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Top 250 Contributor
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A Very Clear Introduction to a Very Difficult Subj
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Date: October 20, 2009
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"This is one of the best courses I have yet heard from the TC. This is tough stuff and yet Dr. Williams does an outstanding job of presenting this material--especially with Augustine and Anselm.
Highly recommended."
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Top 500 Contributor
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Outstanding Series, Content, and Lecturer
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Date: September 13, 2009
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"I can't say enough good things about this course. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned far more than I had anticipated.
My main interest is in gaining a greater appreciation for the antecedents of the Protestant Reformation. The Greek history course by Jeremy McInerney provided a solid overview of the classical world upon which so much of the rest of European history and culture rests. (I haven't been able to manage purchasing anything on Roman society yet...limited budget!). The series on Late Antiquity by Thomas Noble was simply superb. Although I disagree with his conclusions about the papacy, his erudition on all matters of late antiquity was truly impressive. His explanation of historical events was masterful but his teachings on core Christian doctrines (such as the Incarnation and the Trinity) were also very well done. Noble impressed on the student the sense that intellectual history played no less a leading role in the development of Christian Europe then political events. For instance, he attributes the dispute over competing versions of the doctrine of the Incarnation as the chief cause of some major clashes within Christianity.
Thomas Williams lectures on Reason and Faith were an outstanding contribution to the project. I knew very little about Medieval philosophy before listening to Williams--that is, I took an intro course on philosophy, heard about Anselm and Aquinas, but paid no heed to them. I thought it was boring old stuff. But Williams takes the great Christian philosophers of the Middle Ages, pinpoints their salient points, and breathes life into their conceptual world. For non-philosophy types this may seem like an overly intellectual and obscure course. It is not! Much of the crisis of post-modernism (with its rabid distrust of absolute truth) finds its roots in that earlier period of intellectual ferment. (My opinion, not Williams teaching).
My original aim, to gain a sense of what was going on before Luther nailed his protest to the door, was wonderfully answered by these exceptional good professors. They have given me a firmer grasp on the culture prior to the Reformation. Thank you, Dr. Noble and Dr. Williams, for showing a simple soul a glimpse of the vast wealth of the Christian intellectual heritage.
By the way, Williams has the very best elocution I have ever heard. Also, he explains some extremely abstruse thoughts in a remarkably clear way. And his obvious passion for his subject made the entire series a genuine pleasure."
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