Spring 2018/Fuller Online

CH504

Cerling

CH504: THE MODERN CHURCH IN A GLOBAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT (4 Units: 160 hours). Becky King Cerling.

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: Minimum 1,100 pages

Anderson, Allan. An Introduction to Pentecostalism. Cambridge University Press, Second Edition, 2013. ISBN: 978-1107660946, Pub. Price $30.99 [145 pp. assigned]

Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199767465, Pub. Price $17.95 [243 pp. assigned].

Supplemental reading distributed by professor and available electronically on Canvas [400 pages assigned]. Including excerpts from the Westminster Confession, a Mother’s catechism, John Wesley, Dorothy L. Sayers, Pandita Ramabai, John Keble and others.

Any ONE from the following list of regions (student’s choice):

Latin America:

González, Ondina, and Justo González. Christianity in Latin America: A History. Cambridge, 2007. ISBN: 978-0521681926, Pub. Price $30.99 [344 pp.].

OR Asia:

Phan, Peter C., ed. Christianities in Asia. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. ISBN: 978-1405160896, Pub. Price $41.95 [290 pp.].

OR Africa:

Isichei, Elizabeth. A History of Christianity in Africa: From Antiquity to the Present. Eerdmans, 1995. ISBN: 978-0802808431, Pub. Price $38.00 [432 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING: (Complete list available in the course syllabus.)

Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2. HarperOne, Revised Edition, 2010. ISBN: 978-0061855894, Pub. Price $27.99 [240 pp.].

Koschorke, Klaus, Frieder Ludwig, and Moriano Delgado, eds., A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Eerdmans, 2007. ISBN: 978-0802828897, Pub. Price $41.00 [464 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Viewing/listening to 10 weekly Power Point lectures/podcasts. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [20 hours].
Approx. 1,100 pages of required reading [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 4, 5.] [73 hours].
Weekly posting of answers, comments and reflections on course readings, the instructor’s and other colleagues’ questions and writings (250-350 words) (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [20 hours posting and responding].
Participation in the assembling of an online collection of images and/or music reflecting course content. (15%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5.] [5 hours]
One 5-page analytic essay on an assigned primary text (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 5.] [10 hours].
One 8-10-page research paper on student’s choice of topic (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [22 hours].
Final exam covering readings and lecture (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH3 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program and the 80 MAT Programs (Fall 2015). Option to meet the TH3 requirement in the 80 MATM Program (Fall 2015). Core requirement in the 80 MAICS Program (Fall 2015). Meets CHC in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.