History of Christianity CH 3001 Fall 2014 Online Dr. Michael W. McDill mmcdill@mabtsne.edu ph. 518-355-4000 x19 Course Description: A survey of the history of Christianity from the first century to the twenty-first century, focusing on the development of key doctrines and ecclesiastical institutions in the Patristic, Medieval, Reformation, and Modern periods. Course Rationale: The readings and class discussions are designed to present the major persons, events, movements, and concepts in the history of Christianity. Mark Noll has suggested that there are four reasons we should study the History of Christianity: 1) We are reminded of the irreducibly historical character of the Christian faith, a point made vividly in Scripture. 2) We are provided with a perspective with which to interpret Scripture inasmuch as the past can function as an immense seminar where trusted partners have labored long to understand the Scriptures. This alerts us to interpretations that appeared to be utterly persuasive but were in fact distortions of Scripture. We are then careful to discern between that which is biblical and that which is cultural. 3) We are given a laboratory for examining Christian engagement with the surrounding culture; we see the way Christians have interacted with science, the arts, politics, and other facets of society through the ages. 4) We are reminded how God has sustained Christianity in the face of great challenges to the faith and failure on the part of Christians. Course Objectives: 1. To become familiar with the people and events important to the development of early, medieval, reformation and modern Christianity. 2. To understand and appreciate our Christian heritage. 3. To develop the ability to interpret contemporary Christian issues in light of their historical background. 4. To gain competence in thinking historically and critically, placing individuals, movements, and ideas within their proper context. Textbook: Baker, Robert A. and John M. Landers. A Summary of Christian History. 3 rd ed. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2005. Report Book: Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word of God. Intro. by C. S. Lewis. [Professor will post pdf file of this book online.]
Assignments (with percentage of grade): $ Weekly quizzes over readings in Baker. These will be taken online. Quizzes consist of 10 true-false questions over the assigned reading for the week. Each incorrect answer will deduct 5 points from the quiz grade. (40%) $ Final exam over lecture notes and textbook. The exam will be open-book (using your textbook and notes from class, not the internet or other outside sources). The final exam will feature at least one essay question, however objective questions may also be given. (30%) $ Book Report on Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word of God (4-6 pages). Reports should: 1) summarize the material succinctly, 2) include analysis of the ideas and themes of the book, and 3) comment on the value of the book. Reports will be graded according to form (Turabian), style (can professor understand your writing and are your thoughts clear and concise), content (have you fully read and comprehended the concepts in the book), and analysis (have you written clearly your own critical view of the book s content and value). Plagiarism will not be tolerated! In writing a paper, when you use someone else s words or thoughts and do not attribute them to the original author, you are essentially claiming that these words or thoughts are your own. This is plagiarism. Therefore, always cite quotations and any other specific information or ideas from other authors. General biographical or English dictionary information is considered common knowledge and need not be cited. (30%) Class Procedures and Participation: All writing assignments (except exam essays) should conform to Turabian, 8 th Edition. Students should utilize the MABTS Turabian Tutor for quick access to key issues concerning style and format. All written work, including exam essays (which are not subject to Turabian), will be submitted to the instructor electronically via email. Attendance: Attendance is required for online classes just as for regular classes. Attendance will be determined by students accessing online materials, participating in forums and submitting assignments. Students have a maximum of nine absences during the course term. Three tardy marks are equal to one absence. Proctors: Proctoring of exams is required. The final exam in this course is an open-book exam (using your textbooks and notes from class, not the internet or other outside sources). The exam will be posted on the class website. Please have completed exams (indicating your compliance with the above instructions concerning open-book exams) sent to the professor via email by your proctors. Notify the professor early in the semester as to the name and email of the proctor. Proctors may not be immediate family. Please review the information on the midamericaondemand website concerning proctors.
