Fall 2020/Fuller Online
MH506
Turley
MH506: THE MAKING OF GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY (4 Units: 160 hours). Steven Turley.
DESCRIPTION: Christianity developed in the first century CE at the intersection of three continents and between two empires. The Church’s theology and practice has always developed in the context of local cultures. This course traces its global development focusing on theological and contextual considerations. Early theological controversies are studied in light of linguistic and cultural considerations. The conversion of tribes, nations and empires are studied with one eye toward the Great Tradition and one eye focused on indigenous cultures.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete MH506 will demonstrate: (1) a basic historical and theological knowledge of the Christian story as it finds it home in each continent; (2) a basic competence in interpreting and evaluating this history and theology noting the interplay of Gospel message and local contexts, specifically local cultural and religious contexts; (3) a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the Christian church and ability to explain the development of different beliefs and practices historically; (4) a basic knowledge of diverse Christological and Trinitarian formulations from the first millennium of Christian history; and (5) an ability to analyze and interpret primary source documents.
RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Fulfills the SIS PLOs that state, “Students will have demonstrated an understanding of the mission of God and the ministries of the global Church from an evangelical missiological perspective” and “Students will have demonstrated critical thinking and integration skills for the contextualization of the Gospel in order to foster personal and social transformation”.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.
REQUIRED READING: 1,100 pp. required.
Coakley, John, and Andrea Sterk. Readings in World Christianity to 1453. Orbis, 2004. ISBN: 978-1570755200, Pub. Price $36.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [85 pp. assigned]. Available in Kindle.
Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453. Orbis, 2001. ISBN: 978-1570753961, Pub. Price $36.00 [309 pp. assigned]. Available in Kindle and eBook through Fuller library.
Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement: 1453-1800. Orbis, 2012. ISBN: 978-1570759895, Pub. Price $40.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [349 pp. assigned]. Also available in Kindle.
Robert, Dana L. Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. ISBN: 978-0631236207, Pub. Price $33.25 [58 pp. assigned]. Available as eBook in Fuller library and in Kindle.
Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. 2nd Ed. Orbis, 2008. ISBN: 978-1570758041, Pub. Price $32.00 [105 pp. assigned]. Available as eBook in Fuller library and in Kindle.
Sunquist, Scott W. The Unexpected Christian Century. Baker Academic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0801097461, Pub. Price $26.00 [140 pp. assigned]. Available as eBook in Fuller library and in Kindle.
Walls, Andrew F. The Missionary Movement in Christian History. Orbis, 1996. ISBN: 978-1570750595, $28.00 [45pp assigned]. Available as eBook in Fuller library and in Kindle.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: MAICS required history course.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.
NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.