Intro History of Christianity

Instructor: Eric C. Smith

For a video overview of how the course will work, click here.

Course Synopsis: This course introduces students to the broad outlines of the history of Christianity with an emphasis on major historical developments, and on the emergence of both local and trans-local expressions of religious traditions. Students will examine and discuss a series of historical case studies, derived from primary and secondary sources, covering different periods and themes, beliefs and practices, controversies and compromises, and key religious figures. Students will apply their learning from the case studies to a broad understanding of how different social, cross-cultural, institutional and intellectual patterns have shaped the diversity and complexity of the Christian historical and religious tradition.

Required Course Textbooks and Readings:

Justo González, The Story of Christianity, Volume I:  The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation. Revised and Updated Edition. New York: Harper-One, 2010. [ISBN: 978-0-06-185-588-7].

Justo González, Church History: An Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996. [ISBN: 978-0-687-01611-2].

Justo González, The Story of Christianity, Volume II:  The Reformation to the Present Day. Revised and Updated Edition. New York: Harper-One, 2010.  [ISBN: 978-0-06-185-558-94].

Additional required readings, from primary and secondary sources, will be made available to students under the "Files" tab.

Suggested Additional Reading: (Optional texts; Not required to purchase)

Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity. Third Edition. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003.

Kevin Madigan, Medieval Christianity: A New History . Yale University Press, 2015.

Carlos Eire, Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650. Yale University Press, 2016.

Glen S. Sunshine, A Brief Introduction to the Reformation. Westminster John Knox Press, 2017.

George E. Tinker, Missionary Conquest: The Gospel and Native American Cultural Genocide. Fortress Press, 1993.

Assignments and Evaluation:

This course has two main categories of assignments, which will be evaluated in different ways:

Together, these categories total 100 points, so a point missed on any assignment equals a point off the final grade. For example, missing a week of posts will result in four lost points, lowing the maximum course grade from 100 to 96. Likewise, a grade of 24 out of 34 on one of the exams will result in lowering the maximum course grade by ten points.

Policies:

DateDayDetails
Jan 08, 2019TueWeek One: Introduction to the Course, Historical Periodization, and Termsdue by 06:59AM
Jan 08, 2019TueSay hello!due by 06:59AM
Jan 09, 2019WedWeek One: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Jan 11, 2019FriWeek One: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Jan 12, 2019SatWeek One: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Jan 15, 2019TueWeek Two: Case Study 1 (Christianities in the Fourth Century), part 1due by 06:59AM
Jan 16, 2019WedWeek Two: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Jan 18, 2019FriWeek Two: Primary Textsdue by 06:59AM
Jan 19, 2019SatWeek Two: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Jan 22, 2019TueWeek Three: Case Study 1 (Christianities in the Fourth Century), part 2due by 06:59AM
Jan 23, 2019WedWeek Three: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Jan 25, 2019FriWeek Three: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Jan 26, 2019SatWeek Three: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Jan 29, 2019TueWeek Four: Christianities of the Medieval Mediterraneandue by 06:59AM
Jan 30, 2019WedWeek Four: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Feb 01, 2019FriWeek Four: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Feb 02, 2019SatWeek Four: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Feb 08, 2019FriWeeks Five and Six: Case Study 2 (The Franciscans and the Apostolic Poverty Controversy)due by 07:59PM
Feb 19, 2019TueWeek Seven: Christianities of the Reformation and Early Modern Perioddue by 06:59AM
Feb 19, 2019TueMidterm Essaydue by 06:59AM
Feb 20, 2019WedWeek Seven: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Feb 22, 2019FriWeek Seven: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Feb 23, 2019SatWeek Seven: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Feb 26, 2019TueWeek Eight: Case Study 3 (The Lutheran Reformation)due by 06:59AM
Feb 27, 2019WedWeek Eight: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Mar 01, 2019FriWeek Eight: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Mar 02, 2019SatWeek Eight: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Mar 05, 2019TueWeek Nine: Christianities in the Modern Worlddue by 06:59AM
Mar 06, 2019WedWeek Nine: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 06:59AM
Mar 08, 2019FriWeek Nine: Primary Textdue by 06:59AM
Mar 09, 2019SatWeek Nine: Further Readingdue by 06:59AM
Mar 12, 2019TueWeek Ten: Case Study 4 (Global and Contextual Christianities in Postmodernity)due by 05:59AM
Mar 13, 2019WedWeek Ten: TimeMapper Entriesdue by 05:59AM
Mar 15, 2019FriWeek Ten: Primary Textdue by 05:59AM
Mar 16, 2019SatWeek Ten: Further Readingdue by 05:59AM
Mar 18, 2019MonFinal Essaysdue by 05:59AM