Intro History of Christianity

Construction of the Hagia Sophia, Manasses Chronicle, 14th century (image from Wikipedia)

Instructor: Eric C. Smith

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, 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.

Course Overview

A video with an explanation of how the course works is available on the

 This course offers tiered grading options, in the "contract grading" sense. Students may opt to follow the option that best suits their life circumstances and educational goals. You may change your selection at any point in the course. If you are pursuing ordination or licensure, please confirm the requirements for your tradition before you make a decision, as some denominations only accept grades of a certain quality for required courses. Your academic advisor may be able to help you find this information.

To receive a grade of Pass or C, students must complete the following:

Each week will feature three posts: a secondary text (González), a primary text discussion, and a further reading assignment (either another primary text reading or another secondary text). These are low-stakes writing assignments, which means that students who complete them, on-topic and in a reasonably coherent form can expect full credit. By completing all of these assignments, you will receive a grade of P or C in the class. 

To receive a grade in the B range, students must complete the following:

To receive a grade in the B range, you must complete all the posts as listed in the top section. 

Additionally, you must complete one of the two "UnEssays," either the midterm or the one due at the end of the course. These will give you an opportunity to synthesize your learnings from across the course, engage with major themes, and make connections across time periods. The UnEssay will be graded on the basis of the rubric provided with the assignments, but students who complete the essays with reasonable attention to the assignment's requirements will get credit. 

Students who complete this work adequately will receive a B. Students who complete it but exhibit deficiencies (see rubric) will receive a B-. Students who complete this work in an exemplary manner will receive a B+. 

To receive a grade in the A range, students must complete the following:

To receive a grade in the A range, you must complete all the posts listed in the top section, and both UnEssays, due at the midterm and at the end of the course. These will be graded on the basis of the rubric provided with the assignments, but students who complete the essays with reasonable attention to the assignment's requirements will get credit. 

 

Here's a video overview:

 

Assignments and Evaluation:

See the

 This course offers tiered grading options, in the "contract grading" sense. Students may opt to follow the option that best suits their life circumstances and educational goals. You may change your selection at any point in the course. If you are pursuing ordination or licensure, please confirm the requirements for your tradition before you make a decision, as some denominations only accept grades of a certain quality for required courses. Your academic advisor may be able to help you find this information.

To receive a grade of Pass or C, students must complete the following:

Each week will feature three posts: a secondary text (González), a primary text discussion, and a further reading assignment (either another primary text reading or another secondary text). These are low-stakes writing assignments, which means that students who complete them, on-topic and in a reasonably coherent form can expect full credit. By completing all of these assignments, you will receive a grade of P or C in the class. 

To receive a grade in the B range, students must complete the following:

To receive a grade in the B range, you must complete all the posts as listed in the top section. 

Additionally, you must complete one of the two "UnEssays," either the midterm or the one due at the end of the course. These will give you an opportunity to synthesize your learnings from across the course, engage with major themes, and make connections across time periods. The UnEssay will be graded on the basis of the rubric provided with the assignments, but students who complete the essays with reasonable attention to the assignment's requirements will get credit. 

Students who complete this work adequately will receive a B. Students who complete it but exhibit deficiencies (see rubric) will receive a B-. Students who complete this work in an exemplary manner will receive a B+. 

To receive a grade in the A range, students must complete the following:

To receive a grade in the A range, you must complete all the posts listed in the top section, and both UnEssays, due at the midterm and at the end of the course. These will be graded on the basis of the rubric provided with the assignments, but students who complete the essays with reasonable attention to the assignment's requirements will get credit. 

 

Here's a video overview:

 

Policies:

• If you have learning challenges or disabilities that impact your ability to complete assignments as they are designed, please let me know, and I will work with you. In some cases, institutional documentation might be required. Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs. Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146.
• All Iliff policies on Academic Dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be vigorously enforced in this class. See the Masters Student Handbook for the full policies.
• Your instructor is he/him, and you have the right in this class to be called by whichever pronouns are correct for you. You are also obligated to respect others' choices in their pronouns.
• Students in this course will be preparing for a variety of professional contexts. While the course has been designed with some form of Christian parish ministry in mind, students preparing for other contexts are encouraged to work with the instructor to modify assignments accordingly.
• Incompletes are possible in this course, but they are messy and best avoided if possible. If an incomplete is allowed in this course, it will be governed by the Master's Student Handbook. for Policies and Procedures.
• Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the end of the first week.
• Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.
• It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.