Winter 2010
FSW – Phoenix

CH502

Carter
CH502: MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION CHURCH HISTORY. Grayson Carter

DESCRIPTION: This course examines the development of Church History from the Council of Chalcedon (451) through the Protestant and Catholic Reformations of the C16th. Particular attention will be given to the lives and principal writings of the most significant Christian leaders and theologians. The course will also consider in detail the historical context in which these events occurred.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The effective practice of Christian ministry requires an understanding of the significant historical and theological developments that occurred during the important period between the C5th and C16th. During this time, European church and culture became so intertwined as be considered almost indistinguishable, only to break apart into schism and prolonged conflict during the C16th. Why did this occur? What lessons can we learn from this? While our classroom investigations and discussions will be primarily historical and theological in nature, every effort will be made to set aside time in class for the integration of practical (i.e., contemporary) application of the academic material under consideration.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course should (i) enhance the student’s basic factual and thematic knowledge of the Christian story during the Medieval and Reformation periods; (ii) it should help students gain a basic competence in how to interpret the story of the Christian church; (iii) it should help students gain a greater ability to evaluate various theological issues and their development; and, (iv) it should provide students with the tools and knowledge for a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity and diversity of the Christian church.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will on Monday evenings from 6.30 p.m. until 10.00 p.m. over 10 weeks, for a total of 35 hours. Class time will be devoted to formal lectures, questions and answers, and informal classroom discussion.

REQUIRED READING: (Approximately 1200 pages total.)

· Class Handouts/Readings [450 pages approximately]

· Bettenson, Henry and Chris Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church, 3^rd ed. (Oxford, 1999). (Selected sections only). [200 pp.] ISBN: 192880713

· Collinson, Patrick. The Reformation (Modern Library, 2006). [272 pp.] ISBN: 0812972953

· González, Justo. The Story of Christianity. The Early Church to the Present Day (Prince Press, 2004). (Selected sections only) (1-volume edition is available only from Christian Discount Books. Phone: 1-800-247-4784; Web: www.christianbook.com). [153 pp.] ISBN: 1565635221

· Oden, Amy ed., In Her Words. Women’s Writings in the History of Christian Thought (Abingdon, 1994). (Selected sections). [128 pp.] ISBN: 0687459729

· Video Assignments (6 hours; for details see Course Syllabus)

RECOMMENDED READING:

· Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion (Eerdmans, 1995).

· Hilderbrand, Hans. The Protestant Reformation (Harper, 1964).

· Janz, Denis R., ed. A Reformation Reader. (Fortress Press, 2002).

· Jungbans, Helmar, ed. Martin Luther. Exploring His Life and Times, 1483-1546 (Fortress Press CD-ROM, 1999).

· Livingstone, E. A. ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3^rd ed. (Oxford, 1997).

· MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation (Penguin Press, 2005).

· Pelikan, Jaroslav, ed. Luther’s Works, 55 volumes (Fortress Press CD-ROM, 2001) (Selected volumes).

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Class attendance, class participation, and completion of reading and video assignments (25%)

2. Mid-term examination (25%)

3. One 5-page research paper (20%)

4. Final examination (30%)

5. Extra Credit (10% maximum)

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: M. Div.: CHB; M.A.T: CHB; M.A.C.L.: CHB.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification.