History and Interpretation of Christianity. History of Christianity
HC501. History of Early Christian Thought
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
Survey of the theological and doctrinal developments of the Christian church in its cultural setting in the first 500 years.
HC502. Medieval Christian Thought
Credit, three hours. (Bogue)
Survey of the theological, doctrinal, and institutional developments of the western church from the Carolingian renewal to the eve of the Reformation.
HC509. The Making of Global Christianity
Credit, three hours. (Hanciles)
Christianity was a demonstrably global faith (with its center of gravity in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East) before it became a predominantly Western religion (c. 1500). Now, after roughly five centuries, it has once again reemerged as a hugely non-Western phenomenon. A full historical account reveals a faith that is inherently global because it is ultimately local and therefore never fully defined by any historic phase or context. This course provides an exploration of Christianity’s 2,000 year history with a primary focus on the processes of cross-cultural transmission and the critical elements that have defined the experience and expression of the faith in successive heartlands. Five core issues will guide the discussion: the translation principle (or indigenous appropriations and vernacular expressions of the faith); the agents and agencies of missionary expansion; major movements of reformation and renewal; interaction with other major faiths; and causative factors in the periodic shifts or extermination of the faith.
HC553. History of Theology from the Reformation to the Twentieth Century
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
Survey of the theological and doctrinal developments of the Christian church in its cultural setting from the reformations of the sixteenth century to the transitions of the mid-twentieth century.
HC554. Introduction to the Reformation and Early Modern Christianity: 1450–1750
Credit, three hours. (Strom)
This course is part of a sequence designed to introduce students to foundational materials of Christian history and theology as well as historical method as part of theological education. This course will deal primarily with the early modern period, beginning in the late medieval period and concluding with the rise of Protestant Evangelical and Enlightenment movements. The primary focus will be on the reforming traditions of the 16th century and their implications for modern Christianity.
HC555. History of Christianity in America
Credit, three hours. (Kim, Greene)
This course introduces the religious history of the region that is now the United States from its indigenous origins to the present. We will focus on the history of American Christianity, its distinct theologies, and its relationship to race, gender and sexuality, class, and nation. We will also examine U.S. Christianity in relation to other religious traditions. Students will learn basic familiarity with United States Christian history through both primary sources and scholarly secondary literature. More important, students will learn to think about how this nation’s religious history along with conversations and claims about that history has shaped its present. Assignments will emphasize primary source analysis and interpretation, critical thinking, and clear writing.
HC609. Early Monastic Thought and Practice
Credit, three hours. (Briggman)
A study of major writings of fourth- and fifth-century monasticism, from Aphrahat of Persia to the Rule of Benedict. Themes will include the influence of Jewish traditions, conceptions of God, practices of prayer, and ascetic practices—especially eating habits, celibacy, and the withdrawal from familial relations. (HC609CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective) (Theology)
HC610. Survey of African Christianity: From Apollos to Adelaja
Credit, three hours. (Hanciles) (Same as M610.)
This course explores the establishment and growth of Christianity in Africa. Regional experiences and developments form the building blocks of the study. But the assessment aims less to provide detailed historical coverage of the church in every region of the subcontinent than to negotiate major themes, currents and developments constituent to the rise of African Christianity—including the vital role of indigenous religious culture and the interaction with Islam. The significance of colonialism as well as the role and impact of Western missionary enterprise form an overarching theme, but central emphasis will be placed on African initiatives, agency, and enterprise as indispensable elements in the development and prospects of the African Church. The emergence of African Christianity as a major factor within world Christianity also will receive attention. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC611. Francis and Clare
Credit, three hours (Faculty)
This course attends equally to the historical, real-life Francis (insofar as he can be retrieved) and to the Francis of piety and legend, i.e., to the historical reception of Francis. This reception includes the several lives, the movements that trace their origins to Francis, and his deception in visual art. The course explores the paradoxes of the Francis phenomenon and the tensions and divisions of the Franciscan movement. The course also looks at two very different women in relation to the saint: Clare of Assisi (1193/94-1253), an early disciple for whom Francis established a severly cloistered way of life, quite unlike that of the medicant friars; and Angela of Foligno (d. 1309), a Franciscan Tertiary who lived among the people, worked with and cherished lepers, enjoyed supernatural visions, and attracted a network of disciples.
HC612. Doctrines and Creeds of the Early Church
Credit, three hours. (Briggman)
This course considers the development of central doctrines of the Christian tradition, with particular attention given to Trinitarian theology, Christology, and Pneumatology. Readings include selections from key figures of this period, as well as statements formulated by early church councils. Prerequisite of HC501, or permission of the instructor, for MDiv students. (Theology)
HC614. Earliest Christian Belief about the Holy Spirit
Credit, three hours. (Briggman)
This course considers the earliest Christian beliefs about the Holy Spirit, with particular attention to the influence and importance of Jewish traditions and forms of thought concerning the Spirit. Readings shall include selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, intertestamental literature, the New Testament writings, Greco-Roman philosophy, and early Christian authors.