Class Forums: Mandatory participation in the class online discussion, responding to the professor s lessons, instructions, and questions posted in the online class schedule each week. This will give opportunity for interaction with professor and other classmates on the subject material for the course. The student will be expected to have completed that week s reading requirement and demonstrate knowledge of its contents through his posted comments. A missed forum will be counted as an absence. Practical Missions: Students are required to participate in practical missions while taking online courses. Students are also required to participate in Report Hour. A virtual Report Hour is used online in each week s assignment block. Even if students participate in the regular report hour on campus, they must also use the virtual report hour forum each week. If no witness has occurred, the student will log in and report present. Contacting Professor: Please email the professor with any questions or concerns. If you need to call and cannot reach Dr. McDill please leave a message and the professor will call back or respond via email. Late Work: Assignments which are turned in late will incur a deduction of two points for each day late. The student is responsible for contacting the professor regarding assignments which will be late, otherwise the professor will assume the student does not plan to submit those assignments. Disclaimer: The professor reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the information provided in this syllabus during the term. Grading Scale: Grade point averages are determined on a 12-point grading system. The grade point value of each letter grade is: A 97-100 4.0 quality points per semester hour A- 95-96 3.8 quality points per semester hour B+ 93-94 3.5 quality points per semester hour B 90-92 3.0 quality points per semester hour B- 87-89 2.7 quality points per semester hour C+ 84-86 2.3 quality points per semester hour C 81-83 2.0 quality points per semester hour C- 77-80 1.7 quality points per semester hour D+ 75-76 1.3 quality points per semester hour D 72-74 1.0 quality points per semester hour D- 70-71 0.7 quality points per semester hour F 69 and below 0.0 quality points per semester hour
Schedule: (The weekly class schedule is approximate and may be adjusted as the semester progresses.) Week Reading Lectures 1) Aug. 18-24 Course Introduction read syllabus / Moodle instructions 2) Aug 25-31 Baker, Ch. 1-3 Patristic Era 3) Sept. 1-7 Baker, Chs. 4-6 Patristic Era 4) Sept. 8-14 Baker, Chs. 7-8 Patristic Era 5) Sept. 15-21 Baker, Ch. 9-11 Medieval Era 6) Sept. 22-28 Baker, Ch. 12-13 Medieval Era 7) Sept. 29-Oct. 5 Baker, Ch. 14-15 Medieval Era 8) Oct. 6-12 Fall Break on Thursday Medieval Era 9) Oct. 13-19 Reformation Era 10) Oct. 20-26 Reformation Era 11) Oct. 27-Nov. 2 Baker, Ch. 16-19 Reformation Era 12) Nov. 3-9 Baker, Ch. 20-22 Reformation Era 13) Nov. 10-16 Baker, Ch. 23-25 Modern Era 14) Nov. 17-23 Baker, Ch. 26-27 Modern Era Nov. 24-30 Thanksgiving Break 15) Dec. 1-7 Baker, Ch. 28-30 Modern Era 16) Dec. 8-14 Final Exam posted Modern Era Exam Week Dec.16-17 Final Exam due Book Reports due
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY A. General Baker, Robert A. A Summary of Church History, 2005. Brauer, Jerald C. (ed.) The Westminster Dictionary of Church History, 1971. Brown, Harold O. J. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1988. Bruce, F. F. The Advance of Christianity through the Centuries. 8 vols., 1968. Cairns, Earle E. Christianity through the Centuries, 1981. Chadwick, Owen. (ed.) The Pelican History of the church. 6 vols., 1967. Douglas, J.D. and Carirns, Earle E. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. (revised) Estep, William R. Jr. The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism, 3d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975.. Renaissance and Reformation. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. Forakes-Jackson, Frederick J. History of the Christian Church. Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. Prince Press, 2007. Jennings, Arthur C. A Manual of Church History. 2 vols. Johnson, Paul. A History of Christianity. New York: Touchstone, 1995. Latourette, Kenneth S. A History of Christianity. 7 vols., 1970. A History of the Expansion of Christianity. 7 vols., 1970. Milman, Henry A. History of the Christian Religion and Church. 8 vols. 1974. History of Latin Christianity. 8 vols., 1974. Newman, Albert H. A Manual of Church History. 2 vols., 1933. Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. 2d ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000.
Olson, Roger E. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999. Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, 5 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984. Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. 8 vols., 1889. Verduin, Leonard. The Reformers and their Stepchildren. 2001. Vos. Howard F. Highlights of Church History. Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 1970. Ware, Timothy. The Orthodox Church, 1993. B. Source Books Athanasius, The Incarnation of the Word of God. Ayer, Joseph C. A Source Book for Ancient Church History, 1941. Baillie, John, McNeill, John T. and Van Dusen, Henry P. Library of Christian Classics. 26 vols. Bettenson, Henry and Christ Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church. 3d ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Bracht, T. J. The Bloody Theater, or Martyr's Mirror. Forbush, W. B., (ed.) Fox's Book of Martyrs, 1926. Updated by editor with later material. Freemantle, Anne, (ed.) The Papal Encyclicals, 1963. Leith, John H. Creeds of the Churches, 1963. Littell, Franklin H. The Macmillan Atlas History of Christianity, 1976. Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James, (ed.) The Ante-Nicene Fathers. 10 vol., 1972. Schaff, Phillip. (ed.) Creeds of Christendom. 2 vols., 1887. Schaff, Phillip and Wace, Henry. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. 14 vols. St. Augustine. Confessions.