Spring 2017/Pasadena

CH510

Sunquist

CH510: THE MAKING OF GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY (4 Units: 160 Hours). Scott W. Sunquist.

DESCRIPTION: Christianity developed in the first century CE at the intersection of three continents and between two empires. The Church’s theology and practice has always developed in the context of local cultures. This course traces its global development focusing on theological and contextual considerations. Early theological controversies are studied in light of linguistic and cultural considerations. The conversion of tribes, nations and empires are studied with one eye toward the Great Tradition and one eye focused on indigenous cultures.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete CH510 will demonstrate: (1) a basic historical and theological knowledge of the Christian story as it finds it home in each continent; (2) a basic competence in interpreting and evaluating this history and theology noting the interplay of Gospel message and local contexts, specifically local cultural and religious contexts; (3) a critical and sympathetic appreciated for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the Christian church and ability to explain the development of different beliefs and practices historically; and (4) a basic knowledge of diverse Christological and Trinitarian formulations from the first millennium of Christian history.

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. Students will come to class having done the class readings and having watched short lectures and discussions that are posted each week. Each class will be devoted to approximately 30 minutes of discussion. Students will be expected to post one response to a question of the week for five weeks.

REQUIRED READING: 1,100 pp. required.

Coakley, John, and Andrea Sterk. Readings in World Christianity to 1453. Orbis, 2004. ISBN: 978-1570755200, Pub. Price $34.00 [165 pp.].

Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453. Orbis, 2001. ISBN: 978-1570753961, Pub. Price $34.00 [320 pp.].

Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement: 1453-1800. Orbis, 2012. ISBN: 978-1570759895, Pub. Price $40.00 [355 pp.].

Koschorke, Klaus, Frieder Ludwig, and Mariano Delgado, eds. A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa and Latin America: A Documentary Sourcebook. Eerdmans, 2007. ISBN: 978-0802828897, Pub. Price $41.00 [65 pp.].

Robert, Dana L. Christian Mission: How Christianity Became a World Religion. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. ISBN: 978-0631236207, Pub. Price $31.95 [195 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. Orbis, 2009. ISBN: 978-1570758041, Pub. Price $30.00 [80 pp.].

Sunquist, Scott W. The Unexpected Christian Century. Baker Academic. 2015. ISBN: 978-0801097461 $22.99 [120 pp].

Walls, Andrew F. The Missionary Movement in Christian History. Orbis, 1996. ISBN: 978-1570750595, $26.00 [55 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Read a minimum of 1,100 pages and turn in a reading diary the last day of class. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3 and 4] [60 hours].

2. Keep a “Diary of Cultural Encounters.” Each week make a record of Christian cultural encounters that you have read about. Describe the encounters and evaluate briefly how the Gospel was adapted, or was not adapted to the new cultural context. (200-250 words/week). Turn in the “Diary” before taking the final exam. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 3] [10 hours].

3. Write five (5) one-page (300-500 word) responses to the weekly reflection question and post on Moodle (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, and 4] [10 hours].

4. Signature Assignment: Write a 12-15 page (250 wpp) research paper on a topic that relates to the cross-cultural development of Christianity in a particular time (100-250 years), in a particular geographic region, related to 2 or more specific cultures. See Moodle for instructions: “Writing a Cross-cultural Christian History paper.” (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 3] [45 hours].

5. Take final exam (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, and 4] [5 hours].

PREREQUISITES:None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH4 requirement in the MDiv and MA degrees. MAICS required history course

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.