INSIGHT AND INSPIRATION FROM CHURCH HISTORY

CHS-506: 2 hours

Western Seminary – Portland, Oregon

Todd L. Miles, Instructor

(503) 517-1866

Spring Semester, 2015

SYLLABUS

COURSE SCHEDULE

6:00p to 10:00p on Mondays, 1/5 – 4/20 (no class 1/19 and 3/23)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course highlights the history of the Church from Pentecost to the present. We will focus on: (1) the Church’s people who, as saints and sinners, have been the flesh and blood of its history; (2) the Church’s doctrine which has developed throughout its history; (3) the Church’s writings which have exerted a tremendous impact on its history; and (4) the Church’s movements which have comprised the ebb and flow, the progress and regress, of its history. We will also consider what the past can contribute to the present, seeking to learn lessons from the history of the Church for our own lives, ministries, doctrines and churches.

COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  1. You will be introduced to the classic works of the faith and the major personages of the church who serve as models of maturity and faithfulness.
  2. You will come to understand how various philosophies have impacted the church through the ages.
  3. You will become aware of the seasons of progress and regress of the church and the primary reasons for each.
  4. You will learn to appreciate the richness of the various traditions of the church worldwide.
  5. You will be able to apply historical perspective and wisdom to contemporary issues.

TEXTBOOKS

Robert T. McKenzie, The First Thanksgiving (InterVarsity Press, 2013). ISBN: 978-0-8308-2574-5. ($18.00)

You will choose one of the following church history survey works. Books are listed in order of depth and length. You may make your selection based on the amount of time you want to invest and the depth at which you want to engage the content. If you anticipate limitations on your time, you may want to choose the first option. If you desire to read a greater depth, you may want to choose one of the later options.Note Bene: Choosing the second or third options will not result in reduced work load in the other areas of the course.

Option One

Bruce Shelley, Church History in Plain Language, 4th ed. (Thomas Nelson, 2013). ISBN: 9780718025533. $29.99 (535 pages)

Option Two

Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Rev. ed. (HarperOne, 2010). ISBN:978-0061855887. (528 pages)

Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol 2: The Reformation to the Present Day, Rev. ed. (HarperOne, 2010). ISBN:9780061855894. (560 pages)

Option Three

Everett Ferguson, Church History, Volume One: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation, 2nd ed. (Zondervan, 2013). ISBN:9780310516569. (864 pages)

John D. Woodbridge and Frank A. James III, Church History, Volume Two: From Pre-Reformation to the Present Day (Zondervan, 2013). ISBN:9780310257431. (840 pages)

All books are on-reserve in the Western Seminary library.

You are encouraged to purchase these titles through the Amazon.com associate program; the link is found on the Western website under “Current Students/Portland”:

ONLINE CLASSROOM

This class has an online classroom. Your first class assignment is to access this website during the first week of the semester (by Friday, Jan 9)and take a simple quiz confirming your participation in the course. You will also be asked to use the learning center to download handouts and submit assignments. And by Friday of the last week of the semester (April 24) you will need to log on and complete the final course evaluation.

To access the site, go to Click on ‘login’ (on the right above the calendar), use your student number for your username, and the password you received from the school. For a replacement password, click on ‘forgot your password’ or contact Jon Raibley: . The on-line classroom will go live no later than the first Monday of the semester.

Course notes and study guides can be found in the online classroom in the Course Materials folder.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1.Online Orientation (15 min.)

Before the end of the first Friday of the semester, you need to log onto the web classroom, download the syllabus for the course, and complete the report indicating that you have read and understand the course requirements. By federal law, we now need to ensure that students participate in classes for the full length of the semester. So failure to complete the online orientation on time may result in a grade penalty and may impact your financial aid eligibility.

2.Attendance (39 hours)

You are responsible to regularly attend and participate in class lectures and discussions, from 6:00 to 9:00p. At 9:00, there will be a transition for the CHS505 students to discussion of primary source material. You are welcome to stay and participate if you choose, but it is not required.

