the gospel.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Gird Up Podcast and Guest Introduction02:51 Dr. Robert Kolb's Academic Journey and Influence07:40 The Impact of Luther and Melanchthon on Their Students11:08 The Complexity of Lutheran Theology Post-Luther16:56 Relevance of Luther's Teachings Today21:32 Luther's Unique Understanding of Righteousness27:11 Luther's Pursuit of Truth and Its Consequences31:11 Key Lessons from the Study of Lutheran Theology38:00 The Importance of Lutheran Identity in Modern Times46:23 The Impact of Luther's Theology49:32 Understanding Our Identity as God's Children52:24 The Role of the Lutheran Church Today55:46 Luther's Influence on Global Christianity01:00:16 Encouragement for New Pastors01:04:51 Challenges Facing the Church01:12:45 The Universal Priesthood01:24:19 Clinging to Christ in Difficult TimesDr. Kolb's Links"Face to Face: Martin Luther's View of Reality" https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506498324/Face-to-Face"The Christian Faith" https://www.cph.org/christian-faith-ebook-edition"Nikolaus von Amsdorf: Champion of Martin Luther's Reformation" https://www.cph.org/nikolaus-von-amsdorf-champion-of-martin-luthers-reformation"Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero" https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/martin-luther-as-prophet-teacher-and-hero/221271Gird Up Links:https://youtube.com/@girdupministries4911?si=tbCa0SOiluVl8UFxhttps://www.instagram.com/girdup_be_a_man/https://www.girdupministries.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Mantravadi, Mere Fi's snarkiest online critic has written a novel—a historical novel—about the heroes of the Reformation. Matt and Alastair bring her on the show to talk about it, what historical fiction can do that theology can't, what the central issue of the Reformation was, and what it's like inside the heads of Luther, Erasmus, and Melanchthon. Plus, Matt gets it exactly right at least once. Stick around to the end for a big announcement about the future of Mere Fidelity. Full show notes at www.merefidelity.com. Timestamps: A Big Tease [0:00] Delighted and Terrified [1:48] Psychologically Intense [4:55] Historical Fiction [10:56] Hazards [15:49] Those Particular Years [23:05] Melanchthon FTW [29:10] The Peasants Are Revolting [34:45] Ambivalence [45:13] Mythological Force [50:17]

The Iliad was more popular than the Odyssey beginning in ancient times, and continued to be all the way up to World War One. Then, something changed. Now the Odyssey leaves the Iliad in the dust in terms of which poem gets assigned more frequently in school, in book sales, and simply in the stated preference of readers. What happened? Ryan and Jonathan read Edward Luttwak's essay, Homer Inc., about the thriving industry of Homer translations, the ancient redactors of Homer, the historicity of the Trojan War, and one of the perennial questions any humanist must answer - and to which Luttwak gives his own idiosyncratic response: Why does Homer matter?Edward Luttwak's Homer Inc.: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v34/n04/edward-luttwak/homer-incNH episode on Melanchthon and Homer: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/13181921-return-of-the-old-gods-in-germany-episode-liiNH episode on Weil and Homer: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/10429309-the-iliad-or-the-poem-of-force-episode-xxiNH episode on Nietzsche and Homer: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/13949908-nietzsche-homer-and-cruelty-episode-lviStephen Mitchell's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781439163382Robert Fagles's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780140275360Emily Wilson's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781324001805Richmond Lattimore's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780226470498Peter Green's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780520281431Robert Fitzgerald's Iliad: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780374529055New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Tick, Tick, Boom. In this episode of Banned Books, we discuss Romans 3 while reading Philip Melanchthon's commentary on Paul's epistle. The main topics of conversation are the limitations of the law, faith that saves, gratuitous forgiveness and the living, and the present tense power of the gospel. SHOW NOTES:  Commentary on Romans by Melanchthon, Philip, 1497-1560 https://archive.org/details/commentaryonroma0000mela Buy: https://www.cph.org/commentary-on-romans Bio: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philipp-Melanchthon   More from 1517: Support 1517: https://www.1517.org/donate 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDdMiZJv8oYMJQQx2vHSzg 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781956658880-encouragement-for-motherhood Pre-order: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird: https://www.amazon.com/Hitchhiking-Prophets-Through-Salvation-Testament/dp/1956658858 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@30MinNT/videos Remembering Rod Rosenbladt https://www.1517.org/dadrod Available Now: Be Thou My Song by Kerri Tom: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Thou-Song-Christian-Seventeenth/dp/1956658890/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1706551944&sr=8-1&utm_source=show+notes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=General+Shownotes   More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media     CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsvLQ5rlaInxLO9luAauF4A  Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=214298  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books  Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5uZWRib29rcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw TuneIn Radio https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Banned-Books-p1216972/  iHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-banned-books-29825974/ 

Repentance has two parts: contrition and faith. Melanchthon speaks of God's “strange work” of terrifying consciences by the proclamation of the Law.  This is deemed to be strange as to be brought to angst over sin does not feel like a loving action, but in God's wisdom and grace, we are brought low and He makes us alive to make the Gospel even sweeter.  This Absolution is known to be the “proper work” of God as He makes us right with Him by the blood of Christ.  These two parts assure all of us that we are never separated from the love of Christ (Romans 8:39).  “I rest my soul on Jesus, This weary soul of mine; His right hand me embraces; I on His breast recline.  I love the name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord; Like fragrance on the breezes His name abroad is poured.”  LSB #606, st. 3    Rev. Christopher Lieske, Trinity Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to continue our study on the Scriptural truth on Repentance.  Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.

While Katie finishes up some family stuff, Gretchen invites on Amy Mantravadi to talk about writing about the reformation. They talk about character studies of Luther, Erasmus, Melanchthon, and of course Katie Luther. Amy has written 2 novels about these characters, and has an obsession with church history. They talk about the bondage of the will, the broken bonds in relationships from the Reformation, and what was going on in the lives of the reformers that may have impact why they did what they did. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network Fundraiser! 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Available Now: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin Pre-order: Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Available Now: Be Thou My Song by Kerri Tom More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin  

Today is the first time I've wondered if the movie title “Free Willy” was actually a hidden joke. …probably not. Nonetheless, the question of just how “free” our wills may be is no longer a conversation restricted to theologians. That said, this conversation is from a theological vantage point. In it, Nathan Adams (who is currently a PhD student @ McGill University) runs us through the paper he recently presented at the Wesleyan Theological Society. Wanna find out more? Either listen to the pod or comb through the guides below.Hey, if you've gotten this far… maybe either leave a comment here (

Popularly considered the last of the church fathers, John of Damascus gathered up the fruit of early church reflection on the Trinity and the person of Christ in his learned tome, The Orthodox Faith. But in addition to the usual wrangling with the Greek philosophical heritage and the monotheistic challenge of Judaism, John had a new adversary to consider: the even more radically monotheistic Islam. In this episode, Dad and I sort through John's record of Chalcedonian orthodoxy from the 8th century, his "double-mindedness," and what pressures led to the enormous internal doctrinal tensions that he passed on to the generations to follow. Such that, in this episode, Sarah admits defeat. Notes: 1. Can't get enough of Trinity and christology, especially with respect to Greek metaphysics? Then by all means rush right out and get yourself a copy of Dad's Divine Complexity and also Divine Simplicity 2. John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith (and generally speaking checking out the great selection in the Popular Patristics series) 3. Related episodes: Atonement, Image of God, Melanchthon's Loci Communes, Oh, Anselm!!!, Gregory of Nazianzus, Irenaeus, Athanasius Holy moly! Six years of top-quality theological podcasting! Why not show your support by becoming a Patron?

