Molly Worthen has 3 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 3 narrators, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 5 ratings. The most-rated is The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch.
The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch
Summary
When you think about Christian history, you might think of the first thousand years - the events of Jesus' life, the acts of the apostles, the establishment of the church, and the various councils that established theological doctrine. But the history of Christianity from the Reformation to the present is equally dramatic and profoundly relevant. It's a story about people as much as theology - our cultures, our politics, our relationship to the world. The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch picks up where The Great Courses' first history of Christianity left off: with the Protestant Reformation. Over 36 fascinating lectures, Professor Molly Worthen of the University of North Carolina traces the story of Christianity as it transformed from a relatively homogenous entity at the end of the Middle Ages through the diverse global religion of today. While Professor Worthen gives you plenty of insight into theology, her primary focus is to place Christianity in its historical context. She personalizes history with stories of individual players and blends their narratives with larger trends give you the full history of momentous events, including the formation of myriad Protestant denominations, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the Cold War, and the spread of Christianity to Latin America, China, and South Korea. As you'll discover, Christianity has been at the center of momentous transformations around the globe and is now the largest religion in the world. Professor Worthen is a marvelous storyteller, and brings history to life through the stories of people across history - scientists and theologians, revolutionaries and social justice warriors, commentators and ordinary people living out the great drama of Christian history. From Martin Luther's 95 Theses to Latin American liberation theology, this is a magisterial course, and a must-have for students. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2017 The Great Courses
Apostles of Reason
Summary
Evangelical Christianity is a paradox. Evangelicals are radically individualist, but devoted to community and family. They believe in the transformative power of a personal relationship with God, but are wary of religious enthusiasm. They are deeply skeptical of secular reason, but eager to find scientific proof that the Bible is true. In this groundbreaking history of modern American evangelicalism, Molly Worthen argues that these contradictions are the products of a crisis of authority that lies at the heart of the faith. Evangelicals have never had a single authority to guide them through these dilemmas or settle the troublesome question of what the Bible actually means. Worthen chronicles the ideological warfare, institutional conflict, and clashes between modern gurus and maverick disciples that lurk behind the more familiar narrative of the rise of the Christian Right. The result is an ambitious intellectual history that weaves together stories from all corners of the evangelical world to explain the ideas and personalities - the scholarly ambitions and anti-intellectual impulses - that have made evangelicalism a cultural and political force. In Apostles of Reason, Worthen recasts American evangelicalism as a movement defined not by shared doctrines or politics, but by the problem of reconciling head knowledge and heart religion in an increasingly secular America. She shows that understanding the rise of the Christian Right in purely political terms, as most scholars have done, misses the heart of the story. The culture wars of the late 20th century emerged not only from the struggle between religious conservatives and secular liberals, but also from the civil war within evangelicalism itself - a battle over how to uphold the commands of both faith and reason, and how ultimately to lead the nation back onto the path of righteousness.
©2014 Oxford University Press (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Charismatic Leaders Who Remade America
Summary
What is that mysterious thing we call charisma? Where does this magnetic quality come from? Why are we so drawn to it? Are people born charismatic - or do they become that way over time? Can charisma be just as much a force for evil as it is for good? Answers to questions like these are just as important now, in the 21st century, as they were during the earliest years of the American republic. Much of the nation’s history is inextricably linked with charismatic leaders who’ve inspired mass movements, led democratic progress, fanned the flames of violence, and even taken advantage of the human desire for divine inspiration. Think of Puritan heretic Anne Hutchinson or celebrity statesman, founding father Benjamin Franklin. Think of leadership guru Dale Carnegie or daytime television queen Oprah Winfrey. Think of presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Donald Trump. Each of them, in their own way, remade America through their gripping charisma - an allure that gave them the ability to move crowds and societies. Delivered by Professor Molly Worthen of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this Audible Original offers 10 captivating lessons on how these leaders inspired the public as they remade America. You’ll meet a wide range of characters, from politicians and philosophers to billionaires and cult leaders as you get at the heart of how they used their charisma to shape American history. You’ll also trace the evolution of the idea of charisma, from the ancient notion of God’s anointing power to the insights of both modern psychology and leadership studies. Crack the code for charisma, and you’ve cracked the code for the American spirit.
©2020 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.