COURSE TEMPLATE
Gateway Seminary
L1111 Church History I: Beginnings to the Reformation
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Grade Type: A/F
Prerequisites: None
Required for degree(s): MDiv, MTS, MMiss, DpTh
Course Template Approval/Revision Date: Rev 09.10; Rev 05.17.12; Rev 05.28.14
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course presents an interactive overview of the history of Christianity from the first century to the eve of the Reformation with the purpose of providing insights into the past that will enhance the student's growth in ministry leadership in the present and future.
REQUIRED COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
A student understands the historical foundations of following Christ in relationship to the local church and broader faith community, and then joins in the kingdom purposes by seeking to communicate the gospel in specific contexts. (J1, C6, F11, R18, MDIV02)
Upon completion of this course the student as minister-leader-historian will be able to:
1.Describe and explain basic aspects of the progression of the history of
Christianity during the period studied. (M15, R18)
2.Give evidence of an understanding of the "Believer's Church" tradition against the background of the historical development of ecclesiology in this period of the church's history. (C6)
3.Articulate an understanding of leadership qualities and characteristics
evidenced in significant Christian leaders of the past and relate their
applicability to one's own potential in the present. (J3, F12)
4.Demonstrate the ability to apply critical and analytical methodology to historical study. (M15, R18)
5.Reflect familiarity with a variety of historical resources and demonstrate the ability to utilize these in his/her own ministry. (J1, F11)
6.Interpret for others insights from this period of the history of Christianity.
(C10, R19)
MANDATORY ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (required in all syllabi)
Gateway engages in regular assessment of its academic programs. Student participation is essential to this process through the following activities.
(The text regarding "mandatory assessment activities" above and below must be included verbatim in all syllabi to which they apply. Item #1 must be included with all syllabi. Item #2 must be included in the syllabus of any required class, and #3 must be included in syllabi which stipulate that a learning artifact must be uploaded (check the template and/or with the department chairperson if uncertain).
1. CoursEvalAssessments – Each semester a link to a CoursEval survey for each course taken will appear in the student's MyGateway page. Students are required to complete this online evaluation of course/instructor no later than the last scheduled meeting of the class. A summary of results (without student ID) is released to the professor only after grades have been submitted for the course.
2. ePortfolio Reflections - All degree-seeking students must reflect on the work completed as part of required courses by commenting upon the manner in which the course contributed to his/her growth in relation to at least five Essential Leadership Characteristics selected by the student (see for the complete list). These reflections must be recorded in the student's ePortfolio and a copy emailed to the professor no later than the last scheduled meeting of the class.
3. ePortfolio Artifacts – The "signature assignment" specified in this syllabus must both be turned in to the professor for a grade AND attached to the student's ePortfolio as a "learning artifact." The institution reviews these artifacts as a way of judging the effectiveness of the Seminary's academic program. The review occurs after the student graduates and without reference to student identity. Students are encouraged to remove title page or header/footer containing their name prior to attaching the artifact to their ePortfolio.
SEMINARY POLICY ON ACADEMIC CREDIT AND WORKLOAD EXPECTATIONS (required in all syllabi)
In all Gateway face-to-face, hybrid or online courses, the Seminary assigns a workload of approximately 45 clock hours of academic learning activities per academic credit hour earned.Traditional in-class format normally apportions 15 hours of in-class instruction and30 hours of instructional exercises to be completed outside of class meetings per credit hour granted. For androgogical reasons, individual courses may adjust the ratio of assignments inside and outside class meeting times.
REQUIRED COURSE COMPONENTS
The following "required course components" MUST be incorporated into the course assignments in all offerings of this course. Additional course components may be added by the instructor. For each hour of academic credit, course components requiring approximately 15 hours of classroom activities and 25-30 hours of outside activities must be indicated. Courses designed for hybrid or online delivery must include a comparable level of course work.
- The student will be exposed to the following basic information:
The overall historical development of Christianity from its birth to the time of the Reformation.
The intellectual and philosophical dynamics of each period.
Institutional and theological developments.
The internal life of the Christian movement, including ethics and spiritual formation.
Attempts to capture the viewpoint of the "common" man or woman.
The missionary advance of Christianity with a focus upon contextualization.
Significant literature with an emphasis on primary sources.
- The student will be expected to master the following skills:
Basic research skills apropos to the historical process.
Analytical, critical, evaluative, and application skills in dealing with historical materials.
Creative communication skill—written and verbal—in utilizing historical information within the context of one's own leadership ministry.
The minimum content to be mastered is that which by means of the professor's selection constitutes the foci of class presentations and discussions, supported and under-girded by required reading and research assigned to students.
- The student will be expected to develop a conceptual framework for the following subject area/discipline:
Interpreting and communicating historical material in his/her own ministry.
Establishing a historical frame of reference for effectively interpreting Christianity's present situation.
Developing a personal theological understanding of the significance of history within the context of God's redemptive purposes.