In episode TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT, Jason and Wade discuss the spirit of Lutheranism and what that might be, if there is one. We focus especially on two contemporaries of Martin Luther, Matthias Flacius Illyricus and Johannes Bugenhagen. Should Lutheranism's spirit be more Luther or Melanchthon, Flacius or Bugenhagen? Ultimately, we decide Lutheranism has only one Spirit who works through the means of grace to proclaim sins forgiven and strengthen faith. In the process, that Spirit uses all sorts of people with different personalities, gifts, and dispositions. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Support 1517 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Preorder: Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin Available Now: Be Thou My Song by Kerri Tom Last Chance: NWA Conference May 3rd-4th More from the hosts Michael Berg @ 1517 Wade Johnston @ 1517 Let the Bird Fly! website Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

When the Augsburg Confession was presented, the political and theological world was in upheaval. The princes were not allowed to read the Catholic response, the Confutation, but they were asked to subscribe to it. The Concordians desired to prepare a defense to show that they did not create a new theology but were continuing the confession of the Christian Church from the beginning. Instead of the focus being on “faith + works” or “The Papacy,” Melancthon makes it very clear that the formal principle of the Church is “justification by faith alone.” The gift of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession is its clarity concerning salvation by faith in Christ and the good works that follow. Dr. Ryan Macpherson, Academic Dean of Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study the background, history, and Melanchthon's greeting to the Apology. Find your copy of the Book of Concord - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org. Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.

Or, the one in which Sarah at long last reads the first work of Protestant dogmatics, and has an existential/vocational crisis as a result. Dad talks her off the ledge. Notes: 1. Melanchthon, Loci Communes (1521 edition) and Loci Communes (1559 edition) (there are lots of other editions in-between) 2. Quere, Melanchthon's Christum Cognoscere 3. Sarah's To Baptize or Not to Baptize and Small Catechism: Memorizing Edition 4. Related episodes: Bondage of the Will, Before Auschwitz What do you think five years of top-quality theology podcasting is worth? Register your vote by joining our highly select band of Patrons. Get some cool swag and support your favorite podcast in remaining stridently independent and advertising-free!

In the opening lecture of his course on Homer, the Professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg, Phillip Melanchthon, first invokes the aid of the gods and declares that to Homer belongs "the highest and noblest place." Further, Melanchthon proclaims that Homer "alone snatches away the palm of victory from all poets that any age has brought forth, and he leaves them all far behind." Jonathan and Ryan take a look at Melanchthon's encomium for Homer and defense against the many varieties of Homeric critics, both ancient and modern.Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnOC.S. Lewis' The Discarded Image: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781107604704Homer's Iliad (Greek-English): https://amzn.to/3O2sBEdHomer's Odyssey (Greek-English): https://amzn.to/46DbOPeNew Humanists Episode on T.S. Eliot's Vergil and Christian World: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/was-virgil-divinely-inspired-episode-xxxiii/id1570296135?i=1000582748821Daoiri Farrell's The Valley of Knockanure: https://youtu.be/lu-FG92a9CwNew Humanists Episode on Simone Weil's The Iliad, or the Poem of Force: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-iliad-or-the-poem-of-force-episode-xxi/id1570296135?i=1000557727910Herodotus' The Histories: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9781400031146Cicero's Pro Archia Poeta Oratio: https://amzn.to/3JS7y4DNew Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In this episode, we look at Romans 6:12-23 where Paul tells us, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions." In what sense does sin often have dominion over us? If Christians must still obey the law, how is it that Paul says, "you are not under law but under grace"? We conclude with insights from Phillip Melanchthon on how the law is abrogated in terms of justification, but not obedience.

Is It True, Or Is It Truly True? In this episode, we discuss election, true and false church, law, mercy, and why we can't stop judging the Gospel as we read Philip Melanchthon's 1541 commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans. SHOW NOTES:  Commentary on Romans by Philipp Melanchthon https://a.co/d/bY23Uqv   SUPPORT: 1517 Podcast Network https://www.1517.org/podcasts/   Support the work of 1517 https://www.1517.org/donate Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media   Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors The Withertongue Emails: A Pastor's Satanic Temptation, with Apologies to C.S. Lewis https://shop.1517.org/products/the-withertongue-emails-a-pastor-s-satanic-temptation-with-apologies-to-c-s-lewis   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsvLQ5rlaInxLO9luAauF4A  Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=214298  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books  Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9iYW5uZWRib29rcy5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw TuneIn Radio https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Banned-Books-p1216972/  iHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-banned-books-29825974/    CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517

Love Amongst The Cling-Ons. In this episode, we discuss Philip Melanchthon's Loci Communes, focusing our attention on justification, faith, love, and prayer. — SHOW NOTES: Melanchthon and Bucer (Library of Christian Classics) by Wilhelm Pauck amzn.to/3Qh671w  The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia https://youtu.be/mY0xM26fCPA SUPPORT 1517 Podcast Network https://www.1517.org/podcasts/ Support the work of 1517 http://1517.org/give Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511 Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis: https://stjohnrandomlake.org/church/media/ Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors CONTACT and FOLLOW BannedBooks@1517.org Facebook Twitter SUBSCRIBE YouTube Rumble Odysee Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play TuneIn Radio iHeartRadio

A new MP3 sermon from Sherman Bible Chapel is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Zwingli and Melanchthon: Theology Subtitle: Church History and Theology Speaker: Timothy Easley Broadcaster: Sherman Bible Chapel Event: Teaching Date: 12/14/2022 Length: 89 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Sherman Bible Chapel is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Zwingli and Melanchthon: Theology Subtitle: Church History and Theology Speaker: Timothy Easley Broadcaster: Sherman Bible Chapel Event: Teaching Date: 12/14/2022 Length: 89 min.

Philipp Melanchthon gilt neben Martin Luther als eine der wichtigsten Persönlichkeiten innerhalb der evangelischen Reformation. Entscheidend war hier auch die Begegnung mit Martin Luther. Aus der gemeinsamen Arbeit an der Universität Wittenberg war eine innige Freundschaft geworden.

The Roman pontiff claims for himself that he is all bishops and pastors by divine right. Second, he adds that by divine right he has both swords, that is, the authority also to enthrone and depose kings. Third, he says that to believe this is necessary for salvation. For these reasons, the Roman bishop calls himself the vicar of Christ on earth. These three articles we hold to be false, godless, tyrannical, and destructive to the Church. (Tr 1-4) Melanchthon goes on to use Luke 22:24-27; Matthew 18:2; John 20:21; Galatians 2:7-10 and 1 Corinthians 3 to prove this from Scripture. Subscribe on RadioPublic (https://radiopublic.com/wrestling-with-theology-6Na4AJ) or your favorite podcast app.

Most of us who have heard of Melanchthon at all tend to think of him as Luther's shy, soft-spoken sidekick. This is somewhat true, but it's a mere fragment of the big picture. If Martin Luther was the beating heart of the Reformation, then Philipp Melanchthon was its brains. You won't want to miss this episode of Great in God's Sight as we explore the life and contributions of one of the Protestant Reformation's most intelligent, systematic thinkers.  Enjoy the amazing artwork that was custom-created for today's story on our website, thegreatpodcast.org!

Ted asks how Jesus' atonement and sacrifice on the cross works. Rod talks about several important books on the subject, about adoption, reconciliation, propitiation, imputed righteousness, how Melanchthon and Luther tangled on the subject, and what it means for sinners to be reckoned AS IF righteous in this life.

This sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Monica J. Melanchthon on April 27, 2022. Rev. Dr. Melanchthon is Academic Dean and Associate Professor ofHebrew Bible at Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity, Australia.

