Philosophy 1317—Introduction
to Christian History and Thought
Summer II Session 2008
Instructor: Kevin T. Holton, M.A.
Office:
LA 220
Office Hours: 9:45-10:15 a.m. or by appointment
E-mail: [email protected] (for questions and
comments outside class time or office hours)
Course Web Address: www.geocities.com/ktholton (notes/outlines/course info.)
Required Texts:
1. R.
Dean Peterson, A Concise History of
Christianity, 3rd ed. (Thomson-Wadsworth, 2007).
2. Robert E. Van Voorst,
Course Objectives: This is not a Sunday
School class, nor an attempt to indoctrinate anyone into any particular sect or
denomination of Christianity. As an
academic course, the aim of all students shall be to:
1. Identify
and explain the significance of major events and figures in the history of
Christianity
2.
Identify and explain the significance of the themes central to Christian thought in
doctrine and in ethics
3.
Identify and explain the
significance of the key rituals and practices of various Christian traditions
4.
Identify and explain the
significance of the social, cultural, and political contexts in which various
Christian groups have operated, and the motives of believers in context
Grading
Policy: Your course grade will be
determined on the basis of the following:
1.
10 written reflections on
assigned primary source materials from the Van Voorst book (30%)
(See pp. 6-7 of this syllabus for more information)
2.
Mid-term multiple choice
exam (30%)—July 24th (Please
bring Scantron Form 882E)
3.
Final Exam (multiple
choice) (30%)—August 12th
(Please bring Scantron Form 882E)
4.
Attendance (10%) (See
below for more information)
Grades will be assigned using a
scale of 1000 available points. Thus,
each reflection will be worth 30 points, each exam worth 300 points, and
attendance worth 100 points. At the end
of the course, the following will apply:
900-1000
points = A
800-899
points = B
700-799
points = C
600-699
points = D
<
600 points = F
Exams will include bonus
sections. No extra credit will be given for additional assignments. Assignments should be turned in promptly on the
day they are due. All assignments will
be considered late if, at 11:59 p.m. on the day they are due I have not
received a hard copy (preferred) or an email copy (if for some reason you
cannot get it printed for class). If
you know you will be out for an excusable reason on the day an assignment is
due, please make every effort to submit the assignment on the day before it is
due! Do not wait until after you are out
to turn it in! If you know you will be
out for an excusable reason on the exams days, please make prior arrangements
with me for taking a make-up test!
Failure to bring a scantron or a
pencil on the day of the exams will not be reason to miss the test and request
a make-up exam. You must take the tests
on the days they are assigned, unless otherwise provided for by an approved
written excuse for an absence.
Attendance
Policy: Attendance
is not an option. Absences must be documented
appropriately in order to be excused.
Unexcused absences from 25% or more of the course will result in your
being dropped from the course or your receiving an F on your transcript. As noted above, attendance in this course is
part of your final grade. The following
is the scale used for total # of unexcused
absences from this course (please note that appropriately documented—e.g..,
doctor’s note, funeral program, state legal summons, religious holidy, etc.—and
excused absences will not result in a deduction of points for attendance grade
totals):
1 absence = 90
2 absences = 80
3 absences =70
4 absences =60
5 or more absences will result in surpassing the 25%
allowed by the college, and you will be dropped or will receive an F on your
transcript
Please verify all excused absences with me before or
after class, or during my office hours.
Do not disrupt class to present documentation of any sort. Tardiness to class is unacceptable. Be on time to class as we will begin when the
bell rings.
Should
you require help during the semester understanding concepts in the books,
outside readings, or from the material presented in the lectures, please do not
hesitate to visit with me before class, during office hours, or at another
pre-arranged time to discuss your questions or concerns. I am also
available by e-mail several times during the day. I sincerely want you all to succeed, but it
is your responsibility to seek proper solutions to your problems.
MCC
Official ADA Statement: “In accordance with the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the regulations
published by the US Dept. of Justice, MCC’s designated ADA co-coordinators, Dr.
Johnette McKown, Executive Vice President, and Dr. Lynn Abernathy, Vice
President for Student Services, shall be responsible for coordinating the
College’s efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under
ADA. Students with disabilities
requiring physical, classroom, or testing accommodations should contact Mr.
Marcus Sweatt, Disabilities Specialist, at 299-8122 or [email protected]”
*****Below
is a reading schedule for your studies. Please understand that we may
cover more or less material in lecture than is required reading for that
day. The more you read, both in the book and in other, outside sources,
the better prepared you will be. I have made the reading schedule rather
light (except in the case of day 1), but I strongly encourage you to read more
than is suggested below. If you would like some additional book titles
relating to the topics at hand, feel free to ask. I also reserve the
right to require reading of additional documents that may be posted on the web
from time to time. All reading assignments are potential sources
of both lecture material and exam
material. Do not assume that readings and information not discussed in class
will not be covered on the exam.
ALL PAGE NUMBERS ARE FROM THE CURRENT EDITIONS OF A CONCISE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY AND
GENERAL COURSE CALENDAR and READING SCHEDULE: The days on which certain material is covered may vary due
to unforeseen circumstances. Students will
be held responsible for any material not covered in class but addressed in
the assigned reading before a scheduled exam.
July
9: Course Introduction—Addressing questions students seek to answer throughout
the session
Introduction to Christian History
and Thought—Chapter 1 in A Concise
History
--
--Assignment: Write a reflection on “Deliverance from
July
10: New Testament Christianity, Jesus through
--Reflection #1 Due
--
July
14: First through Third Century
Christianity
--
--Persecutions of the Early Church;
Martyrdom; and the Lapsed
--
--Assignment:
Write a reflection on “The Eucharist” (p.80 in
July
15: From
--Church-State
Relations; Christian Imperialism
--Arian Heresy; Early
Monasticism; Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed
--
--Reflection
#2 Due
--Assignment: Write a
reflection on “Augustine’s Conversion” (p. 100 in Readings) and “Augustine on the Suppression of Heresy”
(p. 107 in Readings)
July
16: From Augustine to Justinian
--Donatism; Pelagianism;
Grace
--Chalcedonian
Christology
--Justinian Code
--
--Reflection
#3 Due
July
17: Western Papal Primacy and Monasticism
--Leo the Great;
Gelasius I; Gregory the Great
--
--
--Assignment:
Write a reflection on “Pope Urban Calls for a Crusade” (p. 120 in Readings) or “The
First Eucharistic Debate” (p. 134 in Readings) or “The Investiture Controversy” (p. 153 in Readings)
July
21: Charlemagne to Aquinas
--
--
--Investiture
Controversy
--Scholasticism
--
--Reflection
#4 Due
--Assignment: Write a
reflection on “Women and Witchcraft,” (p. 124 in Readings)
July
22: Heresy and Reform
--Cathars, Waldenses,
and Hussites, Oh My!
--The Inquistions of
Heretical Depravity
--The Friars
--
--Reflection
#5 Due
July
23: The Babylonian Captivity and Papal
Rebirth
--Conflicts Between
Church and State
--
--
July
24: MID-TERM
EXAM!! (You’re halfway there!)
--
July
28: Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli—The
Magisterial Reformers
--Sola Gratia, Sola
Fide, Sola Scriptura
--The Institutes of the
Christian Faith
--Nationalism and the Church
--
--Assignment:
Write a reflection on “Luther’s Protest Against Indulgences” (p. 166 in Readings) or “Calvin on Predestination” (p. 195 in Readings), or “The First Anabaptist Confession (p.
191 in Readings)
July
29: The English Reformation and the
Radical Reformation
--English Nationalism
vs. Papacy
--Anabaptists and
Radicals
--
--Reflection
#6 Due
July
30: The Council of Trent and the
Catholic Reformation
--Ignatius Loyola and
the Jesuits
--Sacramental
Definitions
--Clerical Standards
--Christianity in the
--
Assignment:
Write a reflection on “Two Samples of Missionary Preaching,” (p. 234 in Readings) or “William Penn and
July
31: 17th Century and Early 18th
Century Christianity
--The Puritans to
Jonathan Edwards
--The
--The First Great Awakening
--
--Reflection
#7 Due
August
4: Christianity in the Age of
Enlightenment
--Faith and Reason
--Deism and Orthodoxy
--The Second Great
Awakening
--
--Assignment:
Write a reflection on “The Birth of Mormon Christianity” (p. 227 in Readings) or “The Founding of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church” (p. 226 in Readings)“Papal
Infallibility Decreed” (p. 231 in Readings)
August
5: Christianity in the Age of Revolution
--Pre-Millennial Dispensationalism
--Democratization of
Christianity in
--The Immaculate
Conception and
--
--Reflection #8 Due
--Assignment: Write a
reflection on “The Struggle over Slavery” (p. 241 in Readings)
August
6: Evangelicalism and the Revival
--Traveling Evangelists
--Scriptural Authority
--Personal Relationship
with God
--Progressive Social
Reforms
--
--Reflection
#9 Due
August
7: Fundamentalism, Ultramontanism, and
Modernism
--The Modern Challenge
to Scriptural or Ecclesiastical Authority
--Development of
Christian Sub-Culture
--
--Assignment:
Write a reflection on “’Cheap Grace’ and the Christian Life” (p. 296 in Readings) or “Catholic Controversy over Artificial
Contraception” (p. 298 in Readings)
or “The Debate over Christianity and Religious Pluralism” (p. 312 in Readings) or “A Dissent on Contemporary Ecumenism,”
(p. 316 in Readings)
August
11: Post-Modern Christianity (mid-20th
Century and Beyond)
--
--Liberation Theology
--Death of God and
Process Theology
--Openness of God
Theology
--Orthodox Reactions to
Post-Modernism
--
--Reflection #10 Due
August
12: FINAL
EXAM!!!! (Yippie, you made it!!)
PLEASE
CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE REFLECTIONS
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE!
Guide to Reflections
General
guidelines: When doing these reflective
exercises, attempt to place yourself in the position of the author of the piece
upon which you are reflecting. Think
about his or her time period, audience, purpose, goals, general message,
etc. What are they? How do you react to the author’s contemporary
society?
Next, place yourself in the
position of the author’s contemporary audience (the author’s own intended
audience). How do you react to the
author’s statements?
Finally, place yourself in the
position of modern-day student or scholar.
What is your own reaction to the author’s statements? How is the author relevant or irrelevant to
Christian history or thought and to today’s world?
Write a 1-2 page (fill up at
least one full page, please), single-spaced, thoughtful reflection using the
above three guidelines. There are no
“right” or “wrong” answers for these particular activities. Think of them as journal entries, initial
insights and thoughts gained from the day’s (or passage’s, in this case)
experiences. Process the information;
don’t seek to memorize, rather seek to
internalize. My purpose is to get you to
think critically about the material we read, to enter into another time and
place and become contemporary with it.
These are basically essays that express your reactions as readers
(contemporary to the author and present-day) and may become useful for further
discussion. We may request some students
to share their reflections during the class time the day they are due.
Grading
Rubric for Reflections:
√+ (30 points) Excellent reflection, well-written,
grammatically correct, stays exactly on topic, highly original and creative (little
or no paraphrasing and no regurgitation or repetition of text)
√
(20 points) Good reflection, fairly well-written, some grammatical errors, may
stray some from topic, mostly original and creative (some tendency to want to
paraphrase text rather than be too original)
√-
(10 points) Fair reflection, several grammatical errors, strays off topic
somewhat frequently, some originality and creativity (tendency toward paraphrasing
or exact regurgitation/repetition)
X
(0 points) Poor reflection, many grammatical errors, strays far off topic,
lacks any originality or creativity (repeats/rephrases the text to an excessive
degree)
Reflection
Assignment-Specific Guidelines:
#1—This one is a two-parter. You are asked to reflect on an Old Testament
passage and a New Testament passage. For
the Old Testament part, place yourself in the context of ancient
#2—Place yourself in the shoes of an ancient Christian
attending this Eucharistic rite. How do
you react to the ceremony? How do you
experience the presence of God through this rite? Are you an active participant in this
ceremony or a mere spectator? What is happening spiritually during this rite?
#3—How are Augustine’s conversion to Christianity and
his desire to affirm orthodoxy connected?
What motivates Augustine to convert and eventually to defend the faith
against the heretics?
#4—You are to pick only one of these essays. What do they say about either Church power
and authority or about the nature of the Church or both?
#5—If you are a (medieval) male, what does this say
about the female sex, and do you agree or disagree? Why/Why not? If you are (medieval) female, what does this say
about the male sex, and do you agree or disagree? Why/Why not? Guys, write from a male perspective only;
gals, write from a female perspective only.
#6—Pick only one of the tree passages. What does it say about the Protestant
movement it supports or from which it originates? What are the motives of Luther, Calvin, or
the Anabaptists in writing as they did?
#7—Pick only one of the two passages. What does it say about Christianity in the
British New World? Why does the author
(s) write as he does? What do you, as
his contemporary audience, do in response?
#8—Pick only one of these passages. What does it say about the particular branch
of Christianity it specifically deals with?
Furthermore, what does it say about the conditions of the 19th
century Christian religion and the 19th century secular society in
general?
#9—What side would you be on in the battle over
slavery? Why? What does this controversy say about the
conditions of 19th century American Christianity, about its views of
ecclesiastical power, scriptural or ecclesiastical authority, or moral
rectitude and responsibility?
#10—Pick only one of these essays. What does it say about the state of Christian
commitment and belief in the mid-to-late 20th century? Is there hope for a better tomorrow, or was
the past better, or is today perfect as it is?
Study Tips:
A.
Take extensive
notes. I suggest you write down as much
as you possibly can from each lecture.
It is not enough to write down only what appears on power points or on
the blackboard. There should not ever be a time when you pen is not moving and your
mind is not engaged. Do this in a
way that is consistent with your ability to understand the material. Do not just write down snippets, and do not
rely solely upon my online notes—they are not complete, they are only an
outline.
B.
Attend to
definitions and major concepts and anticipate applying them to specific cases
or scenarios.
C.
Pay special
attention to examples given in class.
These will probably crop up again on the exams in some form or
another. Think of other examples that
may lead to similar conclusions or results.
Learn to apply the concepts
addressed in the book and in the lectures.
D.
Read the book chapters and other readings assigned
each day. Mark key passages and take notes in the book
or on the readings themselves. This will
help you retain information.
E.
Outline book
chapters and the readings. Pick out the
key themes and ideas of each reading.
F.
Look at the overall
picture. Do not focus too much on digesting independent details. If you look at the larger picture, not the
minutia, the details will be easier to remember when it comes time to apply
them.
G.
Remember that
test material may come from both the lectures and the readings. Some things will be covered in one that may
not be covered in the other. Do not
assume that you can attend the lectures and not read or read and not attend the
lectures.
H.
Ask probing,
thoughtful questions in class to serve to clarify or address other aspects of
issues that may not be specifically pointed out in lectures or readings. It is your job to pursue your education; it
is my job to guide you in that pursuit.
When you do not pursue, you will not always find the answers you are
looking for.