HC617. Early Christian Worship
Credit, three hours. (E. Phillips)
This seminar examines the sources and evolving methods for the study of early Christian worship and sacrament from the New Testament into the late patristic period, including the development of Eucharistic prayers, the rites of initiation, the liturgical year, and daily prayer.
HC618. Ethics of Aquinas
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as ES618)
Thomas’s treatment of the foundations of ethics, including topics such as human action, free will, the passions, habits, vice and virtue, and law, as explained in his Summa theologiae. Teaching involves lectures, seminars, and close reading of primary texts.
HC620. Theology in the Monastic Tradition
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
This course has a foreground and a background. In the background is the institutional and social history of monasticism and related religious movements, from the origins of Christian monasticism to the end of the Middle Ages. In the foreground are some classic and perennially popular examples of monastic writing, from Benedict’s Rule to the 14th-century Cloud of Unknowing, which we read closely by analyzing the theological arguments and by interpreting them in light of their historical context.
HC623. Theology of Augustine
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as ST625)
The development of Augustine’s thought across his life and career, with attention to contemporary issues of the church and theology.
HC625. Theology of Thomas Aquinas
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as ST626)
Thomas’s understanding of the nature, methods, and aims of theology (sacra doctrina), as explained in his Summa theologiae. Teaching involves lectures, seminars, and close reading of primary texts.
HC639. The History and Theology of Eucharistic Worship
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as W669 and ST639.)
A liturgical and theological study of the origins and evolution of the Eucharist and related practices. The subject is covered in terms of the major cultural, philosophical, and historical movements which formed the background of this evolution. (HC669CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)
HC641. Early Christian Women
Credit, three hours. (Hylen) (Same as NT641.)
This course explores the roles and authority of women in the early church (first to fourth centuries) and the ways this history is used in modern arguments about women’s leadership. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC648R. Special Topics in History of Christianity Era 1
Credit, three hours. (Faculty)
HC Era 1 special topic or one-time offering courses led by Candler regular or visiting faculty. Prerequisites may be required and are noted on the course schedule when applicable.
HC651. History of Christian-Muslim Relations
Credit, three hours. (Womack) (Same as WR652.)
This course introduces students to the history of Christian-Muslim relations from the early Islamic period to present and acquaints them with recent initiatives for interfaith dialogue. Attention is given to multiple global contexts and to the cultural and theological diversity of both Islam and Christianity. Part I of the course introduces significant events, themes, and players in the history of Christian-Muslim relations. Part II centers upon Christian-Muslim dialogue initiatives since the mid-20th century.
HC652. Reforming the Church and the People: Sixteenth-Century Models
Credit, three hours. (Strom)
An investigation of Protestant, Catholic, and radical reform movements as responses to the challenges of the sixteenth century. Special attention will be given to doctrinal issues and ecclesial developments, as well as to the implications for lay piety, the family, and social and political structures.
HC653. World Evangelism in an Age of Empire
Credit, three hours. (Jones) (Same as EV653, M653.)
From the beginning of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century, Christians from North America and Europe were involved in a massive effort to conquer and Christianize the world. This course examines the relationship between Western imperial missions and religious missions, noting the ways in which they both conflicted and cooperated in their endeavors. Attention will be given to indigenous Christians in Asia, Africa and Latin America, whose life, work and witness was crucial in shaping religious responses to imperialism.
HC654. Theology of Karl Barth
Credit, three hours. (Soulen) (Same as ST623)
A study of Barth’s theology across the course of his career with attention to his influence on contemporary theology.
HC655. Women in Radical Protestantism
Credit, three hours. (Strom)
Examination of the role of women in radical Protestant movements from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Particular attention is given to writing and prophecy by women in the Anabaptist, radical Puritan, Quaker, Pietist, and Methodist movements. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC656. Pietism: The Development of Modern Piety
Credit, three hours. (Strom)
This course will focus on religious renewal movements in the wake of the Reformation, especially continental Pietism with further attention given to cognate movements such as Puritanism, Quietism, and Methodism.
HC657. Theology of Luther
Credit, three hours. (Strom) (Same as ST657)
An examination of Luther’s work and theology in the context of the Protestant Reformation movement and 16th-century German society.
HC658. Women and Gender in U.S. Religion
Credit, three hours. (Kim)
This course is a seminar on the history of women, gender, and religion in America. We will primarily draw on historical and social scientific methods of investigation and proceed thematically as we ask several related questions. How have religious communities in America shaped understandings of gender and sexuality? How have individuals used religious beliefs, texts, and practices to defend or criticize gender norms? Given that women have historically dominated membership rolls but not pulpits in America, what happened when women began to preach and teach? (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC659. U.S. Religion and Politics since the Civil War
Credit, three hours. (Greene)
What is the relationship between religion and politics in the United States? More fundamentally, what is (and what is not) religion, and what is (and what is not) politics—should we speak of “religion and politics” or of “political religions” or “religious politics”? Do religious organizations provide a refuge from the public sphere or an organizing force within it? What prompts religious institutions and communities to support, ignore, or impede social change? What power do religious institutions and communities have to shape American life? In this course emphasis is on depth over breadth: rather than taking a tour through American religious and political history since 1865, students will focus on three key themes divided into three units: race and empire, gender and sexuality, and religious and political realignments since the civil rights era. Students will learn about each theme through scholarly books and articles, supplemented with related primary source materials, memoir, essays, film, and music.