Jonathan Edwards characterized sin as an unbearable weight that—without the securing hand of God—would inevitably drag the unbeliever down a slippery slope into hell. In recent times, however, many have reduced sin to merely “missing the mark” or “experiencing brokenness.” In his new book, Canadian PCA pastor Mark Jones helps his readers see the neglected doctrine of sin through the eyes of the Puritans rather than in the more psychological ethic of contemporary evangelical culture. Dr. Jones joins Carl and Todd to discuss the origins of sin and how ignorance of the holiness of God has left so many Christians with such an anemic view of sin. Along the way, Mark reminds us that seeing sin for what it truly is helps the believer more fully appreciate his need for a savior and the powerful grace offered by God. We have a few copies of Knowing Sin: Seeing a Neglected Doctrine through the Eyes of the Puritans to give away. Register here! The books are a gift from Moody Publishers. Show Note Let Your Sins Be Strong: Luther's Letter to Melanchthon

**SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read The Last Battle from the Narnia series. (But to be fair, it's been 60 years). Rev's Andrew, Charlie, and James go further down the favorite theologians list in the third part of our theologians series. Andrew talks about Paul Althaus, Charlie talks about Johann Gerhard, and James talks about C.S. Lewis. You are in for (another) treat. Shownotes: Althaus The work by Ryan Tafilowski that was referenced is "Exploring the Legacy of Paul Althaus" from Lutheran Quarterly. The book Charlie referenced by Paul Althaus that he read in college (and which we highly recommend) is The Ethics of Martin Luther: https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/9780800617097/The-Ethics-of-Martin-Luther The book that Andrew discussed on the correspondences between Althaus and Rudolf Bultmann: https://www.amazon.com/Briefwechsel-1929-1966-German-Paul-Althaus/dp/3161509811 Johann Gerhard English-translated works of Johann Gerhard can be found at: https://www.cph.org/c-2896-gerhards-theological-commonplaces.aspx The quote from Melanchthon that James referenced is from the book Wilhelm Pauck, ed. Melanchthon and Bucer C.S. Lewis Where to start? He is an immensely popular author to this day and most of his writings are classics. We referenced Screwtape Letters, his Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, the Narnia series, and more! (The quote on friendship that Andrew read was from The Four Loves. Location 806 in the e-book edition) https://www.amazon.com/Four-Loves-C-S-Lewis-ebook/dp/B01EFM8NI4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TR27RJXXPIQL&keywords=the+four+loves&qid=1646781955&sprefix=the+four+loves%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1 *Episode picture is of Paul Althaus

Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie, The Forest E. and Frances H. Ellis Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Philipp Melanchthon, including his upbringing and formation as a scholar, how he got involved with the Reformation, his relationship with Martin Luther and the other Reformers, and his legacy of work that we have today. Find the "Commonplaces: Loci Communes 1521" and Melanchthon's commentary on Romans mentioned in this episode at cph.org. Find your copy of the Book of Concord at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org.

Melanchthon war Luthers engster Vertrauter und sein Co-Autor bei unzähligen Grundsatz-Schriften. Luther war der Charismatiker der Reformation, Melanchthon verstand es, das unterschiedliche Denken vieler auf ein gemeinsames Fundament zu stellen.

This is a long series on Church History by Geo. Morrish and contains 5 books. These republishing contain video, audio, and text and can be found at https://hiawathabible.org/down-to-earth-but-heavenly-minded-podcast In all my podcasts I try to apply scripture to real-life experiences. And I expound on what I believe the scripture is trying to convey to us. We need to dig deep into God's Word to find out what life is all about, and how to live like God wants us to do and how to do it. Please go to this link for an introduction to my videos. https://youtu.be/1QGlmOknCOU Also check out this link: https://youtu.be/ifbtZVJ6pqc Links to more audio writings: https://www.facebook.com/Old-Authors-... https://hiawathabible.org/videos-audi...

Luther is on a mission to wake up Erasmus and his sleeping God. He does this with a careful examination and explanation of the Law. Luther identifies the Law as a thunderbolt, a phrase he and Melanchthon will use for years to come. Support the Show 1517.org

Today James and Jesse continue Reformation Month with discussion about Philipp Melanchthon & Heinrich Bullinger: 2nd Generation Reformers who succeeded two very well known 1st Generation Reformers. James also talks about pumpkin spice and we announce the winners of the Coffee Mug giveaway and the Theologian Bookmark Set giveaway!

Luther's close ally Melanchthon uses his knowledge of ancient philosophy and rhetoric in the service of the Reformation.

Hagiography happens. Even if you're Protestant. In this episode, we review the history of the saints as both products of the gospel and pathways to the modern practices of science and biography, make the case for why Lutherans and other Protestants should embrace hagiography in an evangelical key, disambiguate veneration from invocation, and, of course, we mention Bonhoeffer. Notes: 1. Among the things I've written on this topic, see "Saints for Sinners," "Luther's Hagiographical Reformation of the Doctrine of Sanctification in His Lectures on Genesis," and my Lutheran Saints series. 2. See also Dad's inadvertent hagiography, Between Humanist Philosophy and Apocalyptic Theology: The Twentieth Century Sojourn of Samuel Stefan Osusky 3. Bartlett, Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things? 4. Brown, The Body and Society 5. The One Mediator, the Saints, and Mary (Lutheran-Catholic dialogue statement) 6. Haynes, The Bonhoeffer Phenomenon 7. Hendrix, The Faithful Spy 8. Melanchthon, Augsburg Confession and Apology Article XXI on the saints 9. Delehaye, The Legends of the Saints 10. Mattox, Defender of the Most Holy Matriarchs 11. For All the Saints (evangelical Lutheran breviary) 12. I didn't mention it but also see Kolb's study For All the Saints 13. Related episodes: Perpetua and Felicitas, Athanasius against the World, Faith Just Faith, Justification by Faith Revisited, Faith to the Aid of Reason, The Empiricists Strike Back, Slovak Theologian Samuel Stefan Osusky And hey! If you've made it this far in the show notes, you're probably a super fan and should consider declaring yourself as one on Patreon. You can start at just $2 a month (which is basically a buck an episode). Give more monthly and you get swag. Or just pay us a visit at sarahhinlickywilson.com and paulhinlicky.com!

Except for the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon's Loci communes of 1521 were the most important of his writings.

Caleb and Scott answer two listener questions. The first question is about addressing or using worldviews as a methodology for engaging culture as a Christian. The second question is about the lack of time spent discussing Philip Melanchthon in Lutheran churches. Support the Show 1517 Podcast Sermon by Bob Hiller Meeting Melanchthon

Order of Divine Service I, p.136  Lutheran Worship Hymn “From God Can Nothing Move Me” LW 409, TLH 73 Readings:  Proverbs 4:10-23, Galatians  5:16-24, Luke 17:11-19 Hymn “I Will Sing My Maker's Praises” LW 439, TLH 25 Sermon Communion Hymns: “Blest the Children of Our God” LW 370 “How Lovely Shines the Morning Star” TLH 343, LW 73 “Oh, that I Had a Thousand Voices” LW 448, TLH 243 “Now Thank We All Our God” LW 443, TLH 36 --Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL). Service Bulletin:  Trinity-Fourteen-Divine-Service-for-Online-9-5-2021.pdf https://vimeo.com/594198294 Above is the video, below is the audio. Picture: “Das Neue Testament Deutzsch: Wittenberg” - Title Page of Luther's first edition of the New Testament in September 1522. (“Luther's Bible Translations – 1522,” The Gruber Rare Books Collection, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. https://gruber.lstc.edu/luthers_bible/1522.php Luther's Bible Translations - 1522  Das Neue Testament Deutzsch The "September Testament" / "December Testament" In September, 1522, Luther published the first edition of his translation of the New Testament. He had begun that during his stay at the Wartburg, in eleven weeks from December 1521 to February 1522, but it was revised in collaboration with Melanchthon and others after he had returned to Wittenberg. Some 3-5,000 copies were printed and by December, 1522, a second edition, called the December Testament had to be published. The price was one guilder, which corresponded to two months' salary for a schoolmaster. By the time Luther published the complete Bible in 1534, 87 editions of his New Testament had been published in High German and some 19 in Low German. More than 200,000 copies had been sold. Luther's translation was based on the second edition of the Greek text edited by Erasmus in 1519. He put Hebrews and James at the end of the testament, with Jude and Revelation, to underline what he considered as the secondary character of these books. A marginal note at Matt 5:19 refers to those who break the commandments rather than following them as "Papisten hauff" (a heap of papists). 21 illustrations from the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder show that the language of the book of Revelation is to be taken metaphorically. The whore of Babylon (the anti-Christ) is equated with the Pope.

