Church History Syllabus

CHURCH HISTORY
FROM THE APOSTLES TO THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
A Locally Offered Course of the New York School of Ministry
Instructor: Dr. Charles A. Maxfield
Location: UCC at Bayberry, Liverpool, NY
The purpose of this course is to inform the student of the history of the Christian Church, with special attention to:

Major movements of reform/renewal/revival, their causes, methods, and decline
Significant persons and events in the Christian story
The breadth and diversity of Christianity
The origin of practices that exist today.

Requirements

attend class, do the readings, and participate in discussion
take the quiz at the beginning of each session
prepare a time line of Church History, to be submitted at the last session.

Grading

quizzes	36%
class participation	14%
time line	50%

NOTE: The quizzes review the reading assignment for the day. The quiz on the double session, 29 October, will count as two quizzes.

Textbook
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. San Francisco: Harper, 1985. Volumes 1 and 2.
The textbook is available at Cokesbury in Syracuse. See also http://www.cokesbury.com or http://www.christianbook.com.

Other Reading and Viewing
Students are required to read other material from books, magazines and the internet, and to view videos. If students are able to acquire or borrow any of these materials, it would help, but it is not necessary. All of these materials will be made available, either by photocopy, on the internet, or passing around person to person. Other materials include:

Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972.
Bonhoeffer (video)
Christian History no. 55 "The Monkey Trial and the Rise of Modern Fundamentalism."
Christian History no. 58. "The Rise of Pentecostalism."
Christian History no 79. "The African Apostles."
Isichei, Elizabeth. A History of Christianity in Africa. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
Latourette, Kenneth Scott. . Volume 2: The Nineteenth Century in Europe: The Protestant and Eastern Churches. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1969.
Maxfield, Charles A. The Influence of World War I on Religious Thought in Europe. http://maxfieldbooks.com/WorldWar1.html.
Maxfield, Charles A. Wholistic Church History. http://www.maxfieldbooks.com/wholistic.html.
Moffett, Samuel Hugh. A History of Christianity in Asia. Volume 1: Beginning to 1500. San Francisco: Harper, 1992.
Neill, Stephen. A History of Christian Missions. Baltimore: Penguin, 1975.
Romero (video)
Tucker, Ruth A., and Walter Liefeld. Daughters of the Church: Women and Ministry from New Testament Times to the Present. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987.
Vidler, Alec R. The Church in an Age of Revolution: 1789 to the Present Day. New York: Penguin, 1985.
Weapons of the Spirit (video)

CLASS SESSIONS, READING ASSIGNMENTS,
AND ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED

Session 1: September 17, 1:00-3:15 pm. The Early Church

Topic Issues Preparation

Introduction What is Church History? Maxfield, Wholistic

Martyrdom martyr as model Christian Gonzalez 1:31-48

Early Church standards, worship Gonzalez 1:62-66,91-101

Monasticism monk as model Christian; Constantine, heresies, Nicea Gonzalez 1:136-150;
Tucker 115-121

Session 2: September 24, 1:00-3:15 p.m. Christianity Expands

Augustine Augustine, Donatists, Councils Gonzalez 1:207-216

Europeanization of Christianity Expansion and change; Boniface, Charlemagne Gonzalez 1:231-250;
Neill 74-78

Christianity Outside Europe Christian diversity; India, Persia, China, Thomas, Persian Reformers, A-lo-pen Moffett 25-39,137-145, 150-163,217-228,288-302,514-516;
Isichei 30-33,46-52
Neill 52-55

Session 3: October 1, 1:00-3:15pm The Middle Middle Ages

Medieval Reformation and Expansion What makes reformation? Papal reform, monastic reform, strategies of church growth Gonzalez 1:277-291
Neill 88-94,99-102

Crusades Christianity and War; Crusader as model Christian Gonzalez 1:292-300

Session 4: October 15, 1:00-3:15 pm Late Middle Ages

Francis evangelical humanism; beggar as model Christian Gonzalez 1:301-307

Mongol Christianity why did it succeed? Why did it fail? Moffett 400-405,430-435,443-445

Scholasticism intellectual renewal; architecture Gonzalez 1:311-319

Session 5: October 22, 1:00-3:15 pm Reformation

Luther What is a Protestant? precursors Gonzalez 2:14-45

Reformed Gonzalez 2:46-52,61-69

Radical Reformation Gonzalez 2:53-60

British Reformation Gonzalez 2:70-85

French Reformation Gonzalez 2:102-109

Catholic Reformation reformation or counter-reformation? inquisition Gonzalez 2:110-121

Catholic Expansion conquistadores; Las Casas Gonzalez 1:379-388

Session 6: October 29 10:00-12:15, 1:00-3:00 Three Strands of Modern Christianity

Enlightenment how do we know? Religion and scientific method Gonzalez 2:132-134,185-195,262-267

