CENTRAL TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION TO CONCENTRATE ON EARLY CHURCH REFORMER
The Central Texas Historical Association invites the community to an in-depth conversation about the impact of an early church reformer.
In conjunction with the Central Texas Historical Association (CTHA), the Unity of the Brethren will sponsor an educational symposium titled “Jan Hus after 600 Years: History and Heritage Conference,” on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Brenham campus Student Center. The conference is free and open to the public. Interested participants can still register at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Hus_History_Symposium through Thursday, Nov. 12. Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to all pre-registered attendees.
Jan Hus is considered the first church reformer, and his teachings had a significant influence on Western Europe, resulting in a Bohemian religious denomination. In 1415, he was burned at the stake for heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church. After his execution, Hus’s followers rebelled against Roman Catholic rulers, defeating five papal crusades between 1420 and 1431 in what later became known as the Hussite Wars. More than 100 years later, the majority of inhabitants of the Czech Republic were non-Catholic, adopting the doctrines of Hus and his successors.
Conference speakers include Rev. Dr. Craig Atwood, director of the Center for Moravian Studies, and Dr. Thomas Fudge, former senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand and author of “The Magnificent Ride: First Reformation in Hussite Bohemia and The Crusade Against the Heretics in Bohemia, 1418-1437.”
“This conference is a great opportunity for anyone interested in Czech history and the Protestant Reformation to learn more about those areas from some incredible scholars,” said Dr. Ken Howell, executive director. “We’re thrilled to offer this for the community.”
For more information on the conference, contact Howell at khowell@blinn.edu or Dawn Marie Baletka at DMBaletka@gmail.com.
The CTHA was launched by Blinn College’s Division of Social Sciences earlier this year to preserve and promote the history and culture of Central Texas, making Blinn the first community college in Texas to sponsor a regional historical association.