The Story of Christianity (Part 2)

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

Undergraduate

1. Outline some key aspects of the Christian story in the West from the 16th Century to the present day.
2. Identify some of the social, political and cultural factors influencing the development of Christianity.
3. Demonstrate basic skills in interpreting selected historical documents; and
4. Assess the significance of selected movements and personalities for the church’s history.
5. Level 2: Describe the contribution of the study of church history to the development of Christian identity.

Postgraduate

1. Outline some key aspects of the Christian story in the West from the 16th century to the present day;
2. Identify some of the social, political, and cultural factors influencing the development of Christianity;
3. Demonstrate basic skills in interpreting selected historical documents;
4. Assess the significance of selected movements and personalities for the church’s history;
5. Describe the contribution of the study of church history to the development of Christian identity; and
6. Critically evaluate historical evidence and the construction of historical accounts.

Undergraduate

Level 1

• One document study (1,000 words) (20%)
• One half-hour written test (20%)
• Five 100-word forum posts or equivalent (one 15-minute oral exam) (20%)
• One essay (1,500 words) (40%)

Level 2

• One document study (1,000 words) (25%)
• Five 200-word forum posts (25%)
• One essay (2,000 words) (50%)

Postgraduate

• One document study (1,000 words) (15%)
• One tutorial paper (1,500 words) (20%)
• Five forum posts (total 1,500 words) (15%)
• One essay (3,000 words) (50%)

• Bettenson, Henry (ed.). Documents of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Blainey, Geoffrey. A Short History of Christianity. Camberwell: Viking, 2011.
• Chadwick, Owen. The Christian Church in the Cold War. London: Penguin, 1992.
• Chidester, David. Christianity: a global history. London: Penguin, 2001.
• Hastings, Adrian (ed.). A World History of Christianity. London, Cassell, 1999.
• Jensen, De Lamar. Reformation Europe: Age of Reform and Revolution. 2nd edn. Lexington: D C Heath & Co, 1992.
• McGrath, Alister. Christian History: An Introduction. New York: Wiley, 2012.
• MacCulloch, D. A History of Christianity. London: Penguin, 2010.
• Matheson, Peter (ed.) Reformation History (A People’s History of Christianity, Volume 5) Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007.
• Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. 3rd edn. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2012.
• ————. The New Shape of World Christianity. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2009.
• Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language. 4th edn. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013.

Set texts recommended for purchase:

• Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume 2. Rev edn. New York: HarperOne, 2010.