Module 15: Reform Movements
Hi everyone, and welcome to the fifteenth module of the History of Christianity 1 Course. In this section, we'll be looking at a series of reform movements that took place in the later medieval period. We'll study a series of three leaders who challenges the status quo and attempted to influence the church back to faithfulness and health.
This module is a survey of the life and contributions of three individuals as a snapshot on the kind of reforms attempted during the later medieval period. It will help you to understand the reasons behind these attempted reforms, the history surrounding each of these individuals, and the results that came out of their lives. You will be exposed to their attitudes and actions, as well as the responses they experienced from the church hierarchy and from the people they served. You will be exposed to some of the major issues they sought to address, what they taught and did to address them, and some of the principles and insights that can be gained and applied to modern situations.
The student will be given opportunity to think through how these reformers' standard for knowing right and wrong influenced their reform efforts. And the student will be given opportunity to process how these lessons can be applied to current situations.
Introductory Scenario
Imagine that you are a business expert who has just begun working for a business that is clearly not successful because of the poor business practices. And you learn that the leadership is clearly proud of and committed to their business practices. How would you bring up the shortcomings of their current way of doing things? How would you suggest better alternatives? Would you be concerned about protecting your relationships and standing in the company, even risking your job? How would you decide how aggressively to pursue needed changes? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.
Module Objectives and Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:
- Understand the background causes of the late medieval reform movements.
- Describe the history and influence of Wycliffe, Hus, and Savonarola.
- Understand the short and long-term results of these reform movements.
- Place the reform movements in a general chronology in relation to the wider medieval history.
Instruction Guides
In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.
Textbook Content
In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 15. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.
This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.
Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit
button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Lecture Content
In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Reform Movements module. Click the banner to open access to the video. There are also links with the video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.
Reviews
In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 8. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.
Click the prev.
and next
buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.
Discussion/Reflection Questions
This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 15. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.
The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:
- How can the church correct itself? What are the obstacles to change? What are the strategies for change? How does this apply?
- What will it take for lasting change in our world? Compare the medieval times with current times. How can we work toward lasting, positive change?
- What did you learn specifically from these reformers? How does this apply?
- What else did you learn? How does it apply?
(Optional) Timeline - Part 15
This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Fifteen of the Timeline should include the following information:
- Any significant events leading up to, and demonstrating the background causes of the late medieval reforms.
- The various reformers, what they accomplished, and the consequences.
- Any short and long term consequences on the church and Christian society, including new ideas and attitudes that resulted from the reformers, and their contribution to the church and wider society.
- Any other significant events, ideas, and practices, which had bearing on, or flowed out from the reformers and their reforms.
Annotate any significant approaches, people, events, principles, mindsets, and practices of the later medieval reforms, including the immediate and long-term impact on the larger church, the surrounding society, and how these are applicable in the current church and and Christian life.
(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 15
This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.
Step Fifteen of the Principles Chart will add any important principles noted from the background causes, ideals, and activities of the reforms, and their consequences, and how those principles can be applied. It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the "Guiding Principles" portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.
(Optional) Term Project - Finalizing
As necessary, the student will continue researching their chosen term project topic and organizing the material they have found. The student should primarily be concluding the writing (or otherwise creating) the first draft of their term project. The student should begin editing and polishing the final draft of their project. The student should rework the communication of what they learned, as well as the principles they gained from the historical data, and how it applies to current life and ministry.
Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.
Primary Source Reading
This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.
The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:
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The Wycliffe Bible,Print ISBN: 978-1600391033Online: biblestudytools.com ebible.org, or bibles-online.net
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On the Truth of Holy Scripture,Print ISBN: 978-1580440318Online: academia.edu
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Tracts and Treatises,Online: monergism.com, libertyfund.org, or onthewing.org
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Select English Works of John Wyclif,Online: archive.org, or onthewing.org
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The Church,Print ISBN: 2940013833050Online: monergism.com libertyfund.org, or archive.org
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The Letters of John Huss,Online: monergism.com libertyfund.org, archive.org, or lutheranlibrary.org
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The Triumph of the Cross,Print ISBN: 978-0981990118Online: archive.org, libertyfund.org, traditio-op.org, or gutenberg.org
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Selected Writings of Girolamo Savonarola,Print ISBN: 978-0300103267Online: archive.org, or traditio-op.org
Review Quiz
This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 15. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit
button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.
Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Module Completed!
Congratulations, you have reached the end of the fifteenth module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.
I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 16.
