Module 3: The Swiss Reformation
Hi everyone, and welcome to the third module of the History of Christianity 2 Course. In this section, we'll be working through the ministries of two influential leaders in the reformation which happened in the nation of Switzerland - Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. These two men had tremendous influence on the church in their day, but also on subsequent history after them.
This module will help you to understand their contributions to the reformation of God's church, the reasons behind their influence, including their personal lives, attitudes & goals, their ministry strategies and activities, and the short and long term results that came out of their ministries.
The student will be exposed to the main events of history, but also the major doctrines and writings of each Swiss leader. And the student will learn what difference these things had on the church in Switzerland and how this spread to other parts of Europe. This module will also aid the student to evaluate these doctrines and changes, and work through how the lessons learned can be applied in their own life and ministry.
Introductory Scenario
It is a constant question in business, education, politics, and virtually every other organization: How do we initiate and institute positive change?
Imagine you are in a position of influence in some organization. For whatever reason, you notice needed changes which no one else can see. But you also have good ideas of the direction in which the organization should change. What activities can you do to instigate these changes? How can you convince others of the need for change? How can you get them on board with desiring these changes and working toward them? What obstacles do you see that would hinder the changes? How can you overcome these obstacles? 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 and describe the life and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli and the tremendous influence he had on the Swiss church of his day.
- Describe the theological ideas taught by Zwingli and the result of these ideas for his society.
- Understand and describe the life and ministry of John Calvin and the tremendous influence he had on the European church and subsequent history.
- Describe the theological ideas taught by Calvin and the result of these ideas on the church of his time and afterward.
- Place the major events of the Swiss reformation in a general chronology.
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 3. 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 lecture for the Swiss Reformation module. Click the banner to open access to the video. There are also links with each 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/Essay Questions
This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 3. 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:
- Why was Zwingli significant? What can we learn from his ministry? How does this apply?
- Why was Calvin significant? What can we learn from his ministry? How does this apply?
- What significance do the "Five Solas" have? How do they apply to life and ministry?
- What else did you learn? How does it apply?
(Optional) Timeline - Part 3
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 Three of the Timeline should include the following information:
- Any significant events from the life and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli.
- Any significant events from the life and ministry of John Calvin.
- Any significant writings of Zwingli and Calvin, and the ideas, doctrines, and approaches which they represent, and the impact they had.
(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 3
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 three of the Principles chart will add any important principles noted from the life, writings, and ministry of Ulrich Zwingli and/or John Calvin, the influence they had, the reasons behind that influence, 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 Topic
The student will begin their term project by surveying the course schedule, textbook contents, and/or the course topics, looking for a person, event, or other topic which captures their interest for further investigation. They will narrow from the variety of things covered in this course to choose one event, movement, controversy, or person that they will research in more depth throughout the term and create a presentation of their findings. This first step is just to decide on the topic of their project. It is helpful to write out the topic in order to guide and constrain the focus of the research and term project as a whole. 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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A Reformation Reader: Primary Texts and Introductions,Print ISBN : 978-1506474694Online : archive.org
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The Clarity and Certainty of God's Word,Print ISBN : 978-0664241599Online : unionpublishing.org, archive.org, or oldmis.kp.ac.rw
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The 67 Articles,Print ISBN : 978-1573830997Online : apostles-creed.org, or onthewing.org
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The Exposition of the Christian Faith,Print ISBN : 978-0664241599, or 978-1579102968
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The Defense of the Reformed Faith,Print ISBN : 978-1498228107
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Commentary on True and False Religion,Print ISBN : 978-1498232876Online : archive.org
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The Christian Education of Youth,Print ISBN : 978-1943133321Online : archive.org, tracts.ukgo.com, or archive.org (alternate)
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The First Confession of Basel,Online : apostles-creed.org
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The Second Helvetic Confession,Print ISBN : 978-1955859066, 978-0664254964, or 978-1592557257Online : onthewing.org, monergism.com, or apostles-creed.org
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Institutes of the Christian Religion,Print ISBN : 978-1598561685, 978-0664220280, 978-0802807748, or 978-0664239114Online : ccel.org (complete), ccel.org (Vol. 1), ccel.org (Vol. 2), or monergism.com
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Various Theological Writings,Print ISBN : 978-0664223670, 978-0916206888, 978-0664251833, or 978-0060754679
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Ecclesiastical Ordinances,Print ISBN : 978-0664223670Online : archive.org
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On the Christian Life,Print ISBN : 978-1567697445Online : ccel.org, or monergism.com
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Various Sermons,Print ISBN : 978-1532680205, or 978-0985604585
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Commentaries,Print ISBN : 978-0664241605Online : ccel.org (Complete), or ccel.org (Selections)
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Tracts and Letters,Print ISBN : 978-0851519876Online : archive.org, or sabda.org
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Selected Letters,Print ISBN : 978-1848718432
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Selected Prayers,Print ISBN : 978-1601781932Online : ccel.org
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The Geneva Catechism,Print ISBN : 978-0664223670, or 978-1573830997Online : monergism.com, or apostles-creed.org
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Debate [in writing] Between Calvin & Sadoleto,Print ISBN : 978-0823219919Online : archive.org, or monergism.com
Review Quiz
This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 3. 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 third 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 4.
