Watch The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch

2017
1 Season

The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch is an informative and engaging course offered by The Great Courses Signature Collection. The show provides an in-depth exploration of the evolution of Christianity from the 16th century Reformation to the rise of modern megachurches.

The course is presented in a series of 24 lectures, each lasting approximately 30 minutes. The lectures are delivered by Professor Molly Worthen, an award-winning historian and author, who combines a wealth of knowledge with an engaging teaching style.

The course is divided into several sections, each focusing on a different period of Christian history. The first section explores the Reformation and the emergence of Protestantism. Professor Worthen discusses the key figures and movements that shaped this period, including Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the Anabaptists. She also examines the impact of the Reformation on Europe and the wider world.

The second section of the course examines the rise of denominationalism and the growth of Christianity in the United States. Professor Worthen explores the religious landscape of America, and the various movements and sects that emerged during the 19th and 20th centuries. She also discusses the challenges faced by religious communities during this period, including the impact of secularism, modernity, and globalization.

The course then moves on to the rise of modernism, and the impact of this on Christianity. Professor Worthen examines the ways in which Christian thinkers responded to the challenges of modernity, and the impact of the 20th-century world wars on Christian theology and practice.

The final section of the course focuses on the rise of the megachurches. Professor Worthen explores the origins and growth of these massive religious institutions, and the impact they have had on American society and culture. She also reflects on the challenges faced by these churches, including questions of authenticity, diversity, and social justice.

Throughout the course, Professor Worthen brings the subject matter to life through a combination of lectures, interviews with experts, and visual aids. She draws on a wide range of sources, including historical documents, religious texts, and contemporary media, to provide a comprehensive and nuanced examination of Christian history.

Overall, The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch is an engaging, informative, and thought-provoking course that provides a fresh perspective on the evolution of Christianity. Whether you are a student of religion, a member of a religious community, or simply interested in history and culture, this course will provide you with a deeper understanding of one of the world's most significant religions.

The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch is a series that ran for 1 seasons (36 episodes) between November 10, 2017 and on The Great Courses Signature Collection

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Seasons

36. The Challenge of 21st-Century Christianity

November 10, 2017

In this final lecture, consider three challenges for Christians in the 21st century: their encounters with the world of Islam, their attitude toward global capitalism, and their reaction to the forces of secularization. Discover how understanding the past 500 years of history can help us better understand these challenges today - and how to prepare for the future.

35. Revival and Repression in Korea

November 10, 2017

After the United States and Brazil, South Korea sends more missionaries into the world than any other country. Find out how Christianity became such a thriving faith in this relatively small nation - while fellow believers to the north suffer savage repression, and Pyongyang enforces a state religion devoted to the worship of former dictator Kim Il-sung.

34. Chinese Christianity: Missionaries to Mao

November 10, 2017

Continue your study of contemporary global Christianity. In China, the rise of Christianity has met with an uneasy mix of enthusiasm and suspicion. After reviewing early Christian contact with China, Professor Worthen traces 19th and 20th century missions, delves into the brutal Cultural Revolution, and reflects on religious tensions under the Communist regime.

33. Prophetic Religion in Modern Africa

November 10, 2017

Christianity today is a truly global religion. Even as church attendance declines in America and Western Europe, Christianity is growing rapidly around the world. Here, Professor Worthen reviews the explosion of controversial revival movements in Africa, as well as the promise - and peril - they offer to struggling believers trying to survive times of political upheaval.

32. Liberation Theologies in Latin America

November 10, 2017

Revisit Latin America to examine the role of Protestant missionaries and their rivalry with the established Catholic Church. After surveying politics and culture in Latin America over the past century, you'll see how Catholic leaders responded to evolving societies. The lecture concludes with a look at liberation theology and the impact of the Christian Right.

31. Culture Wars and the Christian Right

November 10, 2017

Along with secularization and changes in Christian faith and practice, the second half of the 20th century also witnessed the eruption of today's "culture wars" - the clash between traditional religious morality and secular pluralism. Explore this tension in American society and politics, and then see how the culture war is a global phenomenon, playing out in religious debates around the world.

30. The Gospel and Global Civil Rights

November 10, 2017

One theme we've seen again and again is the morally complex role of churches in social change. Here, you'll reflect on the stories of the American civil rights movement and the South African battle over apartheid to explore the ambivalent role of Christian institutions and ideas in the 20th century's global struggle for human rights.

29. Secularism and the Death of God

November 10, 2017

For Western Christians, the 20th century seemed to bring growing secularization. Professor Worthen unpacks this term and places it in the historical context of the 1950s and 1960s. See how religion has increasingly become a private business, one worldview among many, and theologians proclaimed the death of God - despite Billy Graham's booming revivals.

28. Vatican II and Global Renewal

November 10, 2017

In 1962, thousands of bishops gathered in Rome to convene the Second Vatican Council. Here, they debated how the church should respond to the challenges of modernity. Explore the high drama of these debates and see how Catholic reforms in worship, church authority, and doctrines of sexuality made real-life impact everywhere from America to the Philippines.

27. Rebellion and Reform in Latin America

November 10, 2017

Trace the history of religion in Latin America from the 18th century through today. After reviewing the history of colonialism and revolution, you will reflect on the relationship between the church and liberation theology in Mexico, Argentina, and elsewhere. See how Jorge Bergoglio - a.k.a. Pope Francis - struggled to balance pragmatism and idealism in politics.

26. The Rival Gods of the Cold War

November 10, 2017

Continue your exploration of Soviet religious persecution and consider life behind the Iron Curtain. In this lecture, you will see how Khrushchev and Brezhnev continued Stalin-era pro-atheist policies. Then turn to the persistence of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe - particularly Poland, home of Pope John Paul II.

25. The Church and the Russian Revolution

June 1, 2020

The Russian Revolution of 1917 is arguably the single most cataclysmic event in the history of religion in the 20th century. After surveying the landscape of religion in Russia in the early 20th century, including the various Christian minorities, take a look at the Bolshevik coup and Lenin and Stalin's subsequent efforts to stamp out religion.

24. Apocalyptic Faith in the 1800s and Beyond

November 10, 2017

Christianity started as an apocalyptic religion, and prophecies of "end times" have endured. Take a look at different strands of apocalyptic thinking and their relationship to the Bible and to society. Then unpack how apocalyptic preaching became so popular and examine how several churches and evangelists preached about the last days.

23. Fundamentalism and Pentecostalism

November 10, 2017

Reflect on the rise of Pentecostalism, which exploded into an international revival, and Fundamentalism, a movement that became far more influential in America than anywhere else. Fundamentalists and Pentecostals clashed over doctrine and worship, but Professor Worthen shows how both groups responded to the same anxieties of modernity.

22. The Social Gospel

November 10, 2017

In the 19th century, Christians debated whether to focus on saving souls, or to try to save society first. Here, learn about Protestant activists in Britain and North America who preached the "Social Gospel," a mission to help the poor, push for social services, and effect political reform - and learn why some failed while others succeeded.

21. The Church's Encounter with Modern Learning

November 10, 2017

Dig into the rise of the modern university and its influence on the history of Christianity. By examining modern biblical scholarship in Germany and Britain as well as advancements in 19th century science and the theory of evolution, you will gain a greater understanding of the battle between faith and reason.

20. Christian Missions and Moral Reform

November 10, 2017

How do you make people and a society Christian? What does it mean to "convert" foreign lands for Christ? In this lecture, Professor Worthen tackles these difficult questions. After reviewing early missions in Africa, she examines the role of women (particularly abolitionists) in the process of Christian reform.

19. Slave Religion in the Americas

November 10, 2017

Although historical records are relatively scarce, the clever detective work of some enterprising scholars has revealed the rich religious world of enslaved Africans, and highlights Christianity's role in both oppression and liberation. Trace the evolution of religion among slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, and consider how they made "white man's religion" their own.

18. The Mormons: A True American Faith

November 10, 2017

Despite TV shows like Big Love, the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, and the political career of Mitt Romney, Mormonism remains somewhat mysterious to those outside the religion. Uncover the origins and practices of this American faith, and find out how it has grown so large so quickly.

17. The Second Great Awakening

June 1, 2020

During the 19th century, a second wave of revivals swept North America and Britain, and this "Second Great Awakening" had tremendous consequences for Christianity in the West. After reviewing the origins of Methodism, Professor Worthen surveys the new approach to revivals and shows how America became a majority-Christian country.

16. Religion and Revolution in the 18th Century

November 10, 2017

Is America a "Christian" country? Did the Founding Fathers use the Bible as a blueprint for government? What about France - how did revolutionaries there both oppress and adopt religion to advance their cause? In both cases, history is so much more complicated than culture-war slogans.

15. The First Great Awakening

November 10, 2017

Meet George Whitefield, an Anglican evangelist who experienced a "new birth" and led a series of religious revivals up and down the East Coast. Here, you will consider the context of religious revivals, examine controversies over evangelism, and reflect on the impact revivals had on American political culture.

