Winter 2009/Pasadena
CH502
Ahn

CH502: MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION HISTORY [TAUGHT IN KOREAN]. Katherine H. L. Ahn.


DESCRIPTION: This is a survey course that covers the development of Christian doctrines and the formation of various confessional groups in the Western theological tradition from the sixth through the sixteenth centuries. The class is conducted mainly in the Korean language for students whose native language is Korean.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  1. Students will be able to identify and explain major theological developments and historical events that shaped Christian churches during the Medieval and the Reformation period.

  2. Students will demonstrate through written and oral presentations their ability to analyze and interpret historical sources and to explain their significance in its historical context.

  3. Students will be able to interpret and explain the nature of their own and other ecclesiastical traditions with critical awareness and reflection on the historical development that had taken place during the Medieval and Reformation period.

  4. Students will be challenged to re-evaluate some of their own religious assumptions and judgments toward different individuals and traditions in light of the diversity and complexity that developed within the Church during this particular period in Christian history.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: This course should help students identify origins of major confessional traditions in the West both in Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. As they learn how the early Christian Church was transformed to include such a large number of diverse groups of Christians, students will be able to better understand and identify the basic characteristics of different churches and believers that exist today. In another words, this course can help students to be able to relate and minister to more diverse groups of Christians with more educated perspectives and approaches toward their practices and beliefs. Students can also engage in theological discussions about issues relevant to the life of Christians today with greater historical and cultural sensitivity.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet weekly for three and half hours for lectures and discussions.

REQUIRED READING:
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. Vols. 1-2. Harper Collins, 1985. (Medieval and Reformation sections only.) (Korean trans. by Suh, Young Il; published by Eun Sung, 1995.)

Rha, Eun Sung. Heavenly Women in the Medieval Age. Seoul, Korea: Geurishim, 2006.

Bettenson, Henry S., and Chris Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church: selected and edited by Henry Bettenson. Oxford University Press, 1999. (Not available in Korean.)

OR Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. (Korean trans. by Won, Kwang Yon; published by Christian Digest, 2003.)

RECOMMENDED READING:
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Abingdon, 1978. (Korean trans. by Lee, Jong Tae; published by Word of Life Press, 1996.)

Foxe, George. Foxe's Book of Martyrs. (Korean trans. by Um, Sung Ok; published by Eun Sung, 1992.)

Janz, Denis, ed. A Reformation Reader with CD-ROM. Fortress, 2002. (Not available in Korean.)

Tucker, Ruth, and Walter L. Liefeld. Daughters of the Church: Women and Ministry from New Testament Times to the Present. Academie/Zondervan, 1987. (Not available in Korean.)

ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Completion of required reading. (2) In-class midterm and a final exam (30% each). The exams will have both objective and essay components. (4) 12-page research paper (40% of the final grade). (Students may be also required to give oral presentations on their paper topics.)

PREREQUISITES: Korean.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Church History "b" (CHB).

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (10/08)