Spring 2015/Fuller Online

CH504

Ziefle

 

CH504: THE MODERN CHURCH IN A GLOBAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT (4 Units: 160 hours). Joshua R. Ziefle, PhD.

 

DESCRIPTION: This course introduces the most important themes and events in the life of the church around the world from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Beginning with the post-Reformation period, students will examine the growth and contributions of the church in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia/Oceana. Attention will be given to some of the more important historical, theological, and cultural developments that have shaped (or been shaped by) specific regional and global historical contexts.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete the course will demonstrate ability to (1) identify and explain principal theological developments and historical events and personalities that have shaped the modern church; (2) think critically about historical texts and arguments, placing them in context; (3) interpret their own ecclesiastical tradition and other traditions with critical awareness and reflection; (4) critically assess their religious and cultural assumptions by examining the complexity and diversity of modem Christian history; (5) gain an appreciation for the multiplicity of ways in which the Christian faith is experienced and expressed in various parts of the world.

 

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 will be outlined in the Assignments and Assessment section below. 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: 1,300 total number of pages.

Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day. HarperOne, 2010. ISBN: 978-0061855894, Pub. Price $25.99 [300pp. as assigned].

Jacobsen, Douglas. The World's Christians: Who They Are, Where They Are, and How They Got There. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. ISBN: 978-1405188876, Pub. Price $43.95 [350pp. as assigned].

Koschorke, K., Ludwig, F., Delgado, M., and Spliesgart, R., Eds. A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Eerdmans, 2007. ISBN: 978-0802828897, Pub. Price $40.00 [350 pp. as assigned].

 

RECOMMENDED READING: (students will be assigned ONE of the following):

Anderson, Allan. To the Ends of the Earth: Pentecostalism and the Transformation of World Christianity Oxford University Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0195386424, Pub. Price $24.95 [250pp. as assigned].

Gonzalez, Justo and Ondina Gonzalez. Christianity in Latin America: A History. Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0521681926, Pub Price $28.99 [310pp. as assigned].

Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199767465, Pub. Price $15.95 [275pp. as assigned].

Kalu, Ogbu. African Christianity: An African Story. Africa World Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-1592215812, Pub. Price $39.95 [350 pp. as assigned].

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Class activities such as video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, etc. [10 hours].

  2. 250-word weekly forum posts (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4] [10 hours].

  3. Two 250-word weekly replies (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4] [20 hours].

  4. 1300 pages of required reading [87 hours].

  5. Completion of an analytic essay [1,250 words] (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4] [13 hours].

  6. Midterm covering readings and lecture (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 4] [5 hours].

  7. A substantial book review essay [1,250 words] (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [10 hours].

  8. Final examination covering readings and lecture (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 4] [5 hours].

 

PREREQUISITES: None.

 

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH3 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets CHC in the 144 MDiv Program.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.