Christian History B (CH2743Z)

Content

This unit introduces students to the study of the history of the Christian church from 1500CE to the present day. It will explore the social, political and cultural milieu in which new ideas and religious impulses have arisen, from the 16th century reformations in Europe, through revival, missionary and ecumenical movements across the global church. It will consider significant places and figures in Christian history by examining biblical texts, theological writings, ecclesial documents, and communal practices. The unit will examine some of the important issues, theologies and practices that continue to shape and challenge Christianity in Australia and the Pacific Rim today.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

A Level 2 unit in undergraduate theology and ministry awards.

Pedagogy

UCLT uses primary and secondary sources considered through different lenses to identify and explore the challenges of the unit material for the contemporary world. Students are engaged in a range of comparative, analytical and reflective practices.

Indicative Bibliography

• Blainey, Geoffrey. A Short History of Christianity. Camberwell: Viking, 2011.
• Daughrity, Dyron B., Church History: Five Approaches to a Global Discipline. New York: P Lang, 2012.
• Dewerse, Rosemary (ed.). Adventures with the Spirit: Stories of Mission in South Australia. Black Forest: Uniting Church of South Australia Historical Society, 2014.
• Janz, Denis. A Reformation Reader: Primary Texts with Introductions. 2nd Ed. Minneapolis: Fortress PRess, 2008.
• Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume 2. Rev edn. New York: HarperOne, 2010.
• McGrath, Alister. Christian History: An Introduction. New York: Wiley, 2012.
• Matheson, Peter (ed.) Reformation History (A People’s History of Christianity, Volume 5). Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007.
• Muir, Elizabeth Gillian. A Women's History of the Christian Church: Two Thousand Years of Female Leadership. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019.
• Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. 3rd edn. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2012.
• Stjerna, Kirsi. Women in the Reformation. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009.
• Wilfred, Felix. The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Assessment