Notes for my Soul Food class at Village Seven Presbyterian Church:
by Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
 

From the Reformation to the Constitution: the major figures in Reformation history and their impact throughout history and eventually upon the founding of the American Republic.
 

This class begins with late Medieval Church History and the rise of the proto-Reformers. It moves to the German Reformation under Martin Luther and the rise of Lutheranism. The lives of Swiss Reformers in Zurich (Zwingli) and Geneva (Calvin) are studied with discussion of the Swiss Brethren. Comparison and contrasts in doctrinal positions and practices are covered. Changes in Calvinism and Arminianism are discussed in some detail, followed by the Reformation in Scotland (Knox) and England. We move to America with a lesson on the Planting Fathers (Pilgrims and Puritans). The diversity and proliferation of American Denominations is discussed, followed by a lesson on the First Great Awakening including George Whitfield, John Wesley, and Jonathan Edwards. The rise of the Enlightenment and Deism and their contributors precedes the final lesson covering impacts on the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Some of the material here is from a church history class I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for many years ago, taught by Dr. John Hannah of Dallas Theological Seminary. A few slides are included from Dr. Hannah's two excellent overview chart books on Church History, footnoted in Lesson 1 below. Photos are from a Reformation History tour of Europe I took with Dr. Hannah in June 2004. Complete photos, videos, and audio clips are available here.

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