CH502
Bradley

CH502: MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION HISTORY. James Bradley.


DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the most important themes and people in church history and historical theology from A. D. 500 to 1600.

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:
Anderson, Charles S. Augsburg Historical Atlas. Augsburg, 1967.

Bettenson, Henry, ed. Documents of the Christian Church. Sections on the Medieval period and the Reformation only. Oxford, 1963.

Hillerbrand, H. J. The Protestant Reformation. (290 pp.) Harper, 1968.

Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity, vols. 1 and 2. Chapters on the Medieval period and Reformation only. Harper, 1975.

Tucker, Ruth A. and Walter L. Liefeld. Daughters of the Church: Women and Ministry from New Testament Times to the Present. Academie/Zondervan, 1987.

Three selected documents from Medieval and Reformation church history.

ASSIGNMENTS:
Regular assigned reading from the textbooks. There will be a midterm weighted 30%, and final examination, weighted 40% of the final grade. The exams will have both essay and objective components. A five-page paper based on one of the three documents and reading notes on the other two. These papers will account for 30% of the final grade.

PREREQUISITES:
None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
Meets M. Div. core requirement in Church History "b" (CHB).

FINAL EXAMINATION:
Yes.