Fall 2010/Pasadena
CH502
Whisenant

CH502: MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION CHURCH HISTORY. James Whisenant.


DESCRIPTION: This course will provide an overview of church history through an examination of the important people, movements, and ideas from roughly AD 500 to 1600.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: John Calvin began his Institutes of the Christian Religion with the sentence, "Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves." As Christians, we are members of a community of faith with a history. People who shared that faith, events that influenced it, and ideas that shaped its expression long before us have an abiding impact. Our knowledge of ourselves can only be enhanced by the study of church history--seeking to understand our place within our respective denominations and among the other traditions within the Christian faith.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: There are three general objectives for this course: (1) Our study of church history ought to result in an increased familiarity with the general details of the history of Christianity. (2) In the course of our study we should become more adept at reading historical narratives and interpretative documents with a certain degree of critical objectivity and awareness. And (3) our studies ought to enable us to evaluate our own particular traditions with new depth and insight as well as to gain a new level of understanding regarding other denominations, movements, and historical events that have influenced and shaped the Christian faith.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice each week for two-hour sessions for lectures and discussion.

REQUIRED READING:

Chadwick, Owen. The Reformation. New York: Penguin Books, 1964. ISBN 9780140137576. Retail Price $17.

Hillerbrad, Hans J., ed. The Protestant Reformation. Rev. ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780061148477. Retail Price $15.99.

Hunt, Anne. The Trinity: Insights from the Mystics. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2010. ISBN 9780814656921. Retail Price: 29.95.

Southern, R. W. Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages. New York: Penguin Books, 1970. ISBN 9780140137552. Retail Price $17.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: There will be two five-page written assignments, which will account for 30% of the course grade. The midterm and final examinations will account for 70% of the course grade. The final grade will also be influenced by attendance and classroom participation.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Church History "b" (CHB) ; meets MAT (2010) program requirement.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (July 2010)