HC660. Piety and Politics: Evangelicalism in America
Credit, three hours. (Kim)
What is the evangelical tradition? What are the social, cultural, and political contexts out of which evangelicalism emerged and evolved? What does “evangelical” signify in America and the world today? This course will address these questions as students study the evangelical tradition in America from the 18th century to the present. The course begins with the transatlantic awakenings, the Enlightenment, the rise of the foreign missionary enterprise, and the Second Great Awakening, and moves into the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversies, Pentecostalism, civil rights, neo-evangelicalism, the rise of the Christian Right, prosperity gospel, and televangelism. We also analyze categories of gender, sexuality, race, and immigration. Students will study the evangelical tradition as a historical and multiracial phenomenon in relation to American culture and politics and within transnational and global contexts. Assignments will focus on primary source analysis to engage critical thinking and train students in historical research.
HC661. Theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher
Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as ST661)
A study of the genesis and development of Schleiermacher’s thought on Christ and religion, from the “Speeches on Religion,” “The Christmas Eve Dialogue,” “The Soliloquies,” and “The Christian Faith.”
HC663. Reformation Theology and Historiography
Credit, three hours. Instructor permission required. (Strom)
This advanced seminar will examine issues of Reformation theology and historiography from a variety of methodological perspectives. Topics include the significance of the Reformation for the modern era, the growing impact of new historical methods, the place of religion and theology in early modern history, popular culture and piety, research methods, and bibliographical resources. The seminar will focus primarily on Germany and Europe, but attention will also be given to the expansion of early modern Christianity to Asia. The course assumes a familiarity with the basic themes of Reformation history.
HC665. Catholicism in America: Migration, Transnationalism, and Devotion
Credit, three hours. (S. Reynolds) (Same as SR665.)
This course explores the history and present of U.S. Catholicism by tracing the migrations that have shaped Catholic life in the Americas throughout the past five centuries, beginning with an examination of accounts of the Guadalupan apparition and of Catholic slaves and slaveholders. We attend in a particular way to the role of the parish and populare religious practices in immigrant communities throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as to dynamics of race, culture, and borders in shaping U.S. Catholic identities through the present day. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts).
HC671. History of Clergy and Their Office
Credit, three hours. (Strom)
An overview of the theologies of clerical office from the late medieval to modern era with an emphasis on autobiographical writings. (HC642CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)
HC672. Modern Catholicism
Credit, three hours. (Alonso, Lösel) (Same as ST678.)
This course introduces students to modern Catholicism both from a historical and a theological perspective. We trace the significant theological and ecclesiastical changes the Catholic Church has undergone from the eighteenth century through the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) and in its aftermath. Along with the major documents from Vatican II, authors we engage may include Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Elizabeth Johnson, Jon Sobrino, Mark Jordan, and Cyprian Davis. (Theology)
HC673. African American Religion and Culture
Credit, three hours. (N. Phillips) (Same as SR633.)
This interdisciplinary course offers a panoramic view of cultural practices that have been the social glue for African Americans, historically and advancing into the present. We will move through the ways ecclesial and nonecclesial religious belief and practice have intersected with black folk tradition, ritual, music, art, literature and other material and non-material cultural forms to give rise to a vibrant and enduring black social, political and economic life in America. In this culturally thematic course, we will also wrestle with ethical subjects and issues that despite the strength of black spirituality possess the potential to contribute to forms of black social death. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC676. Modern Christianity as a Global Phenomenon
Credit, three hours. (Hanciles) (Same as M676.)
This course serves as an introduction to the historical study of Christianity as a global phenomenon. It will survey major developments within, as well as significant encounters between, the church in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific from roughly 1600 to the present. Course material will highlight the complex actors and trends that have shaped the church as an indigenous social institution and examine major historical developments that reflect concrete ways in which the church (as a community of faith) has impacted its immediate context and the wider world. Special attention will be given to the critical role of various forms of outreach and missions in Christianity’s global expansion as well as the significant role of non-Western initiatives in shaping global Christianity. (Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and/or Global Contexts)
HC679R. Colloquy Leadership
Credit, two hours.
Offered each semester by invitation of the instructors of HC501 and HC503. Does not fulfill area requirements, provides elective credit.
HC698. Special Topics in History of Christianity Era 2
Credit, variable. (Faculty)
HC Era 2 special topic or one-time offering courses led by Candler regular and visiting faculty. Prerequisites may be required and are noted on the course schedule when applicable.
