Reformation Conference
Does It Still Matter?
Martin Luther’s issuing of the Ninety-Five Theses in October 1517 heralded a major turning point in the history of both Christianity and Western society. Benefiting from an authentic desire for change, the emergence of the communication revolution heralded by the printing press, and a favorable political climate, the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther and others had impact on theology, politics, culture, society, family life, economics, and more. The changes of the 16th century truly heralded the dawn of the modern age. This year we mark the 500th anniversary of the events that helped begin these changes. With such remembrance comes a question: five centuries on—in a significantly more global and secular society than Luther or his contemporaries could have ever conceived—does the Reformation still matter?
Our Speakers
Dr. Charlie Self
Dr. Charlie Self has been a professor of history for over 35 years, receiving his BA in Renaissance/Reformation and Colonial American History; MA in History on the Church and Social Change in Latin America; Ph.D. in Modern European History, with a focus on Belgian Protestantism and studies in Virtue Ethics and the Holocaust at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also has a MA in Philosophical and Systematic Theology, from The Graduate Theological Union and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. He has published several books including The Divine Dance , The Power of Faithful Focus and his most recent work with The Acton Institute for Religion and Liberty, Flourishing Churches and Communities: A Pentecostal Primer on Faith, Work and Economics for Spirit-Empowered Discipleship. He is Ordained in the Assemblies of God and is currently a Professor of Church History at The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO.
Essay winners
– 1st Rae Goss
– 2nd Reagan Wheelock
– 3rd Anna Fitch
– 4th Elisa Stanczak