“Eastern Orthodoxy is perceived as an exotic and picturesque remnant from an alien past” -Bartholomew I (the 270th and current archbishop of Constantinople) “It is the stability of thought in Orthodox theology that has generated the greatest interest from my Protestant students, primarily because of their often-new realization that there still exists a “predenominational” and Apostolic Christian worldview that is largely unaffected by the polemical debates of the Reformation. In fact, many of the doctrines and dogmas of Eastern Orthodoxy can certainly be embraced by those outside the Orthodox Church, such as its trinitarian theology and its conciliar approach to leadership and administration.” -Eve Tibbs Dr. Eve Tibbs (Affiliate Associate Professor of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary) and author of “A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology: Introducing Beliefs and Practices” (Baker Academic). Join us as we try to get a big picture of what Eastern Orthodoxy is, especially as it is contextualized to Protestants, Lutherans, Reformed, Kuyperians, etc. In this episode we ask Dr. Tibbs questions like: - What is the chief end of man for Eastern Orthodoxy? - Why didn't Luther just become Eastern Orthodox since he thought they hadn't veered like Roman Catholic? Was Eastern Orthodoxy an option for him? - What steps did Melanchthon and other Lutherans take to discuss being united with East? - Who/what defines orthodoxy? Creeds? Confession? What do Orthodox folks gather around? - What does ultimate piety look like for Eastern Orthodoxy? - Why the beards and black garb? - What is the function of the sign of the cross?

Dr. Paulson and Caleb discuss Philip Melanchthon and the 1521 Loci Communes. Melanchthon was instrumental to the Lutheran Reformation and established an evangelical systematic theology with his Loci. Support the Show Melanchthon Nerds  1517 Podcasts 

After the blow-up in Augsburg and Luther's refusal to recant, and his subsequent escape, Cardinal Cajetan and Pope Leo X are demanding Luther be sent to Rome.  Frederick the Wise has a problem on his hands, how to solve the "Luther Affair?"

Enter stage left a new character at the dawn of the Reformation: the new professor of Greek at the University in Wittenberg: Philipp Schwartzerdt aka Philipp Melanchthon.

Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon are the odd couple of the Reformation, inseparable in the religious revolution they inaugurated, and yet in personality chalk and cheese - and there's no doubt that it's Luther who is the cheese: volatile, colourful, impassioned; ripening majestically but also suddenly going off, like one of those goats' cheeses in the middle of France that could easily double up as an explosive device. Luther has priority in terms of being older, and by force of personality. Melanchthon seems monochrome by comparison. It has been easy for history, outside of specialists, to forget him. But if Margaret Thatcher once said of her right-hand man William Whitelaw that "every Prime Minister needs a Willie", this is all the more the case with true revolutionaries. Revolutions seem to need an odd couple: Robespierre and Danton, or Marx and Engels. Melanchthon is hardly a household name these days but he is (if you like) a revolutionary's revolutionary. Intellectual, serious, endlessly patient, he kept clearing up the mess that Luther left around him. Professor Brian Cummings, from the University of York, tells his story.Producer: Rosie Dawson Part of Radio 3's Breaking Free series of programmes exploring Martin Luther's Revolution.

This 107th episode is titled, “Reform Around the Edges.”It's difficult living in the Modern World to understand the Late Medieval norm that a State had to have a single religion all its subjects observed. You'd be hard pressed to find a European of the 16th C who didn't assume this to be the case. About the only group who didn't see it that way were the Anabaptists. And even among them there were small groups, like the extremists who tried to set up the New Jerusalem at Munster, who did advocate a State Church. Mainstream Anabaptists advocated religious tolerance, but were persecuted for that stance.As we've seen in the story of the Church in Germany and as was hammered out in the Peace of Augsburg, peace was secured by deciding some regions would be Lutheran, others Catholic by the principle of cujus regis eius religio [coo-yoos regio / ay-oos rel-i-gio] meaning, “Whose realm, whose religion.” The religion of a region's ruler determined that regions subjects' religion. Under Augsburg, people were supposed to be free to relocate to another region if a ruler's religion didn't square with their convictions.Sounds simple enough >> for moderns who are highly mobile and have little sense of the historic connection between identity and place. Many think nothing today of packing up and moving to a new place across town, or across a state, nation, or even some other part of the globe. Not so most Europeans for most of their history. Personal identity was intimately connected to family. And Family was identified by location. That's why long before people had surnames, they were identified by their town. John of Locksley. William of Orange. Fred of Fillsbury. Families built a house and lived in it for many generations. Losing that home to whatever cause was one of the great tragedies that could befall one. It was a betrayal of previous generations who'd handed down both a family name and home, as well as all those future generations who now would have no home to call their own.On the surface, the Peace of Augsburg sounded like a sound solution to the religious conflicts that raged after the Reformation. But it was in fact, a highly disruptive force that ultimately helped spark the Thirty Years War.The wars of religion that washed over Europe in general and France in particular is evidence that the rule a region could have but one religion wasn't workable. Even the Edict of Nantes, passed by French King Henry IV after the bloody St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, only guaranteed the survival of French Protestantism by granting a number of Protestant cities as enclaves in an otherwise Roman Catholic realm.We've given a thumbnail sketch of the spread of the Reformation over Germany, France, England, Scotland, the Low Countries and in Scandinavian.Let's take a look now at Spain.Before the Reformation reached the Iberian Peninsula, many hoped the Spanish Church would lead the way in long-overdue reform. Queen Isabella's faith was earnest. She and Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros implemented a massive reform—including a renewal of biblical studies centered on the Complutensian Polyglot Bible. Today a polyglot is known as a parallel Bible, where multiple versions of the bible are arranged in side-by-side columns for comparison. But in parallel Biblr, these version are all the same language. A polyglot is the comparison of different languages. The Complutensian Polyglot had the Hebrew, Latin and Greek texts of the OT as well as the Aramaic of the Torah. The NT was both Greek and Latin. Spain also had many humanists scholars similar to Erasmus—some of them in high places—who longed for reform.The arrival of the Protestant Reformation saw attitudes in Spain changed. At Worms, the upstart monk Martin Luther defied Emperor Charles V, who just happened to be King Charles I of Spain. Charles became the champion of opposition to Protestantism. The Spanish Inquisition, previously aimed at Jews and occultists, turned its attention toward those calling for reform and anything that smacked of the now-dreaded Lutheranism. Several leading humanists fled to places like the Low Countries where they were welcomed. Others stayed in Spain and tried to lay low, devoting themselves to their studies and hoping the storm would pass them by.The Inquisition wasn't able to halt the “Lutheran contagion,” as it was called. Valladolid and Seville became centers of Reformation despite frequent burnings at the stake by the Inquisition. A monastery in Santiponce near Seville was a reform center where Bibles and Protestant books were smuggled in barrels labeled as oil and wine. When one of the smugglers was captured and burned, a dozen of monks fled, agreeing to meet in a year in Geneva. One of them became pastor to a Spanish congregation there. Another, Casiodoro de Reina, spent the rest of his life translating the Bible into Spanish; a recognized masterpiece of Spanish literature released in 1569. A few years later, another of the 12, Cipriano de Valera, revised de Reina's version, which is known as the Reina-Valera Bible. Back in their monastery in Santiponce and throughout the area around Seville, the Inquisition cleansed the Church of all trace of Protestantism.We hop over now to Italy.Among the inaccessible valleys of the Alps, some more reachable parts of Northern Italy and Southern France, the ancient community of the Waldensians continued a secluded but threatened existence. They were repeatedly attacked by armies hoping to suppress their supposed heresy. But they'd long stood firm in their mountain fastness. By the early 16th C the movement lost steam as constant persecution suppressed them. Many among them felt that the price paid for disagreeing with Rome was too high, and increasing numbers returned to Catholicism.Then, strange rumors were heard. News of a great Reformation arrived. An emissary sent to inquire about these rumors returned in 1526 announcing they were true. In Germany, Switzerland, France, and even more distant regions dramatic change was afoot. Many of the doctrines of the Reformers matched what the Waldensians had held since the 12th C. More delegations met with leading reformers like Martin Bucer, who warmly received them and affirmed most of their beliefs. They suggested some points where they differed and the Waldensians ought to consider revising their stand to bring it into closer alignment with Scripture. In 1532, the Waldensians convened a synod where they adopted the main tenets of the Protestant Reformation. By doing so, they became the oldest Protestant church—existing more than 3 Cs before the Reformation.Sadly, that didn't make things any easier for the Waldensians. Their communities in Southern France, whose lands were more vulnerable than the secluded Alpine valleys, were invaded and virtually exterminated. The survivors fled to the Alps. Then a series of edicts ensued, forbidding attendance at Protestant churches and commanding attendance at Mass.  Waldensian communities in southern Italy were also exterminated.Large armies raised by the Pope, the Duke of Savoy, and several other powerful nobles wanting to prove their loyalty to Rome repeatedly invaded the Waldensian mountain enclaves, only to be routed by the defenders. On one occasion, only six men with crude firearms held back an entire army at a narrow pass while others climbed the mountains above. When rocks began raining on them, the invaders were routed.Then, in what has to be a premier, “Can't a guy catch a break?” moment, when the Waldensians had a prolonged respite from attack, a plague broke out decimating their population. Only two pastors survived. Their replacements came from the Reformed centers of Switzerland, bringing about closer ties between the Waldensians and the Reformed Church. In 1655, all Waldensians living in Northern Italy were commanded under penalty of death to forfeit their lands in three days as the lands were sold to Catholics, who then had the duty to go take them from recalcitrant rebel-Waldensians.In the same year, the Marquis of Pianeza was given the assignment of exterminating the Waldensians.  But he was convinced if he invaded the Alps his army would suffer the same fate as earlier invaders. So he offered peace to the Waldensians. They'd always said they'd only fight a war of defense. So they made peace with the Marquis and welcomed the soldiers into their homes where they were fed and housed against the bitter cold. Lovely story huh? Well, wait; it's not over yet. Two days later, at a prearranged time, the guests turned on their hosts, killing men, women and children. This “great victory” was then celebrated with a Te Deum; a short church service of thanksgiving to God.Yet still the Waldensians resisted, hoping their enemies would make peace with them. King Louis XIV of France, who ordered the expulsion of all Huguenots from France, demanded the Duke of Savoy do as the Marquis had done with his Waldensians. This proved too much for many of them who left the Alps to live in Geneva and other Protestant areas. A few insisted on remaining on their ancestral lands, where they were constantly menaced. It wasn't until 1848 that the Waldensians and other groups were granted freedom of worship in Italy.Ah, time for a breather, we'd hope. But again, it was not to be. Because just two years later, famine broke out in the long exploited and now over-populated Alpine valleys. After much debate, the first of many Waldensian groups left for Uruguay and Argentina, where they flourished. In 1975, the two Waldensian communities, one on each side of the Atlantic, made it clear that they were still one church by deciding to be governed by a single synod with two sessions, one in the Americas in February, the other in Europe in August.The Waldensians weren't the only Protestant presence in Italy. Among others, Juan de Valdés and Bernardino Ochino deserve mention.Valdés was a Spanish Protestant Humanist of the Erasmian mold. When it was clear Charles V was determined to wipe Protestantism out of Spain, he fled to in Italy in 1531 where we settled in Naples and gathered a group of colleagues who devoted themselves to Bible study.  They didn't seek to make their views public, and were moderate in their Protestant leanings. Among the members of this group was the historically fascinating Giulia Gonzaga, a woman of such immense beauty the Muslim ruler Suleiman the Great tried to have her kidnapped so he could make her the chief wife of his huge harem.  Another member of the group, Bernardino Ochino, a famous and pious preacher, was twice elected leader of the Capuchins. Ochino openly promulgated Protestant principles. When the Inquisition threatened him, he fled to Geneva, then went to Basel, Augsburg, Strasbourg, London, and finally Zürich. Ochino's journeys from city to city marked a concurrent journey from Biblical orthodox to heresy. He became ever more radical, eventually rejecting the Trinity and defending polygamy; another reason he moved around a lot. He kept getting kicked out of town.  He died of the plague in 1564.Now we take the Communio Sanctorum train to HUNGARYAt the beginning of the Reformation, Hungary was ruled by the 10-year-old boy, King Louis II. A decade later, in 1526, the Ottoman Turks defeated the Hungarians and killed him. The Hungarian nobility elected Ferdinand of Hapsburg to take the throne while nationalists named John Sigismund as king. After complex negotiations,  western Hungary was under Hapsburg rule while the East was Ottoman. Stuck between West Hungary ruled by devoted Catholic Hapsburgs and the East ruled by Muslim Ottomans, was Royal Hungary, known as Transylvania, where King Sigismund managed to carve out a small holding.Sigismund knew that religious division would weaken his already tenuous hold on the realm, so he granted four groups to have equal standing; Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Calvinism,  and Unitarianism, which we'll take a closer look at when we consider Poland.The Ottomans, ever seeking to weaken the powerful Hapsburgs, supported whichever one of these four was weakest, so that it would continue to cause trouble to the others and so weaken the entire realm. If that group then began to gain power and influence, the Ottomans switched their support to the new underdog.Lutheranism reached Hungary early. There's evidence Luther's 95 theses circulated in Hungary only a year after their original posting in Wittenberg. By 1523, the Hapsburgs ordered Lutherans to be burned to prevent their spread. A few years later, Zwingli's teachings entered the scene, and similar measures were taken against them.Though Ottoman rule was harsh and atrocities were committed against all Christians, it was in the territories occupied by Ottomans that Protestantism grew most rapidly.Hungarians preferred the Reformed Tradition coming out of Switzerland to the church government advocated in Lutheranism. They already suffered under a highly centralized government. In the Swiss-Reformed tradition, pastors and laity shared authority. Also, this decentralized form of church government made it more difficult for Ottoman authorities to exert pressure on church leaders. Records make it clear that Ottoman authorities accepted the appointment of a parish priest on the condition the congregation pay if the priest was arrested for any reason. So, priests were often arrested, and freed only when a bribe was paid.Both Hapsburgs and Ottomans tried to prevent the spread of what they called heresy by means of the printing press. In 1483, long before the Reformation, the Sultan issued a decree condemning printers to have their hands cut off. Now the Hapsburg King Ferdinand I issued a similar ruling; except that, instead of having hands amputated, printers were drowned. But that didn't stop the circulation of Protestant books. Those were usually printed in the vernacular, the language of the common people, climaxing in the publication of the Karoly Bible in 1590 and the Vizsoly Bible in 1607, which in Hungary played a role similar to that of Luther's Bible in German. It's estimated that by 1600 as many as 4 out of 5 Hungarians were Protestant.Then conditions changed. Early in the 17th C, Ottoman power waned, and Transylvania, supported by Hungarian nationalists, clashed with the Hapsburgs.  The conflict was settled by the Treaty of Vienna, granting equal rights to both Catholics and Protestants. But the Thirty Years' War—in which Transylvania opposed the Hapsburgs and their allies—brought devastation to the country. Even after the end of the War, the conflict among the Hapsburgs, Royal Hungary and Ottomans continued. The Hapsburgs eventually gained the upper hand, and the Peace of Karlowitz in 1699 gave them control over all Hungary—a control they retained until 1918 and the end of WWI. In Hungary, as elsewhere, the Hapsburgs imposed virulent anti-Protestant measures, and eventually the country became Catholic.We end with a look at POLAND.When Luther posted his theses on that door in Wittenberg, there was already in western Poland a growing number of the followers of the Pre-Reformer, Jan Hus; Hussites who'd fled the difficulties in Bohemia. They were amped by the prolific work of the German monk. The Poles, however, had long been in conflict with Germans, and distrusted anything coming from such a source. So Lutheranism did spread, but slowly. When Calvinism made its way to Poland, Protestantism picked up steam.The king at the time was Sigismund I who vehemently opposed all Protestant doctrine. But by the middle of the 16th C, Calvinism enjoyed a measure of support from Sigismund II, who even corresponded with Calvin.The leader of the Calvinist movement in Poland was Jan Laski, a nobleman with connections to a wide circle of people with Reformed leanings, including Melanchthon and Erasmus. He purchased Erasmus' library. Exiled from Poland for being a Calvinist, he was called back by the nobility who'd come to favor the Reformed Faith. Laski translated the Bible into Polish, and worked for a meeting of the minds between Calvinists and Lutherans. His efforts led to the Synod of Sendomir in 1570, 10 years after Laski's death.The Polish government followed a policy of greater religious tolerance than most of Europe. A large number of people, mostly Jews and Christians of various faiths, sought refuge there. Among them was Faustus Socinius, who denied the Doctrine of the Trinity, launching a group known as Unitarians. His views were expressed in the Racovian Catechism, authored not by Socinius, but by two of his followers. Published in 1605, this document affirms and argues that only the Father is God, that Jesus is not divine, but purely human, and that the Holy Spirit is just a way of referring to God's power and presence.Throughout most of the 16th C and well into the 17th, Protestantism as affirmed at the Synod of Sendomir, had a growing number of Polish followers—as did Socinian Unitarianism. But as the national identity of Poland developed in opposition to Russian Orthodox Church to the East, and German Lutherans to the West, with both Russia and Germany repeatedly seeking to take Polish territory, that identity became increasingly Roman Catholic, so that by the 20th C, Poland was one of the most Catholic nations in Europe.This brief review of the Reformation around the edges of Europe reveals that within just a few decades of Martin Luther's time the ideas of Protestant theology had covered the continent and caused large scale upheaval. What we HAVEN'T considered yet, is the impact of the Reformation further East. In a later episode we'll take a look at the impact it had on the Eastern Church.

