BEMA Episode Link: 199: AD 1550–1650
Episode Length: 26:22
Published Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2020 01:00:00 -0800
Session 5
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through one century of history that experienced an unbelievable amount of change and progress. Even outside of church history, this evolving world was fertile soil for the Reformation.

AD 1550–1650 Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 199

Geocentric Model — Wikipedia

Heliocentrism — Wikipedia

Transcript for BEMA 199

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 199: AD 1550-1650 - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 199 - AD 1550-1650 Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Church history during the century from 1550-1650, covering the intersection of the Protestant Reformation with the Age of Enlightenment and scientific revolution

This episode examines a pivotal century in Church history where unprecedented cultural, scientific, and theological change occurred. Marty and Brent explore how the Protestant Reformation didn’t happen in isolation but was intertwined with revolutionary developments in science, governance, and philosophy. The hosts argue that without the Reformation, Christianity might not have survived the next 200 years, not primarily because of theological reasons, but because the Church needed to adapt to seismic shifts in how humanity understood the universe, government, and the relationship between faith and reason.

Key Takeaways

  • The century from 1550-1650 represents one of the most transformative periods in Church history, with changes extending far beyond theology into science, politics, and culture
  • The Protestant Reformation prepared Christianity to survive the challenges of the Age of Enlightenment that followed
  • John Knox’s Presbyterian system of church governance (presbytery) significantly influenced democratic political thought and representative government
  • The Copernican Revolution (heliocentrism vs. geocentrism) fundamentally challenged the Church’s cosmological theology and forced adaptation
  • The Church’s theology was so intertwined with a geocentric universe that Copernicus’s heliocentric model was seen as threatening God’s very existence
  • The adversarial relationship between faith and science that emerged during this period continues to affect Christianity today
  • Catholic thinkers like Blaise Pascal contributed significantly to scientific and mathematical advancement, demonstrating that intellectual progress wasn’t limited to Protestant circles
  • This period marked a shift where the Church went from driving cultural progress to trailing behind it, trying to catch up with scientific and philosophical developments
  • The Church eventually accepted heliocentric cosmology, demonstrating its capacity to adjust theology when confronted with scientific evidence (though not gracefully)

Main Concepts & Theories

The Reformation as Survival Mechanism

Marty presents a provocative thesis: the Reformation was essential not primarily for theological purity but for Christianity’s survival. Without the theological, ecclesiastical, and structural reforms of the Reformation, the Church would have been unable to adapt to the massive cultural and scientific changes coming in the subsequent centuries. This reframes the Reformation from merely a theological dispute to a necessary evolution that prepared Christianity for modernity.

The Inseparability of Church and Secular History

The episode challenges the notion that Church history and secular history can be neatly separated during this period. The developments in science, mathematics, philosophy, and political theory were deeply intertwined with theological questions. Marty questions whether we can even meaningfully distinguish between “Church history” and “secular history” at this point, as both were aspects of a unified Christendom worldview.

Geocentrism and Theological Cosmology

The pre-Copernican worldview wasn’t just a scientific model but an integrated theological system. The geocentric universe placed Earth at the center with concentric circles representing different levels of “the heavens,” with God’s dwelling place at the outermost level. This cosmology was so fundamental to theological understanding that challenging it scientifically was perceived as attacking the existence of God himself. The hosts emphasize viewing the Wikipedia article on geocentrism to see visual representations of this integrated worldview.

Presbyterian Church Governance and Democratic Politics

John Knox introduced the Presbyterian system (presbytery) - a representative governing body rather than hierarchical papal authority. This wasn’t merely an ecclesiastical innovation but had profound political implications. While democratic ideas trace back to Roman systems of governance, Knox’s application of representative leadership principles directly influenced the development of democratic political thought, including the governmental structures of nations like the United States.

The Scientific Challenge to Theological Authority

Nicolaus Copernicus’s heliocentric model and Galileo’s telescopic observations created a crisis for the Church. For over a century, the Church struggled with scientific discoveries that contradicted established theological frameworks. Eventually, the Church accepted these new understandings and adjusted its theology, though “not gracefully.” This pattern - of science advancing, the Church resisting, then eventually accommodating - established a dynamic that continues today.

The Shift in Cultural Leadership

A critical observation made in the episode is that prior to this period, the Church drove cultural progress forward (even in dark chapters like the Crusades). Through scholasticism and the challenges of the Reformation era, however, secular learning and scientific discovery moved into the driver’s seat. Since then, the Church has been “trailing behind trying to catch up,” being pulled forward by cultural conversation rather than leading it. This represents a fundamental shift in the Church’s relationship to broader culture.

Catholic Contributions to Scientific Progress

The episode highlights that scientific and mathematical advancement wasn’t exclusive to Protestant thinkers. Blaise Pascal, a French Catholic theologian, made radical advances in science and mathematics that helped set the stage for Newtonian physics. The best education and scholastic systems were often in Catholic institutions, meaning many of the great scientific thinkers of this era were Catholic. The Reformation challenged Catholicism theologically and ecclesiologically, but broader cultural and scientific developments pulled both Protestant and Catholic thinking forward together.

The Continuing Legacy of Faith-Science Tension

The adversarial tone struck between faith and science during the Age of Enlightenment has never fully healed. Modern Christians continue to struggle with the perception that science is “out to get faith.” While progress has been made, we haven’t fully recovered from this historical dynamic. The hosts suggest we’re still in an “awkward growth phase” from this era.

Examples & Applications

Contemporary Parallels: Genesis and Science

Marty draws a direct parallel to BEMA Session 1, where they gently suggested that Genesis might not be a “scientific lab report” but contains chiasms and literary structures pointing to larger theological themes. The emails they receive from listeners struggling with questions like “Did Noah really happen?” mirror the exact tension the 16th-century Church faced with Copernicus. Just as the Church had to learn to hold scientific textbooks and Scripture on the same desk without seeing them in competition, modern believers must navigate similar territory with evolution, geology, cosmology, and biblical interpretation.

The Danger of Repeating History

Marty warns that if we don’t learn from the Church’s resistance to Copernicus and Galileo, future centuries may look back on our era’s theological positions with the same head-shaking bewilderment we feel toward 16th-century geocentric theology. The lesson: when scientific evidence consistently points in a direction that challenges traditional theological interpretation, hasty condemnation may lead to embarrassment. Spoiler alert: Copernicus was right. The question for contemporary Christians is whether we’re making similar mistakes about other areas where science and traditional interpretation appear to conflict.

National Character of Early Protestantism

The episode clarifies that early Protestantism wasn’t characterized by denominational choice within a nation but rather by national identity. If you were German, you were likely Lutheran. If you were Scottish and Protestant, you were Presbyterian. This helps explain why figures like John Calvin, though French, are associated with Geneva - France’s Catholic stronghold made Protestant survival difficult, forcing reformers to relocate to more hospitable environments.

France’s Role in Shaping Modernity

Marty notes he was never taught how significant French thinkers and French culture would be in shaping the next 100-200 years of Western thought. From Calvin to Pascal to the eventual French Revolution (discussed in future episodes), France emerges as a crucial intellectual and political force. This challenges assumptions that might overemphasize German or English contributions to the Reformation period.

