In the early modern period, European culture and belief underwent several seismic shifts, with individuals, and the movements they sponsored, involved in deeply committed debate and conflict about matters of faith. This unit examines theological debates of the sixteenth century Reformation in Europe and their ongoing impact in western societies and churches, with particular attention to the implications for contemporary Australian experience. Students will explore the understandings of grace, salvation, creation, sacrament, scripture, authority and church order using key texts and artefact and their producers with a focus on the relationship between theological, historical and geographical contexts in shaping new forms of Christian identity and practice. This unit is taught collaboratively across several colleges of the UD, with specialists who highlight the diversity, complexity and commonality of perspectives across the Christian tradition.
Unit code: CH9100Z
Unit status: Approved (Major revision)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Church History
Proposing College: Eva Burrows College, Pilgrim Theological College, Yarra Theological Union, Catholic Theological College, Stirling College, and Whitley College
Show when this unit is running1. | Identify the historical and theological context of the doctrinal controversies of sixteenth-century Europe and their ongoing impact; |
2. | Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution, manifestation and impact of at least one doctrinal controversy; |
3. | Assess the relationship between foundational documents and/or individuals and the ongoing development of particular Christian denominations; |
4. | Interpret the impact of geography, class, gender and other contextual or biographical factors for the religious position held by at least one individual in the Reformation period. |
5. | Articulate the extent to which the theological debates of the Reformation and related movements are a resource for contemporary questions of faith. |
18 points in CH and 18 points in CT
Student-focused lectures, seminars, workshops, and discussions. Students will participate in a site visit (with online options where required) to explore the legacies of the Reformation in modern times.
Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Blog | Students engage with class activities in weeks 1 and 2 to identify an historical character whose perspective on the Reformation is valuable, and write five blog entries of 400 words each (totaling 1500 words) reflecting on the events and themes of the Reformation at points of key change from the perspective of that character. |
2000 | 25.0 |
Source Analysis | Source Analysis of a text or object identified through a site visit and explored in the light of Reformation theology |
2000 | 25.0 |
Essay | Essay demonstrating the interdependence of theology and history, and the integration of the disciplines |
4000 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 24 Aug, 2022
Unit record last updated: 2022-12-14 11:33:27 +1100