This 85th episode of CS, is titled, Dawn.I want to take a brief moment here at the start to say “Thank you” to all those who've spread the word about CS to their friends and family. We've had a significant bump in subscribers and lots of new likes on the FB page. So—Kudos to all who've spread the word.As most of you know, iTunes is by far the major portal for podcasts. So, if you use iTunes, a review of CS is a great way to boost our rating – and ratings usually translate into new subscribers. Why do we want more subscribers since there's no commercial interest in CS? Because information and knowledge about history are crucial to a well-rounded worldview. I'm convinced an accurate view of history is crucial to overcoming prejudice, to tearing down the walls that divide people. That is when we discover not just WHAT people believe but WHY – it helps puts things in perspective and disabuses us of errant opinions.Anyway, that's my hope.As I've learned about different groups, I've revised my opinions. Traditions almost always have some origin in history, in some ground that at the time seemed perfectly reasonable to the people who created them. We may not agree with them today, hundreds and even thousands of years later, but at least we can respect those who originally framed them; and if not respect, gain a modicum of understanding for the complexities they wrestled with.Okay, back to it …We've come now to one of the most significant moments in Church History; the Reformation. Since it's considered by many the point at which the Protestant church arose, it's important to realize a couple of things.First – The student of history must remember almost all those who are today counted as the first Protestants were Roman Catholics. When they began the movement that would later be called the Reformation, they didn't call themselves anything other than Christians of the Western, Roman church. They began as an attempt to bring what they considered to be much-needed reform to the Church, not to start something new, but to return to something true. When the Roman hierarchy excommunicated them, the Reformers considered it less as THEY who were being thrust forth out of the Church as it was those who did the thrusting, pushed them out of the true church which was invisible and not to be equated with the visible religious institution HQ'd in Rome, presided over by the Pope. It's difficult to say for certain, but you get the sense from the writing of some of the Reformers that they hoped the day would come when the Roman church would recognize in their movement the true Gospel and come to embrace it. Little did they envision how deep and wide the break between them would become, and how their movement would shatter and scatter into so many different sects, just as the Roman hierarchy worried and warned.Second - There'd been groups that diverged from Roman Catholicism and its Eastern cousin the Orthodox Church, for a long time. We've already considered the Nestorian Church which dominated the Church in the Far East for hundreds of years and didn't lose its place of prominence until the Mongol invasions of the 13th C. There were little communities of what can be called non-aligned Christians scattered throughout Europe. And we'll consider some of those as we turn now to the Reformation.Long before Luther nailed his list of 95 topics for discussion to the chapel door at Wittenberg, others had sniped at the theological position of the Roman church.  There'd always had been some who didn't agree with its teaching, and many had broken off into separate religious communities.By way of review …Peter Waldo was one of the most effective of the pre-Reformers. A wealthy merchant of Lyons, France, moved by Matthew 19:21, he was convinced that poverty in the service to Christ was the path to heaven. So three centuries before Martin Luther, he sold his estate and gave the proceeds to the poor. Within a year, he was joined by others, both men and women, who called themselves the “Poor Men of Lyons,” and took on an itinerant ministry of preaching repentance and living from handouts. These were an early form of what came to be the mendicant monks.Thinking themselves to be good Roman Catholics, they appealed to the Third Lateran Council in 1179 for permission to preach but were refused because they were considered ignorant and unlearned laymen. But they were convinced they were like the first followers of Jesus and should obey God rather than men. So, Peter and his followers continued to preach.In 1184, Pope Lucius III excommunicated them for their disobedience. Contrary to what we might expect, this brought numerous supporters, and the movement spread into southern France, Italy, Spain, the Rhine Valley, and Bohemia. That they gained such support after being drop-kicked by Rome leaves the impression the Church's reputation wasn't so grand, at least in the regions where the Waldensians lived and worked.It's hard to know if all those called “Waldensian” were really followers of Peter Waldo or if contemporary opponents just used that term as a blanket description for the many disaffected individuals who opposed the Church. It's possible as well that many smaller groups of non-aligned Christians emerged from hiding to join the Waldensians.Whatever the case, they took the New Testament as a rule of life and used it in what we might call a legalistic sense. They went about 2 by 2, wearing simple clothing, preaching repentance, frequent fasting, and living from the gifts of others. They rejected the doctrine of purgatory, masses and prayers for the dead, and promoted the necessity for translations of Scripture in people's native language. They insisted on the right of anyone to preach, man or woman—but they did have some organization among their clergy, with bishops, priests, and deacons.While Peter Waldo never embraced the doctrines we'd call genuinely evangelical, his emphasis on Scripture as the basis of faith and practice opened the door for his followers to become so.The Waldensians were persecuted harshly for centuries. Part of the reason for their widespread distribution in Europe was that they were driven from their homeland. In Bohemia, they ultimately became part of the followers of Jan Hus. In their mountain retreat of the Alps between France and Italy, their homeland by the time of the Reformation, they met with representatives of the Swiss Reformation in 1532 and adopted the theology and government of the Swiss Reformers. Then, in 1545, about 4000 were massacred in Provence, France. It wasn't until 1848 that they won recognition. Today they number about 20,000, the only medieval separatist group to survive to the present.That brings us to the next pre-reformer, the Englishman JOHN WYCLIFFE, who we've already looked at.John Wycliffe lived about 200 yrs after Peter Waldo. Like Waldo, Wycliffe was determined to derive his theology, both theoretical and practical, from Scripture. Like the Waldensians, Wycliffe encouraged the translation of the Bible into the common language and that anyone ought to be able to preach, not just sanctioned and licensed clergy.Though he personally translated or supervised the translation of parts of the Bible, the version given his name wasn't completed until after his death. Its widespread use had an influence on the development of the English language. Wycliffe was educated at Oxford and later became a master of Balliol College there. For a while chaplain to the king, with access to Parliament, he was able to reach some of the upper-class English. But he also sought to reach the common people, sending out lay evangelists to instruct them.After 1375, Wycliffe's reforming views developed rapidly. Pope Gregory XI condemned him in 1377 for his efforts, but he was protected by some of the nobles and the powerful John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and son of Edward III. These were the days of the Hundred Years War between England and France, when it was unthinkable an Englishmen would surrender one of their most outstanding countrymen to a pope at Avignon, under the domination of England's French foes.To Wycliffe, Scripture, which he interpreted literally, was the sole authority for the believer. Decrees of the pope were not infallible except as based on Scripture. The clergy were not to rule, but to serve and help people. He concluded that Christ and not the pope was the head of the church; in fact, the pope, if he were too eager for worldly power, might even be regarded as the Antichrist. Ultimately, Wycliffe repudiated the entire papal system. He also attacked transubstantiation, the Roman doctrine that the bread and wine of Communion become the actual body and blood of Christ in the Mass.  Wycliffe condemned the doctrine of purgatory, the use of relics, pilgrimages, and indulgences. For all this, he's called the Morningstar of the Reformation.Wycliffe's followers were forcefully suppressed in 1401. Those who held his views went underground and helped to prepare the way for the British Reformation a century later. Bohemians studying at Oxford in Wycliffe's day carried his ideas to their homeland, where they influenced the teachings of Jan Hus, another pre-reformer we've already looked at, but whom we'll consider again now in this set up for the Reformation.Hus was the professor of philosophy at the University of Prague and lead preacher at Bethlehem Chapel.  