Postgraduate Course: Creeds, Councils and Controversies: Reformation and Modern (ECHS11004)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The aim of the course is to enable students to understand and reflect critically upon the historical contexts in which theology has been developed and assailed, c 1500-2000. The course therefore explores major challenges to faith that have shaped theology in the period, namely confessional divisions of the Reformation era; the development of biblical criticism; the rise of modern science; the spread in the West of industrial society, secularism, Christian pluralism; the globalisation and diversification of Christianity via the overseas mission movement; Nazi ideology. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
The course aims to enable students to understand and reflect critically upon the historical contexts in which theology has been developed and assailed between about 1500 and 2000. It explores the major challenges to faith that have shaped theology during these five centuries, including the confessional divisions of the Reformation era; the development of biblical criticism; the rise of modern science; the growth of urban-industrial society, secularism, Christian pluralism; the globalisation and diversification of Christianity through the overseas mission movement; and the rise of modern totalitarian regimes, including Nazism.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course will apply historical approaches to religious beliefs and theological thought, with a strong emphasis on skills for assessing historical and theological evidence. It covers the period from the Reformation to the current day, including discussion of confessionalisation, mysticism, biblical criticism, science and religion, industrialisation, ecumenism, ministry and political theology. The principal topics covered are:
1. The Augsburg Confession
2. The Council of Trent
3. Teresa of Avila
4. The Second Helvetic Confession
5. The Biblical Challenge: Biblical Criticism
6. The Social Challenge: Religion and Industrialisation
7. The Darwin Controversies
8. The Ecumenical Challenge
9. The Barmen Declaration
10. Vatican II
11. Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry
Student Learning Experience Information:
Each two-hour seminar will, typically, include teaching from academic staff, student presentations and class discussion. There is a schedule of reading to be carried out before each class meeting. Through participation in lectures and seminar discussions, and through the essay project, students will demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This is a graduate-level course. Please confirm subject prerequisites with the Course Manager. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 12 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
90% - Essay (3000 words)
10% - Presentation (10 minutes) and Blog contribution (500 words) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise how theology developed within a specific historical context and often in response to definite social, political, cultural and economic events or movements.
- Construct theological explanations and arguments with reference to the historical context.
- Construct historical explanations and arguments relating to Christianity, with reference to developments in theological thought.
- Show critical awareness of some key theological controversies and confessional statements which have defined the Christian faith in the early modern and modern periods.
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Reading List
Indicative Bibliography:
F.L. Cross, E.A. Livingstone (eds.) Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1997).
J. Pelikan, The Christian Tradition, vols. 4, 5: Reformation of Church and Dogma (1300-1700).
Christian Doctrine and Modern Culture (since 1700).
J. Pelikan, Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition (2004).
C. Lindberg, The European Reformations (1996).
E. Cameron, The European Reformation (1991).
J. Bilinkoff, The Avila of St Teresa: Religious Reform in a Sixteenth-Century City (1992).
K. Stjerna, Women and the Reformation (2008).
G.R. Cragg, The Church in the Age of Reason (1960).
A.R. Vidler, The Church in an Age of Revolution (1961).
J.C. O'Neill, The Bible's Authority: A Portrait Gallery of Thinkers from Lessing to Bultmann.
A.C.Cheyne, The Transforming of the Kirk: Victorian Scotland's Religious Revolution (1983)
AW.C.Waterman, Revolution, Economics & Religion: Christian Political Economy 1798-1833 (1991).
B.Hilton, The Age of Atonement (1987).
J. Hedley Brooke, Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives (1991).
B. Stanley, The World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 1910 (2009).
D. Fergusson, Church, State and Civil Society (2004).
J. O'Malley, What Happened at Vatican II (2008).
W. Kasper, Harvesting the Fruits: Basic Aspects of Christian Faith in Ecumenical Dialogue (2013). |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Simon Burton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8920
Email: Simon.Burton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Olga Szekrenyes
Tel:
Email: oszekren@ed.ac.uk |
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