Course Description

Instructor: Michael McDavid, MA

500 years ago, the Catholic monk Martin Luther nailed his “protest document� onto the church doors in Wittenberg. This began a cascade of events that would permanently shatter the religious unity of western and central Europe and help usher in the world we know today. We will begin with an examination of the problems in the Catholic Church that set the stage for Luther and the other Protestant leaders. Then we will look at the different churches that would emerge during the 16th century, their similarities and differences, and their present day descendants. Lastly, the course will survey the Catholic response to the revolt and the long term social, political, and economic consequences that resulted from the religious split.