Teaching the Reformation from both perspectives?

[Greta]

We're going to be studying the Reformation soon, and I'm looking for some books, whether general histories or specific biographies, from the Catholic perspective, and from the Protestant perspective, and/or some that maintain neutrality, to the extent that such a thing is possible, and treat both sides fairly.

 

(We're Orthodox Christians, so our own church history involves quite a different set of concerns during that time period.)

 

Not exactly a history buff myself, I'm really lost! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Oh, and this would be for a 7th grader.

 

ETA: Historical fiction for the time period would be great too.

[justamouse]

:bigear:

 

I'm coming up on this with my littles.

 

I use Light to the Nations with my older one (the Reformation would be Chpt 17). Though it would be expensive to purchase for that chapter alone, how about borrowing it from someone? An interlibrary loan?

 

For myself, I've learned more about the Reformation from The Cleaving of Christiandom and about how it affected the people from Shadowplay.

[Avila]

Hands down, my pick is Dorothy Mills' Renaissance and Reformation Times. She is very fair. If I had to guess, I would place her in some old school (but still liturgical) protestant tradition, maybe Anglican a la Charlotte Mason. But she is my top pick for this time period by far.

[Greta]

:bigear:

 

I'm coming up on this with my littles.

 

I use Light to the Nations with my older one (the Reformation would be Chpt 17). Though it would be expensive to purchase for that chapter alone, how about borrowing it from someone? An interlibrary loan?

 

For myself, I've learned more about the Reformation from The Cleaving of Christiandom

 

I just checked my library's website, and unfortunately it does not have either of these. But I will see if I can get them through ILL.

 

 

 

and about how it affected the people from Shadowplay.

 

My library does have this one, and it sounds fascinating! Thanks!

[justamouse]

Wow, that looks good Asenik.

 

And so do the rest of them...

 

 

My poor pocketbook. It weeps.

[Greta]

Hands down, my pick is Dorothy Mills' Renaissance and Reformation Times. She is very fair. If I had to guess, I would place her in some old school (but still liturgical) protestant tradition, maybe Anglican a la Charlotte Mason. But she is my top pick for this time period by far.

 

Wonderful, thank you! I've put it on the list.

[Avila]

Wow, that looks good Asenik.

 

And so do the rest of them...

 

 

My poor pocketbook. It weeps.

 

The reprints are more expensive. I have most of her books in the original, which have lovely maps, and I think most were $5 or under in the used market. The Mills books were the spine for my logic stage history for my oldest. I absolutely love them.

[Greta]

Hands down, my pick is Dorothy Mills' Renaissance and Reformation Times.

 

I just noticed that it's almost 400 pages long. Does that includes a lot of pictures and a big font, or it is a pretty hefty book? Just curious for the purposes of planning.

[Avila]

I just noticed that it's almost 400 pages long. Does that includes a lot of pictures and a big font, or it is a pretty hefty book? Just curious for the purposes of planning.

 

We did Mills' The Middle Ages and Renaissance and Reformation Times over the course of a year (so roughly a semester each). We covered it for 6th, so I think it would be perfectly fine for a 7th grader to cover.

 

There are a few maps and a few black and white pics, but it is mostly text with average font, 332 pages of text.

 

We added in Famous Men of the Middle Ages and most of the literature for 8th grade MODG, which is their Middle Ages year. They use saint stories, Bethlehem books, and Shakespeare. It is a great year to do some Shakespeare. :001_smile:

[Kfamily]

I agree with the suggestion for the books by Dorothy Mills. I have most of them and LOVE them. Primary sources are quoted which makes it easy to incorporate them. We are using Renaissance and Reformation Times now along with The Portable Renaissance Reader. I have Book Notes I made for this book (up to Term 2 week 10 which is where we are) on my blog (A Mind in the Light) if you'd like them. I do plan on finishing them as we finish the book.

[Greta]

We did Mills' The Middle Ages and Renaissance and Reformation Times over the course of a year (so roughly a semester each). We covered it for 6th, so I think it would be perfectly fine for a 7th grader to cover.

 

There are a few maps and a few black and white pics, but it is mostly text with average font, 332 pages of text.

 

We added in Famous Men of the Middle Ages and most of the literature for 8th grade MODG, which is their Middle Ages year. They use saint stories, Bethlehem books, and Shakespeare. It is a great year to do some Shakespeare. :001_smile:

 

Sounds good. Thank you! My goal is to get us from the Reformation through modern times by the end of her 8th grade year (so over the course of the next two years), so I'm just trying to think through how much time to spend on each period and each major book that we study. I'm sure a lot of it will end up being tweaked along the way, though, according to what she likes and wants to study more deeply, and what she doesn't like and wants to fly through. :)

[Greta]

I agree with the suggestion for the books by Dorothy Mills. I have most of them and LOVE them. Primary sources are quoted which makes it easy to incorporate them. We are using Renaissance and Reformation Times now along with The Portable Renaissance Reader. I have Book Notes I made for this book (up to Term 2 week 10 which is where we are) on my blog (A Mind in the Light) if you'd like them. I do plan on finishing them as we finish the book.

 

Oh, lovely, thank you so much!