CHHI 520 History of Christianity I

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

This course is aimed at helping modern Christians and those in ministry appreciate the story of Christianity from the first century to the eve of the Protestant Reformation. Students are invited to identify with and learn from those who were persecuted for their faith, those who helped articulate Christian theology in the face of heretical threats, and those who sought to live out the faith and lead the church during uncertain times.

Textbook readings, online readings, lecture presentations, online articles, and websites

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student must first read assigned portions of the Ferguson book and other online sources for each discussion. Then, he/she must thoroughly answer questions on these sources in a thread of 400–500 words that demonstrates a grasp of the content and stands up to scrutiny from others. The student must support their assertions with at least 3 scholarly sources in Turabian format. The student must reply to at least 2 classmates’ threads in 100–200 words each, incorporating at least 1 scholarly citation, which includes course textbooks and other recent scholarly sources. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The student will write a 3,000–3,500-word (about 12–14 pages) research paper on an approved topic specified in Canvas. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Research Paper Topic Assignment

The student will submit his/her topic, a thesis statement, an initial bibliography of at least 6 scholarly sources in current Turabian format to be used in his/her paper, and an answer to a question relating to research.

Research Paper Assignment

The student will submit his/her completed 3,000-3,500 word research paper in current Turabian format. The paper must incorporate 6 scholarly sources.

Discipleship Reflection Paper Assignment

After reading Smither, Augustine as Mentor, the student will write a reflection paper of at least 1,000 words (about 4 pages) on lessons in discipleship and spiritual formation from the early church. The first half of the paper will summarize key aspects of early Christian discipleship, while the second half will reflect on relevant principles for discipleship and spiritual formation today. The reflection paper must adhere to current Turabian format. Each page of the paper must include 3 references to Augustine as Mentor. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Presentation

The student will prepare a PowerPoint presentation highlighting four major turning points (game-changing moments) in Christian history from AD 100-1400. The student will imagine he or she is teaching a Sunday School class at church on major points in Christian history. The presentation should include:

• Five total slides: an introductory slide and one slide for each turning point.
• Documented support from the course text (parenthetical references are fine).
• An attractive presentation with limited text (nothing smaller than 24pt) and an image that captures each turning point.

Quizzes (4)

The student will take quizzes covering the Ferguson chapters assigned in the 2 most recent modules. The purpose of these quizzes is twofold: (1) to test the student on precise recall of basic facts from the chapters, and (2) to serve as a means of keeping the student accountable for reading the chapters. Each quiz has 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions, is open-book/open-notes, and must be completed in 1 hour. (CLO: B, C)