{"id":30578,"date":"2016-11-11T10:40:17","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T15:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=30578"},"modified":"2017-03-28T09:18:30","modified_gmt":"2017-03-28T13:18:30","slug":"reformation-documentary-features-four-emu-experts-religion-history-peacebuilding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2016\/reformation-documentary-features-four-emu-experts-religion-history-peacebuilding\/","title":{"rendered":"Reformation documentary features four EMU experts on religion, history and peacebuilding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four faculty and staff at Eastern Mennonite University are interviewed in a documentary about the Protestant Reformation, This Changed Everything: 500 Years of Reformation<\/em><\/a>. The documentary, released in September, is a production of Christian History Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Participants include\u00a0Ted Grimsrud<\/a>, emeritus professor of peace theology; Michael King<\/a>, now vice president of Eastern Mennonite Seminary<\/a> and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies;\u00a0 Mary Sprunger,<\/a> history professor and department chair; archivist and seminary professor Nate Yoder<\/a>; and Daryl Byler<\/a>, executive director of the Center for Justice and <\/a>Peacebuilding<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The film gives a historical account of reformer Martin Luther’s life, the revolutionary act of his 95 theses, and the theological impact on Christianity. Key questions raised by the filmmakers are \u201cDid the Reformation go too far?\u201d and \u201cCan the unity Jesus called for ever be achieved?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives a good overview of the 16th century Reformation in an interesting and engaging way,\u201d says Grimsrud. \u201cThere is helpful attention paid to present-day relevance of that event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The EMU representatives primarily speak on Anabaptist history, specifically its role in and reaction to the Reformation. Other featured experts include university and seminary faculty, theologians and clergymen.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, and appropriately, the bulk of the film focuses on the mainline Reformation \u2013 Lutherans and Reformed \u2013 and the Catholic response. But the Anabaptists do get lengthy and respectful attention,\u201d says Grimsrud.<\/p>\n

Byler was tapped primarily to talk about \u201cthe Center for Justice and Peacebuilding as a contemporary Anabaptist expression of engaging the world,\u201d he said. \u201cMohan’s emphasis on the tendency of denominational bodies to stress their differences rather than commonalities is an important challenge in this new season of polarization.\u201d<\/p>\n

EMU\u2019s featured experts and their talking points<\/strong><\/h3>\n