Historians used to think Hus transported Wycliffe's views to Prague but it seems clear now that while Hus was later influenced by Wycliffe's views, his reforms ran tandem to what was happening in England.Hus's approach was similar to Wycliffe's but his influence in Europe was greater than that of the Englishman's. Luther was greatly impressed with the work of Jan Hus. His greatest work was titled On the Church. He said that all the elect are members of Christ's church, of which Christ, rather than the pope, is head. He argued against simony, indulgences, and abuses of the mass. He demanded a reform in the lives of clergy, and the right of laymen to take both the bread and wine in Communion.Hus became the leader of a reform movement that spread across Bohemia. Almost the entire realm supported him, in spite of being excommunicated by the pope. After Hus's death the reform carried on, and in the middle of the 15th Century the Bohemian Brethren rose out of the embers of the fire Hus lit. They still exist as the Moravians.The 4th pre-Reformer was Savonarola who lived in Florence, Italy in the late 15th C. He was a fiery preacher against the worldliness and corruption of church and society. A Dominican, he was transferred to the priory of San Marco in 1482 and rose in influence and power in the city. His studies in the OT prophets and the book of Revelation made him a powerful preacher against the evils of a decadent society.Savonarola served as the spiritual leader of the political party that came to power in Florence when the Medicis fled the city in 1494. Exercising a virtual dictatorship, he tried to reform both the church and state. But over time, the people of Florence found his rule too strict and used his criticism of the Roman Church as the excuse to remove him from office. Pope Alexander VI's excommunication of Savonarola in 1497 was all the Florentines needed to arrest and try him for sedition and heresy. He was cruelly tortured then hanged in the piazza before the city hall, not far from where Michelangelo's David would stand just 5 years later.Although Savonarola demanded reform in the church, he never took the more advanced position of Wycliffe and Hus. He had no quarrel with the teachings or the organization of the church but seems to have believed in justification by faith.At the same time, Wycliffe and Hus were leading their attempts at reform, a mystical movement flowered in northern Europe. Known as The Brethren of the Common Life, they emphasized Bible reading, meditation, prayer, personal piety, and religious education. The main aim of the Brethren was to secure a revival of practical religion. They gathered in homes rather than monasteries, held property in common, worked to support themselves, and avoided the ill-will of the communities in which they lived by not seeking tax-exempt status or begging. They had good relations with the townspeople but sometimes incurred the suspicion and opposition of the clergy and monks. They attended parish churches and had no peculiar doctrinal positions.The Brethren were committed to education. They established several schools in the Netherlands and Germany that were outstanding for scholarship and piety. Four of their best-known students were Nicholas of Cusa, Erasmus, Luther, and Thomas à Kempis, who's credited with writing the widely distributed Imitation of Christ.Europe was a seething kettle by 1500, ready to boil over. In the realms of economics, politics, education, and religion, the time had come for change. All that was needed was someone who could mold these explosive elements into a single movement. Such a movement could, and eventually would cover Europe.There are a couple of reasons that need to be stated for why the Reformation succeeded—besides the obvious one many Protestant Christians would note first > It was God's Will.The more pedantic reasons are two-fold:First – The Great Papal Schism had left a bad taste in the mouth of many Christians in Europe. How could the Pope, the Vicar of Christ not be able to keep the Church together? And how could the Pope become such an obvious tool in the hand of secular rulers? The corruption of the Church was so obvious, so blatant, even the most devoted churchmen were embarrassed and wrote impassioned pleas for reform.And that leads us to the second reason the Reformation occurred; this was the age when the nation-states of Europe were emerging. Kings and regional governors were coming out from under the thumb of the Church hierarchy. Instead of Popes being king-makers, kings made popes. And some kings decided they didn't want to play Rome's game at all. They wanted to take their ball and go home to start their own game. If only someone would write some new rules.Enter: Martin Luther.In central Europe, the Holy Roman Empire which was essentially a German entity, had an emperor check-mated by numerous states with only slight allegiance to him. Muslim armies knocked at the doors of the empire not long after Luther tacked his theses to the church door at Wittenberg. After toppling Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Turks strolled across Eastern Europe until they stood at the gates of Vienna in 1529.What really happened was this. Charles, a Hapsburg with holdings in central Europe and king of the Netherlands and Spain, was elected in 1519 as Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Francis I of France, surrounded by Charles' territory and defeated by him in 1525, made an alliance with the Ottomans in 1526 to apply a pincer movement against Charles. The Emperor needed the help of all his German vassals to defeat the Muslims. When some of the German princes became supporters of Luther, Charles was no longer able to put religious pressure on them. If he did, they'd withhold aiding him politically and militarily. So Charles wasn't able to force Luther's political covering, the powerful Frederick of Saxony, to surrender Luther when the Pope demanded his head on a pike.This is all very fun, isn't it?Now consider this à Just a few years after Luther's birth, Columbus reached the New World in 1492 and launched the Spanish Empire in the West. Shortly after Luther posted his theses, Magellan's expedition sailed around the world. At the same time, the Portuguese were establishing outposts of empire in Brazil, Africa, India, and the Far East.Did you know Columbus and Luther were contemporaries?Let's not forget as well that a whole new world of thought had come in with the tide of the Renaissance. Rediscovering the literature and thoughts of the classical age, contributed to a greater secularization of life.Humanism was one of the main features of the Renaissance, involving a new emphasis on man and his culture and an effort to make the world a better place in which human beings might live. The pull of the future life was not so great for the true child of the Renaissance as it had been for his ancestors during the Middle Ages. As has been said, the Renaissance man would rather eat his pie now than have it in the sky by and by.In harkening back to the literature of the Classical Age, humanists put renewed emphasis on the study of Greek and Hebrew in an effort to read the classics in the original languages. The greatest of all ancient documents was the Bible, and the renewed emphasis on ancient languages led many to the Scripture.The literary humanists included a good deal of biblical study in their academic diet, and it was in the north that the Reformation gained the most headway, among scholars like Zwingli, Calvin, Melanchthon, and Erasmus.Erasmus was a great satirist of the evils of the institutional church and society. That he got away with it and was so popular proves that criticism of Romanism by Renaissance leaders contributed to the success of the Reformation.Adding to the effectiveness of the Reformation was the Renaissance spirit of individualism, which paved the way for Luther's emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and its attendant ideas of the right of believers to go directly to God and to interpret the Scriptures for themselves.Another important ingredient of the intellectual development of Europe on the eve of the Reformation was the invention of movable type and the spread of printing. Without it the Reformers would not have had the same impact. The tremendous literary activity of the Reformers was largely responsible for building the printing trade.Lastly, an important phenomenon of the period was the rapid growth of universities, which provided education for a larger number of people, fostered a critical spirit, and provided a means for leaders of the emerging generation to be reached with Reformation principles.As we end this episode, I wanted to let you know that the donation feature is once more active on the CS site. We had to block it for a while because fraud did a lot of damage. You've heard reports of identity theft. It seems once crooks snag a bunch of credit accounts, they check to see if they're still valid by using sites like CS to post a bogus donation of 1 to $5. If it goes through, they know the accounts good and make real charges. Problem is, EVERY time my account gets one of these bogus donations, the bank charges me a transaction fee. Let's just say, 10K bogus donations made for a hefty cost to the CS account. So we had to block the donation feature until the proper security could be installed. That's done now thanks to the excellent work of Dade Ronan at Win at Web. Thanks, Dade. You're a genius!So, if you'd be so kind, a donation to keep the site up would be marvelous.

