Module 6: The English Church

Hi everyone, and welcome to the sixth module of the History of Christianity 2 Course. In this section, we'll be continuing to work through the history of the Reformation in England. This module will pick up the story where the prior module ended. This module will cover the religious tensions in England as a result of the Elizabethan Settlement, the English Civil War and its long-term results. And this module will look in more depth at the Puritans in England at that time.

This module will help you to understand the reasons behind the continuing changes in the church of England and the various forces seeking to determine the direction of that church. It will cover significant theological ideas and practices from that time period and how influential those ideas have been for subsequent history, even until today.

The student will be exposed to different attitudes, theologies, and approaches to church ministry, organization, and practice, and how this should influence the surrounding society. And the student will have opportunity to evaluate these ideas and actions and the lessons that can be learned from all of these various movements and their outcomes. This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.

Introductory Scenario

Imagine that you are in the midst of an unsustainable compromise situation like the Elizabethan Settlement covered in the prior module. There are different sides pushing in different directions. How could you determine which direction was the better option? How could you advocate for the best possibility? How could you attempt to bring opponents over to the better view? How would you respond to opposition to, or failure of, this better strategy? What price would you be willing to pay to advocate for this best approach? 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:

  • Describe the various religious groups in England at that time, and their goals and desires for the English church.
  • Understand the reasons for and outcomes of the English Civil War, including the long-term consequences.
  • Describe the character and general approaches of the Puritans, and what lessons we can learn from them and apply to modern church practices.
  • Place the major events of the continuing English Reformation and church life 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.

Individual Student Guide
Group Student Guide

Textbook Content

In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 6. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.

Textbook Reading List and Study Guide for Module 6

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.

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Gonzalez Textbook Quiz
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Textbook Review Quiz for Gonzalez chs. 15-18

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.


The conflict between Charles I and parliament had both religious and political causes.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 201-203
Drag each term to its correct definition.
Episcopal
Presbyterian
Elizabethan Settlement
William Laud
Oliver Cromwell
Westminster Assembly
John Bunyan

Parliament calls a group of theologians to advise it on spiritual matters.

Archbishop who fought against Puritan influence

Compromise between those with Roman Catholic sympathies and those with Reformed sympathies in England

Puritan author of Pilgrim's Progress

Parliament leader of the English Civil War

Form of church government led by a group of elders

Hierarchical form of church government

Which is the idea that natural reason can answer the fundamental questions about God and human nature?

Religious Tolerance

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

Rationalism

Correct

Natural Religion

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

Romanticism

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

In this age, many began to believe that religious tolerance was wiser than conflict over religious difference.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174
Which of these is most true about James I?

He only cared that the church have a presbyterian government

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 196-197

He favored the Roman Catholics

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 196-197

He favored the Puritans

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 196-197

He only cared that the church have an Episcopal government

Good Job

After the restoration, Charles II took revenge on those who had rebelled, especially Puritans.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 208
Charles I was in favor of the traditional Anglicans who were against the Puritans, to the point of persecution.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 200-201
What was the "Rump Parliament"?

Parliament with only a small portion of its former members

Well Done

Parliament that met in the city of Rump

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 206-207

Parliament who remained seated

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 206-207

Parliament who refused to act

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 206-207

Which is a worldview based only upon what unaided human reason can discover, without the need for revelation?

Natural Religion

Well Done

Romanticism

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

Rationalism

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

Religious Tolerance

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 174

At the end of the 30 years war, the resulting religious toleration grew out of a deeper understanding of Christian love and charity.

True

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 184

False

Good Job

Lecture Content

In this section, you will find the video lectures the continuing English Reformation, the English Civil War, and the Puritans. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Click each banner to open access to each 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.

Lecture Study Guide for Module 6
Blank Lecture Notes for Module 6
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06a: English Civil War
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Watch on Rumble
Watch on YouTube
Download Audio
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06b: The Puritans
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Watch on Rumble
Watch on YouTube
Download Audio

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.

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Review Slideshow
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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 6. 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.

Instructions for Individuals
Instruction for Groups
Discussion/Reflection Questions for Module 6
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Discussion/Application Questions
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The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. Which group in the English church do you most agree with? Why? What would you have done? How does this apply?
  2. Describe what was good in the English church of this period. What can you learn from their example? How can you apply it?
  3. Describe what was bad about the English church of that period. What can you learn from their mistakes? How can you avoid them?
  4. How did the mindset of the Puritans influence their history? What can you learn and apply from this?
  5. How do the Puritans compare with modern Christians? What is similar? What is different? What can we learn from them?
  6. What was good and/or bad about the Puritans? Why did this stand out to you? Why was it good or bad? How does this apply?
  7. What else did you learn? How does it apply?

(Optional) Timeline - Part 6

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.

Timeline Project Instructions

Step six of the Timeline should include the following information:

  • Any significant events, ideas, and people from the English Civil War, including its reasons and outcomes.
  • Any significant events, ideas, and people from the protectorate and the Westminster Assembly.
  • Any significant events, ideas, and people from the Puritans and their response to the persecution and great ejection.
  • Any significant writings from these movements, and the ideas, doctrines, and approaches which they represent, and the impact they had.

(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 6

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.

Principles Chart Instructions

Step six of the Principles chart will add any important principles noted from the continuing English Reformation, English Civil War, and the Puritans, the influence these movements 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 Research

The student will continue researching their chosen topic for their term project. The student should read the research of reputable historians (hopefully at least some writing from a faithful Christian worldview). But, as much as possible, the student should also read primary sources, to learn firsthand the views and experiences of the people involved in those things. The course textbook the course bibliography, the course lectures, and the primary resource reading lists are good places to start for finding quality resources. And the student should continue research, following where the research leads, and filling any gaps in their knowledge.

Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.

Term Project Instructions

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.

Primary Source Reading Instructions
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Primary Sources
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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:

Links to Primary Sources

Review Quiz

This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 6. 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.

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Quiz for Module 06
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Review Quiz for Module 06

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.


The Gospel message the Puritans typically preached was God-centered

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 06b
The Lecture argues that many of the ideas that formed the original government of the USA came from the Puritans

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 06b
The Lecture suggests we should believe the characterization of Puritans as Pharisaical killjoys, looking to stifle fun and joy

True

Sorry, see Lecture 06b

False

Well Done
The documents of the Westminster Assembly are seen as the definitive expression of Puritan teaching

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 06a
The Puritans attempted to apply the truth and power of Christ to every part of life and society

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 06b
Which document replaced the 39 articles as the official theology of the Puritan churches?

The Larger Catechism

Sorry, see Lecture 06a

The Shorter Catechism

Sorry, see Lecture 06a

The Directory of Public Worship

Sorry, see Lecture 06a

The Westminster Confession

Well Done

The Puritans were against rest, leisure, and pleasure

True

Sorry, see Lecture 06b

False

Correct
During this period, the faithful church was the same as the official state church

True

Sorry, see Lecture 06a

False

Well Done
The Puritans often spoke of Christian life as a struggle and a pilgrimage, with great reward

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 06b
The Kings before the English Civil War were godly Protestants, whose care for the church prevented the civil war for a time

True

Sorry, see Lecture 06a

False

Well Done

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the sixth 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 7.