14. Pietist Revival in Europe

November 10, 2017

In the ongoing clash between faith and reason, some Protestants embraced carefully reasoned arguments, but in the 17th century, another group of thinkers chose to emphasize heart over head. Survey the rise of Pietist communities and see how they responded to the historical context of the 17th and 18th centuries.

13. The Enlightenment Quest for Reasonable Faith

November 10, 2017

On the heels of the Scientific Revolution, the "Enlightenment," as Professor Worthen explains, was not one single movement but rather a constellation of ideas and philosophers who debated the relationship between faith and reason. Explore the theories and worldviews of Diderot, Voltaire, Locke, and other Enlightenment thinkers.

12. The Church and the Scientific Revolution

November 10, 2017

Are religion and science always at odds? Reflect on this lightning-rod issue as you trace the history of the Scientific Revolution from the medieval worldview through the remarkable discoveries of the 16th and 17th centuries. Find out what really troubled the church about Galileo's proposition that the Earth was not at the center of the universe.

11. Christians under Muslim Rule

November 10, 2017

Like the church in the West, Eastern Christianity has given rise to a range of diverse cultures and clashing theological opinions. Here, you'll discover the history of Christians in the Middle East, particularly Coptic Christians in Egypt and Syriac Christians in the Middle East. Find out what life was like under Muslim rule, and reflect on the legacy of the Ottoman Empire.

10. Eastern Orthodoxy: From Byzantium to Russia

November 10, 2017

Shift your attention from the Protestant Reformation to another schism. Centuries before Martin Luther, Orthodox Christians in the East broke with Rome and developed their own theology. Reflect on the principles of Orthodox Christianity and see what role it played in the rise of the Russian Empire.

9. Religious Dissent and the English Civil War

November 10, 2017

Survey the fascinating history of the English Civil war, from the rise of Charles I, his battles with Parliament and eventual beheading, to the rule of Oliver Cromwell and the Restoration of Charles II. This political tumult allowed a profusion of radical sects to flourish, from the proto-communist Diggers to the apocalyptic Fifth Monarchy Men.

8. Puritans, Kings, and Theology in Practice

November 10, 2017

The Reformation opened the door for radicals to challenge traditional authority. Follow the Puritans from England, where they pushed King James to authorize a new translation of the Bible, to the New World, where they tried to build a Christian Zion and wrestled with theology on their own terms.

7. War and Witchcraft in the Holy Roman Empire

November 10, 2017

The Thirty Years' War is one of the most confusing episodes in world history. Was it truly a religious war, in which Protestants battled for religious tolerance and freedom, or was it a political ploy to depose kings and change the balance of political power? As you delve into this messy conflict, you'll discover that the war unfolded in the midst of witch-hunting hysteria across Europe.

6. The Church Militant in the Spanish Empire

November 10, 2017

One key theme from this course is the way religious motives are often inseparable from political and economic ambitions. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than Spain in the 16th century. See how Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand joined forces to create a unified Catholic nation, and how they worked to spread Catholicism into the Americas.

5. The Catholic Reformation

November 10, 2017

Protestants weren't the only ones fighting to reform Christianity. While Luther, Calvin, and others were breaking from Rome and founding independent churches, leaders within the Catholic Church pushed to consolidate the power of their ideas and institutions. Survey the founding of the Jesuits and the role of education in the Catholic Reformation.

4. The Anabaptist Radicals

November 10, 2017

In this third lecture on the Protestant Reformation, you'll meet the most radical of rebels, the Anabaptists. Based on the slogan sola scriptura - the Bible alone - the Anabaptists wanted to cut ties completely between church and state, making them politically as well as theologically dangerous.

3. Zwingli, Calvin, and the Reformed Tradition

November 10, 2017

Continue your study of the Reformation with a look at several thinkers who were more radical than Martin Luther. Here, you'll explore the ideas of Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, and others who advanced their own theological and political critiques of the church. You'll also consider Henry VIII's quarrel with Rome and the founding of the Church of England.

2. Luther and the Dawn of Protestantism

November 10, 2017

Delve into the early Reformation, which begins with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. An original thinker and an outlaw to Catholic authorities of the time, Luther was also surprisingly conservative in many ways. Review his critique of the church and his theology in the context of the 16th century.

1. Prophets of Reform before Protestantism

November 10, 2017

Start your journey in Renaissance Italy where - right in the pope's backyard - two men gave very different yet powerful critiques of the church, years before the Reformation. By examining these representative figures, Professor Worthen unpacks several key themes running through Christianity for the past 500 years. #Music, Philosophy & Religion

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Where to Watch The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch

The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch is available for streaming on the The Great Courses Signature Collection website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch on demand at Amazon Prime and Amazon.