The History of Christianity in the Reformation Era

Professor Gregory does a decent job of narrating the events of the narration, but his course falls short for several reasons. First, he doesn't provide proper historical background. The Catholic Church, after all, had already suffered a split in its schism with the Eastern Orthodox Church centuries

before, so Professor's Gregory's repeated characterization of the Catholic Church as the "one church" is just wrong. Yes, he has narrowed his focus to the West, but this background is essential to understand the deep-rooted doctrinal issues plaguing the Catholic Church. Second, he sums up the effects of the Reformation as being best for Radical Protestants, second best for Catholics (who Church renewed itself in response to the Reformation), and worst for Non-Radical Protestants (e.g., Lutherans, Anglicans, etc.) This is beyond absurd, since without the Reformation, there would have been no Lutheran or Anglican Church. Professor Gregory seems to think that since Protestantism split into so many branches after the Reformation, that somehow that makes it a loser. But enough about the churches; there isn't much good to say about any of them with their massacres, holy wars, and burning of heretics. As the Professor points out, of course, we can't look back with superiority to the violence of the 16th Century given the horrors of the 20th Century and those probably to come in the present century. Religion failed to unite the world in brotherhood/sisterhood, and there doesn't seem to be any other ideology that has done so either--not democracy, not Communism, not anything else. Perhaps this is due to the inescapable fact that there can be no unity when so many people--in every country--are so poorly educated and so incapable of even making rational analyses and choices. Yes, I'm a pessimist--and a realist. I'll see out other books and courses on the Reformation and see if my opinion changes. Stay tuned.

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