Summer 2015/Houston

CH506

Burch

CH506: AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY IN A GLOBAL HISTORICAL CONTEXT (4 Units: 160 hours). Maxie B. Burch

DESCRIPTION: CH506 analyzes the history and distinctive global roles of American Christianity to illumine and facilitate the interpretation of the church in the present generation. Christians from many countries and people groups have come to the United States, making it one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse nations on earth. The class offers an introductory overview of the history of Christianity in America, which will explore some of the major persons, ideas, and movements that have shaped Christian faith and practice, both in North America and throughout the world. The course will also involve students in opportunities for more intensive pursuit and presentation of their particular interests in the story of North American Christianity and its global implications.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete CH506 will demonstrate: (1) a basic historical and theological knowledge of the doctrines of the Christian church as these developed distinctively in the North American context from the sixteenth century to the present day and shaped its local cultures, experience of immigration, and global mission outreach; (2) a basic competence in interpreting this history and theology and an ability to evaluate these theological issues and their historical development; and (3) a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the Christian church.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets for four weekends for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1500 pages required.

Hatch, Nathan O. The Democratization of American Christianity. Yale University Press, 1991. ISBN: 978-0300050608, Pub. Price $22.00 [312 pp.].

Marsden, George M. Religion and American Culture. 2^nd ed. Cengage Learning, 2001. ISBN:978-0155055322, Pub. Price $78.00 [352 pp.].

Noll, Mark A. A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806512, Pub. Price $35.00 [592 pp.].

Selected Readings:

Allitt, Patrick. Major Problems in American Religious History. 1^st edition. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. ASIN:B008WDKWFA. [132 pp.] (Note: Please purchase the first edition, not second)

King, Jr., Martin Luther King “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, reading provided by the professor. [12 pp.].

Lewis, Donald M. ed. Christianity Reborn: The Global Expansion of Evangelicalism, in the Twentieth Century. Chapters 2 and 8 [61 pp.] readings provided by the professor.

Shenk, Wilbert R., ed. North American Foreign Missions, 1810-1914: Theology, Theory, and Policy. Chapters 2 and 7 [41 pp.] readings provided by the professor.