Episode Details

In this first episode of a new Thinking Christian series on the German Reformation, Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Greg Quiggle—a historian, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and leader of Tours for Ten—to set the stage for the world that produced Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation.

Before you can understand Luther, you have to understand the world Luther lived in: a late-medieval Germany marked by constant death, recurring plague, widespread poverty, church corruption, and spiritual fear. Greg helps listeners reconstruct the medieval imagination—where God was often perceived as perpetually angry, life expectancy was low, child mortality was staggering, and the question “How can I stand before a holy God?” was not theoretical but urgent.

Greg also clarifies an often-missed point: there wasn’t one Reformation, but multiple Reformations—Germany (Luther), Switzerland (Zwingli and Calvin), England (Henry VIII), and the Radical movements—each emerging from distinct contexts and theological pressures. This series focuses specifically on the German stream and its implications for Protestantism today.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• The split between Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Latin/Catholic) Christianity (1054)
• Why “Reformation” is really Reformations (Germany, Switzerland, England, Radicals)
• The medieval experience of death: plague, famine, and childhood mortality
• How the church often failed to provide spiritual comfort or clarity
• Why fear of judgment and purgatory shaped daily religious behavior
• The role of literacy, sermons, Latin worship, and “sheep without a shepherd”
• The core question driving Luther: certainty before God through Christ

This episode lays the foundation for the rest of the series, where James and Greg will move from context into Luther’s theology, the 95 Theses, indulgences, justification by faith, and the long-term effects of the German Reformation on modern Protestant life.

Go deeper: The Reformation

Thinking Christian is hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press). Each conversation reads the Bible as the final authority for life and faith, questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.

Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction.
Episodes, articles, and questions: thinkingchristian.org
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Related: Want to experience Reformation history on location? Greg leads small-group “Tours for Ten” through Germany (and beyond). Links are in the show notes.

Quotelos Travel offers small, expert-led “Tours for Ten” that provide an intimate and unforgettable way to explore church history and culture with guides who truly know