Judson College will mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation on Oct. 31 with a panel discussion: “Martin Luther, the Reformation, and its Impact on You” from 2:30 to 3:45pm in Archibald Hall. A reception and a time to meet with panelists will follow.
Panelists include:
Ms. Stephanie Peek, Assistant Professor of Religion at Judson College. Peek is also a Ph.D. student in New Testament studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Peek’s scholarly work focuses on the theme of power in the Gospel of Mark.
Dr. Thomas Herwig, Associate Professor, University of Alabama’s Honors College. Dr. Herwig is a German theologian, the pastor of the German-speaking congregation at 1st Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa. He is teaching a course this semester entitled “The Reformation at 500.”
Rev. John Nicholson, pastor of Siloam Baptist Church. A graduate of Samford University and frequent speaker at Judson, Nicholson has been inspired by Martin Luther this October and has been preaching on the five “solas” articulated by Luther.
Dr. Coleman Fannin, adjunct instructor at Berry College. Dr. Fannin holds degrees from Baylor University, a Baptist institution in Texas, and The University of Dayton, a Catholic university in Ohio.
Dr. Scott Bullard, Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Judson, will serve as the discussion’s moderator. Bullard anticipates that the afternoon session will be a “tremendous discussion addressing themes like religious liberty, courage, the relationship between Scripture and the Church, and the freedom of the individual.” “It will be a time to think critically, pose questions to scholars and ministers, and reflect upon the lasting impact of the actions of Luther and others,” Bullard says.
The discussion is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College and by Project Curiosity, Judson College’s Quality Enhancement Plan.
From the Dean’s Office:
Why are we remembering 1517?
On October 31, 1517, a young monk named Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther called into question several teachings of the church and the pope in that document, and he changed the world, the Catholic Church, and western civilization forever. The people called “Baptists” — who emerged 92 years later — might not have existed without this day. While many scholars believe that the Reformation (or “reformations”) was/were well underway by the time Luther nailed his theses to the church door, the day has come to signify a religious movement unlike any since the arrival of Jesus himself.