Spring 2016/Pasadena
CH504
Robeck
CH504: MODERN CHURCH HISTORY (4 Units: 160 Hours). Cecil M. Robeck Jr.
DESCRIPTION: This course introduces the most important themes and events in the life of the church around the world from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Beginning with the post-Reformation period, students will examine the growth and contributions of the church in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia/Oceana. Attention will be given to some of the more important historical, theological, and cultural developments that have shaped (or been shaped by) specific regional and global historical contexts.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete the course will demonstrate ability to (1) identify and explain principal theological developments and historical events and personalities that have shaped the modern church; (2) think critically about historical texts and arguments, placing them in context; (3) interpret their own ecclesiastical tradition and other traditions with critical awareness and reflection; (4) critically assess their religious and cultural assumptions by examining the complexity and diversity of modem Christian history; (5) gain an appreciation for the multiplicity of ways in which the Christian faith is experienced and expressed in various parts of the world.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions 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: Approximately 1600 pages required. Some of these texts may only be available on library reserve.
Anderson, Allan, An Introduction to Pentecostalism. Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, 2014. ISBN: 978-1107660946, Pub. Price $29.99 [285 pp. assigned].
Granberg-Michaelson, Wesley, From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church. Eerdmans, 2013, ISBN: 978-0802869685, Pub. Price $20.00 [161 pp. assigned]
Koschorke, Klaus, Frieder Ludwig, and Moriano Delgado, eds. A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Eerdmans, 2007, ISBN: 978-0802828897, Pub. Price $40.00 [426 pp. assigned].
Martínez, Óscar, The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail. Verso Books, 2014, ISBN: 978-1781682975, Pub. Price $16.95. [275 pp. assigned]
Robeck, Jr., Cecil M., Syllabus (available online from the professor).
Students must also choose all other texts from ONE of the following regional categories:
Latin America:
González, Ondina E., and Justo L. González, Christianity in Latin America: A History. Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0521681926, Pub. Price $29.99 [200 pp. assigned.]
AND
Hatch, Todd, The Rebirth of Latin American Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0199843138, Pub. Price $26.95 [264 pp. assigned]
OR Africa:
Isichei, Elizabeth. A History of Christianity in Africa. Eerdmans, 1995. ISBN: 978-0802808431, Pub. Price $38.00 [420 pp. assigned].
OR Asia:
Bays, Daniel H. A New History of Christianity in China. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. ISBN: 978-1405159555, Pub. Price $44.95 but available on Amazon for far less. [216 pp. assigned]
AND
Phan, Peter C., ed. Christianities in Asia. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. ISBN: 978-1405160902, Pub. Price $41.95 [271 pp. assigned].
RECOMMENDED READING: A complete booklist is available in the syllabus.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Completion of required 1600 pages of reading. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5] [90 hours].
Students will read Óscar Martinez, The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail and write a 5-page review of this book with an application to how the student’s church might play a role in addressing refugee issues. (25%) [This assignment is related to outcomes 4 and 5] [25 hours, including 10 hours of DLAs].
Students will read one assigned primary source and write a 4 page analytic essay on that source. (20%). [This signature assignment is related to outcomes 2 and 3] [10 hours].
There will be one final examination covering the lectures and texts. (55% of grade) [This assignment is related to outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5] [8 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH3 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program and the 80 MAT Programs (Fall 2015). Option to meet the TH3 requirement in the 80 MATM Program (Fall 2015). Core requirement in the 80 MAICS Program (Fall 2015). Meets CHC in the 144 MDiv Program.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.