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III. Church History and Historical Theology
A. Historiography and Overviews |
ANTS HIST 609F
History of Christianity I: Origins through the European Reformations
A comprehensive survey of the history of Christianity
from the origins through the age of Reformations. Focus on key
theological and institutional developments, with particular attention
to written and non-textual sources (e.g., art, architecture, music).
Consideration of key themes relevant to this story, including:
asceticism and the emergence of monasticism; forms of spirituality
and the development of worship; the relationship of theology and
culture; authority and discipline; gender, race, and ethnicity;
the emergence of orthodoxy and the challenge of pluralism; heresies
and social movements, etc. This course fulfills the HIST introduction
requirement.
Possekel M 2-4:50 Fall
BC
TH 371
Turning Points in Jewish History
Jewish history stretches from creation to today. This
course will focus on the major turning points which shape today's
Jewish world, focusing on major intellectual and theological trends,
figures, and events from the development of rabbinic Judaism to
the twentieth century. Through this, students will come to have
a basic understanding of the outlines of Jewish religious and
intellectual history, of the nature of the Jewish experience as
a minority culture in the Christian and Muslim worlds, and of
the shapes of contemporary Judaism.
Langer T 3-4:50 Fall
BC
TH 441
Art & Religion in Latin America, 1492-1820
Considers the intersection of art and religion in Colonial
Latin America, a confrontation between Amerindians, Africans,
Asians, and mestizos, as well as Europeans from places as varied
as Spain, Italy, and Bohemia. Although Catholicism was forcibly
imposed, the arts of the Church was mostly made by non-Europeans
and reflects substantial traces of pre-Conquest religions and
world views. At times done with the assent of Catholic missionaries
and elsewhere done in strictest secrecy, descendents of the Aztec,
Inca, and Guaraní civilizations were able to preserve some
of the most important aspects of their faith in a Christian guise
for centuries.
Bailey F 10-11:50 Fall
BC
TH 483
The History of God
In the context of faith engaging culture, this course
will explore how the historical and theological experiences of
Christians from their origins to the present have helped them
construct their identities as well as Gods' personhood.
Dietrich T Th 10:30 Fall
BC
TH 485
From Diatribe to Dialogue: Studies in the Jewish-Christian Encounter
This course is an exercise in interreligious learning,
sponsored by Boston College's Center for Christian-Jewish Learning.
Christians and Jews, living together, have never ignored one another.
Only in our times have these encounters begun to include positive
affirmations of the other. To provide the student with a background
for the contemporary situation, this course will explore various
theological facets of the Jewish-Christian encounter, from the
diatribes of earliest Christianity through the medieval disputations,
concluding with the contemporary dialogue. Readings will be drawn
from Jewish and Christian primary sources in translation.
Kolbet & Langer T 1:30-4:20 Spring
BC
TH 885
A History of Christianity to 1500
This course is an examination of the life, structure,
and thought of the Christian community from New Testament times
until the Protestant Reformation. It will combine a topical and
chronological approach in weekly lectures, and discussions of
primary source readings.
DeLeeuw W 3-4:50 Fall
BU
STH TH 718
Church History I: Survey
A description and critical introduction to the history
of the Church from the post-biblical period to the present; attention
is given to the Church's evangelical engagement with other cultures
and religions from Hellenism to modern missions, as well as to
major theological and institutional issues and persons in context.
This course is prerequisite for all Church History II courses.
Discussion section required.
Brown T Th 9:30-11 Fall
EDS
CH 2030
History of Christianity I
This survey course will cover the major social, cultural,
and theological themes in western Christianity from the age of
the apostles until the revolution. Through reading, lectures,
discussions and reflecting on primary texts, the course will examine
core theological issues and developments as reflected in the lives
and struggles of leading men and women who have shaped the evolution
of the faith. The course will also focus on the challenges and
opportunities facing the church throughout the centuries, and
how Christians struggled with the options open to them.
Kujawa-Holbrook Daily 1-3 Summer (June 16-27, 2008)
GC
CH 500
Survey of Church History
A general survey of the history of the Christian church
from its founding at Pentecost to the present day.
Rosell Daily 9-12:30 January 14-18, 22-24
GC CH 501
The Church to the Reformation
A general survey of the history of the Christian church
from its founding at Pentecost to the Protestant Reformation of
the sixteenth century.
Currie Select Weekends Fall Meets in Boston
Rosell T 1:15-4:15 Fall
GC
CH 502
The Church since the Reformation
A general survey of the history of the Christian church
from the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth
century to the present time.
Currie TBA Spring Meets in Boston
Isaac T 1:15-4:15 Spring
Rosell M 1:15-4:15 Spring Limit of 60
GC
CH/TH 627
History and Theology of Prayer
(description unavailable)
Spencer, W. Select Weekends Fall Meets in Boston
GC
CH 653
History of Liturgy
(description unavailable)
Coolman M 6-9 Fall
GC
CH 812
Historiography
A study of historiography and research methodology designed
to prepare students for doctoral studies. Limit of 20
Rosell M 1:15-4:15 Spring
HC
CHST 5011
Church History I
This course offers a general introduction to the history
of the church up to they year 787. Emphasis will be laid on the
main ecclesiastical and theological issues and personalities and
on the study of certain key texts.
Skedros, FitzGerald T/R 10:40-12 Fall
HC
CHST 5022
Church History II
This course is designed to introduce students to the
institutions, personalities, and religious and theological expressions
of Church life from the medieval period to the present. Emphasis
will be place on the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Skedros, FitzGerald T/R 10:40-12 Spring
HC
CHST 6052
Eastern Christianity and Islam
Students will be introduced to the historical development
of Islam in the Middle East from its origins in the seventh century
to the Ottoman Empire and the impact Islam had upon the Christian
communities of the region. Particular attention will be given
to the historical, political, and social conditions of these Christian
communities under Islamic rule and law. The contemporary situation
of Christians in the Middle East will also be examined.
Skedros W 2:10-4:30 Fall
HC
CHST 6321
Christian Divisions and Theologies
This course will investigate the major divisions in Christianity
through an examination of primary documents. Attention will be
given to the division following the Council of Chalcedon, the
division between the churches of the East and West during the
Middle Ages, and the divisions of the 16th century Protestant
Reformation.
FitzGerald TBA Spring
HC
CHST 6052
Eastern Christianity and Islam
Students will be introduced to the historical development
of Islam in the Middle East from its origins in the seventh century
to the Ottoman Empire and the impact Islam had upon the Christian
communities of the region. Particular attention will be given
to the historical, political, and social conditions of these Christian
communities under Islamic rule and law. The contemporary situation
of Christians in the Middle East will also be examined.
Skedros W 2:10-4:30 Fall
HC
CHST 6252
Lives of the Saints
This course examines the genre of Early Christian and
Byzantine lives of saints (hagiography). Texts studied represent
various literary forms and depict a wide range of saints’ lives.
Attention will be given to the historical and religious functions
of the texts. Particular attention will be given to the place
and use of the lives of the saints within the life and tradition
of the Orthodox Church.
Skedros TBA Spring
HDS
2268
Christianity in Latin America: Colonization to Globalization
This course will explore the development of Latin American
Christian thought from the conquest through the present. We will
look at the major themes of pre-Columbian religions, the Spanish
conquests, intellectual and cultural encounters with indigenous
civilizations, the growth of Catholic institutions, independence
movements, the emergence of political and liberation theologies,
the recent growth of Pentecostalism, and the place of Latin America
in contemporary studies of "World Christianity."
Provost-Smith TBA Fall
HDS
2324
The Making of Christianity
What is "Christianity"? Where did it come from?
How did religious leaders from Paul to Patrick and Augustine navigate
the diverse teachings, rituals, and social practices of Jesus
and his followers, or else create their own arguably equally authentic
Christianity? How did a single "Christianity" emerge
from a welter of alternatives and possibilities? Or did it? Special
emphasis will be given to the careful study of primary sources,
questions of historiography, and Christianity across cultures.
Denzey TBA Fall
HDS
2337
Christianity, Identity, and Civil Society in Africa
This course is an historical survey of the centuries-old
Christian traditions in Africa. It begins with an outline of the
trajectory of Christianity's origins and presence in Africa from
its beginning in ancient Mediterranean lands through the early
period of European missionaries to the contemporary period. The
course provides the ethnography of the old mission churches, indigenous
independent African churches, and contemporary evangelical and
Pentecostal Charismatic movements. The course explores the role
of Christianity in relation to historical, cultural, social, and
material realities of the African continent. It examines a broad
range of topical issues related to conversion, missionization,
and the development and growth of Christian agencies in Africa
in relation to the construction of social, theological, and religious
identities, as well as Christianity's response to cultural pluralism,
nationhood, citizenship, and civil society.
Olupona TBA Spring
HDS
2355
The Expansion of Christendome:
Global Christianity, c. 1650-1830
The main aim of the course is to investigate major themes
in the history of Christianity from the mid seventeenth to the
mid nineteenth centuries. The particular focus of the course will
be on European Christendom and its expansion to other parts of
the world in the early modern period. Questions addressed will
include what was at stake in the multifaceted cultural encounters
between European Christianity and other religious traditions as
Christianity expanded into new social spaces? And what was the
relationship between Protestant and Catholic missionary movements
and the expansion of the European seaborne empires?
Hempton TBA Spring
HDS
2356
A Comparison of Religion in Europe and the United States, c. 1780-2000
It is commonly asserted that the United States is more
religious and less secular than Europe. The purpose of this seminar
is to test that claim by looking at the respective religious characteristics
of these two large and diverse areas from the age of revolution
in the late eighteenth century to the present. Among the topics
to be considered in comparative religious perspective are industrialization
and modernization, the rise of cities, the fate of Established
Churches, the relationship between religion and popular culture,
patterns of immigration, and trajectories of secularization. In
the light of these comparisons, the course will address the complex
issues at stake in the debates between those who make claims either
for American or European exceptionalism. Enrollment limited to
15.
Hempton TBA Spring
HDS
2357
Evangelical Conversion and Disenchantment Narratives
This seminar will concentrate on processes and discourses
of religious conversion and disenchantment within the Evangelical
tradition from the early eighteenth to the later twentieth centuries.
Questions addressed will include what was the appeal of Evangelical
religion and spirituality to different social groups, how were
religious conversions understood and expressed, and what factors
promoted subsequent disenchantment? We will examine conversion
narratives, various expressions of disenchantment (in art and
literature), and some examples of reconversion. By exploring these
categories, the course hopes to shed light on wider themes such
as the emergence of a concept of self in the early modern period,
and possible causes of secularization in later periods. Enrollment
limited to 15.
Hempton TBA Fall
HDS
2499
Pentecostalism as a Global Religion
The fastest growing religious movement in the world,
Pentecostalism is spreading especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin
America. This course looks into the religious and cultural sources
of the movement, focusing on such distinctive features as healing,
expressive bodily worship, "speaking in tongues," and
its special appeal to people on the margins of society. We will
then discuss its partial mutation into "neo-Pentecostalism,"
its political and familial implications and the recent emergence
of a Pentecostal theology of religions and a social theology.
Best TBA Fall
HDS
2842
Gender, Embodiment, and Spiritual Technologies of the Self
Focusing on the particular historical circumstances that
gendered the manner in which historical actors experienced their
bodies, we will explore as how Christians structured their narratives
of self. Case studies will draw on a variety of historical contexts
from the late-antiquity, through the Middle Ages and Early Modern
period up to the twentieth century, although the bulk of materials
will be drawn from Early Modern Europe and Colonial Latin America.
In all cases, we will engage creatively with Bourdieu, Foucault,
and Merleau-Ponty, experimenting with these theoretical tools
to better hone our ability to analyze and understand the role
of the body in the creation of selves. Enrollment limited to 15.
Molina TBA Fall
HDS
4511
Introduction to the Histories, Theologies, and Practices of Christianity
This course seeks to provide an introduction to Christianity
for students in the M.Div program. It will show through various
typologies the interrelationship between Christian beliefs and
practices within diverse cultural and historical contexts. The
aim of the course is to make explicit the relationship between
theory and practice, belief and ministerial practices. It aims
to build up a reflective awareness by developing a set of skills
for relating Christian beliefs to social and personal practices.
One approach to cultivating these skills will come through practicing
ministerial reflection on cases. Such reflective capacities are
crucial to the formation of a learned ministry. The course is
required for first year MDiv students, but is open to students
from other programs. It may only be taken for a letter grade.
Click TBA Fall
HDS
4515
Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion
This course, required of all first-year MDiv students
but open to all, serves as an introduction to various approaches
to the academic study of religion, from the anthropological and
sociological to the philosophical and theological. May only be
taken for a letter grade.
Carrasco TBA Spring
SJS
CH 500
Church History
An overview of Western Christianity from the second through
the twentieth century. The course introduces the major figures,
theological developments, forms of devotion, institutional changes,
and interaction between Church and society. In order to provide
students with a framework, each class will emphasize a major turning
point of Church history.
Orlando T 7:30-9:30 Spring
WJST
CH/HT 235
Missionary Encounters in the Global Church
This course examines missionary encounters around the
world from early Christianity through the present, with special
attention given to Jesuit missionary endeavors. The course proceeds
chronologically from the first missionary encounters in Europe
to evangelization in Asia, the Americas, and Africa. Illustrative
figures and topics include Raymond Lull, Bartolome de las Casas,
Francis Xavier, Matteo Ricci, Marie of the Incarnation, the Jesuits
of New France, the Jesuit Reductions, the relationship between
missionaries and colonialism, attitudes toward other belief systems,
and contemporary missionary practices, theologies, and debates
(e.g., inculturation, postcolonial responses, witness to justice,
interreligious dialogue). Lectures, focused discussion of readings,
several papers.
Mooney W 5-7:30 Spring
WJST
CH/PS 242
Seminar: Pathways to God: Classic Texts on Prayer and Christian
Mysticism
In this course, we will read and discuss classic western
texts on prayer and Christian mysticism by Benedict of Nursia,
Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Bonaventure,
Angela of Foligno, Marguerite Porete, Meister Eckhart, Julian
of Norwich, the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Ignatius of
Loyola, and Teresa of Avila. Authors and texts will be situated
in their historical contexts to illuminate the theological presuppositions
and pastoral implications implicit in their approaches to prayer
and mysticism. Lectures, focused discussion of readings, several
papers.
Mooney W 5-7:30 Fall
WJST
CH/HT 312
Two Great Councils: Trent and Vatican II
The two councils will be placed in their historical context
and then examined for their great themes relating both to doctrine
and to the practice of the Christian life. They will be compared
and contrasted to one another for their content, their presuppositions,
and especially for the styles of their discourse.
