This module enables students to gain an appreciation of the history of Christianity throughout the centuries. It offers an introduction to some of the main movements and events in the history of the Christian Church. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to appropriate study skills. This will equip them with the academic tools required for research, essay writing, seminar presentation and exam performance.

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Identify and make use of the various sources available to the history of the Church study

Set the major movements of Christianity within an over-arching historical framework

Demonstrate the ability to present a competent written and adequately structured and argued essay that is both accurate and apposite in its use of references and bibliography.

This module employs two methods of teaching, lectures and seminars. The lectures are delivered by two lecturing staff, the tutors. Their input will provide you with an overall perspective on the content of the course. There is some scope for discussion and interaction in the lectures, but given the breadth of the subject, most of the time must be given to lectures. The seminars provide an opportunity for small group discussion, debate and dialogue with peers and teachers. The seminars are a vital element of the whole module and essential for you to develop the critical and analytical ideas, topics and skills needed for writing essays and preparing exams.

Knowledge and Understanding:

Set the major movements of Christianity within an over-arching historical framework

State, discuss and demonstrate a critical comprehension of the historical expressions  of the Christian tradition

Represent and evaluate the primary and secondary resources necessary for the telling of the Christian story

Intellectual and Discipline Specific Skills:

Evidence an understanding of the various historical approaches to the study of Christian theology.

Identify and make use of the various sources available to the theological historian

Demonstrate an understanding of the multi-faceted complexity of the Christian narrative and the interrelatedness of belief, text, historical institutions and wider social and cultural influences on the development of Christian thought

Transferable Skills:

Demonstrate the ability to present a competent written and adequately structured and argued essay that is both accurate and apposite in its use of references and bibliography.

Be able to identify, gather and analyse source material in the reconstruction of  events and view points

Represent the views of others with integrity and critical reflection

Be able to make discriminating use of learning resources and IT facilities

The module is examined through a two hour examination paper at the end of the semester. The paper will be divided into two sections (covering the two sections of the module) and students are required to answer three questions; at least one from each section. This counts for 60% of the final module mark.  The remaining 40% is assessed by coursework (made up of 25% from an essay and 15% from a seminar presentation).

Christian identity in relation to Judaism: Christian beginnings

Christian identity in relation to the Greek and Roman world

Christian identity in relation to persecution

Christian identity in relation to the State: Constantine

The theological identity of Christianity: Creeds & Councils

The tension between a ‘ruling’ and ‘renouncing’ identity

A divided identity: The Great Schism

A questioning identity: The background to the Reformation

Prophecy and Order

Searching for the True Church I: A Reformation Dream

Searching for the True Church II (cont. from 15^th March)

Can a Pure Church be Found?: The Puritan Hope

Steeple Houses and Meeting Places: Dissenting Fervour

Conversion of the Heart: The Evangelical Revival

The Renewal of Heart and Mind: The Oxford Movement

Rescue the Perishing, Care for the Dying: The Social Gospel

Open the Windows: Vatican II

One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism:  One Church?

Essential reading for the seminars

The seminars will follow this text and you should make sure you have access to a copy. 

Diarmaid MacCulloch Christian History: An Introduction (to the Western Tradition) Peterborough: Epworth, 2006

ISBN-10: 0716206242

ISBN-13: 978-0716206248

Recommended reading for the whole course

These will give you a good overview of Christian history which is one of the important aims of the module.  They will not give you enough for essays where you will need to use some of the fuller texts and specific readings on the topic.

Jean Comby,   How to Read Church History, 2 Vols. (Emporia Virginia: Crossroad Publishing, 1985) Very useful, especially for their generous selection of clips from primary sources.

González, J. L., Church History. An Essential Guide (Nashville: Abingdon, 1996)  This is particularly concise, giving very good coverage.  Too brief for essays, but useful for revision.

Küng, H., The Catholic Church. A Short History (New York: Weidenfeld, 2001) Now out of print, and better on the first part of the course than the second; but a good introduction. 

Lindberg, Carter A Brief History of Christianity (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)  A short and basic introduction but with some interesting material, particularly at the beginning on how and why we might study Christian history.

Noll, M. A., Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity  (   Written from an Evangelical Christian perspective, this book goes deeper into fewer episodes in Christian history than some of the other books in this section.  As the title suggests, it does give a good introduction to some of the key turning points in Christian history. On the periods it covers it can be a useful text for essays.

Tomkins, Stephen A Short History of Christianity (Lion, 2005) This is more of a popular account than an academic text, not such a good source for essays, but very good for getting the overview of Christian history which is a key part of this module.  A good and an easy read.