Evangel University and its seminary will honor the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation of the Church with three public lectures on Oct. 30 and 31, 2017.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Gregory Miller, professor of history at Malone University in Canton, Ohio.
Miller will address the topic, “Why After 500 Years We Need Martin Luther More Than Ever,” on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m., in the Robert H. Spence Chapel.
The service will also feature special music by the EU Chorale & Strings.
A published expert on Martin Luther and the Reformation, Miller holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, History of Christianity, from Boston University.
Preceding the keynote address, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) will host two lectures featuring Dr. Miller on Monday, Oct. 30, at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
All three events are free and the public is invited to attend.
The Spence Chapel and AGTS both face Glenstone Ave. The chapel is just south of the flagpole, by the main Evangel University campus entrance, and the seminary is on the north corner of campus, by Division Street.
Reformation: A Quick History
The year-long celebration of the 500th anniversary of when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Church door in Wittenberg, Germany, began last October.
Luther was a friar, university professor and pastor. His document launched a world changing movement in western civilization, according to Dr. J. Calvin Holsinger, professor emeritus of history at Evangel University.
“His 95 Theses expressed concerns about some practices in the church that he felt did not find support in the scriptures,” explained Dr. Holsinger.
The document invited scholars to join Luther at the university to discuss these issues — it was written in Latin, but was then translated into German, which allowed for his questions to be considered by the public.
Soon the document spread to other scholars, pastors and even the general public, who brought their concerns to discuss as well.
According to Dr. Holsinger, the discussions resulted in the reformers agreement on four essential principles of Protestant Christianity:
- The Bible was the only rule or basis for valid church doctrine and Christian practices.
- Salvation is by grace alone through Christ’s death on the cross.
- Affirmed the priesthood of all believers, which meant no need for any mediator except Christ for one to come to God.
- There were only two required sacraments of ordinances: water baptism and Holy Communion, which was to be celebrated with both the bread and the cup.
“With these four cardinal principles in common, the so-called ‘Protestant Christians’ have had a ‘shared hymnology,’ translation of Scripture, and are able to work together,” said Dr. Holsinger.
“The Reformation has impacted all of Western culture — education, business, political life, the arts, etc. — and is still being recognized around the world,” he added.
Schedule of Events
MONDAY, OCT. 30
2:00-3:30 p.m. “Changing Diapers and Plowing Fields: Martin Luther and the Reformation of Work,” lecture by Dr. Gregory Miller at Seymour Chapel, AGTS
6:30-8:00 p.m. “The ‘Stout Doctor’: Martin Luther and the Reformation of Food,” lecture by Dr. Gregory Miller at Seymour Chapel, AGTS
TUESDAY, OCT. 31
10:00-11:00 a.m. Reformation Day Chapel — “Here He Stands, and Can Do No Other: Why After 500 Years We Need Martin Luther More Than Ever,” Dr. Gregory Miller at Spence Chapel, Evangel University
Program
- Call to Worship: Dramatic Monologue featuring Martin Luther in full costume
- Worship: Hymns of Luther
- Special Music by EU Chorale & Strings
- Speaker: Dr. Gregory Miller
Evangel University, with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS), is a comprehensive Christian university committed to excellence in educating and equipping students to serve the church and society globally. Evangel and AGTS serve more than 2,100 students from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries, offering 65 undergraduate majors and 17 master’s and doctoral degrees.
The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary of Evangel University is a leading Pentecostal Seminary specializing in practical application of ministry. It has one of the largest doctoral programs among peer seminaries with over 200 students currently pursuing doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, and missiology. AGTS is also a key contributor of chaplains for the U.S. Military, hospitals, and other organizations, with 105 alumni currently serving as U.S. Military Chaplains.
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MJ, BM, PKL