Cardman Th 12-3 Spring
WJST
CH/HT 335
Seminar: Early Franciscans: History, Hagiography, and Hermeneutics
This seminar examines the history, hagiography, and art
of Franciscan men and women in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Topics include the evolving and sometimes polemical portraits
of Francis, Clare, and their followers; lay Franciscans; the challenge
of institutionalizing radical ideals; the domestication of Franciscan
women in hagiography; the friars’ alternately easy and contentious
relationships with the secular clergy, the Poor Ladies, the Dominicans,
and papacy; papal support and condemnation of radical Franciscans;
Franciscan devotions and mysticism; portrayals of Francis’ stigmata;
theological treatments of poverty, the cross, stigmata, and imitatio
Christi. Lecture; discussion of extensive primary readings, including
Francis and Clare’s writings, works of hagiography, theology,
and spirituality. Art related to Franciscan figures and motifs
will be a major course component. Several papers. Previous study
of Franciscans, medieval history or hagiography is a prerequisite.
Mooney T 1-3:30 Fal
|
B.
Early Church and Patristics |
BC
TH 426
Fathers of the Church
Introduction to the Fathers of the Church, with special
emphasis on the period after the apostles to the Council of Nicea
(A.D. 325). The lives, writings, and teachings of the Church Fathers
will be studied through readings in English translation.
Schatkin M W 3- Fall
BC
TH 612
Seminar in Greek Patrology
Prerequisite: Introduction to ancient Greek The topic
of the Seminar is the doctrine of providence in St. John Chrysostom.
Schatkin M 10-12 Fall
BC
TH 741
The Cappadocians
Team taught with Professor George Dion Dragas of Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Introduction to the lives
and teachings of Basil of Caesarea (ca. 330-379), Gregory of Nazianzus
(ca. 329-389), and Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330-395). Selected readings
in English to illustrate their understanding of theology within
its historical context.
Schatkin Th 2-3:50 Fall
BC
TH 742
Early Christianity Seminar: Asceticism and Spirituality
This seminar examines the variety of spiritual practices
that evolved among Christians in the East and West in the third
to fifth centuries. Attention is given both to ancient and contemporary
theories of asceticism, including those of the Hellenistic philosophical
schools. Authors read include Musonius Rufus, the Desert Fathers,
Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Pelagius,
Augustine of Hippo, and John Cassian. In each case, the seminar
explores the relationship between spiritual practices and the
broader philosophical and theological commitments of their practitioners
Kolbet T 1:30-3:50 Fall
BU
STH TH817
Early Christianity
This course surveys the many different and often competing
forms of Christianity that arose and flourished in the Second
to the Seventh Century, from the apostolic period to the Arab
conquest in the Middle East. We will consider the intellectual,
social and institutional process by which a Jewish sect became
the established religion of the Roman Empire. As faith in Jesus
Christ meant different things to different individuals and communities,
we will emphasize the diversity of early Christianity and the
tensions between heretics and orthodox Christianity. The course
is a historical and theological introduction to Christianity in
this formative period, so that students can get a sense of the
various forms of literature in the first few centuries as well
as of the early developments in Christian doctrine(s).
Fredriksen TTh 12:30-2 Fall
BU
STH TX 830
Topics in Ancient Christianity
Topic for Fall 2004: Dying for God: Voluntary Death and
the Politics of Power in Roman Antiquity.
Fredriksen T 3:30-6:30 Fall
GC
CH 629
Great Africans of the Bible and Early Church: A Study Tour of
Egypt
A review of both the named and unnamed Africans in the
Bible and in the history of the biblical world. Art, historic
and archaelogical materials will be used extensively, especially
those demonstrating the strength of the early church in various
areas of Africa. Course meets in Egypt, travel required. For travel
arrangements contact the professor.
Kroeger TBA January
HC
PATR 5011
Patrology
This core course is an introduction to the Fathers of
the Church as understood in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition. It
comprises: a) a general survey of the patristic periods and b)
an examination of the life, works and theological contributions
of the major fathers and synods of the Church of the first eight
centuries of the Christian era which is also known as the era
of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
TBA W 2:10-3:30 Fall
F 9:10-10:30
HC
PATR 7261
Patristic Eschatology
This course will explore the shape of the patristic doctrine
of eschatology and will also review representative writings of
the Ante-Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.
Dragas TBA Spring
HC
PATR 7265
The Theology of the Seven Ecumenical Councils
This course will focus on the theological issues relating
to these councils as they are variously interpreted by patristic
scholars in East and West and on the impact they have had on dogmatic
theology. Emphasis will be paid on reading and interpreting primary
texts and key terms in the dogmatic formulations of these councils
(e.g. the Creeds of Nicea and Constantinople, Cyril of Alexandria’s
letters to Nestorious and John of Antioch, the dogmatic statements
and canons of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Councils, Justinian’s
theological edicts, Sophronius of Jerusalem’s Dogmatic Epistle;
also terms like omoousios, ousia, hypostasis, hypostatike enosis,
physis, thelesis/thelema, energia, physike, synthetos, latreia/proskynesis.
Dragas TBA Spring
HC
PATR 7312
Orthodox Monasticism and Spirituality
This course will be an introduction to the historic development
of Orthodox monasticism and will concentrate on the great spiritual
masters of monastic patrology and their writings.
Dragas TBA Spring
HC
PATR 7202
St. John Chrysostom: Exegete and Theologian
This course will consist of two parts: a) an introduction
to Chrysostom’s exegetical works and method; and b) an exploration
of Chrysostom’s doctrines of the Trinity, Christology, ecclesiology
and eschatology. Emphasis will be paid on particular texts.
Dragas TBA Spring
HC
PATR 7142
The Ecclesiology of the Greek Fathers
This course will examine the doctrine of the Church in
the post-Nicene Greek Fathers: Athanasius, the Cappadocians, St.
John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Maximos the Confessor
and St. John Damascene.
Dragas TBA Spring
SJS
HT 501
Patristics
A survey of the development of doctrine in the early
Church from the first century through the middle of the fifth
century. The readings, lectures, and class discussion introduce
the student to the theologies, teaching, and personalities of
the early Christian period.
Orlando T/R 10:30-11:45 Fall
WJST
CH 135
History of Western Christianity I: 100-850
A general survey of the institutional, cultural, and
intellectual development of Western Christianity from the period
of the persecutions to the rise of medieval Christendom. Lectures,
readings in primary sources, and focused discussion.
Cardman MW 10-12 Fall
WJST
CH/HT 210
History of Christian Spirituality I: 100-1200
An introduction to the variety of experiences and expressions
of Christian spirituality through readings of representative texts
from the early church to 1200. Forms of spiritual life and writings
to be considered include martyrdom, prayer and liturgy, desert
fathers and mothers, the spiritual journey, pilgrimage and holy
places, monasticism, lives of holy women and men, visionary literature,
hymns and poetry. Introductory lectures, structured discussion
of primary readings, short papers and/or presentations, final
paper or project. Previous study of early and/or medieval church
history strongly recommended.
Cardman T 6-8:30 Spring
WJST
HT/MT 366
Seminar: Liturgy and Ethics in the Early Church
A study of the relationship between liturgy and early
Christian ethics, with attention to topics such as the formative
nature of liturgy, the rites of Christian initiation, community
as constructive of ethics, and preaching as ongoing formation
in Christian living. Through extensive reading of primary sources
from the second through the fourth centuries, the seminar will
consider church orders, baptismal and mystagogical catecheses,
homilies, treatises on discipline and practice, and related theological
works. Focused seminar discussions, short seminar papers and/or
presentations, final research paper. Designed primarily for advanced
degree students; others by explicit permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites: at least one course or equivalent in each of the
following areas: early church history or patristic theology and
moral theology or ethics.
Cardman Th 12:30-3 Fall.
ANTS
HIST 628S
Women Leaders of the Medieval Church
Through careful reading of primary texts in English translation,
this course will explore the diverse leadership roles that women
assumed in the Middle Ages, and the important contributions they
made to various aspects of medieval Christian life and thought.
The course will focus on such figures as Hildegard of Bingen,
Clare of Assisi, Hadewijch of Brabant, Catherine of Siena, and
Julian of Norwich. Prerequisite: HIST 609 or equivalent. This
course fulfills the HIST upper-level requirement.
B. Coolman F 9-11:50 Spring
BC
TH 510
Women Theologians of the Medieval Church
Through careful reading of primary texts in English translation,
this course will explore the diverse and profound theological
writings of a wide range of women in Middle Ages. The course will
focus on such figures as Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Magdeburg,
Catherine of Siena, Julian of Norwich, and others.
Coolman Th 12-1:50 Fall
BC
TH 622
The Victorine School in the Middle Ages: The Theology of Hugh
of St Victor
The significance of the “school” of St. Victor in the
development of medieval theology has long been recognized. This
course provides an introduction to the thought of Hugh of St.
Victor.
Coolman Th 3-4:50 Spring
BU
STH TX 811
Medieval Christian Mysticism
Study of the Christian mystical traditions of medieval
Europe, both orthodox and heretical, with particular emphasis
on the role of gender and authority in mystical writing, practicing,
and teaching.
Klepper M 3-6 Fall
BU
STH TX 817
Medieval Christian Spirituality
Explores Christian beliefs and practices in medieval
Europe within and outside formal church structures. Topics include
accommodation of pagan culture, constructing identity, clerical
and lay piety, heterodox practice and institutional response,
and encounter with non-Christian traditions.
Klepper MWF 12-1 Fall
EDS
CH 2805
English Christianity I
This course focuses on the history of Christianity in
England from Roman times until the Reformation. Through the use
of primary texts and secondary sources, students will explore
the foundations of Christian life in England. The course will
introduce students to the religious life of the ancient Celtics
and Saxons, the rise of monasticism and religious orders, the
development of parish life, and the spirituality of saints and
mystics. The course will conclude with the shift from the late
medieval church to the era of the Reformation.
Kujawa-Holbrook M 1-3 Spring
HDS
2216/4332
Heresy, Orthodoxy, and Religious Identity in Medieval Christianity
Heresy, orthodoxy, and religious identity from the early
to the late Middle Ages. Focus on western European persons and
movements that were deemed heretical. Readings in Latin; discussion
of current research and methodological issues. Prerequisite: 4311
or the equivalent.
Kienzle TBA Spring
HDS
2230
History of Western Christianity, 150-1100
Church and society in western Europe from the fourth
century through the twelfth century. Early and high medieval Christianity
in social and cultural context, with attention to popular religious
belief and behavior as well as to the institutional church and
its leaders.
Madigan TBA Fall
HDS
2236
The Literature of Medieval Celtic Christianity
A study of selected texts representative of early and
medieval Christianity in Ireland and Wales, including monastic
rules and penitentials, saints lives, voyage and vision narratives,
and lyric and bardic poetry.
McKenna TBA Spring
HDS
2322
Saints, Sinners, Matrons, and Monastics: Hagiography in late Antiquity
An introduction to the hagiographical literature of late
antiquity. We will focus on literature from the Greek East, from
the 4th to the 6th century CE. Topics to be studied will include
asceticism and the body; gender and authority; anchoresis and
urban piety, and late antique identity construction. All texts
will be made available in English but those who can read Greek
will be given the opportunity to work with sources in the original
language. Enrollment limited to 15.
Denzey TBA Spring
SJS
CH 501
Medieval Church History, 500-1500
This course studies the history of the Church from 500
to ca. 1500. It addresses theological literature, popular religion,
doctrinal developments, the role of the papacy, and the interaction
between Christianity and culture.
Beauregard M/F 9-10:15 Fall
WJST
CH 142
History of Western Christianity II: 850-1650
A general survey of Western Christianity, with special
emphasis on institutional, cultural, theological, and spiritual
issues. Lectures, readings in primary sources, and focused discussion.
Mooney MW 10-12 Spring
ANTS
HIST 655W
Great Themes in the 16th-Century Reformations
This course will cover the most important figures and
themes of the 16-century reformations, including the issues of
authority, salvation, and sacraments as they appear in the writings
of Luther, Calvin, the radical reformation, and Catholic Reform.
We will also consider the role of women in these movements.
H. Coolman TBA Winter (January 3, 4, 7-11, 14, 16, 18)
BU
STH TH 821
History and Doctrine of United Methodism
The Wesleys and English Methodism. The Evangelicals,
United Brethren, and Methodists in America. Distinctive doctrines
of Wesleyan Theology and doctrinal developments in the three American
denominations. Designed to meet one of the requirements for membership
in a UMC Annual Conference.
Messer Th 2-5 Fall
BU
STH TH 826
Reformations
Social, personal, institutional, and theological aspects
of reform and renewal in the sixteenth century from Luther to
the Council of Trent.
Brown Th 2-5 Fall
GC
CH/TH 643
Martin Luther
A seminar on the life, work, and times of Luther, pioneer
of the Reformation. Attention will be given to is spiritual pilgrimage
and to his development and influence as a leader, particularly
through his debates and writings.
Isaac R 1:15-4:15 Fall
GC
CH 650
The Protestant Reformation
This course will explore the impact of key figures such
as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bucer, Munzer, Simons, and Cranmer
on both the Continental and English Reformations.
Isaac R 1:15-4:15 Spring
HDS
2250
History of Western Christianity, 1100-1500
Church and society in western Europe during the high
and late Middle Ages. Particular attention will be paid to theological
and institutional change and continuity and to popular religious
movements.
Madigan TBA Spring
BC
TH 422
Introduction to Orthodox Theology
This course introduces students to Orthodox Christianity's
most salient ideas and critical historical developments. The course
will survey topics such as the Byzantine, Russian and Eastern
churches, Orthodox theology, liturgy and ritual, art and culture,
the veneration of saints, asceticism and monasticism, prayer and
spirituality, as well as issues confronted today by contemporary
Orthodoxy and Orthodox Church.
Katos M 3-4:50 Fall
BC
TH 439
Transatlantic Catholicism Since 1750: Responses to Age
Intellectual, social, political, and technological upheavals
in America (1776-83), France (1789-1815), Italy (1848-70) and
throughout Europe (1919) confronted Catholic communities on a
theoretical, organizational and pastoral level. From the Enlightenment
through the conflicts of the twenty-first century, the Western
Mediterranean and North Atlantic Catholic community contended
with issues of rationalism and belief, democracy and statism,
imperialism and religious inculturation beyond Europe. It addressed
questions of social justice and issues both internal and with
its Christian and non-Christian neighbors concerning the very
nature of the Church, its development, its intellectual, spiritual
and pastoral life, conflicts regarding gender, governance, and
dissent.
Kilcoyne Th 3-5 Spring
BC
TH 482
Hitler, the Churches, and the Holocaust
This course will examine the anti-Semitism and nationalism
that weakened the churches' response to Hitler's policies. It
will also analyze the theological and institutional resistance
that emerged in response to totalitarianism and to the Holocaust
as well as consider the post-Holocaust paradigm shift in theology.
Dietrich Th 3-4:50 Fall
BU
STH TH 876
Martin Luther King, Jr. in Context: Voice and Vocation
(description unavailable)
Andrews & Newsome T 2-5 Fall
EDS
CH 2501
Episcopal History and Polity: Communities and Commitment
This course focuses on the important theological themes,
religious movements, and institutional shifts within the history
of the Episcopal Church in the United States, from the seventeenth
century to the present. Students will also study Episcopal polity,
and be required to familiarize themselves with the Constitution
and Canons. The course will investigate the role and influence
of communities of color, women, and other groups often overlooked
from the historical canon. Discussion of the evolution of parish
life, as well as the application of denominational history in
congregations today will be studied.
Kujawa-Holbrook W 10-12 Fall
EDS
CH 2601
Anglican Theologians of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
A critical study of liberal Anglican theologians of the
past two centuries, with central focus on Anglo-American voices
and additional attention on emerging voices of women and third
world theologians. Texts by Maurice, Temple, Sayers, Underhill,
Stringfellow, Wiles, Tutu, Dozier and others will be studied.
Class pedagogy will involve direct student analysis of texts,
including attention to their historical and theological contexts,
and constructive reflection on present and future direction(s)
for theology. Same as T 2601. Specialized Focus
Thompsett T 3-5 Fall
HC
CHST 7701
Seminar on Orthodox-Roman Catholic Relations
Following a review of the issues of alienation and schism,
the course will examine the documents of the contemporary bilateral
dialogues between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
FitzGerald TBA Spring
HDS
2536
The German Church Struggle and the Holocaust
An analysis of the role of the churches in Germany during
the period 1918-1945. Consideration will be given to the following
topics: religious intellectuals and the Weimar culture, Christian
anti-Judaism, the rise of Nazism and the role of the church, the
confessing church movement, and Christian resistance to and complicity
with the Holocaust.
Thiemann TBA Fall
HDS
2632
Political Theology, Justice, and Rights
This course will explore contemporary issues within political
theology, its relation to diverse theories of justice, and the
significance of human rights. It deals with the relation between
political theology and the foundations of social ethics, justice,
rights, and theology, as well as the relation between ethical
and religious reflection and the social construction of reality.
Special emphasis to the work of Metz, Moltmann, Wolin, Rawls,
Scanlon, Ignatieff, Nussbaum, and Jürgen Habermas's theory
of communicative action, modernity, and discourse ethics.
Fiorenza TBA Spring
HDS
3839
Holy War, The Aztec Empire and the
Spanish Conquest - Perspectives from History of Religions:
Seminar
This interdisciplinary introduction to Mesoamerican and Hispanic
Religions focuses on war practices and the cultural constructions
of "holy war" in the Aztec Empire, and on the practices
and ideologies of "just war" in the Spanish conquest
of Mexico. We will compare military cults, sacred architecture
and buried offerings, theories and mythologies of "holy war"
and "just war," ideologies of conquest, and the symbolic
construction of humans and gods as ways of justifying spectacular
aggressions (Spanish rites of execution and Aztec human sacrifice)
in the rise of the Aztec empire and the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Provost-Smith TBA Fall
SJS
CH 502
Modern Church History, 1500-1965
This course studies the history of the Church from ca.
1500 until 1965. It addresses theological literature, popular
religion, doctrinal developments, the role of the papacy, and
the interaction between Christianity and culture.
Beauregard M/F 9-10:15 Spring
WJST
CH 272
Jesuit Moderns
Founded in the mid-16th century and inspired by Renaissance
Christian humanism, the Society of Jesus was marked by a spirituality
of reconciliation: grace and nature, God and the world, Christ
and culture. Between the Society’s suppression in 1773 and its
restoration in 1814 occurred a watershed in human history: the
French Revolution. The world of the restored Society, from 1815
to 1965, was one marked by intransigent opposition between the
Catholic Church and modernity. This course will overview the work
of Jesuits who have negotiated this dilemma within themselves.
Schloesser M 10-12 Fall
ANTS
HIST 645F
History of Christianity II: U.S. From the Colonial Era to the
Present
This course explores religious (primarily Protestant
Christian) life in the United States from the colonial period
to the present, with some attention to European origins and contemporary
global realities. Focus is on the diverse people, groups, movements,
themes, and events that have characterized the American religious
experience. This course fulfills the HIST introduction requirement.
Nordbeck W 9-11:50 Fall
ANTS
HIST 698/798S
Cults and Controversies: New Religious Movements in America
An examination of alternative religions in America, with
attention to both historical and contemporary movements, as well
as legal, political and pastoral implications. Limit: 25.
Nordbeck W 2-4:50 Spring
ANTS
HIST 732F
Unitarian Universalist History: An Introduction
This course will briefly explore the European origins
of Unitarianism in Transylvania, Poland, and England. Much of
the course will focus on the gradual evolution of Unitarianism
from its Puritan background to its centuries-long struggles with
theological diversity and radical individualism in North America.
Some time will also be spent on the indigenous origins of Universalism,
especially the evangelical background found in the hill country
of New England. Finally, we will explore how these two faiths
came together in the 20th century, and continue to wrestle with
social issues, congregational polity and religious pluralism.
M. Harris T 6-8:50 Fall
BC
TH 440
A Religious History of American Catholicism
This course will reconstruct the ways in which American
Catholics have believed and lived the Catholic faith from the
era of John Carroll to the present. The major focus of the class
will be on the relationship between the official forms of the
tradition as expressed in the catechisms, hymnals, liturgical,
devotional, and spiritual books, and the more flexible and culturally
sensitive forms found in sermons, architecture, the naming and
interior decoration of churches, and heroic lifestyles.
