Just Two More Days . . . .

. . . before I host my own radio show! The English Reformation Today will air live on Radio Maria US from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central time. Radio Maria has stations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and New York. The website includes a link to listen on-line and also has multiple apps for your portable communications devices. Every Saturday I will include a post on this blog with links for listeners to follow up for more information. If you are listening and have a question or comment, please call toll free 1 866 333-6279!

Here's the outline for the first weeks of the 12 broadcasts:

Saturday, August 4: The English Reformation Today: Why Is It Relevant?

I'll introduce myself and then discuss the relevance of English Reformation history for us today-- for religious freedom issues in the United States (and around the world) today, including the HHS Mandate; as context for the Personal Ordinariate established by Pope Benedict XVI for groups of Anglicans wishing to become Catholics; as background for the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, etc. I'll also highlight distinctions between the Protestant Reformation on the Continent in the 16th century and the English Reformation, time permitting.

Saturday, August 11: Catholicism in England Before the Reformation

Brief notes on changing interpretation of the English Reformation in historical studies. Description of the Catholic Church in England before the Reformation/Break from Rome: based on landmark study by Eamon Duffy, note the vitality and integration of Catholicism with everyday life in England: introduce some main characters of the story: Thomas More, Thomas Wolsey, John Fisher, Henry VIII.

Saturday, August 18: Henry VIII and the Break from Rome

Tell the story of why Henry VIII broke away from the Holy Father in Rome and established the Church of England with himself as the Supreme Head and Governor; describe the first martyrs (the Carthusians, Thomas More, John Fisher, etc); the Dissolution of the Monasteries; the death of Henry VIII and his legacy. The mystery of peoples' conformity to religious change.

Saturday, August 25: The Protestant Reformation Comes to England

Calvinism in England during the reign of Edward VI; the influence of Continental Reformers; Thomas Cranmer and the Book of Common Prayer; popular reaction and rebellion. Discuss Edward VI and his position as a young king trying to control his older half-sister Mary (conflict over her devotion to Mass) and the attempt to prevent a Catholic Queen from succeeding him (the story of Lady Jane Grey).

I hope that whets your appetite and just keeps coming back week after week! Thanks. Remember if you are listening on Radio Maria from 2 to 3 p.m. Central time on Saturday, August 4, and have a question or comment, please call toll free 1 866 333-6279!