The lessons are based on general goals that revolve around five basic themes in the history of Christianity: Scripture and tradition; church structures; church and society; the spread of Christianity; and Christian spirituality, including Christian life, worship, and ministry. Understanding these aspects of the history of Christianity provides perspectives essential for Christian ministry in the world today.
This module aims at developing historical understanding of the Christian faith and tells the story of how people responded to the call of the gospel in the early and medieval periods. It is suggested that this module serve as a prerequisite for the History of Christianity 2.
This module will concentrate on the history of Christianity from the apostolic era through the Middle Ages to the pre-Reformation era. Students will discover and gain a deeper appreciation for the church’s redemptive purposes in people, events, movements, and cultures. Students will be enabled to build bridges from historical understanding to personal spiritual formation, the role of the church in society, and contemporary ministry.
This module contributes to the development of the following abilities as defined in the U.S. Sourcebook for Ministerial Development.
CN 24—Ability to describe the general story line of church history and the development of the major doctrines and creeds
CN 25—Ability to identify and describe the significance of the major figures, themes, and events of the Patristic, medieval, Reformation, Puritan, Pietist, Wesleyan, and Modern periods of church history
CN 26—Ability to describe how the church implemented its mission in the various periods of church history
CX 8—Ability to place the ministry context in light of the large schemes of world and national history
CX 10—Ability to understand and articulate the biblical, historical, and theological bases for Christian mission
By fulfilling the CONTENT learning outcomes of this module, the student will be enabled to: