HIST/HRS 127: History of Christianity since the Reformation Spring 2018 Section 01 **Please note: is is a draft copy of the syllabus for informational purposes only. If you are registered for the class, you MUST download the complete and official syllabus on Canvas. Dr. Stephanie Seery-Murphy Office: Tahoe Hall 3053 Office Hours: W 10 am - 2 pm Contact: seerymur@csus.edu (preferred) phone: 916/278-4076 (please call only during my office hours) CATALOG DESCRIPTION: European Christianity from the Reformation to the present. Emphasis on the evolution of Christian thought, the co-existence of the Catholic and Protestant traditions, and the relationship of religious and secular values in European society. ree units. COURSE DESCRIPTION: is course, which is a continuation of HIST/HRS 126, will survey the main trends in European Christianity from the Protestant Reformation to the present. We will consider both the Catholic and the major Protestant traditions (Lutheran, Reformed (Calvinist) and Anglican) in Europe with reference to several parts of the world particularly influenced by European colonization. e course will focus primarily on religious ideas (justification by faith, religious enthusiasm, the humanity of Jesus, religion and secular reform, etc.), but we will also look at the lives of some great Christian leaders; institutional history (church-state relations, the clergy of the 18th century Church of England, post-vatican II developments in the Catholic Church) and religious sociology (deism and society in the 18th century, the dechristianization of modern Europe, the effect of European Christian colonizers on Africa, etc.) is is not a theology course, though we will often discuss theological ideas as they have been held or disputed by individuals and communities. e course is meant for both believers and nonbelievers who wish to educate themselves about the massive role that Christianity played, and still plays, in western European culture and its transplants elsewhere in the world. COURSE OBJECTIVES Gain a chronological overview of the development of Christian ideas and institutions (mainly, but not solely, in Europe) from the Reformation to the present. Further your understanding of how Christian writers and leaders have interpreted human experience and human destiny. Develop an understanding of the differences and similarities in the different
branches/churches of the Christian tradition. Gain an appreciation of the importance of religious ideas and experiences for an understanding of the modern age. Improve your critical and writing skills by class discussion, in-class writing, and by critical thinking in exams and short papers. REQUIRED TEXTS (available at the Hornet Bookstore or elsewhere): omas Bokenkotter, A Concise History of the Catholic Church. ISBN 0-385-51613-4 We will be reading parts three, four, and five. Elizabeth Isichei, A History of Christianity in Africa. ISBN 0-8028-0843-3 We will be reading portions of this book, looking at the influence of European Christian colonizers upon the African peoples. Austen Ivereigh, e Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope. ISBN 1250074991 A new book on a new kind of pope. Diarmaid MacCulloch, Christianity: e First ree ousand Years. ISBN 978-0-670-02126-0 A chronological and topical study of the entire history of Christianity. IMHO it is the best survey of the subject, and MacCulloch is an engaging and compelling writer. We will begin with Part Four. Michael Phayer, e Catholic Church and the Holocaust, 1930-1965. ISBN 978-0-253-21471-3 A balanced, concise and clear look at an often controversial topic. Other Required Texts: is class will look at number of primary sources related to the modern history of Christianity, and you will find these on our course webpage on Canvas. ese must be downloaded and read and brought with you. ere may also be short articles or websites referenced, and these, too, will be linked on Canvas. Students should also have access to a Bible for reference purposes. All students must sign up for our course page on Canvas and check it regularly. I will also send out regular emails, often with handouts, and those handouts and assignments will also be posted on Canvas. You must check your Sac State email frequently; forwarding does not always work. You will not submit assignments or email me via Canvas; think of our web page as a virtual folder.
SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS AND PERCENTAGE VALUES In-class exam on reading comprehension (short answer): 20% In-class exam on critical evaluation of readings: 20% In-class argumentative exam: 20% Final exam (take-home, essay format): 30% Attendance & participation 10% Students who wish to pass the class must complete ALL assignments when due. EXPECTATIONS All written work must be submitted if a student wishes to pass the class. A missing assignment gets a zero, not an F. You may use tablets, laptops and such only for class work. Students who are found napping or doing other work or going online, texting, etc., will be warned the first time. e second time means that you will lose credit for showing up that day. ***Attendance is mandatory. Each student gets three free absences. You may use them however you like and for whatever reason - except on days when written work is due. You do not need to tell me, and you do not need my permission to take them. However, any student who has more than three absences will fail the course. No exceptions. Students arriving more than five minutes late are marked down. ree markdowns and your participation grade drops to a D (65). Students leaving early are also marked down, with the same result. Unless it is an emergency, it is disruptive. I do not permit students to arrive late habitually because of scheduling conflicts. Find another section. If I am sick and have to cancel class, I will notify you via SacSend, so make sure that you are able to receive emails and/or texts from that system. (e department does not have enough staff to post notes on classroom doors.) As is department policy, if we miss a class due to my illness, I will provide a makeup assignment. Emails must be written in formal English, as if you were at work. Your subject line should reference HRS 127, so that I know which class you are in. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are not permitted. If I discover that students have not done their own work, they will be reported to Student Services and will fail the class. No exceptions. Ignorance is no excuse. University policy can be found here: http://www.csus.edu/umanual/academichonestypolicyandprocedures.htm We will discuss plagiarism in class, and how to cite properly. Many students believe that so long as they cite sources when quoting them directly, they aren't plagiarizing. But that's not the case. Plagiarism means that you take someone else's ideas, words, writings, etc., without citation/credit. For a quick tutorial on plagiarism, go to http://csus.libguides.com/content.php?pid=244628
Students will get detailed handouts and explanations for all writing assignments. Students are always welcome to use the University's PARC as a resource. ey are in Lassen Hall. If you have documentation from SSWD and need accommodations, I am happy to assist you. Please make sure I have a copy of your paperwork early in the semester. Assignments will be graded as follows: A 94-100% B 84-87% C 74-77% D 64-67% A- 90-93% B- 80-83% C- 70-73% D- 60-63% B+ 88-89% C+ 78-79% D+ 68-69% F 0-59% Remember, unfinished assignments get a zero. Late work is not accepted UNLESS you contact me before the deadline, and even then, you will lose half a grade for each day late, weekends included. Incompletes are only granted in cases of emergency. You will need to meet with me in person and may need to provide written proof of need. Please note: Vacation plans, schedules, etc., are NOT emergencies. e instructor reserves the right to revise this syllabus at any time. You will be advised of any changes. Now that you have read this far in the syllabus, please email me a jpg of a baby elephant, a baby giant panda, or Fiona the Baby Hippo. ank you for paying attention. COURSE SCHEDULE OUTLINE Readings are due on the day when they are listed. If we are reading a text, you are required to bring it. Be prepared to do small group work, quick-writes, or class discussion. Normally these will take place on ursday, though not always. Week One: Jan. 23 & 25 Introduction to the class: course expectations, etc. In-class workshop: how to read critically and historically; how to go beyond summary and into analysis; how to develop a Really Good Paragraph. No reading required for today; the smart student will be reading ahead. Week Two: Jan. 30 & Feb. 1: Introduction to the course and to early modern Christianity in Europe Background lecture on Christianity before the Reformation. Read MacCulloch (DM), chapters 12 & 16. Also read brief primary sources in this week s folder on Canvas. e European Reformation or Reformations? Read: Bokenkotter (TB), chapters 17 & 18, and DM, chapter 17. Week ree: Feb. 6 & 8: Major Reformed Movements: Mainstream and Radical Read DM, chapter 17.
Read TB, chapters 19 & 20. Week Four: Feb. 13 & 15: e Council of Trent and the Jesuits: Context and Colonialism Read: DM, ch. 18 and TB, chapter 21. Read Ischei (EI), chapters 2 & 3. Also read brief primary sources in this week s folder on Canvas. Week Five: Feb. 20 & 22: e Seventeenth and Early 18 th Centuries: Religious Wars, Debates and Christian States Read TB, chapter 22. Week Six: Feb. 27 & Mar. 1: e 18 th Century: Old Regime Churches and the Enlightenment Read DM, chapter 21, and TB, chapter 23. In-class exam: reading comprehension (Weeks Two-Five). Week Seven: Mar. 6 & 8: Evangelism, Methodism and Global Expansion Read DM, chapter 20, and the section called From Muscovy to Russia, chapter 15. Read EI, chapters 4-6. Also read brief primary sources in this week s folder on Canvas. Week Eight: Mar. 13 & 15: e Dawn of an Era of Revolution Read DM, chapter 21 and TB, chapter 24. Read TB, chapter 25. Week Nine: Mar. 20 & 22; SPRING BREAK! No classes! Week Ten: Mar. 27 & 29: e Early 19 th Century in a Christian Europe Read DM, chapter 22. In-class exam: critical analysis of readings from Weeks Six through Eight. Week Eleven: Apr. 3 & 5: Christianity, Modern Science, and Secularism Read TB, chapters 26 & 27. Week Twelve: Apr. 10 & 12: 20 th Century Woes, Wars and Religious Debates Read DM, chapter 23. Week irteen: Apr. 17 & 19: e Churches and Europe between the Wars Read DM, chapter 24.
Week Fourteen: Apr. 24 & 26: e Churches and Totalitarianism Read Phayer, the entire book. Also read brief primary sources in this week s folder on Canvas. In-class argumentative exam based on primary sources. Week Fifteen: May 1 & 3: Christianity in an Atomic Age Read DM, chapter 25 and TB, chapters 32 & 33. Read EI, chapter 12. Week Sixteen: May 8 & 10: Christianity and Pluralism Read Ivereigh, entire book. Last class! Catch up if necessary; discussion of final exam (which will cover material from Weeks Nine to the end of the semester). Also read brief primary sources in this week s folder on Canvas. Your final in this class is a take-home essay exam, concentrating on work from Weeks Ten through Fifteen and you will have a choice of which questions to answer from a list I will provide several weeks in advance. e exam must be emailed to me in.doc or.docx format NO LATER THAN 5 pm on Friday, May 18. is is the last moment of the last day of the semester, and therefore I will not accept late work even ONE MINUTE LATE without proof of emergency. (See above for details.)