New Heaven, New Earth: The Reformation and the Making of the Modern World

Thursdays, February 13 - March 6, 2025
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET
This program takes place both on site at VTS and online via Zoom meeting.
Registrants can receive access to the recordings afterward if live sessions are missed.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Led by , Assistant Professor of Church History at Virginia Theological Seminary, this dynamic short course explores the profound influence of the Protestant Reformation in shaping modern society. With expertise in the Reformation, the history of universities, and early modern Europe, Dr. Donnelly will guide participants through four transformative sessions, examining how religious and societal shifts during this period reshaped the world.

Session 1: The Late Medieval Church and Martin Luther

Discover the challenges facing the Late Medieval Church and how Martin Luther’s actions sparked a movement that would forever alter Christianity.

Session 2: The Reformed Tradition and John Calvin

Delve into the theological and social contributions of John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition, examining their lasting impact on church structure and doctrine.

Session 3: The English Reformation

Explore the unique course of the English Reformation, its political and spiritual ramifications, and how it led to the establishment of the Church of England.

Session 4: Reformation and Modernity

Unpack the Reformation's broader cultural and societal effects, tracing its influence on modern thought, politics, and the creation of the modern world.

Join us for a deep dive into the events, figures, and ideas that reshaped Europe and laid the foundations for the modern age.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is ideal for anyone with an interest in church history, theology, or early modern European history. Whether you’re a student of theology, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about the origins of modern religious and societal structures, this program offers rich insights into the lasting legacy of the Reformation.

This event is brought to you by the department of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary.
Contact us ([email protected]) if the cost to participate is a barrier for you.

Dr. Donnelly is drawn to the contradictions and tensions in history; the blind alleys and overlooked stories of people or ideas that don’t quite fit with the traditional narrative. He seeks to integrate these neglected figures into both his teaching and research.

Before coming to VTS, Donnelly attained a BA (1st class) and MPhil (with Distinction) from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. from Durham University, where his research focused on a key group of early English reformers at the University of Cambridge. Far from seeing them as the font of what one scholar called ‘the English Protestant tradition’, Donnelly argued that they embraced far more diverse and radical theologies which were ultimately rejected by the English state church. Following his Ph.D., Donnelly worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Early Modern History at the University of Limerick, studying the history of conflict and deviance at universities in the Holy Roman Empire. His next project, now in its early phases, will be a study of the evolution in the understanding of the soul between roughly 1500 and 1700, and will seek to demonstrate that early Reformation debates about the afterlife, often regarded as too esoteric to merit serious historical study, in fact had dramatic consequences for the political and philosophical revolutions of the 17th century.

Outside the office Dr. Donnelly enjoys chess, church crawling, and writing in the third person.

Host or Publisher Virginia Theological Seminary