DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an overview of church history through an
examination of the important people, movements, and ideas from roughly AD 500
to 1600.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: John Calvin began his Institutes of the
Christian Religion with the sentence, "Nearly all the wisdom we possess,
that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of
God and of ourselves." As Christians, we are members of a community of faith
with a history. People who shared that faith, events that influenced it, and
ideas that shaped its expression long before us have an abiding impact. Our
knowledge of ourselves can only be enhanced by the study of church
history--seeking to understand our place within our respective denominations
and among the other traditions within the Christian faith.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: There are three general objectives for this course: (1) Our
study of church history ought to result in an increased familiarity with the
general details of the history of Christianity. (2) In the course of our study
we should become more adept at reading historical narratives and interpretative
documents with a certain degree of critical objectivity and awareness. And (3)
our studies ought to enable us to evaluate our own particular traditions with
new depth and insight as well as to gain a new level of understanding regarding
other denominations, movements, and historical events that have influenced and
shaped the Christian faith.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice each week for two-hour sessions for
lectures and discussion.
REQUIRED READING: