Podcast Episode 10
Philip Melanchthon
with Dr. Keith Scott & host Nick Walters
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This episode of This Week in Christian History brings together the familiar three-part structure that anchors the entire series. Each weekly episode features an interview with Nick Walters, founder of the Center for Christian History at Mississippi College, followed by a Deep Dive interview with an established subject-matter expert, and concludes with two historical highlights drawn from this same week in the Christian calendar. Each component provides a different window into Christian memory, biography, and global history, offering viewers a chance to connect major events of the church with the ongoing work of Christian thinkers, teachers, missionaries, and leaders.
The Deep Dive for Episode 10 focuses on Philip Melanchthon, one of the most influential figures of the Protestant Reformation. Dr. Scott Keith of 1517 Ministries joins the program to explain Melanchthon’s remarkable role in shaping Lutheran theology, systematizing Reformation doctrine, and providing the intellectual framework that allowed Protestant ideas to spread across Europe. Keith’s work with 1517 Ministries, particularly its emphasis on Reformation studies and accessible theological scholarship, offers an excellent on-ramp for anyone seeking to understand Melanchthon’s life, academic career, and enduring legacy. Viewers who want to explore additional resources connected with Dr. Keith's work can visit www.1517.org.
The interview provides historical and theological context for one of Luther’s closest colleagues and the individual central to the writing of the Augsburg Confession.
This week’s historical highlights reach from the fourth century to the twentieth century and offer a sweeping look at the global Christian story.
Highlight One: April 17, 387 – The Baptism of Augustine of Hippo
This week includes the anniversary of one of the most pivotal moments in early Christian history: the baptism of Augustine. Recognized today as one of the greatest theologians of the church, Augustine shaped Western Christianity’s understanding of grace, the nature of the church, the dynamics of sin, and the operations of divine sovereignty. His reflections on his own spiritual brokenness prior to conversion deeply influenced his later articulation of predestination and the life of the soul before God. Augustine also affirmed the authority of certain books of the Apocrypha as Scripture and held that church tradition possessed authority alongside the biblical text, a conviction still reflected in Roman Catholic teaching. His baptism on April 17, 387, remains one of the foundational turning points in Christian doctrinal development and continues to inform theological debates today.
Highlight Two: April 14, 1950 – Mitsuo Fuchida Gives His Life to Christ
This week also marks the conversion of Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese naval aviator who led the attack on Pearl Harbor and famously issued the command “Tora! Tora! Tora!” After the war, Fuchida encountered a pamphlet written by Jake DeShazer, an American prisoner of war who survived captivity, returned to Japan as a missionary, and wrote about forgiveness, repentance, and Christ’s mercy. DeShazer’s account, especially Christ’s words from the cross, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing,” profoundly affected Fuchida. He embraced Christianity on April 14, 1950, and spent his remaining years as a witness to grace, reconciliation, and transformation, offering a striking example of the power of the Gospel across cultures and former battle lines.
Throughout the episode, viewers are invited to reflect on the remarkable diversity of Christian history—from the philosophical depth of Augustine’s theology to the intellectual labors of Melanchthon to the postwar testimony of Mitsuo Fuchida. Each story reflects a different dimension of the global Christian experience and highlights how faith, repentance, scholarship, and personal transformation continue to shape the world.
Image credit for Episode 10:
Wikimedia Commons, “Philipp Melanchthon,” Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philipp_Melanchthon.jpg
