Religion 221
Introduction to the History of Christianity
Tuesday and Thursday 1:30-2:50 pm
Science 402
Prof. Laura Ammon
Office: Platner 120
Ext.: 4339
Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11-12:30 or by appointment
email: LauraAmmon@linkline.com

Course Description:
This course is a survey of the History of Christianity from Antiquity to the present. We will examine some of the diverse of forms that Christian theology and practice have taken in different time periods and cultural contexts since the first century. Using the categories of global and local we will explore a variety of Christianities throughout the world. The purpose of this course is to give students an introduction to the issues, both historical and contemporary, that shape the history of Christianity and modern expressions of Christian communities. A secondary purpose is introducing to students the method of producing and interpreting history, encouraging critical engagement with primary and secondary texts. Each student will leave this course with a broad understanding of the History of Christianity which can be deepened in subsequent course work.

Course Requirements

• Reading Assignments: You are expected to do the assigned readings as a preparation for class. There will be quizzes on a regular basis. We will read primary sources representative of different eras and moments in Christian history as well as secondary, interpretive sources. The primary sources will be available to you on the Internet rather than in the form of a reader you purchase from the book store. The readings are unusually very short and I expect you to print them and bring them to class for discussion. You are responsible for the readings on the Internet just as you are responsible for reading chapters in the books. You will be responsible for exploring additional secondary material for your text analysis papers. You can find short bibliographies in The Encyclopedia of Religion or The New Catholic Encyclopedia. You are expected to use these sources in addition to internet sources such as can be found on the course web page.
• Writing Assignments: You are required to write 2 papers that are 4-6 double spaced pages in length. The font should not exceed 12 points and the margins should be 1" top and bottom, left and right. One paper is to be a text analysis paper, interpreting a primary source we have read in class or that you have discussed with me. The other paper will be the final research paper on a topic within in the history of Christianity, theological, cultural or historical. Guidelines for writing those papers will be provided on a separate sheet and on the course home page. If you use an internet source that is not from the course homepage you must put the URL in the footnote. I will be very attentive to internet sources. You must be certain of the scholarly value of the site you are using for your papers.
• Presentation: Working alone or with colleagues from the class, students will prepare and make a presentation on a theological, historical, or cultural topic area related to the class. I will distribute a list of possible topics as the time for presentations approaches. These presentations are to be written and can include video, audio and performances as necessary. A guideline for the presentations will be distributed in class.
• Attendance and class participation are required. Your grade will be assessed as follows:

  Papers: 60 points (30 points each)
  Attendance and class participation: 60 points
  Presentation: 50 points (30 points for presentation; 20 points for attending all presentation days)
  Quizzes and Study Guides (you must submit at least 4 study guides over the course of the semester): 10 points each
  

  No Incompletes will be given. This course can only be taken for a grade

Required Texts:
David Chidester, Christianity: A Global History
Craig Harline, The Burdens of Sister Margaret: Inside a 17th-Century Convent
Timothy LeHaye and Jerry B. Jekins, Left Behind (book 1)
Course Reader available here (www.trickster.org/basilica/hcread04.htm)