Reformation Christianity: 1450-1650 |
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Reformation Christianity: 1450-1650 |
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Examination of the Protestant Reformers (e.g., Luther, Calvin, Anabaptists) with emphasis on their reaction to scholasticism, Roman Catholicism, and the trends they set for theology. (GE)
This course may be taken either for history or religious studies credit. In addition to the focus on historical theology of the key persons and issues of this era, we will examine the social context, the diverse models of church reform proposed, the historiography of the Reformation, and the legacies of this tumultuous period. As we are able, we will also link our readings and discussions with the art and historic locales that we will be visiting.
Carter Lindberg, The European Reformations, Blackwell Publishers, 1996
Alister McGrath, Reformation Thought: An Introduction, 3rd ed., Blackwell Publishers, 1999
Hans Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation, Harper, 1968
Handouts (supplied by the instructor)
Outside readings (as chosen by students from selected lists)The texts by Lindberg, McGrath and Hillerbrand are all required for this class, but a "buddy system" may certainly be used for sharing books in Europe.
Class sessions will be a combination of lectures, discussions and student presentations. There will also be occasional required field trips. Complete, careful and thoughtful reading of assignments before class and appropriate participation in class is expected - commensurate with an upper-level course. Because our class time is reduced and compressed (compared to regular on-campus classes), attendance at all class sessions is required.
1. Class performance: faithful attendance, evidence of careful reading and willingness to contribute to class learning by questions and comments will be the key criteria for this category of evaluation.
2. Exam: there will be one comprehensive exam for the course that will be a combination of short and long essays.
3. Outside reading/Presentation: each student will select a topic (broad or specialized) relating to our course and do at least 300 pages of outside reading about it. Your reading may be either primary and/or secondary sources. Check the list of topics in the class schedule and browse through the texts to determine your selection. Consult the suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter in Lindberg and McGrath as well as their bibliographies at the end of their books. If your textbooks discuss your topic, read that first, then let your outside reading take you deeper into that topic.
In addition to the broad topics listed in the class schedule, here are a few more specialized topics that may stimulate your thinking:
Your task will be to select, to read, to write and to present. You may do all your reading in one source, or divide it among several sources (just so it totals at least 300 pages). For each source that you do use, you must prepare a 1-2 page reading report which 1) identifies your source (author, title, date, pages read) 2) summarizes in one paragraph the contents of your reading and 3) reflects upon the significance of your reading in 1-2 paragraphs. This report will then be the basis for your oral presentation to the class at a designated time (depending upon your topic chosen) in Europe. The thrust of your class presentation should be to illuminate your topic and raise both issues of significance and questions for discussion (15-20 minutes).
4. Journal: In a separate notebook, keep a journal of reflective entries about the sites you visit that have connections to the Reformation era. Whether tours, art work, churches, museums, sites, libraries, etc., think about what you are seeing and experiencing and its relationship to our class. You should have at least 10 entries in your journal and each entry should be at least 250 words long of written reflections, focusing primarily on the question, how does being here enhance my understanding of this subject?
5. Grading: A student's final grade for this class will be determined on the basis of the above four components, each valued equally (that is, 25% each for class performance, exam, reading report/presentation and journal).
Summer Assignments
Required: outside reading and reading report(s). Written work due by July 15. Prefer submission by e-mail to srpointer@aol.com.
Highly recommended: complete as much reading in Lindberg, McGrath and Hillerbrand as possible.
| Session | Location | Date | Topic | Reading |
| 1. | Dublin | Aug 26 | Introduction | L 1, M 1, handout A |
| 2.. | Dublin | Aug 27 | Late Medieval Religion | L 2, M 2 |
| 3. | Dublin | Aug 28 | Renaissance Humanism | M 3 |
| 4. | Dublin | Aug 29 | Scholasticism & Reformation | M 4 |
| 5. | Cambridge | Sep 3 | Luther (I): The Reformer | L 3, M 5, H 1-2 |
| 6. | Cambridge | Sep 4 | Luther (II): Justification | M 6, H 8 |
| 7. | Cambridge | Sep 5 | Luther (III): Reform in Wittenberg | L 4, H 3-4 |
| 8. | London | Sep 9 | English Reformation: An Overview | L 13, M13 |
| 9. | London | Sep 10 | Elizabethan Settlement | H 20, handout B |
| 10. | London | Sep 12 | Anglican and Puritan | H 21-22, handout C |
| 11. | London | Sep 13 | English Bible: From Tyndale to AV | M 12, H 19, handout D |
| 12. | Geneva | Sep 17 | Calvin (I) | L 10, H 15-16 |
| 13. | Geneva | Sep 18 | Calvin (II) | M 7, H 17-18 |
| 14. | Strasbourg | Sep 20 | Social Impact | L 5 |
| 15. | Paris | Sep 24 | Scripture | M 8 |
| 16. | Paris | Sep 25 | German Peasants' War | L 6, H 6-7 |
| 17. | Paris | Sep 26 | Zwingli | L 7, H 9 |
| 18. | Paris | Sep 27 | Sacraments and Church | M 9 and 10 |
| 19. | Paris | Sep 30 | Reformation in France | L 11 |
| 20. | MSM | Oct 3 | Reform and Politics | L 9, M 11, H 5 |
| 21. | Antwerp | Oct 7 | Radical Reformation | L 8, H 10-14 |
| 22. | Antwerp | Oct 8 | Martyrdom and Catholic Renewal | L 12 and 14 |
| 23. | Antwerp | Oct 8 | Reformation Legacies | L 15, M 14 |
| 24. | Haarlem | Oct 11 | Final Exam |
L = Lindberg, The European Reformations, plus chapter #
M = McGrath, Reformation Thought: An Introduction, plus chapter #
H = Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation, plus document #