DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the most important themes and people in church
history and historical theology from A.D. 500 to 1600.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: First, this course should enable Protestant students to
arrive at an overall, positive appraisal of Medieval, Catholic Christianity.
Second, it will enable them to understand and value the origins of their own
Protestant confession by showing how the doctrines and the practices of the
Reformation churches emerged in specific historical contexts. Third, students
will learn the abiding importance of the sixteenth-century controversies over
Scripture, justification, the sacraments, and church and state. Finally,
students will increase their critical skills in reading and writing through the
study of primary source materials and by writing a term paper.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Medieval and Reformation history introduces the
student to the Western theological tradition and the major Protestant churches
thereby providing the foundation for one's confessional identity. The course
provides a theological grounding for the work of the Christian ministry by
surveying the historical development of the doctrines of the church, Scripture,
and justification. The goal of Medieval and Reformation history is to make
students conversant with the history and vocabulary of the Western church, to
bring them to an awareness of the circumstances that have influenced the
origins, growth, and development of Protestantism, to develop a critical
methodology that will enable them to discern and evaluate the perennial
theological issues, to provide them with insights into the theological
character and meaning of the church's ministry, and to form their identity as
Christian leaders.
COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet twice weekly in two-hour sessions for
lectures.
REQUIRED READING: