This survey unit provides an historical overview of key people, themes, and events in the study of Christian history, as well as an introduction to a range of historical methods. It explores issues of significance faced by Christianity throughout the life of the church and the way events and people have been remembered, represented, and sometimes forgotten. Students will explore how memory and representation continues to have an impact on the church today. Due attention is given to the contribution of women in order to provide balance to the vast body of existing literature which is written by men and focused almost exclusively on male protagonists. It attempts to provide a more just and representative telling of the Christian story.
Unit code: CH8306B
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational
Unit discipline: Church History
Proposing College: Eva Burrows College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Critically assess key themes and events in the history of Christianity and their relative value for Christian identity and mission; |
| 2. | Describe the function of memory in the history of Christianity and the power structures at work in the telling of stories; |
| 3. | Skilfully apply the foundational tools of historical study showing knowledge of a range of historical methods; |
| 4. | Utilise primary and secondary sources to construct a persuasive historical narrative; |
| 5. | Convincingly demonstrate the relevance of historical study to present circumstances. |
This is a foundational unit that functions as a prerequisite for any future postgraduate study in history.
Online synchronous and asynchronous, activity-based learning supplemented by weekly Zoom tutorials.
Bednarowski, Mary Farrell, ed. Twentieth-Century Global Christianity, A People's History of Christianity vol. 7. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010.
Bradley, James E., and Richard Muller. Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works and Methods. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
Burus, Virginia, ed. Late Ancient Christianity. People's History of Christianity vol 2. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010.
Hsia, R. Po-chia, ed. Cambridge History of Christianity. Vol 6, Reform and Expansion 1500–1660. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Koschorke, Klaus, et al (eds.). A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.
Marchant, Donna, Mothers in Israel: Methodist Beginnings through the Eyes of Women. Nashville: Wesley’s Foundry Books, 2020.
Mitchell, Margaret M and Frances Young, eds. Cambridge History of Christianity. Vol 1: Origins to Constantine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Muir, Elizabeth Gillan. A Women's History of the Christian Church: Two Thousand Years of Female Leadership. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019.
Porterfield, Amanda. Modern Christianity to 1900. A People's History of Christianity, Vol 6. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010.
Tosh, John. The Pursuit of History: Aims Methods and New Directions in the Study of History. Sixth Edition. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source Analysis | 1500 | 25.0 | |
| Seminar or Tutorial | 1750 | 25.0 | |
| Essay | 3500 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 16 Aug, 2023
Unit record last updated: 2023-08-16 09:31:29 +1000