- The student will demonstrate affective growth in the following areas:
Historical and theological identity regarding the story of Christianity.
Personal identity as to his or her role and calling in that ongoing story.
Personal appreciation for one's own historical and theological heritage and that of other Christian traditions.
REQUIRED ASSESSMENT MECHANISMS
The following "required assessment mechanism," MUST be incorporated into the course assignments in all instances of this course. Additional assessment mechanisms may be added by the instructor.
The student will craft a research paper per the specific instructions of the course's professor. Minimum requirements are: 1) 12-15 double-spaced pages in length, 2) 10 sources, & 3) an interpretive section assessing the topic's applicability to the church today. This project will beassigned in each section of both classes (L1111 and L1112) taught across the entire Gateway system. The student will then submit the research paper constructed for the latter of the two classes taken, whether online or face-to-face. Though the research foci for both papers will be different (e.g., event, biography) and the scope not comprehensive, the submitted paper nevertheless will demonstrate introductory graduate-level, historical research, applicable across the discipline of Christian history. Below is a rubric which can be customized (in terms of point values) for grading the various types of research projects.
PAPERASSESSMENT RUBRIC / MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE / GOOD / EXCELLENT
CONSTRUCTION / Organization illogical or unclear; Lacks consistent care in composition and cogent presentation; Insufficient knowledge of the full scope of the subject / Organization is logical and clear; Written with clarity; Adequate understanding of the subject and relevant research material / Exceptionally well-written and organized; Well-displayed, comprehensive knowledge of subject matter; Wide range of sources
INTERPRETATION / Minimal to no summary; No interpretation / Material adequately summarized and competently interpreted / Material well-summarized and high level of interpretive thought displayed
INSTRUCTIONS / Submitted late; Less than 12 double- spaced pages; Less than 10 sources; Multiple style errors per page / Submitted on time; 12-13 double- spaced pages; 10 appropriate sources; Generally adequate style (Turabian) / Submitted on time; 14-15 double-spaced pages; More than 10 sources; Careful attention to details and adherence to Turabian style
DELIVERY FORMAT
1/week @ 15 weeks; 1/week @ 10 weeks; normally offered in the fall semester, with an online component being a possibility; online versions incorporating 38%, 50%, and 100% online contact hours.
REQUIRED RESOURCES
The professor determines the required resources.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Basic Bibliography
Adams, Gwenfair Walters. Visions in Late Medieval England: Lay Spirituality and Sacred Glimpses ofthe Hidden Worlds of Faith. Boston: Brill, 2007.
Bainton, Roland H. Christian Attitudes Toward War And Peace: A Historical Survey And Critical Reevaluation. New York: Abingdon Press, 1960.
Baker, Robert A. A Summary of Christian History. 2d ed. Revised by John M. Landers. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Press, 1994.
Bast, Robert James, and Andrew Colin Gow, eds. Continuity and Change : The Harvest of Late Medieval and Reformation History: Essays Presented to Heiko A. Oberman on His 70th Birthday. Boston: Brill, 2000.
Bruce, F. F. The Spreading Flame. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1961.
Cahill, Thomas. How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. New York: Anchor Books, 1995.
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church. 3d ed., rev. and enl. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
Cameron, Euan. Waldenses: Rejections of Holy Church in Medieval Europe. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2000.
Carson, D. A. ed. From Sabbath to Lord's Day: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 1982.
Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. rev. ed. London: Penguin Books, 1993.
Christie-Murray, David. A History of Heresy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976.
Dowley, Tim, ed. Introduction to the History of Christianity. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.
Frend, W. H. C. The Rise of Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.
Gonzalez, Justo. A History of Christian Thought, vols. 1 and 2. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970.
_____. The Story of Christianity. Vol 1, The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2010.
Jenkins, Philip. The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa and Asia - and How It Died. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2008.
_____. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. rev. ed. San Francisco: Harper, 1978.
Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity, 2 vol., rev. ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1975.
Moffett, Samuel Hugh. A History of Christianity in Asia, Vol. 1: Beginnings to 1500. New York: Orbis Books, 2007.
Noll, Mark A. Turning Points in Church History: Decision Moments in the History of Christianity. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2000.
Norris, Richard A. The Christological Controversy. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980.
Ozment, Steven E. The Age of Reform, 1250-1550: An Intellectual and Religious History of Late Medieval and Reformation Europe. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980.
Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Saul, Nigel, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Shelley, Bruce. Church History in Plain Language. 2d ed. Waco: Word Books, 1996.
Snyder, Graydon F. Ante Pacem: Archaeological Evidence of Church Life Before Constantine. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1985.
Stark, Rodney. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominate Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries.San Francisco: Harper Collins,1997.
Thomson, John A. F. The Western Church in the Middle Ages.New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century.New York: Ballantine Books, 1978.
Volz, Carl A. The Medieval Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.
Additional Resources
Historical and biographical videos; internet research; journals such as Christian History, Church
History, Christianity Today, etc.; specific historical sites/artifacts and museums as available.