Paper Suggestions
Research papers should be historical in nature, dealing
with the time period covered in the course (ca. 1300 to present). As such, they should demonstrate a healthy
dose of primary source research along with secondary sources. The best topic is one that interests
you. After doing (or glancing through)
the readings, what strikes your fancy?
a)
You may examine a particular thinker, idea, or event of church history. Of course, you will need to make sure your
topic’s scope fits the desired length of the paper. Combine a group or thinker with a doctrine or
event. The following topic suggestions
are not meant to limit your selection, but to get the intellectual juices
flowing. Other suggestions are welcome.
Some groups to consider: Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anabaptist, Reformed, Arminian, Socinian, Pietist,
Evangelical.
For
individual figures, see primary
readings and textbook indices.
Ideas, doctrines, events:
Canon of
Scripture
Biblical
interpretation
Sin and
anthropology
Christology
Church
organization
Missions
Persecution
The
state church
Church
councils
Identification
and treatment of heretics
Baptismal
theology and practice
Eucharistic
theology and practice
Popes
Predestination
Early
reform efforts
Confessionalization
Thirty-Years’
War
Enlightenment
Impact
of philosophy on theology
Christian
interaction with other religions
Ecumenical
movement
b) Or…You may discuss the impact of church history on a particular
area of life, church, art, family, worship, or confessions and catechisms,
etc. You may trace the influence of a
particular thinker, event, or doctrine.
I want to know how church history impacted a particular area of life of
interest to you.
JOHN WYCLIF
CHRONOLOGY
ca. 1330 Born
in Yorkshire
1337 One
Hundred Years War begins
ca. 1345 Matriculated
at Oxford
1349-53 Bubonic
plague
1360 Master
of Balliol College
1361 Became
rector of Fillingham in Lincolnshire
1362 English
officially became the national language (after French domination since 1066)
1366 Becomes
one of the king’s chaplains
1369 Bachelor
of divinity
1370 Debated
doctrine of Eucharist
1372 Doctor
of theology
1372-1381 Taught
at Oxford
1374 Among
commissioners to Bruges negotiating problems between papacy and king
1377 Pope
Gregory XI condemned sent bull to England condemning Wyclif’s writings
Began
sending out poor preachers (later known as Lollards)
1378 Lambeth
Palace – Wyclif explained his views to the archbishop and bishops
Wrote
De ecclesia
1379 Wrote
against the doctrine of transubstantiation
June 13, 1381 Peasants’
revolt begins in London
1382 Prolific
writing period began
Stroke
left him partially paralyzed, but his work continued
1384 Second
stroke and death
1415 Council
of Constance posthumously condemned Wyclif
1428 Wyclif’s
remains disinterred, burned to ashes, and cast into the River Swift
JAN HUS
CHRONOLOGY
ca. 1369 Born
in Husinec in South Bohemia (75 SW of Prague)
1390 Began
studies at the University of Prague
1400 Ordained
as a priest
1401 Appointed
Dean of faculty at University of Prague
1402 Rector
and preacher at Chapel of Holy Innocents of Bethlehem
1408 Deposed
as synodal preacher
1410 Excommunicated
and forbidden to preach
1412 Interdict
placed upon Prague
Hus
withdrew from Prague, writing and preaching in the countryside
1413 Wrote
his major work, De ecclesia (plagiarizing Wyclif)
1414 Traveled
to Constance and was arrested
July 6, 1415 Condemned
and burned at the stake
MARTIN LUTHER
CHRONOLOGY
1483 Born
at Eisleben
1484 Family
moved to Mansfield; father found work in copper mine
1492 Latin
school in Mansfield
