Undergraduate Course: History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A (ECHS08005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive view of the global Christian movement in time and space. Considers the period from its Middle Eastern and European origins in theological and sociological/political terms to the Inquisition (50.CE to 1500) |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This course looks at the origins and growth of Christianity in the Mediterranean world and beyond, from the first generation of Christians to the fall of Constantinople (50CE to 1453CE). The course will cover Christianity's role in and interaction with the various cultures of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the early and medieval Islamic states, and the emergent civilisations of medieval Europe, looking at persecution, education, mission, monasticism, piety, orthodoxy and heresy and other major themes. Tutorials will concentrate on looking in depth at original texts from the periods studied.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course is divided into three sections: Christianity in the Roman imperial period (before and after Constantine), Christianity in the Byzantine East and Eastern Europe, and Christianity in medieval Western Europe. In each period, we will look both at crisis events (e.g. the great theological controversies of Nicaea and Chalcedon, the Iconoclastic controversy, the Crusades from both Eastern and Western perspectives) and emerging cultural themes (e.g. Christian appropriation of classical culture; Christian dialogue with Islam).
Student Learning Experience Information:
The course has a programme of self-paced audio/visual material each week equivalent to three one-hour lectures. Weekly tutorials will be held. As well as the primary text for each tutorial, there is a schedule of secondary reading. Each student will be required to write one main blog entry online on a primary text and give a presentation based on it to the relevant tutorial. Every student will also be expected to write weekly short comments on the blogs and participate in tutorial discussion each week.
In additional to the tutorial work, students will also investigate two topics in depth through pieces of written coursework, each supported by a preparatory workshop run by a lecturer. The workshop sessions will be either in person or online and spread throughout the semester.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | Tutorial readings £5 (TBC) |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
150 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1 x Tutorial Blog 800 words and weekly comments = 20%
1000 word scholarship analysis task = 30%
2000 word final essay due during the exam period = 50%
In order to pass the course, students must obtain a minimum of 40% in both the in-course work (combined mark) and the final essay.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the geography, culture and politics of Christianity from its first-century Middle Eastern origins to its various manifestations among European, Slavic and Oriental peoples by the mid-fifteenth century.
- Analyse and refer in argument to selected texts in English by and about Christians up to the fifteenth century as evidence for Christian culture, beliefs and politics in the period.
- Contribute to group discussion about these texts.
- Address a disputed scholarly question regarding a particular aspect of Christian history in this period, showing knowledge of more than one scholarly reading of the relevant evidence.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Capacity for reflexive learning
- Presentation skills, both oral and written, supported by appropriate technologies
- Technological and media literacy, including the generation of documents and other resources
- Electronic communication and interaction in various forms and accessing information from a variety of sources
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sara Parvis
Tel: (0131 6)50 8907
Email: S.Parvis@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Rory Meehan
Tel:
Email: rory.meehan@ed.ac.uk |
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