Pietism what is pietism? Spener, Wesley, Edwards Gonzalez 2:205-216,228-230
Tucker 247-274

Romanticism what is romanticism? faith and the arts; organic nature of the church Vidler 48-55;
Ahlstrom 615-621;
Latourette 136-140

Session 7: November 12, 1:00-3:15 pm Modern Christianity: Expansion and Division

Missionary Movement missionary as model Christian; Christianity and culture; ecumenism Gonzalez 2:303-323;
Tucker 292-306;
Neill 210-220,440-447;
Isichei 217-221

Progressive and reactionary Christianity Catholic Church vs. democracy; fundamentalism; Christianity and modern intellectual trends; social gospel Gonzalez 2:253-261,294-302;
Christian History 55:10-18

Session 8: November 19, 1:00-3:15 pm Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century western civilization in crisis; global Christianity; ecumenical mevement; movements of liberation; pentecostalism; decolonization Gonzalez 2:345-371;
Christian History 58:10-25;
Maxfield, Influence of WWI;
Isichei 199-201,284-296;
Tucker 330-347;
Christian History 79:7-9+;
Bonhoeffer;
Weapons of the Spirit;
Romero

The Future

Session 1: September 17, 1:00-3:15 pm. The Early Church
Topic	Issues	Preparation
Introduction	What is Church History?	Maxfield, Wholistic
Martyrdom	martyr as model Christian	Gonzalez 1:31-48
Early Church	standards, worship	Gonzalez 1:62-66,91-101
Monasticism	monk as model Christian; Constantine, heresies, Nicea	Gonzalez 1:136-150; Tucker 115-121

Session 2: September 24, 1:00-3:15 p.m. Christianity Expands
Augustine	Augustine, Donatists, Councils	Gonzalez 1:207-216
Europeanization of Christianity	Expansion and change; Boniface, Charlemagne	Gonzalez 1:231-250; Neill 74-78
Christianity Outside Europe	Christian diversity; India, Persia, China, Thomas, Persian Reformers, A-lo-pen	Moffett 25-39,137-145, 150-163,217-228,288-302,514-516; Isichei 30-33,46-52 Neill 52-55

Session 3: October 1, 1:00-3:15pm The Middle Middle Ages
Medieval Reformation and Expansion	What makes reformation? Papal reform, monastic reform, strategies of church growth	Gonzalez 1:277-291 Neill 88-94,99-102
Crusades	Christianity and War; Crusader as model Christian	Gonzalez 1:292-300

Session 4: October 15, 1:00-3:15 pm Late Middle Ages
Francis	evangelical humanism; beggar as model Christian	Gonzalez 1:301-307
Mongol Christianity	why did it succeed? Why did it fail?	Moffett 400-405,430-435,443-445
Scholasticism	intellectual renewal; architecture	Gonzalez 1:311-319

Session 5: October 22, 1:00-3:15 pm Reformation
Luther	What is a Protestant? precursors	Gonzalez 2:14-45
Reformed		Gonzalez 2:46-52,61-69
Radical Reformation		Gonzalez 2:53-60
British Reformation		Gonzalez 2:70-85
French Reformation		Gonzalez 2:102-109
Catholic Reformation	reformation or counter-reformation? inquisition	Gonzalez 2:110-121
Catholic Expansion	conquistadores; Las Casas	Gonzalez 1:379-388

Session 6: October 29 10:00-12:15, 1:00-3:00 Three Strands of Modern Christianity
Enlightenment	how do we know? Religion and scientific method	Gonzalez 2:132-134,185-195,262-267
Pietism	what is pietism? Spener, Wesley, Edwards	Gonzalez 2:205-216,228-230 Tucker 247-274
Romanticism	what is romanticism? faith and the arts; organic nature of the church	Vidler 48-55; Ahlstrom 615-621; Latourette 136-140

Session 7: November 12, 1:00-3:15 pm Modern Christianity: Expansion and Division
Missionary Movement	missionary as model Christian; Christianity and culture; ecumenism	Gonzalez 2:303-323; Tucker 292-306; Neill 210-220,440-447; Isichei 217-221
Progressive and reactionary Christianity	Catholic Church vs. democracy; fundamentalism; Christianity and modern intellectual trends; social gospel	Gonzalez 2:253-261,294-302; Christian History 55:10-18

Session 8: November 19, 1:00-3:15 pm Twentieth Century
Twentieth Century	western civilization in crisis; global Christianity; ecumenical mevement; movements of liberation; pentecostalism; decolonization	Gonzalez 2:345-371; Christian History 58:10-25; Maxfield, Influence of WWI; Isichei 199-201,284-296; Tucker 330-347; Christian History 79:7-9+; Bonhoeffer; Weapons of the Spirit; Romero
The Future