3.Reading (25 hours)

Reading assignments are listed on the course calendar. To aid in discussion and understanding of the material, each reading assignment shall be completed prior to the class session listed. You will chart your progress through the reading on the Online Classroom.

4.Examinations (14 hours)

There will be two examinations: a mid-term and a comprehensive final. Fourteen homework hours are devoted to preparing for these exams. The exams will cover the notes distributed in class; study guides will also be provided. Exams will be take-home and closed book.

5.Church History Reflection Paper (6 hours)

You will write a 5-7 page reflection on the lessons you learned from church history and its value to the local church (or ministry you are considering). Your reflection must cover all the areas of church history. More details will be given in class.

6.Final Course Evaluation (15 min.)

Before the end of the last Friday (April 25) of the semester, you will receive an email with a link to the final course evaluation. By federal law, we now need to ensure that students participate in classes for the full length of the class. So failure to complete the final course evaluation on time will result in a grade penalty and may impact your financial aid eligibility.

GRADING

A+ / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D-
99-100% / 95-98% / 93-94% / 91-92% / 88-90% / 86-87% / 84-85% / 81-83% / 79-80% / 77-78% / 74-76% / 70-73%
Required Assignments / Points / Estimated Time to Complete
Reading / 20% / 25 hours
Attendance / 10% / 45 hours
Exams / 50% / 14 hours
Reflection Paper / 20% / 6 hours
Totals / 90 hours

COURSE CALENDAR

Date / Topic / Reading
Jan 5 / Historical Foundations and Catholic Christianity (1-312) / Shelley: 1-4
Gonzalez: (Vol 1) 1-6
Ferguson: 1-4
McKenzie: Intro
Jan 12 / Catholic Christianity (1-312) / Shelley: 5-8
Gonzalez: 7-12
Ferguson:5-9
McKenzie: 1
Jan 26 / Christian Roman Empire (312-590) / Shelley: 9-12
Gonzalez: 13-19
Ferguson: 10-12
McKenzie 2
Feb 2 / Christian Roman Empire (312-590) / Shelley: 13-16
Gonzalez: 20-26
Ferguson: 13-14
Feb 9 / Christian Middle Ages (590-1517) / Shelley: 17-20
Gonzalez: 27-30
Ferguson: 15-19
Feb 16 / Christian Middle Ages (590-1517) / Shelley: 21-23
Gonzalez: 31-35
Ferguson:20-24
Feb 23 / Reformation (1517-1648) / Shelley: 24-27
Gonzalez: (Vol 2) 1-7
Woodbridge: 1-3
McKenzie 3-4
Mar 2 / Reformation (1517-1648) / Shelley: 28-31
Gonzalez: 8-14
Woodbridge: 4-7
McKenzie 5-6
Mar 9 / Reason and Revival (1648-1789) / Shelley: 32-33
Gonzalez: 15-19
Woodbridge: 8-10
McKenzie 7-8
Mar 16 / Reason and Revival (1648-1789) / Shelley: 34-35
Gonzalez: 20-25
Woodbridge: 11-13
Mar 30 / Progress (1789-1914) / Shelley: 36-38
Gonzalez: 26-29
Woodbridge: 14-15
Apr 6 / Progress (1789-1914) / Shelley: 39-41
Gonzalez: 30-32
Woodbridge:16-17
Apr 13 / Present and Future (1914-2014) / Shelley: 42-45
Gonzalez: 33-35
Woodbridge: 18-20
Apr 20 / Present and Future (1914-2014) / Shelley: 46-48
Gonzalez: 36-38
Woodbridge: 21-22

COURSE POLICIES

Borderline Grades:

Borderline grades will be determined on the basis of class participation and pattern of improvement. To receive audit credit, you must attend at least 80% of the class sessions and report that fact to the instructor by the day of the final.

