How did a seven-year-old girl who was brutally taken from her family and sold as a slave grow up to become the first African American woman to have her poems published? Join Trinity, Mina, and Priscilla as they listen to Professor Vincent Carretta, author of Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius i

While William Cowper is widely regarded as one of the greatest evangelical poets of the 18th century, he was, in fact, one of the greatest of all the 18th-century poets. His poems reflect a profound faith in God and God's providence and presence in every aspect of life. Many became hymns and are sti

Most people are familiar with the hymn "Amazing Grace." According to statistics, it is performed approximately 10 million times worldwide every year. And that's just public performances. It doesn't count all the times when it's sung in churches. However, not everyone is familiar with the author of t

At a time when Protestants were fiercely persecuted in France, a young woman named Marie Durand was imprisoned for her faith and remained in prison under terrible conditions for 38 years. Her letters to pastors and influential people were instrumental in closing the prison, and her letters to her ni

Music has played an important role in church history. In previous episodes, we've talked about many composers who wrote hymns specifically for the church. However, there were also musicians like Bach who wrote sacred and secular music for the glory of God. Bach's compositions covered a wide range of

Before the famous missionary William Carey was born, a group of Christian Moravians sent over 200 missionaries to 28 countries. Join Emma, Grace, and Priscilla as they ask Dr. Ed Smither, professor of Intercultural Studies and History of Global Christianity at Columbia International University and a

Time-travel back with Trinity, Grace, and Sean to 18th-century Wales to learn about a series of revivals led by young people who wanted to bring people back to a true worship of God. Listen to Dr. E. Wyn James, professor emeritus in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University and author of several boo

In this episode of Kids Talk Church History, we wrap up our fourteen-episode look at the seventeenth century, a war-torn time when the church crystallized its teachings with catechisms and confessions. Learn from our hosts why these confessions are important, why scholars are not boring, why some mi

In March 1643, Lady Brilliana Harley received a formal demand to surrender her castle to the royalists - those who supported the king against the Parliament. Her husband, Sir Robert Harley, had been in London since the start of the civil war. With six hundred soldiers marching against her and only f

Have you ever heard of a philosopher named Descartes? The one who said, "I think therefore I am"? Many Christians were not impressed because he made himself the proof of anything that is real. He also believed that soul and body are completely separate, while the Bible teaches they are tightly relat

Some of us have heard the names of 17th-century poets like George Herbert, John Donne, and John Milton. But did you know that John Bunyan also wrote poems? And that there were many female poets too? Join Trinity, Mina, and Sean as they discuss these poets and their exciting lives with Dr. David Parr

The Protestant Reformation spread around Europe in the 16th century but blossomed in Transylvania during the 17th century. Join Trinity, Mina, and Sean as they discover how Christ protected the Protestant churches in Transylvania and nearby Hungary and Romania. Listen to our Romanian guest, Rev. Mih

Ready for something different? In this episode, our guests are three kids who, like our hosts, are promoting church history. Jackson, Madelyn, and Owen live in sunny California, where they make fun videos about church history and produce a wonderful podcast called All Things Together, a Five Solas M

Have you ever heard about the Waldensians? Who were they? Why did they have to leave their homeland and how did they manage to return? Learn about this exciting story as Emma, Christian, and Linus talk with Dr. Erica Scroppo, Executive Secretary of the Waldensian Church Mission.Show Notes:Dr. Scropp

We often think of William Carey as the father of modern Protestant missions, but did you know that many Protestants went to preach the gospel to foreign lands from the time of the Reformation? Join Emma, Christian, and Sean as they discover the exciting travels of French and Dutch Protestant mission

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "scholar"? An old man buried behind a pile of old books? Join Emma, Christian, and Sean as they continue their trip through church history and meet some 17th-century scholars who have helped us understand what we believe and why. You'll be surprised by

Piety is a good thing. It means devotion to God. Pietism was a movement in history that started out well and inspired many missionaries and hymn writers but caused some problems when it shifted people's attention from Christ's gospel to the pietists' own acts of devotion. Learn all about it as Trini

How did the first Protestant hymns start? Who were the most important hymn writers? And how could they write so much about gladness while living through the pain and horrors of the Thirty-Years War? Trinity, Sean, and Grace sit down with Dr. Paul Grime, Dean of Spiritual Formation and Dean of the Ch

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan has been translated into more than 200 languages, set to music, and made into movies. But who was its author and how did he start writing this book? Why did he have to spend 12 years in prison? And what do we know about his courageous wife Elizabeth and other wo

When you think of early American writers, what comes to mind? Perhaps the writings or sermons of Puritans. Maybe you think of the Mayflower Compact. But did you know that Anne Bradstreet, an ordinary wife and mother of eight children in New England, was the first published poet on American soil? Joi

Some time ago, we discussed Guido de Bres and the doctrinal statements known as the Three Forms of Unity used by Reformed churches. However, there is another set of documents used by Presbyterian churches everywhere, known as The Westminster Standards, which includes The Confession of Faith and the

Every year on the 31st of October, an Eastern European country named Slovenia celebrates Reformation Day - the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. It’s a national holiday when people stay home from work and school. Particularly interesting is that less tha

The inscription on John Owen's grave says he is "a traveler on earth who grasped God like one in heaven." Later, he was called "the Prince of Puritans." How did he earn these high praises while navigating one of the most tumultuous times in British history, when hundreds of others were forced to lea

Quakers, Ranters, Seekers, Diggers...so many groups were formed after the Reformation. What were they saying, and why did most Christians warn against them? Did any of them leave a positive legacy? Listen as Trinity, Christian, Emma, and Ruth discuss these questions and more with Dr. Michael Haykin,