John Calvin, one of the central figures in the Protestant reformation more than 500 years ago, has left an indelible mark on American culture. Though we think of his theology as representing the most joyless version of Protestantism possible, some of what we think about him now isn’t particularly accurate to who the man was and what he believed. Listen to find out how one historian views Calvin’s legacy, and what more we can learn from his example.
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Since the founding of the United States, there has been a debate about the issue of church and state and how much faith should influence law and political debate. The first amendment to the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Nonetheless, there are people who advocate for more government support for religious institutions and preference for one faith over another. Listen to this conversation about the current tax-exempt status of churches, evidence of how our founders dealt with the issue, and President Trump’s executive order on religious liberty.
Read MoreThomas Cromwell was an influential 16th century English statesman who rose through English society to become advisor to King Henry VIII. In this position, Cromwell was credited with overseeing the Reformation in England. Eventually, Cromwell was betrayed by his political enemies and executed in 1540, but his influence would live on. In this audio story, novelist Hilary Mantel discusses Bring Up the Bodies, the second book in her trilogy featuring Cromwell. Listen to hear Mantel discuss what made Cromwell such a savvy political figure and the circumstances that led to his sudden downfall.
Read MoreThe Protestant Reformation in western Europe was a 16th century challenge to the practices and authority of the Catholic Church. Tradition holds that the Reformation began when a monk, Martin Luther, posted 95 "theses” questioning papal authority on the door of his church in Wittenberg, Germany. What followed were decades of religious and political conflict that would reshape Europe for centuries to come. Recently Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, helped commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Listen to learn what the pope’s participation shows about current Catholic-Lutheran relations, and hear how the two branches of Christianity keep working to heal divisions.
Read MoreThe Lexile Audio Measure is an indicator of the complexity of an audio passage. It is based on a scientifically developed scale with a maximum score of 2000L.
How to Use Lexile Audio MeasuresFind stories at the right level of complexity for your students, so that they will be challenged without being frustrated. The measures are categorized into low, medium, or high in order to aid teachers in story selection when they do not know students’ Lexile listening levels.
Listening Level | Lexile Audio Measures |
0L -1250L | |
1251L -1555L | |
1556L-2000L |
These recommended ranges are for instructional use of Listenwise audio content in combination with supports such as the interactive transcript, etc.
Grade | Lexile Audio Measures (Recommended Ranges) |
1 | 215L - 610L |
2 | 490L - 855L |
3 | 725L - 1060L |
4 | 945L - 1250L |
5 | 1045L - 1350L |
6 | 1125L - 1430L |
7 | 1190L - 1500L |
8 | 1250L - 1555L |
9 | 1300L - 1610L |
10 | 1345L - 1655L |
11/12 | 1385L - 1695L |
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