Before we move on, let's ask "How did we get here?" The various streams of the history of the church: Eastern and Western, formal and informal, organised and unorganised, conformist and rebellious, are considered through ancient and modern writings. "Who recorded this and why?" is an ongoing interrogation of all that is presented. "How might this help us?" and "What made this person or group think, act and respond in this way?" will be questions sharpening the focus of our learning community as we enquire together. Simple metanarrative analysis will engage the question, historically and in the light of the history of theologies, "Is there a Church story or are there many?"
Unit code: CH1697S
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1
Unit discipline: Church History
Proposing College: Stirling College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Describe the variety of factors shaping the church in different times and places |
| 2. | Engage historical sources with attention to context, authorship and perspective |
| 3. | Locate current expressions of church in light of their history |
| 4. | Explore the mystery of divine presence in people, organisations, and mission in selected contexts. |
This is a foundational unit, designed for early enrolment in an undergraduate award.
A flipped learning approach will be shaped by a shared reading of one key text, assigned additional texts, and guided exploration of resources leading to engaged synchronous discussion with peer learners and academic staff facilitators. Peer presentations, both individual and group, will facilitate engaged learning and will integrate assessment into the class experience. The learning experience will involve engagement with texts, artefacts, art and experience and will focus on the practice of the church throughout its history.
Shelley, Bruce. Church History in Plain Language. (4th ed). 2013 http://search.ebscohost.com.divinity.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,ip,cookie,uid&db=nlebk&AN=2035990&site=ehost-live. (Recommended text)
Arnold, John H., History: A Very Short Introduction. (Oxford, 2000; online edn, Very Short Introductions online, Sept. 2013), http://dx.doi.org.divinity.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/actrade/9780192853523.001.0001
Dickson, John. Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Zondervan, 2021.
Hutchinson, Mark P., ed. The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume V: The Twentieth Century: Themes and Variations in a Global Context. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. Oxford Scholarship Online, 2018. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198702252.001.0001.
Harvey, Susan Ashbrook and David G. Hunter (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies 2008. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199271566.001.0001
Kaczynski, Bernice M. (ed), The Oxford Handbook of Christian Monasticism 2020. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199689736.001.0001
Koschorke, Klaus (ed). A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.
Muir, Elizabeth Gilliam. A Women's History of the Christian Church: Two Thousand Years of Female Leadership (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019)
O'Collins, Gerald. Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction. 2nd edn (Oxford, 2017; online edn, Very Short Introductions online, May 2017), http://dx.doi.org.divinity.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/actrade/9780198796855.001.0001,
Taylor, Joan E, and Ilaria Ramelli, eds. Patterns of Women's Leadership in Early Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021 DOI:10.1093/oso/9780198867067.001.0001
Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History: Aims Methods and New Directions in the Study of History. Sixth Edition. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015.
Yarrow, Simon, Saints: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2018; online edn, Very Short Introductions online, Sept. 2018), http://dx.doi.org.divinity.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199676514.001.0001
Resources may be drawn from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org)
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drama/dramatic performance - "It's me-your long lost sibling!" | Discover an ancient sibling -- from before the year 1500. Present them to the class by being them and answering some questions about your life and times. Help the class discover how your life helps us. |
500 | 15.0 |
| Material Culture Analysis (identification and description of artefacts) - What does this tell us? | In the style of Antiques Roadshow bring an object (this can be virtual) and describe its use, the place and time in which it was used, and what it tells us of the Christian community of its time. |
750 | 20.0 |
| Document Study - Who wrote and who read this? | Research a written historical source, identifying its source, context and purpose and identify at least one example of its ongoing impact. |
750 | 20.0 |
| Annotated Bibliography - Sorting sources | Identify at least four resources to assist in writing your final assessment task. At least two must be primary sources. Identify their perspective and context. Note how you think you will use them in your work. |
500 | 10.0 |
| Investigation - Unique sameness | Using the resources you have identified, investigate how they have or could have or might yet impact the thinking or life of a church community. |
1500 | 35.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 21 Sep, 2021
Unit record last updated: 2021-09-21 19:16:34 +1000