The Church’s Awkward Acceptance of Heliocentrism

The Church didn’t boldly embrace heliocentrism once evidence was clear. Instead, there was political maneuvering, quiet acknowledgment, and “shuffling the cards.” This awkward, reluctant acceptance - rather than graceful theological evolution - set a pattern for how institutions handle paradigm shifts. It’s a reminder that even when truth prevails, the process of institutional change is rarely elegant.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Deep Dive into Presbyterian Polity and Democratic Theory
  • How exactly did Knox’s presbytery system influence Enlightenment political philosophers?
  • What are the theological foundations for representative church governance?
  • How did Presbyterian ecclesiology spread beyond Scotland to influence other nations?
  • What role did Presbyterian ideas play in the American Revolution and Constitutional framework?
The Galileo Affair and Church-Science Relations
  • What specific theological adjustments did the Church make to accommodate heliocentrism?
  • How did different branches of Christianity (Protestant vs. Catholic) respond to Galileo?
  • What was the timeline from Copernicus’s initial proposal to general Church acceptance?
  • How did this controversy affect the Church’s authority on other matters?
Blaise Pascal’s Theology and Philosophy
  • What was Pascal’s specific contribution to mathematics and physics?
  • How did Pascal integrate his Catholic faith with scientific inquiry?
  • What is “Pascal’s Wager” and how does it reflect the tensions of this era?
  • How did Pascal’s work set the stage for Newton?
The French Reformation: Huguenots and Calvin
  • Why did Protestantism struggle more in France than other nations?
  • What was the Huguenot experience and how did it differ from German or Scottish Protestantism?
  • How did Calvin’s French origins influence his theology and why did he end up in Geneva?
  • What role did the French Wars of Religion play in this period?
Scholasticism and Its Role in Scientific Development
  • How did medieval scholastic methods contribute to the scientific revolution?
  • What was the relationship between monastic/cathedral schools and early scientific inquiry?
  • How did Thomas Aquinas’s integration of Aristotelian philosophy influence later scientific thinking?
  • Why were Catholic institutions often centers of scientific education?
The “Pubescent Growth” of the Church
  • What does Marty mean by the Church going through an “awkward stage of pubescent growth”?
  • What are the markers of this transition from childhood to adolescence/adulthood?
  • Are there other periods in Church history that represent similar developmental phases?
  • How should the Church navigate periods of rapid cultural change?
When the Church Led vs. When It Followed Culture
  • What were the characteristics of periods when the Church drove cultural progress?
  • What caused the shift to the Church trailing behind culture?
  • Is this shift reversible or a permanent feature of post-Enlightenment Christianity?
  • What are the theological implications of the Church being a cultural follower rather than leader?
Contemporary Science-Faith Conflicts
  • What are the modern equivalents of the Copernican controversy (evolution, cosmology, neuroscience)?
  • How should the Church approach emerging scientific fields like artificial intelligence or genetic engineering?
  • Are there areas where the Church is currently resisting scientific consensus that may later prove embarrassing?
  • What does a healthy relationship between faith and science look like?
The French Revolution (Preview)
  • How does this period set the stage for the French Revolution discussed in coming episodes?
  • What is the significance of the pre- vs. post-French Revolution world?
  • How did the separation of Church and state emerge from these tensions?
  • What role did Enlightenment thinking play in the Revolution?
Visual Resources for Understanding Geocentrism
  • Examining the Wikipedia article on geocentrism for its visual representations
  • Understanding medieval cosmological diagrams and their theological significance
  • Comparing geocentric and heliocentric models visually
  • How did artistic representations of the cosmos change during this period?

Comprehension Questions

  1. According to Marty, why was the Reformation essential for Christianity’s survival beyond just theological reasons? How does this reframe the traditional Protestant understanding of the Reformation’s importance?

  2. Explain the connection between the geocentric model of the universe and theological beliefs about the location of heaven and God’s dwelling place. Why was Copernicus’s heliocentric model seen as more than just a scientific disagreement?

  3. How did John Knox’s Presbyterian system of church governance influence political thought about democratic and representative government? What makes this significant beyond just Church history?

  4. What does Marty mean when he suggests that prior to this period the Church drove cultural progress forward, but after this period the Church has been “trailing behind trying to catch up”? What caused this shift and what are its implications?

  5. The episode draws a parallel between the 16th-century Church’s struggle with Copernican astronomy and contemporary Christians’ struggle with Genesis 1 and scientific cosmology. What lessons should modern believers learn from how the geocentrism controversy eventually resolved?

Summary

BEMA Episode 199 examines the remarkable century from 1550-1650, arguing that this period was crucial not just for Protestant theological development but for Christianity’s very survival in the face of massive cultural and scientific change. The hosts demonstrate how the Reformation, scientific revolution, and political philosophy evolved together in ways that can’t be neatly separated.

Three major figures illustrate these interconnections: John Knox brought Presbyterian representative governance that influenced democratic political theory; Nicolaus Copernicus challenged the geocentric universe that was fundamental to theological cosmology; and Blaise Pascal (a Catholic) advanced mathematics and physics while maintaining faith, showing that scientific progress crossed denominational lines.

The episode’s most provocative claim is that the Church shifted from leading culture to following it during this period, moving from the driver’s seat to trailing behind scientific and philosophical developments. The adversarial relationship between faith and science that emerged then continues to affect Christianity today. The Church eventually accepted heliocentrism and adjusted its theology, proving it could adapt to new scientific understanding, though the process was awkward and reluctant rather than graceful.

Marty draws contemporary parallels to help listeners understand why BEMA spent early sessions creating space for non-literalistic readings of Genesis. Just as we look back with head-shaking wonder at Christians who condemned Copernicus for challenging geocentrism, future generations may view our era’s science-faith conflicts with similar bewilderment if we fail to learn from history. The key lesson: when we encounter scientific evidence that challenges traditional theological interpretation, we should proceed with humility, remembering that Copernicus was right and the Church eventually had to acknowledge it.

The episode positions this century as setting the stage for even greater challenges to come, including the French Revolution and the full flowering of the Enlightenment, suggesting that the awkward growth phase of this period extends into our own day.

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