DESCRIPTION: This survey course will chart the history of Christianity from AD 590 to the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. About one-third of the study will focus on the medieval era, its key personalities and major theological movements, while the Reformation will receive a lion's share of attention due to its central importance in church history.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will equip students to think critically about the key issues, theological ideas, major movements, and influential personalities that shaped the church during the medieval, late-medieval, and early modern eras, and how these were interpreted at the time and by later Christian writers. A key area of emphasis will be on the magisterial Reformation and key doctrinal developments during the sixteenth century. Finally, the end result of this study will be a deeper appreciation of the breadth, unity, and diversity of the church.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Christianity is a uniquely historical religion. It is rooted and grounded in historical events. To minister effectively in any age requires a thorough knowledge of the eras that have shaped the present. This course will provide the student with a historical context for ministry, and especially for teaching and preaching.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice weekly in two-hour sessions for lecture and discussion, and regular attendance is very important. Time in class will center on lecture and student interaction.

REQUIRED READING:

Anderson, Charles S. Augsburg Historical Atlas of Christianity in the Middle Ages and Reformation. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1967.

Bettenson, Henry, ed. Documents of the Christian Church. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Feldmeth, Nathan P. Pocket Dictionary of Church History. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Janz, Denis R. A Reformation Reader with CD-ROM. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.

Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity. Vols. 1-2. Rev. ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1975.

Tucker, Ruth, and Walter Liefeld. Daughters of the Church. Zondervan, 1987.

Cross, F. L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press, 1997.