Michael Bruening – The Conversation

The first verses of the Gospel of John, from a facsimile edition of William Tyndale’s 1525 English translation of the New Testament. Kevin Rawlings/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons

June 30, 2026

500 years ago, the first New Testament in English was published – and stirred up a hornet’s nest

Michael Bruening, Missouri University of Science and Technology

William Tyndale’s translation, published in 1526, was based on a then-radical idea: Anyone should be able to read the Bible in their own language.

A monument to Sebastian Castellio in Geneva – using a French spelling of his name – reads, ‘Killing a man is not defending a doctrine; it is killing a man.’ MHM55/Wikimedia Commons

December 3, 2025

Why one 16th‑century theologian’s advice for a bitterly divided nation holds true today

Michael Bruening, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Sebastian Castellio penned one of the first arguments for religious freedom – but it went unheeded for centuries.

A sketch of groups of peasants wandering around the countryside during the German Peasants’ War. Warwick Press via Wikimedia Commons.

February 25, 2025

500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility

Michael Bruening, Missouri University of Science and Technology

The German peasants were among the first to try to unlock the revolutionary potential of Reformation teachings to fight social and economic injustice.

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