Church History 5106b (MDiv/MTS) Religious Studies 2127g (BTh) History of the Reformation - Modern Period Winter, 2015

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1 1 Church History 5106b (MDiv/MTS) Religious Studies 2127g (BTh) History of the Reformation - Modern Period Winter, 2015 Location: Day(s): Time: TBD Wednesdays 8:30-11:20am Instructor: Domenic Ruso PhD (University of St. Michael's College, Toronto.) Contact info: druso@uwo.ca Course Description: This course will examine the major issues and movements in the history of Christianity that flourished during the late Middle Age, the Reformation and the post Reformation period. Engagement with keys texts will provide a framework within which students may understand the formative historical shifts and their possible application to contemporary questions. In addition, students will be introduced to significant figures that shaped the history of Post Reformation church and modern expressions of the Christian faith. Selected pivotal events, personalities and writings will provide perspectives on theology, worship, spirituality, scriptural interpretation, missionary expansion, social impact, and ecclesial reflection. Purposes and Goals: Obtain a basic knowledge of the historical development of the Reformation(s) of the 16 th century and pivotal figures and themes. On completion, students should be able to demonstrate orally and in writing the value of the study of Christian history for the current dialogue as it relates to inter-religious dialogue; Have experienced enrichment of the spiritual life due to the wealth of devotional material available from the period under discussion. To experience appreciation for church history as it pertains to development of Christian doctrine. Have acquired enhanced interpretitive skills after being introduced (where necessary) to methods of historical research and relevant original source material (in translation);

2 2 Have developed a critical admiration of the Christian tradition, both in its relationship to the norm of Scripture and in its changing diverse regional, cultural and denominational expressions. Be able to identify major problems which were symptomatic of the need for reform in the church; and, Have learned to combine historical knowledge with theology in conversing about pertinent contemporary issues and their relation to the history of the Church. Required Course Textbooks: Diarmaid MacCulluch, Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. (New York: Penguin Publishing, 2009). Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christian, Trans. Mark D. Tranvik. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2008). Tentative Class Outline: LECTURES READINGS Week 1: Pre-Reformation & The Third Rome ( ) ( )* Week 2: Reforming the Church: House Divided ( ) ( )* Week 3: Reformation(s) Continue ( ) ( )* Week 4: Roman Catholic Reformation ( ) Week 5: The Enlightenment ( ; ( ) Week 6: Protestant Awakening ( ) ( ) Week 7: Reading Week - (Feb 17 th -21 st ) ( ; )* Week 8: Mid-Term Exam Feb 26 th

3 Week 9: From Reform to Revolution to Romanticism ( ) Week 10: Modernity and Liberalism ( ) Tentative: Week 11: Graduate Students- Class Presentations Week 12: Graduate Students- Class Presentations Week 13: Graduate Students- Class Presentations Course Objective: 1. Book report: Martin Luther Book 20% a. Due week 4 2. Class Discussions Bachelors 20% Masters 10 % 3. Midterm 40% a. Week 7 4. Papers & Presentations i. Bachelors - Essay Paper 20% ii. Masters Students (Presenation & Essay) 30% Share a short (20 min) presentation in one of the last three weeks of class using a primary source document. (See Bettenson for examples) - Presenters will be required to provide a short excerpt of reading for the class prior to the week of presenting. - In addition, on the day of presentations students must come prepared with some questions to facilitate a short class discussion on the topic they presented.

4 4 Additional Statements: 1. Statement on Use of Electronic Devices during Tests and Exams It is not appropriate to use technology (such as, but not limited, to laptops, PDAs, cell phones) in the classroom for non-classroom activities. Such activity is disruptive and is distracting to other students and to the instructor, and can inhibit learning. Students are expected to respect the classroom environment and to refrain from inappropriate use of technology and other electronic devices in class. 2. Statement on Academic Offences: Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following web site: 3. Plagiarism-detecting Software/Computer Marking: All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com ( ). B) Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating. 4. Support Services: UWO Registrar s Office: Huron s Faculty of Theology, Office of the Dean: srice@uwo.ca, , ext. 289 Huron s Writing Skills Centre: UWO Student Support and Development Services: 5. Accommodation for absences: If documentation is required for either medical or non-medical academic accommodation, then such documentation must be submitted by the student directly to your Faculty s Dean s office (or academic counselor), and not to the instructor. For the Faculty of Theology, all such documentation must be submitted to room A227. It will be the Dean`s office that will determine if accommodation is warranted. a) Non-medical absences: b) Medical absences: See also the Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness

5 5 Undergraduate Students, at For work representing 10% or more of the overall grade for the course, a student must present documentation indicating that the student was seriously affected by illness and could not reasonably be expected to meet his/her academic responsibilities. Documentation must be submitted as soon as possible to your Faculty Dean s office (Huron Arts & Social Science students should take their documentation to the Academic Counsellor, through the Academic Services Centre at Huron), together with a Request for Relief specifying the nature of the accommodation requested. The request and documentation will be assessed and appropriate accommodation will be determined by the Dean s office in consultation with the instructor(s.) Academic accommodation will be granted ONLY where the documentation indicates that the onset, duration and severity of the illness are such that the student could not reasonably be expected to complete his/her academic responsibilities. The UWO Student Medical Certificate (SMC) and Request for Relief are available at the Student Centre website ( Huron University College Academic Counselling website ( or from the Dean s Office or Academic Services Centre at Huron.