Fall 2019/Fuller Online

CH504

Turley

CH504: THE MODERN CHURCH IN A GLOBAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT (4 Units: 160 hours). Steven Turley

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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.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: CH504 introduces students to a basic historical knowledge of the church in its diverse global expressions of theology and practice, particularly as that diversity has been manifested over the course of the last three centuries, with an eye to developing skills in interpretation and critical appreciation; it thereby seeks to implement the SOT PLO, “Students will have demonstrated capacities for historically informed theological and ethical reflection.”

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 1190 total number of pages, excluding primary source handouts.

Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2. HarperOne, Revised Edition, 2010. ISBN: 978-0061855894, Pub. Price $27.99 [363 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. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [324 pp. assigned].

Noll, Mark. The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith. InterVarsity Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0830839933, Pub. Price $22.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [212 pp. assigned].

Any ONE from the following list of regions. This region-specific reading will also guide your selection of topic for the research paper.

Latin America:

González, Ondina, and Justo González. Christianity in Latin America: A History. Cambridge, 2007. ISBN: 978-0521681926, Pub. Price $30.99. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [344 pp.].

OR Asia:

Phan, Peter C., ed. Christianities in Asia. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. ISBN: 978-1405160902, Pub. Price $41.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [290 pp.].

OR Africa:

Kalu, Ogbu, ed. African Christianity: An African Story, 2007. ISBN: 978-1592215812, Pub. Price $39.95 [524 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING:

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 $41.00 [416 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Class participation (30%):
   1. Minimum 1190 pages of required reading [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3, 4, 5] [80 hours].
   2. Viewing/listening to weekly Power Point lectures [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [20 hours].
   3. Weekly forum posts – 300-400 words each [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4, 5] [12 hours].
   4. Weekly replies - min. 150-250 words each [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4, 5] [8 hours].
2. Region-specific research essay on a topic chosen in consultation with professor [3,000-3,500 words] (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2, 3, 4] [30 hours]
3. Midterm and Final exams covering readings and lecture (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2] [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.