Hello and welcome.

This podcast explores the rise of Protestantism, how it challenged long-standing traditions, reshaped core beliefs, and set in motion a transformation, that would change the world.

At its centre, is the story of England’s Nonconformist and Separatist movements, highlighting their importance, within the larger context of the Christian faith.

By placing these movements within the broader framework of Christian history, we highlight how they redefined doctrine, altering the course of Western Christianity, and contributing to the enduring divide between Roman Catholicism and the emerging Protestant groups.

Our narrative, unfolds chronologically, beginning in early 16th-century Germany, with Martin Luther’s excommunication, concluding a century later, on the southern coast of England.

Each episode begins and ends with a short piece of music that is relevant to the content presented.

Additionally, each episode includes a complete transcript for your convenience.

This series does not seek to persuade or promote any particular belief.

Instead, it aims to examine the events, ideas, and conflicts that shaped one of the most pivotal eras in european religious history.

Throughout the series, you will encounter the determination and steadfast faith of early Puritans, Nonconformists, and Separatists—individuals who challenged societal norms, endured persecution, and often risked their lives, for their convictions.

Their courage, helped lay the foundation for the principles of religious freedom and individual rights, that many cherish today.

Our first 12-episode series, highlights the contributions of figures such as Beza, Vermigli, Calvin, Tyndale, Knox, and Robert Browne—widely regarded as the father of Congregationalism.

The second 12-episode series begins in 1585, as the Protestant crusade unravels in Holland.

From there, we follow the chain of events, leading to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, and uncover the story of another significant—though often overlooked—Martin.

These developments, carry us from the reign of Elizabeth the First, into the tumultuous rule of King James I, Mary’s only son.

In the third series, starting in 1607, we trace the struggles of the Puritan Nonconformists, following their journey from Puritanism to Separatism, and their eventual migration, to the emerging English Separatist communities, across Holland and Europe.

The artwork is Exsurge Domine, 'Arise, O Lord'.

It is the cover page of the Papal Bull promulgated or ‘exposed to public view’, on 15 June 1520 by Pope Leo X. It was issued in response to Martin Luther's teachings, which contradicted the beliefs upheld by the Catholic Church.

The Music accompaniment is Dies Irae, or The Day of Wrath'.

This is a medieval Latin poem, best known for its use in the Roman Rite Requiem, Mass for the Dead, and funeral Mass.

Regular episode  • Season 1  • Episode 1  • Protestant Beginnings. - Shorter listen.

The Artwork is a Painted portrait of Martin Luther, 1528

Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553). Painting Location: The Coburg Fortress, a medieval fortress, situated above the town of Coburg, in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany.

The Music is: Kyrie, from the Gregorian Plainsong Mass, Missa Orbis Factor.

This is a shorter version of the original episode, - for a quicker read !.

This episode examines the origins of a Protestant movement that significantly altered fundamental Christian beliefs.

The term "Protestant" originated from the Protestation at Speyer in 1529, where nobles opposed the decrees from the Diet of Worms that threatened the forfeiture of property for supporters of Lutheranism.

Martin Luther, a German priest, theologian, religious reformer, author, and Augustinian friar, was born on November 10, 1483, in Saxony. He was a key figure in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation and is often regarded as the pivotal leader of the movement whose followers became known as Lutherans.

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was one of the leading activists and thinkers of the European Renaissance. A man of remarkable intellect, he played a significant role in defining the humanist movement in Northern Europe.

At this point, it is also important to understand the concept of predestination. The Puritans believed that at the time of the world's creation, God had already predetermined who would be saved or condemned.

Lastly, it is essential to mention William Tyndale, who is widely regarded as the greatest English biblical scholar.

Regular episode  • Season 1 • Episode 2  • Three English Bibles. - Shorter listen.

The Artwork is: The cover page of the Coverdale Bible, which was first printed in 1535.

The Music is: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God'; Composer: Martin Luther.

This is a shorter version of the original episode, - for a quicker read !

In this episode, we discuss the life and death of Thomas More, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. We then focus on Myles Coverdale, an important English Bible translator and reformer.

Working alone, Coverdale carried out his mission independently, successfully creating the first fully printed English Bible, commonly known as The Coverdale Bible.

Our story then leads us to Thomas Cranmer, who was born in Nottinghamshire to a family with connections to the local gentry.

Printed in Antwerp in 1537, the Matthew Bible was an early compilation of English translations of the Bible's books.

The Great Bible of 1539 was the first edition of the Bible in English, authorised by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of England.

Three key English Bibles - the Great Bible published in 1539, the Bishops' Bible in 1568, and the King James Bible in 1611 - were all significantly influenced by Tyndale's biblical translations.

His work profoundly influenced later English translations and played a crucial role in the development and widespread use of the English language.

Regular episode   • Season 1 • Episode 3   • The Protestant Boy King. - Shorter listen.

Artwork • The Family of Henry VIII, c. 1543-1547

Music • John Taverner: Quemadmodum , Psalm 42, c.1540.

This Episode

In 1547, King Henry VIII's nine-year-old son, Edward VI, became the first English monarch raised as a Protestant.

Notable French Protestant reformer John Calvin was a key figure in the second wave of the Protestant Reformation, publishing his influential work, "Institutes of the Christian Religion".

Meanwhile, Anabaptism emerged from the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, distinguishing itself from the Catholic Church with its unique principle of adult baptism.

John Calvin was born on 10 July 1509 in Picardy, France.

He was a French theologian, a pastor in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation, the leading French Protestant reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation.