This is the 7th and last episode in our series The Long Road to Reform.In Italy, the Renaissance was a time of both prosperity and upheaval.Moderns of the 21st C are so accustomed to thinking of Italy as one large unified nation it's difficult to conceive of it as it was throughout MOST of its history; a patchwork of various regions at odds with each other. During the Middle Ages and a good part of the Renaissance, Italy was composed of powerful city states like Florence and Venice who vied endlessly with each other. Exacerbating the turmoil, was the interference of France and Germany who influenced affairs to their advantage.It was within this mix of prosperity, intrigue, and emerging Renaissance ideals the papacy carried on during the last decades of the 15th Century.I need to insert a cautionary footnote at this point. As this is the last of our series laying out the history for WHY the Reformation occurred, we need to deal with something that may be a bit unsettling for some of our listeners; the string of popes who were, how shall I describe them? Less than holy, less than the men of God others were. Even many loyal Roman Catholics acknowledge the men who've ridden Peter's chair haven't always been of sterling reputation. Not a few have been a ragged blight on the Holy See. That there was a string of them in the 15th Century helped set the stage for the Reformation.And I hope this mini-series in CS has made it clear that Reform only became something OUTSIDE the Church when the decades old movement for it WITHIN the Church was forced to exit. Never forget Luther began a Roman monk and priest who was forced out.During his reign in the mid-15th C, Pope Eugene IV sought to decorate Rome with the new artistic styles of the early Renaissance. He recruited Fra Angelico and Donatello. This began a trend among the Popes to imbibe the ideas of the Renaissance, especially in regard to art. They sought to adorn the city with palaces, churches, and monuments worthy of its place as the capital of Christendom. Some of the popes moved to greatly enlarge the papal library.All this construction wasn't cheap, especially the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. So the popes came up with new ways to raise funds. A subject we'll come back to later.Not all Renaissance popes focused on the arts. Some were warlords who led military campaigns. Others took delight in playing the high-stakes game of political intrigue.Eugene IV was succeeded by Nicholas V, who spent his term from 1447 to 55 trying to gain political dominance over the Italian states. His goal was to turn Rome into the intellectual center of Europe. He recruited the best authors and artists. His personal library was said to be the best. But, being a scholar didn't preclude him being brutal. He ruthlessly pursued and executed any who opposed him. During his reign, Constantinople fell to the Turks. He called for a great Crusade to retake the City, but everyone knew he only wanted it to increase his own prestige, so they ignored him.His successor was Calixtus III, who served only 3 years. Calixtus was the first pope of the Spanish family of Borgia. Under the guise of standing against an invasion by the Turks, Calixtus embarked on a campaign to unite Italy by military conquest. Nepotism reach a new height during his reign. One of the many relatives Calixtus elevated was his grandson Rodrigo, whom he appointed as a cardinal. This Rodrigo would later become the infamous Alexander VI.The next pope was Pius II who served from 1458 to 64. Pius was the last of the Renaissance popes who took his office seriously. He tried to bring about the much-needed Reformation of the Church but his plan was stalled by powerful cardinals. Pius was a true scholar who began work on a vast Cosmography. Unable to complete the work before he died, it was instrumental in shaping the ideas of a certain Genoese ship's captain named Cristofor Columbo.Pius II was followed by Pope Paul II, an opportunist who, upon learning that his uncle, Eugene IV, had been made pope, decided a career as a churchman was more promising than his occupation as a tradesman. His main interest was collecting jewelry. His lust for luxury was proverbial, his concubines acknowledged by the papal court. Pope Paul wanted to recover the architectural glory of pagan Rome and devoted vast sums to the work. He died of internal bleeding, brought on by his debauchery.Sixtus IV served from 1471 to 84 and came to power by literally buying the papacy. Corruption and nepotism reached new heights. His sole goal was to enrich his family, one of whom would become Pope Julius II. Under Sixtus, the church became a family business, and all Italy was involved in a series of wars and conspiracies whose sole purpose was to enrich the pope's nephews. His favorite was Pietro who at the age of 26 he made a cardinal, the patriarch of Constantinople, and archbishop of Florence. Another nephew plotted the murder of one of the Medicis in Florence who was stabbed to death before the altar while saying mass. When the dead man's relatives took revenge by hanging the priest who murdered him, the pope excommunicated the entire city of Florence and declared war.Despite all these groteque shenanigans, history remembers Sixtus for something else entirely; the Sistine Chapel, which was named after him.Before his election in 1484, Innocent VIII made a solemn vow to quit the nepotism that had become endemic to the Papacy. But as soon as he was pope he declared, since papal power was supreme, he wasn't bound by the prior oath.What's the old phrase? “It's good to be King.” I guess we could also say, “It's great to be Pope.”Innocent VIII wasn't! Innocent that is. He was the first pope to acknowledge several of his illegitimate children, on whom he heaped honors and wealth. Under the management of his son, the sale of indulgences became a shameless business proposition. Pope Innocent ordered Christendom to be cleared of all witches. Hundreds of innocent women were executed.After Innocent's death, Rodrigo Borgia bought the cardinals' votes and became pope under the name of Alexander VI. He ruled from 1492 to 1503. Under Alexander, papal corruption reached its all-time zenith, or we should say, it's nadir.I hope Roman Catholic listeners don't hear this and assume I'm just Catholic bashing. It's Catholic scholars who chronicle all this. It's simply a sad chapter in Church History.Pope Alexander was a moral wretch who publicly committed all the capital sins, save for gluttony because of a persistent case of heartburn. The people of Rome, well-acquainted with Alexander's excesses, said of him, “Alexander is ready to sell the keys, the altars, and even Christ himself. But, he's within his rights, since he bought them.”Alexander had numerous affairs with the wives of the men of court. These women gave him several children he openly acknowledged. The most famous of these were the infamous pair, Cesare and Lucrezia. Italy was besmirched by blood because of his many plots and wars. His court was so corrupt many fabricated tales were hatched. Sad, since there was no need to embellish the list of sins attached to his reign, which for long after hurt the reputation of the papacy.Alexander VI died unexpectedly. The suspicion is that he mistakenly took a poison meant for another. His son Cesare had hoped to inherit the Holy See but was struck by the same ailment. So the cardinals elected Pius III, a reformer. He lasted 26 days before dying mysteriously. Can anyone say “Conspiracy?”This brought Julius II to the papal seat, a worthy successor to Alexander.When Popes are elected, they pick a name they want to take for their tenure as the head of the Church. The papal name gives us a hint how he sees his role; what he hopes to accomplish.Julius was only the second to take that name, which exists as a harbinger for what he aimed to do. Appointed a cardinal by his uncle Sixtus IV, Julius modeled himself more after Julius Caesar than any saint. Like many of the popes of that era, Julius was a patron of the arts.During his pontificate, Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael's frescoes decorated the Vatican.But this pope's favorite pastime was war.Visitors to the Vatican today are struck by the bright colors of the Swiss papal guard. The only way they could be called camouflage is if they were trying to hide in a Jason Pollock painting. It was Julius who reorganized the papal guard, dressing them in uniforms said to have been designed by none other than Michelangelo.We might expect a Pope to make a poor general, but he was in fact so successful in his military and diplomatic exploits, it was rumored he might finally achieve the unification of Italy. Of course, France and Germany opposed these plans, but Julius defeated them both in diplomacy and on the battlefield. He died in 1513, earning the epithet, Julius the Terrible by his contemporaries.He was succeeded by Giovanni, son of Lorenzo de Medici. Giovanni took the name of Leo X. Like his famous father, Leo was a patron of the arts. He failed to consolidate Julius' military and political gains and in 1516 was forced to sign an agreement with Francis I of France that gave the king enormous authority in church affairs.Leo's immersion in the world of the arts overshadowed his pastoral concerns. He was determined to complete St. Peter's in Rome. The financing of that project was the main purpose for the sale of indulgences that provoked the protests of a German monk named Martin Luther.In our next episode, since we've now come right up to the Reformation in Europe, we'll get caught up with our narrative of the Church in the East.Martin, John, and Philip – that is Luther, Calvin and Melanchthon are just chomping at the bit to jump in.

On today's program I was joined by Rev. David Preus to discuss practical orthodoxy. David is currently working on his PhD at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MI on the thought of Balthasar Meisner. The program covered a lot of ground, including the practical nature of scholastic theology, some important representatives of practical orthodoxy, and the differences between Luther and Melanchthon's theological approaches.