Syllabus Information |
Fall 2015
Oct 31,2024 |
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| REL 230 - Christian Beginnings |
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Associated Term:
Fall 2015
Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to: 1. Apply analytical skills to social phenomena in order to understand human behavior. Trace Christianity from its days as a persecuted Jewish sect to its establishment as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Embark on the quest for the historical Jesus, understand Christianity’s Jewish roots, influences from Greco-Roman religion and philosophy, how the New Testament was compiled, and how official Christian doctrine was decided. 2. Apply knowledge and experience to foster personal growth and better appreciate the diverse social world in which we live. Discover to what extent the historical Jesus and early Christianity may differ from later institutional and modern expressions of Christian faith. 3. Understand the role of individuals and institutions within the context of society. Students learn how individuals such Jesus of Nazareth, Saul of Tarsus and early Christian theologians gave rise to Christendom in its diverse institutional forms. 4. Assess different theories and concepts, and understand the distinctions between empirical and other methods of inquiry. Students evaluate different theories about the historical Jesus and character of early Christianity. They learn to study Christianity from a scholarly point of view and how this differs from approaching it through the presupposition of faith. 5. Utilize appropriate information literacy skills in written and oral communication. Students learn to interpret sacred texts as literature, reading particular passages in the context of the larger work and in their historical and cultural contexts in critical written work. They learn to compare and contrast early theological perspectives and formulate an articulate views about Christian origins in class discussions a scholarly, objective and respectful manner. 6. Understand the diversity of human experience and thought, individually and collectively. Students survey a variety of theological perspectives from early Christianity, including early heresies such as Anti-nomianism, Gnostic syncretism, Arianism and Modalism. 7. Apply knowledge and skills to contemporary problems and issues. Students apply conclusions about early strains of Christianity to understand and critique modern expressions. They also learn to critically evaluate conspiracy theories about how the Bible was written, supposed Gnostic or mystical teachings of Jesus and popular myths espoused in works such as The DaVinci Code and the movie Zeitgeist. Required Materials: Technical Requirements: |
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