Spring 2014/Houston

CH506

Burch

CH506: AMERICAN CHURCH HISTORY (4 Units). Maxie B. Burch.

DESCRIPTION: This course will trace the development of Christianity in America from the Puritan beginnings to the Church of the present day. Emphasis will be given to key personalities, ideas and movements that have shaped Christian beliefs and practice in North America.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) This course will increase student’s basic factual and thematic knowledge of Christianity as expressed in its unique American form; (2) It will provide students with a basic competence in how to interpret the story of the Christian Church in America; (3) Students will gain a greater ability to evaluate various historical issues in light of their cultural context and development; (4) Students will be provided the tools and knowledge to examine critically and gain an appreciation for the breadth, unity and diversity of the Christian church; (5) This course will provide students with the analytical skills to examine historically the tensions that often exist between cultural practices and biblical understanding.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will meet over four weekends on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings for a total of 30 hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1,200 pages of reading required.

Article: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hatch, Nathan O. The Democratization of American Christianity. Yale University Press, 1991 . ISBN: 978-0300050608, Pub. Price $25.00 [312 pp.].

Marsden, George M. Religion and American Culture. 2nd ed. Cengage Learning, 2001. ISBN:978-0155055322, Pub. Price $88.95 [352 pp.].

Noll, Mark A. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806512, Pub. Price $50.00 [592 pp.].

Selected Readings:

Allitt, Patrick. Major Problems in American Religious History. Cengage Learning, 2013. ISBN:978-0495912439, Pub. Price $119.95 [selected readings].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Class attendance and participation, and completion of required readings as preparation for class lectures and discussions (10%).

  2. Research Paper (10 pages minimum) (25%).

  3. Midterm Examination, covers class discussion and assigned readings (30%).

  4. Final Examination, covers class discussion and assigned readings (35%).

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Church History “c” (CHC); meets NT Seminary Core Requirement (SCR) for MATM, MAICS, MAFS, MACL

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.


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.