1497 Latin
school in Magdeburg
1498 School
of St. George in Eisenach
1501 Entered
University of Erfurt
1502 Bachelor
of Arts degree
1505 Master
of Arts degree
Began
law studies
July
2, in thunderstorm vowed to become a monk
Entered
Augustinian monastery in Erfurt
1507 Ordination
and first mass
1510 Sent
to Rome on business for the Augustinian order
1511 Return
from Rome, sent to Wittenberg
1512 Promoted
to Doctor of Theology at Wittenberg
1513 Began
lectures on Psalms (fall)
1515 Began
lectures on Romans (spring)
1516 Began
lectures on Galatians (fall)
1517 Began
lectures on Hebrews (fall)
Oct. 31, posted the 95 Theses
1518 Heidelberg
Disputation
Summoned
to Rome by Pope Leo X
Diet
of Augsburg with Cardinal Cajetan
1519 Leipzig
Debate with John Eck
1520 Address
to the Christian Nobility
On
the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
On
the Freedom of a Christian
“Exsurge Domine,” papal bull condemning Luther’s teachings
1521 Diet
of Worms
Excommunicated
by Rome
Condemned
as heretic
“Kidnapped”
and hidden in Wartburg Castle
1522 Comes
out of hiding and returns to Wittenberg
1524-25 Peasant
uprising
1525 On
the Bondage of the Will
Married
Katherine von Bora
1526 Diet
of Speyer
1527 Writes
Ein feste Burg
1529 Second
Diet of Speyer
Oct.
1-3, Marburg Colloquy with Zwingli
1530 Augsburg
Confession
1534 Publication
of complete German Bible
1546 Death
at Eisleben
ULRICH ZWINGLI
CHRONOLOGY
1484 Born
in Toggenburg Valley of canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
1502-06 Studied
at Basel
1506 Ordained;
parish priest at Glarus
1516 Priest
at Einsiedeln
1519 Began
ministry at Zurich
1520 Plague
comes to Zurich
1522 Affair
of the Sausages
First tract, Beginning and End
1523 First
disputation in Zurich; 67 Articles
1525 Created
Prophezei (prophecy), a school for study of the Bible
1526 Condemned
by Diet of Swiss Confederation at Baden
1528 Bern
Disputation
1529 First
Battle of Kappel
Oct.
1-3, Marburg Colloquy with Luther
1530 Fidei
ratio
1531 Died
at Second Battle of Kappel
JOHN CALVIN
CHRONOLOGY
1509 Born
in Noyon, France
ca. 1520-23 Matriculated
at University of Paris
1528 Bachelor
of Arts
Moved
from Paris to Orleans to begin law school
ca. 1530-33 “Conversion”
to Protestantism
1531 His
father died
Moved back to Paris
1532 First
book, commentary on Seneca’s De clementia
1535 Fled
France
Settled
in Basel
Preface
to Olivetan’s New Testament translation
1536 Settled
in Geneva (first stay)
First
edition of Institutes
1537 Troubles
begin in Geneva, including disputes with Anabaptists
1538 Exiled
from Geneva
Began
ministry in Strasbourg
1539 Second
edition of Institutes
Reply
to Sadoleto
1540 Marriage
to Idelette de Bure
Published
first biblical commentary (on Romans)
1541 Returned
to Geneva (second stay)
1542 Ecclesiastical
ordinances made law
1542 The
Bondage of Choice
1549 Death
of Idelette
1559 Final
and definitive edition of Institutes
Became a citizen of Geneva
Founded school (university) of Geneva
1564 Died
in Geneva at age 54
WILLIAM
TYNDALE
CHRONOLOGY
ca. 1494 Born in the Cotswalds
1506 Studied at Magdalen Hall at
Oxford
1512 Graduated Bachelor of Arts
1513 Ordained
1519 At Cambridge
1521 Chaplain at Little Sodbury Manor
1523 Seeks Tunstall’s patronage for
Bible translation
1524 At Hamburg and Wittenberg
1525 Prints part of New Testament at
Cologne
1526 First complete printing of New
Testament at Worms
1528 Obedience of a Christian Man
1529 Translates Pentateuch
1530 Old Testament translation
published
1531 Refuses invitation of Henry VIII
to return to England
Sir Thomas More begins writing against
Tyndale
1535 Betrayed by Henry Phillips,
arrested at Antwerp
Imprisoned at Vilvoorde Castle in Brussels
for 18 months
1536 Strangled and burned at Brussels
JACOB ARMINIUS
CHRONOLOGY
1559 Born in Oudewater, South Holland
Father
died
ca. 1572 Began studies at Utrecht
Oct. 3, 1574 Spanish siege of Leiden lifted
1575 Arminius’ family killed in Spanish invasion of
Oudewater
1576 Matriculated at Leiden University
1582-83 Studied at Basel
1584-86 Studied at Geneva
1587 Began pastoral duties in Amsterdam
1588 Ordained in Oude Kerk, Amsterdam
1590 Marriage to Lijsbet Reael
1591 Beginning of controversy over Romans 7
1601-02 Plague struck Holland
1603 Doctor of Theology
Became
professor of theology at Leiden
1605-06 Rector Magnificus of Leiden University
Christological controversy
Oct. 30, 1608 Declaration of Sentiments before States
of Holland in The Hague
Oct. 19, 1609 Died in Leiden at age 50
JOHN WESLEY
CHRONOLOGY
1703 Born at Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, 15th child of
Samuel and Susanna Wesley
1709 Fire at Epworth Rectory – John and Charles Wesley
rescued
1714 Entered Charterhouse School in London
1720 Entered Christ Church College, Oxford
1725 Ordained Deacon in the Church of England
1726 Elected Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford
1728 Ordained Priest
1729 Returned to Oxford and became leader of the “Holy
Club”
1730 Began prison ministry
1735 Father died
Embarked for Mission in Georgia
1738 Returned to England
Conversion experience at Aldersgate
1739 Founded the first Methodist “society”
1742 First "class-meetings" organized, they
became a 'germ cell' of the Methodist Society
1743 Published his General Rules for the Methodist
Societies
1744 First Methodist Conference held
1747 Began first of several visits to Ireland
1748 Opened Kingswood School
1769 Predestination controversy
1778 First Issue of Monthly, Arminian Magazine
1784 Legally incorporated Methodist Conference
Ordained
preachers for USA, led to formation of Methodist Episcopal Church
1791 Died in London at age 87
SØREN KIERKEGAARD
CHRONOLOGY
1813 Born in Copenhagen
1830 Entered the University of Copenhagen as a theology
student
1834 Mother died
1838 Father died
1840 Completed examination
for theology degree (magna cum laude)
Engagement
to Regine Olsen
1841 Master’s Thesis: The
Concept of Irony
Engagement with Regine Olsen broken
1843 Either/Or
1844 Philosophical
Fragments
The
Concept of Anxiety
1845 Stages on Life's Way
Beginning
of The Corsair Affair (through the summer of the following year)
1846 Concluding
Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments
1847 Works of Love
Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing
1848 Wrote The Point of
View for my Work as an Author
1850 Practice in
Christianity
1851 For
Self-Examination
Judge For Yourself!
1852-54 Kierkegaard published nothing until December, 1854
1854 Death of Bishop Mynster
1854-55 Wrote numerous pamphlets
(published in English as Attack upon Christendom)
1855 Died in Copenhagen at
age 42
KARL BARTH
CHRONOLOGY
1886 Born in Basel, Switzerland
1904-11 Student and pastor in various places
1908 Became editorial assistant for Die Christliche
Welt (a liberal Protestant journal)
1911-21 Pastor in Safenwil, Switzerland
1914 World War I began
1918 Commentary on Romans
1921-25 Taught at Göttingen
1922 2nd edition of Commentary on Romans
1925-30 Taught at Münster
1930-34 Taught at Bonn
1932 Began Church Dogmatics
1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany
1934 Wrote Nein!
Barmen
Declaration
1935-62 Taught at Basel
1962 Visit to USA
1968 Died at age 82