This course is required as part of a student’s preparation for authorized ministry in the United Church of Christ. It will include the history of the antecedents to the UCC and its continuing development – helping to understand UCC ethos and theology. Knowledge of its roots and traditions will help provide the context for who the UCC is today and help authorized ministers to be interpreters of it.
Living Theological Heritage (LTH) of the United Church of Christ. It is a flash drive. Order immediately. Previous students have discovered it can take a while to receive. It used to be available by PDF but I can't find that.
It can also be purchased as an actual set of books. If you buy the books, you will need only volumes 2-7.
Helpful hint: If you order the flash drive, print out the contents page to help understand the contents of the whole seven volume set. https://www.ucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/lth-toc-vols-1-7.pdf
All other readings will be accessible from online sources at no charge.
Additional Items of Interest (not required)
What happens at General Synod? Watch this 10 minute wrap up of a recent Synod in Baltimore: UCC General Synod 2017 Highlights Video or Milwaukee in 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TY3D5R_mEw
You may be interested in viewing then-candidate Barack Obama's address to the General Synod in 2007, introduced by John Thomas and Jeremiah Wright Barack Obama addresses General Synod 26 in Hartford
On June 25, 1972, William R. Johnson became the first openly gay person in history to be ordained to the Christian ministry. A Position of Faith tells the story of this landmark event and the process that made it possible. The story is poignant and inspirational, and includes a letter from Bill Johnson’s mother, interviews with Bill, young people and church leaders (clergy and lay), who either supported or opposed Bill’s candidacy. Filmed in 1973. A Position of Faith
A full-length movie about Malcolm Himshoot, one of the first transgender individuals ordained in the UCC: Call Me Malcolm
Other interesting videos include one of the most inspiring speakers I ever heard at General Synod, Vanessa Redgrave who spoke about finding the UCC after she discovered she had breast cancer: Lynn Redgrave Keynote at General Synod 26
Peruse the UCC channel or YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/uccvideos for more interesting content.
There are a number of short videos on the UCC site to be used for lay history and polity courses. You may view these for additional content, but this is a Master's level course that digs deeper than these videos. https://vimeo.com/showcase/4814431?page=1
Resources in the Library
Zikmund, Barbara Brown (series editor). The Living Theological Heritage of the United Church of Christ, Volumes 1-7
Zikmund, Hidden Histories, Volumes 1-2
Johnson & Hambrick Stowe, eds. Theology and Identity: Traditions Movements and Polity in the United Church of Christ, Pilgrim Press, revised 2007
Maxfield, Charles A. A Pilgrim People: A History of the United Church of Christ and Its Antecedents , Lansdale, PA: Maxfield Books, 2008.
Walker, Randi Jones. The Evolution of a UCC Style: Essays in the History, Ecclesiology, and Culture of the United Church of Christ, Cleveland: United Church Press, 2005.
1) Students will become familiar with the four major historical groups and some of the most significant theological traditions of the UCC and how each shapes who we are today
2) Students will be exposed to the many “hidden histories” of UCC and be able to discuss one at length
3) Students will learn about current issues and be able to discuss how these relate back to historical developments
4) Students will be prepared to interpret the UCC to people unfamiliar with it and teach local congregations about the varieties and influences of UCC history
5) Ultimately, students will be able to demonstrate competency for ordination requirements
The following are guidelines to assign grades:
B work has all the basic elements of the assignment in place with coherent writing and evidence of adequate engagement with course materials and practices.
A, A-, and B+ work improves on the standard of B work with one or more of the following: depth and originality of insight; quality of writing in terms of clarity, artfulness, concision, and organization; exceptional depth of engagement with course materials and practices.
B-, C+, C, and C- work has failed to meet the standard of B work in one or more of the following ways: scanty or glancing engagement with class readings and practices; glaring grammatical, spelling, organizational or coherency issues; failure to address one or more elements of the assignment; failure to document sources adequately.
D work is a grade of grace which indicates that the assignment has serious deficiencies but meets the most minimal requirements of the course.
Incompletes: If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.
Pass/Fail: Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.
Academic Integrity and Community Covenant: All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate. All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.
Accommodations: 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.
Writing Lab: 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.
Inclusive Language: 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.
Degree Learning Goals Supported by this Course:
MDiv 1.2
Demonstrate awareness of Christianity as a historically-situated movement that interacted and changed in relationship to its surrounding cultures and subcultures over time, resulting in various expressions of Christianity located within and influenced by social structures, historical events, and ethnic and cultural ideologies.
MDiv 3.2
Critically engage historical theological expressions of Christianity in relation to contemporary events and/or situations
MDiv 4.7
Clearly interpret one’s beliefs and behavior to the community one serves
Online Discussion Guidelines
Throughout the quarter, we will have several discussions which will compose a large part of our engagement with each other in this online learning space. For these discussions to be meaningful conversation spaces, we all need to take responsibility for consistent and substantial participation. Instead of grading discussions based on number of words posted or on frequency, we will assess discussions based on the degree to which you substantially engage in the conversation each week.
Over the course of a conversation, substantial engagement means:
Each post need not do all of these things, but your overall participation in each conversation should demonstrate all of these components. You might have several short posts and a handful of longer posts in a week or you might have only a few strategic substantial posts. Either way, your overall participation in each conversation will be evaluated for substantial engagement. The goal of this discussion design is to encourage and reward interchange, so post often and engage each other with meaningful questions that open to other questions.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Students will be graded with the following rubric.
| Full Marks | No Marks |
Engaged the course materials - thoughtful engagement with readings, lectures and any other materials related to the assignment. Referencing and citing course materials in your posts where appropriate. |
5 pts | 0 pts |
Extended the conversation in the discussion - creatively and critically pushed the conversation forward. |
5 pts | 0 pts |
Discussion entry follows the conventions of academic writing, with proper citations and few distracting spelling or syntax errors. The writing style of the discussion entry invites the reader in with engaging, personalized, and insightful prose. |
5 pts | 0 pts |
Discussion entry was submitted in time. |
5 pts | 0 pts |
| | |
Total Points: 20 | | |
Questions about the course
Date | Day | Details | |
Apr 01, 2022 | Fri | Introductions | due by 12:00AM |
Apr 01, 2022 | Fri | Live Gathering | due by 01:00AM |
Apr 01, 2022 | Fri | Theology and Ethos | due by 05:59AM |
Apr 08, 2022 | Fri | Reformation to Puritans and Pilgrims to Congregational Churches | due by 05:59AM |
Apr 15, 2022 | Fri | Christian Churches: American Protest Movements | due by 05:59AM |
Apr 22, 2022 | Fri | The Reformed Church in the US and The Evangelical Synod of North America | due by 05:59AM |
Apr 27, 2022 | Wed | Project: Hidden Histories | due by 05:59AM |
May 06, 2022 | Fri | Project: Local Church Histories | due by 05:59AM |
May 13, 2022 | Fri | Leading to the Union through 1961 | due by 05:59AM |
May 20, 2022 | Fri | 1960s through the 1980s | due by 05:59AM |
May 27, 2022 | Fri | 1990s Through Today | due by 05:59AM |
Jun 03, 2022 | Fri | Final | due by 05:59AM |
Jun 03, 2022 | Fri | UCC Future | due by 05:59AM |