DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the most important themes and movements in
American church history from the Puritans to the present.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: First, this course should enable students to acquire a
basic knowledge of their own denomination and its contribution to American
history. Second, it should help them understand the ways in which the American
churches were shaped by American culture, and hence enable them to become
appreciative but critical interpreters of their denomination to others. Third,
students will discover the riches of Christian denominations other than their
own and learn something about how those denominations contributed to world
Christianity. 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: The study of the American church places the student's
particular denomination in the context of the pluralistic cultural, scientific,
and religious forces that continue to shape contemporary life, including the
Catholic Church, the ecumenical movement, and the new sects and cults. The
modern missionary movement arose among the English-speaking people of Britain
and North America, and as a result, American movements as diverse as
Fundamentalism and Neo-orthodoxy reached far afield and profoundly influenced
Protestants in such distant lands as Korea and Indonesia. The study of one's
own tradition and family of denominations will supply the knowledge necessary
for leadership, and it will enable students to discern both the threats and the
opportunities that face the church today. The course strives to inculcate
understanding and empathy for all Christian traditions at the same time that it
fosters loyalty to one's own denomination.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions for
lectures.
REQUIRED READING: