Friday, July 14, 2017

DVD Review: Survey of Church History, Part 5

A Survey of Church History, Part One: A.D. 1800-1900.  W. Robert Godfrey. Twelve 23-Minute Messages. [Source: Gift]

For anyone who loves history or theology, I recommend Ligonier's teaching series, A Survey of Church History. W. Robert Godrey is the teacher, and he's fabulous! The series has six parts. 

The fifth part covers 1800-1900. Godfrey is selective in what he includes in this section, as I suppose he's been all along. But what he does include is interesting. He definitely focuses more on the Presbyterian church in America than all the other denominations both in America and in Europe. 

The messages are:

  • The Nineteenth Century
  • The Intellectual Scene
  • Two American Revolutions
  • The Second Awakening
  • Charles Finney
  • The Rise of Cults in America
  • The Presbyterian Witness
  • Through the Civil War
  • Christianity and Science
  • Roman Catholicism
  • The Church in Europe
  • Abraham Kuyper

Godfrey is really enjoyable to watch. I loved hearing him talk about Finney!!! That was probably my favorite bit. For example, he has his students read Finney's systematic theology because he knows if he was just to summarize it for them that they'd never believe him that Finney is as bad as he says he is. One theme you can see through these messages is the need to hold to the truth and not make compromises. Plenty of compromise and accommodation  happens in this century--and the church is not stronger for it. One also sees how the faith loses dominance and influence over society in this century.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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