John Calvin’s interpretation of Christianity in his “Institutes of the Christian Religion”, first published in Basel, Switzerland, was a seminal work of Systematic Theology.

Ulrich Zwingli was born on 1 January 1484 in Wildhaus in the Swiss Confederation.

He led the Reformation in Switzerland during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism, believing that the state governed with divine sanction and that the church and state were subject to the sovereign rule of God.

Peter Martyr Vermigli was born on 8 September 1499 in Florence. He was a leading Italian religious reformer whose chief concern was Eucharistic doctrine.

Regular episode • 4 • Bloody Mary.

Regular episode  • Season 1 • Episode 4  • Bloody Mary.

Artwork • Portrait of Mary by Antonis Mor. c.1554

Music • The Lord is my light and my salvation (Psalm: 27) Anglican chant.

After Edward's death, Lady Jane was proclaimed Queen on 10 July 1553 and was held safe in the Tower of London chambers awaiting coronation.

After hearing about Edward's death, Mary Tudor, fearing for her safety, escaped to East Anglia where she held ownership of several estates.

Stephen Gardiner, an English Catholic bishop, crowned Mary Tudor as Mary I, Queen of England and Ireland, at Westminster Abbey on 1 October 1553.

Mary was the first Queen to rule England in her own right.

She was known as "Bloody Mary" for her persecution and executions of Protestants.

Most controversially, over her reign she ordered 280 Protestants to be burned at the stake as heretics, in a vain attempt to restore Catholicism in England.

Her reign led to a clandestine Protestant church in London as a reaction to her enforcement of Catholicism as England's official religion.

It was on waste ground beyond that ditch, now the site of Broad Street, that the three Protestant Martyrs of Oxford Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were burnt at the stake.

The trial of Thomas Cranmer began on 12 September 1555, held under papal jurisdiction, with the final verdict decided upon by Rome.

The first Vestments controversy, or Vestarian Controversy, arose during the English Reformation concerning the wearing of vestments and clerical dress

It was the first significant attack in the Puritans' campaign for reform.

Episode 9

The Artwork is Portrait of Mary by Antonis Mor. c.1554

The Music is The Lord is my light and my salvation (Psalm: 27) Anglican chant.

This is a shorter version, for a quicker read, than the original.

After Edward's death, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen on 10 July 1553 but was soon replaced by Mary Tudor, who fled to East Anglia for safety.

On 1 October 1553, Mary was crowned Mary I at Westminster Abbey, becoming the first queen to rule England in her own right.

Known as "Bloody Mary," she ordered the execution of 280 Protestants in an effort to restore Catholicism, which led to the emergence of a hidden Protestant church in London.

Notably, Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were burned at the stake in Oxford.

Thomas Cranmer's trial began on 12 September 1555 under papal jurisdiction, and the Vestarian Controversy arose during this time, marking a key moment in the Puritans' reform campaign.

Regular episode  • Season 1  • Episode 5  • Geneva: The First English Study Bible.

The artwork is the cover from an original copy of the Geneva Bible dated 1560.

The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the Douay Rheims Bible by 22 years, and the King James Version by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne and others.

It was one of the Bibles taken to America on the Mayflower and its frontispiece inspired Benjamin Franklin's design for the first Great Seal of the United States. Benjamin Franklin's design for the Great Seal of the United States featured a scene from the Exodus in the Bible. The design illustrated Moses parting the Red Sea with his staff, while Pharaoh and his chariots were submerged by the waters. Franklin's design also included the motto:- "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

The Music is I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art,

Sung by the Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. Author: Anonymous. Source: French, 1545; French Psalter, Strasbourg, 1545.

First published in 1560, the Geneva Bible was a groundbreaking work that represented a remarkable achievement in Renaissance scholarship, printing, and Reformation theology.

John Knox, a Scottish minister, theologian, and writer, played a crucial role in shaping the Church of Scotland. His work and ministry also contributed to developing the Puritan movement in Elizabethan England.

John Calvin spent much of his life as a minister in Geneva. His ideas, actions, and sermons greatly influenced the Protestant Reformation and transformed Geneva into Europe's intellectual capital.

Theodore Beza established the Academy of Geneva using Strasbourg's successful model. By the end of the sixteenth century, many distinguished Englishmen had made Geneva an essential place to study.

In 1545, John Bale published his book, "The Image of Both Churches," which provides a detailed commentary on the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Christian Bible.

Regular episode  • Season 1 • Episode 6 • Elizabeth's Religious Settlement. 

The Artwork isa Portrait of Elizabeth I, Queen of England, by anonymous Artist.

It location is The Rijks Museum, Amsterdam.

The Music is The Volta, a couples' renaissance dance.

The Protestant exiles, who had fled Mary’s revived heresy laws and executions, were beginning to return to England and campaign for ecclesiastical reforms.

They sought to recreate the pattern of church life recorded in Scripture without vestments and prelates such as cardinals, abbots, or bishops.

When Elizabeth became Queen, she worked with the Privy Council, intending to devise a religious settlement that would unite the country under a single Church.

The Elizabethan Religious Settlement, introduced in 1558, aimed to bridge the gap between Catholics and Protestants and address the variations in their religious services and beliefs.

It attempted to make England Protestant again, without alienating a population that had

previously supported Catholicism under her sister Mary.

Heinrich Bullinger was a Swiss reformer and theologian; he succeeded Ulrich Zwingli as head of the Zurich church and pastor at Grossmünster.

His publication “The Decades” was the most famous of the 150 treatises and manuscripts he wrote.