This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Register for this course to go deep into history and analyze the roots of the Protestant “Reformation” as well as learn its impact on culture and faith still today.
Total classes: 12
Duration: 55 minutes per class
Prerequisite: None. However, Mr. Campbell recommends his course “Catholic Middle Ages” as well as his short four-class course “Foundations of Christian Historiography” (available through Unlimited Access). Both are helpful for filling in background information.
Suggested Grade Level: 10th to 12th grade, or 9th grade students with good reading and writing skills.
Suggested Credit: One full semester of Medieval or World History. For a full year credit, precede with “Catholic Middle Ages” in the fall.
Description
High school students will analyze the causes and outcomes of the Protestant Revolt and will get an in-depth analysis of the important personalities of the period, coupled with a philosophical explication of their varied ideologies; a Catholic apologetic to Protestant doctrines will also be present throughout the series. We will begin by looking at the precursors to the Revolt, beginning in the aftermath of the Western Schism, and will end with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 at the end of the last of the religious wars. There will also be an emphasis on the importance of the “Counter-Reformation” within the Catholic Church and how it shaped Catholic identity for the succeeding centuries.
Outline
Week 1: Christianity and Christendom
Week 2: Origins of the Revolt
Week 3: Martin Luther & Lutheranism
Week 4: Germany on Fire
Week 5: Anglicanism, the Via Media
Week 6: Calvin and Knox
Week 7: Consolidation of English Protestantism
Week 8: The True Reformation
Week 9: French Wars of Religion
Week 10: The Spanish-English Conflict
Week 11: The Thirty Years’ War
Week 12: The Stalemate
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: There are three resources required for this class:
The Rending of Christendom Primary Document Catholic Study Course by Phillip Campbell, ISBN# 978-1-312-83917-5, https://www.amazon.com/Rending-Christendom-Primary-Document-Catholic/dp/1312839171/ and the Rending of Christendom Answer Key (Both can be purchased together as a package at the following link: https://www.cruachanhill.com/products/rending-of-christendom-sourcebook-answer-key-package) You will also need the book Heroes and Heretics of the Reformation, ISBN # 978-1-5051-0870-5, available from TAN Books or on Amazon.
Homework: Homework consists of readings from the textbook, sourcebook, as well as the completion of a series of mini-essay questions and semi-regular quizzes. Estimated homework time for the entire week, including watching recorded lectures and reviewing notes, is 4.5 hours per week.
