NESGT

In this final session of the module Jeremy McQuoid points up the major 'movements' and 'ideologies' which have dominated the spiritual landscape of the last 120 years, from the growth and spread of Pentecostalism, through the rise and repercussions of Nazism, to the present-day ecumenical movement in its various expressions and the shift in the church's 'centre of gravity' to the global south.

In this penultimate session of the module, Jeremy McQuoid examines first the reasons for the growth of 'liberalism', the attack which this represented on historic Christianity and the various ways in which the church responded to it: he then works through the rise and ramifications of communism, before considering both the importance and hazards of the growing social activism which found various expression.

Jeremy McQuoid leads you through three hugely significant 'movements' each of which has profoundly shaped the history of the western world. First, the 'Enlightenment' with the shift in philosophy from a reliance on revelation to a confidence in reason: then the 'Great Awakening', that extraordinary period of unparalleled revival in the 18th century: and finally the French Revolution, with its repercussions in political thought, and the church's response to it.

In this 'rapid-fire' and comprehensive overview of one of the most significant periods in church history, Jeremy McQuoid gives you an illuminating and typically challenging introduction to the Reformation. You'll meet the down-to-earth 'luminaries' through whom people and nations were transformed by the Spirit of God: and you'll discover the lasting legacy which the Reformation brought.

Jeremy McQuoid navigates you through the difficult terrain of the 'Middle Ages' - and doesn't duck the challenges of this period for the church today! He explores both the emergence of 'Christendom' and the rise of Islam; explains both the factors which led to the series of 'Crusades' and the reasons behind the creation of centres of learning; and charts both the decline of the papacy and the precursors to what would become the great 'Reformation'.

In this third session of the module Jeremy McQuoid explains something of the impact and repercussions of the Christian faith becoming the 'official' religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine. Relating it always, with no small challenge, to the life of the church today, he gives the background to the formulation of the creeds, the reasons for the rise of monasticism,  the beginnings of the Papacy, and the coming of Christianity to Britain.

Jeremy McQuoid highlights the key events, the key players and the key issues in the early centuries of the church, each of which proved pivotal to the growth and expansion of the church - not only numerically and geographically, but in terms of the development of church government, the articulation of Christian doctrine and the formation of the 'canon' of Scripture, all against the backdrop of severe persecution and recurring heresy.

Jeremy McQuoid starts this new module by explaining, first, the many reasons why the study of Church History is so important, before plunging you straight into the remarkable story of the rapid spread of the gospel and the extraordinary and continuing growth of Christ's church. This first session gives you a snapshot of the world into which Jesus was born, highlights the key ways in which foundations were laid that would issue in the explosive growth of the church, and looks at the 'extra-biblical' testimony to the ministry of Jesus.

In this final session Jerry shows how Luke climaxes his lengthy narrative by highlighting what the 'Messiahship' of Jesus means and how by His death in our place the King has now begun to undo the damage which sin has caused. With the resurrection of Jesus a new day has dawned and the downward vortex of sin has been wonderfully reversed!

The message of Jesus centred on the kingdom of God. In this session Jerry shows how Luke, in moving his narrative towards its conclusion, brings to the fore this central theme in the message of Jesus, and makes it clear that the King, who'd been promised for so long, has finally come - and that the King who's finally come will come again!