Spirituality of Radical Reformers

Catalog description

TAUGHT BY GTU. Intended for Master's level students, this course will consider what today's radical contemplatives can learn from the radical Protestant reformers. The course of study will focus on the radical protestant reformers of the 16th century. The purpose of the course will be to gain insight from these reformers' theological convictions, as gleaned through their spirituality, that against lethal odds led to sustained communities of faith up to and including distinct denominations within the global Protestant Christian faith tradition. This course does not intend to study directly the works or thinking of Martin Luther and his magisterial contemporaries, such as Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin. The course will begin by considering and defining contemplation and the contemplative within the religious academy. We will also identify some of today's radical contemplatives. Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Stories of Contemplation and Justice will be required as pre-reading for the course. A brief review of general European Reformation studies will be followed by inquiry and analysis of the radical reformers. These will include the works and thinking of Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt, Thomas Muntzer, Balthasar Hubmaier, Hans Denck, Menno Simons, Jakob Hutter, Ursula Jost, Katharina Schutz Zell and Sebastian Franck. Investigation into the Peasants Revolt, and the gestation of the Anabaptist and Hutterite traditions will provide further insight into the spirit of radical sustainability that manifested. Primary sources will be explored through lectures and in-class activities. Learning outcomes for this seminar course will be evaluated based on student reflection, class participation and presentation and a final essay. [30 max enrollment]