Wangler W 3-4:50 Spring
EDS
CH 1110
Black People In and Out of White Churches
Using the experiences of African-Americans in the Episcopal
Church as a case study, this course will explore the participation
and exclusion of people of color in American religious life. We
will look at ways that aboriginal, African, Asian, and Latino
people engage predominantly Euro-American denominations and at
ways Christians of color have left the white church experience.
The history of black Episcopalians will be set in the history
of the black institutional church. Afro-Anglicanism and parallel
theologies among mother people of color will be critiqued. Same
as CS 1110.
Montagno, Rushing Th 7-9 Fall
GC
CH/TH 601
History and Theology of the African-American Church
This course will explore the history of the African American
Church, how we have known God through social, political, economic,
and religious context, review major themes in African American
theological reflection, and suggest areas for further reflection
and praxis.
Rowe TBA January
GC
CH 611
American Christianity
An analysis of the major themes in American religious
history from colonial times to the present. Special attention
will be given to the relation between the church and the social,
economic and political context within which it seeks to minister.
Limit of 20
Rosell R 1:15-4:15 Fall
GC
CH/PR 730
The Life Preaching of Martin Luther King, Jr.
(description unavailable) Limit of 20
Haynes W 1:15-4:15 Spring
HDS
2270
Radical Religion in England and America, 1550-1750
The history of the Puritan movement in the context of
the Reformation and the Reformed tradition; mainstream and radical
movements, including Quakerism. A reading seminar, using primary
materials and the major historiography. Enrollment limited to
20.
Hall TBA Fall
HDS
2303
Religion in America: From the Coming of the Europeans to the 1870s
Encompassing both mainstream and insurgent, popular or
new forms of religion (e.g., the Society of Friends, Mormonism,
African-American Protestantism), this survey course deals with
the history of Christian thought; changing patterns of religious
practice, especially in relation to gender; and religion and society
in the context of the regulating and/or liberating reform movements
of the nineteenth century.
Hall TBA Spring
HDS
2311
Religion in the U.S. between WWI and WWII
U.S. religious history in the interwar years and the
public and academic construal of "religion" in the same
period. Topics include religion and labor and accounts of workers'
religion, Middletown's religion, and religion in the WPA guides.
Enrollment limited to 25.
Orsi TBA Spring
HDS
2358
The Evangelical Tradition, c. 1700-2000
The purpose of the course is to investigate the Evangelical
tradition from its origins in the religious revivals of the eighteenth
century to its contemporary role in American culture and society.
Notwithstanding its often stereotypical characterizations, the
Evangelical tradition is surprisingly eclectic and complex. A
central objective of the course, therefore, is to explore that
complexity in relation to gender, ethnicity, social class, and
political culture. The course will make use of primary and secondary
materials to shed light on Evangelical theology, spirituality,
and cultural expression throughout the North Atlantic region and
beyond.
Hempton TBA Fall
HDS
2390
Colloquium in American Religious History
Presentation and discussion of the research of doctoral
candidates in American religious history. Available, with instructors'
permission, to Harvard doctoral students in other fields of religious
studies or American studies. Enrollment limited to 20.
Braude TBA Year
HDS
2837
Women and American Religion
This course will provide students with an opportunity
to think about the religious beliefs, practices, and experiences
of a wide variety of American women. Special emphasis will be
placed on ethnographic studies so that students can have a chance
to "hear" some of these women speak in their own voices.
These studies constitute our primary texts. Though we do discuss
some nineteenth century women, this course is primarily focused
on the twentieth century. As part of this course we will explore
theoretical issues such as the way gender and sexuality have been
constructed by some religious authorities. One of our central
themes will be the examination of the creative strategies women
have employed to resist and reinterpret their religion traditions
in order to return to or remain in them. We will also look briefly
at new women's religions and spirituality. Enrollment limited
to 30.
Proctor TBA Fall
HDS
2839
Mormonism and the American Experience
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now
the fourth-largest religious body in the United States and continues
to be one of the fastest growing. Who are the Saints and what
is the appeal of this homegrown religion? Latter-day Saints, or
Mormons as they are sometimes called, have been variously characterized
as politically dangerous vipers on the hearth, sexually deviant
cult members, and the model religious minority with a reputation
for wholesome living and an emphasis on traditional family life.
This course explores the reasons for and sources of these competing
portraits of Mormonism. Beginning with an historical overview,
we will place Mormonism is its nineteenth century context and
then move to a topical discussion of religious beliefs and practices
teasing out the reasons why some of them have erupted in political
and cultural conflict for the Latter-day Saints. We will discuss
the ways in which these controversies have influenced national
culture, political consciousness, and even the U.S. legal system.
Throughout the seminar we will pay particular attention to the
role that mass media plays in reflecting and shaping the popular
American imagination of Mormonism. Enrollment limited to 15.
Proctor TBA Spring
Last update:
June 14, 2007 3:16 PM