Attendance and Late Assignments:

Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Students who miss class are responsible for missed work. In the event that you are unable to attend class, you should make arrangements to get notes from a colleague. You may make arrangements in advance with a colleague to tape a session you know you will miss, but that tape is for private use only. Absences and tardiness may impact a student’s grade. Students who anticipate an absence should discuss it in advance with the instructor. Students who miss more than 80% of the seat time for the class will not pass the course, without a request for and the completion of additional assignments. Assignments submitted after the due date and time will result in a reduction of the student’s letter grade for that assignment.

Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class period on which they are due. Due dates may be varied to allow for your demanding schedule. If you need to make such arrangements, please do so well in advance and formalize them in writing. If prior arrangements have not been made, the penalty for a late assignment is a 10% reduction for each week that the assignment is late (5% if turned in within one week of the due date). The maximum deduction for a late assignment is 25%. Unless you qualify for an incomplete as defined in Western’s catalog, all assignments must be turned in by 5:00 PM on the date assigned.

Assignment Format:

Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments must meet the following criteria:

  1. 1 ” margins on the left, right, top, and bottom
  2. Double-spaced
  3. 12 point font (Times New Roman or Arial)
  4. A cover page that contains the assignment title, class title and number, your name, mail box number, and date

Absence Policy:

In the event that you are unable to attend class, you should make arrangements to get notes from a colleague. You may make arrangements in advance with a colleague to tape a session you know you will miss, but that tape is for private use only.

Copyright Violation and Plagiarism:

Research in secondary sources for the written project is permitted and welcomed. However, any appropriation of either ideas or wording taken from other sources, whether print or electronic, must be properly footnoted. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism which can result in substantial grade reduction or failure. Any unauthorized copying or use of copyrighted materials, including downloaded files of various kinds, can result in criminal charges and fines. For a fuller explanation of these issues or WS's copyright policy, see the Copyright Issues and Cheating" section of the Student Handbook:

Incompletes/Extensions:

The final deadline for submitting all course work is the last day of the semester as noted in the Academic Calendar and in the class schedule. In the case of serious illness, family emergency, or similar extenuating circumstances, the student may request an extension. A 1-3 week extension is typical in all except the most extreme cases, and some penalty for late work may apply. Under no circumstances will the student be given more than 5 weeks to complete all required coursework except by petition and approval of the Administrative Committee. (Extensions longer than 5 weeks are rare and should only be requested under extreme circumstances.)

If students face a personal emergency that requires requesting an extension going beyond the end of the semester, it may affect their ability to receive financial aid in the next semester, and they may face the possibility that their next semester’s course registrations will be cancelled. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance.

Audit/Enrichment Students:

Enrichment students are encouraged, but not obligated, to participate in assignments and class discussions. Professors are not obligated to grade participation for these students, but may opt to do so depending on class size.

Statement on WiFi Services:

Our community at Western Seminary is defined by our membership in the body of Christ. As we share common resources, we wish to do so with respect and consideration for others. Our IT department has created a strong and secure wireless internet network at each of our campus locations to enhance the student learning environment. Some of the considerations in developing our wifi networks have included providing excellent security (better than you’ll find at the local coffeeshop) and doing so within a budget that does not significantly impact tuition costs. Keeping costs low means that we don’t have an endless supply of bandwidth. We ask that you use the wifi network for academic purposes and avoid downloading large files or streaming video. Please be mindful that your internet use (both in class and on campus) can distract others or prevent them from accessing resources they need for their studies. We appreciate your participation in promoting thoughtful, considerate internet use on campus.

The Availability of Disability Services at Western Seminary:

Western Seminary is committed to responding to the needs of students with disabilities as outlined in both the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Western students are assisted individually as their needs dictate. It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to identify themselves and the nature of the disability. Any student who has a disability should contact the seminary’s Disability (Section 504) Coordinator, Ashley Mitchell, at 503-517-1819/1-877-517-1800, ext. 1819. Her office is at the Portland campus. Students at the northern California campuses may contact Director of Student Services – San Jose or Director of Student Services – Sacramento, or they may contact Ms Mitchell directly. Appropriate forms will be provided and must be submitted to the Disability Coordinator’s office.