Course Descriptions

Courses numbered 1000-1999 are open to freshmen; 2000-2999 to sophomores; 3000-3999 to juniors; 4000-4999 to seniors. It is recommended that students elect courses in the years for which they are listed. Freshmen will be admitted to courses above the 2000 level only with the consent of the instructor and the student’s advisor. Juniors and seniors taking freshman courses may be expected to do additional work. Any course above 4999 is a graduate course.

NOTE:
The number in parentheses following the course title indicates the semester hours of credit assigned to the course.
An H following the course number indicates an honors level course.

GHST 6510
Women Ldrshp:Hist & Bib Perspect [Lecture] (3)
This course explores the lives and roles of women leaders throughout church history, It examines the historical and social contexts of various women leaders identified as having an impact on theology, biblical interpretation, cultural influence, and social justice. Individual women’s lives will be discussed in terms of their response to God’s call, their commitment to leadership development, and their contributions to the overall Christian church. The course provides an analysis of the strategies and resources women leaders in various times and cultures have used to have their voices “heard.” Students will be able to identify the diverse global views of church leaders toward women’s roles as this course examines the support, obstacles, and beliefs of the historical church. The final course section focuses on the current status of women in the church, and reflection on global challenges for women leaders in the 21st century. This course is cross-listed as GSOC 6510.

GHST 6550
Celtic History and Spirituality [Lecture] (2)
This course explores the rich resources that Celtic history and spirituality offers for our worship and spiritual formation. Celtic Christianity in Ireland and Britain, while an integral part of the larger Christian world, had its own distinctive character, which continues to influence the Church today. The Celtic Church was monastic and evangelistic, contemplative and engaged. Leaders such as Patrick, Brigid, Columba, Aidan, and Columbanus modeled and taught a way of life that was at once demanding and contagious. Pushing beyond romantic images, this course seeks to understand Celtic Christianity as it actually was, through primary sources and contemporary interpretation, in order to appreciate its culture, context, and contribution. The course will include examination of Celtic authors and interpreters such as David Adam, Pat Robson and Brendan O'Malley, exposure to significant organizations, including the Iona and Northumbria Communities, and an introduction to contemporary Celtic Christian music and art. The course is cross-listed as GPSF 6550.

GHST 6800
History of the Black Church [Lecture] (3)
"The historical role of the Black Church in the Black community is emphasized in conjunction with the contributions and distinctive characteristics within American Protestantism. The course focuses on an examination and interpretation of the history of the Black church, including the seven historic American Black denominations: the African Methodist Episcopal Church; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A.; the National Baptist Convention of America; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; the Church of God in Christ and other Pentecostal Associations and Non-Denomination affiliations. Cross-listed with GSOC 6800"

GHST 6800
History of the Black Church [On-line] (3)
"The historical role of the Black Church in the Black community is emphasized in conjunction with the contributions and distinctive characteristics within American Protestantism. The course focuses on an examination and interpretation of the history of the Black church, including the seven historic American Black denominations: the African Methodist Episcopal Church; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A.; the National Baptist Convention of America; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; the Church of God in Christ and other Pentecostal Associations and Non-Denomination affiliations. Cross-listed with GSOC 6800"

GHST 6950
Independent Study in Historical Studies [Independent Study] (1 - 3)
"Under the guidance of a professor, the student pursues independent research in a specific topic of church history or historical theology. [Prerequisite: advisor and instructor approval required]"

GHST 6990
M.A. Thesis in Historical Studies [Independent Study] (3)
"This course is a research option for M.A. students in the field of historical studies. Students wishing to pursue thesis work must file a written petition with academic services formally requesting this degree completion method prior to registering for the course. (Students who have not completed the thesis project by the end of the semester will automatically be registered for GRES 7990-Continuation of Registration for Master’s Thesis, and charged a fee every subsequent semester until the completion of the master’s thesis.) [Prerequisite: faculty approval]"

GHST 7010
Great British and American Preachers [Lecture] (3)
Through the reading of primary sources (sermons) and secondary materials, this course will consider the theological perspectives, practical admonitions, and homiletical techniques of some of the great English-speaking preachers in our history. Preachers studied will include, but not be limited to, the following: John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathon Edwards, John Henry Newman, Charles Spurgeon, Lyman Beecher, Phillips Brooks, William Sloan Coffin, Harry Emerson Fosdick, John R.W. Stott, and Billy Graham.

GHST 7100
Life and Ministry of Martin Luther King Jr. [Lecture] (3)
This course will survey the life and writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will explore key words in King's sermons and writings (e.g., agape and beloved community), and consider terms of value used in assessing King's life and work. Concepts (e.g., personalism) that characterize King's theological social ethics will be discussed, and the interpretation of King's contributions in today's world. Special attention will be devoted to King's doctrine of God and how it influenced his social ethics. Using King's philosophy and contributions as benchmarks, students will be challenged to think about and examine the relevance of King's theological ethics for today, and what it may mean within the context of their own ministry. This course is cross-listed as GTHE 7100.

GHST 7250
John Henry Newman: Preacher & Theologian [Lecture] (3)
This is a readings course on representative sermons and theological writings of the great 19th century English preacher and theologian, John Henry Newman. Newman's work will be put into an historical context in order to view the development of his thinking, from his Anglican period through his mature Catholic period. In viewing this development, an appropriate cohesive thematic element we shall consider in this course will be his idea of the "development of doctrine."

GHST 7270
Calvinism and Arminianism [Lecture] (3)
This course will focus on the divergent views of Calvinism and Arminianism with significant readings in the primary texts they authored. The course will examine the overarching issues related to Calvinism and Arminianism from a historical, biblical, theological, and practical perspective. The issues will be presented in their clearest possible light in order that they might be discussed and examined with as much understanding and fairness as possible. Attention will also be given to how their successors interpreted and applied their teachings. This course is cross-listed as GTHE 7270.

GHST 7280
Wesleyanism and Postmodernism [Lecture] (3)
This course considers Wesleyan theology's promise to sustain "ancient-future faith" in a Church awash in a new millennium culture. Through selective appropriation and response to postmodern epistemologies, Wesleyan theology can nourish Christian faith as personal experience and overcome the "legacy of cognitive dissonance" that has eroded its vitality. Impacted by today's crisis of knowledge, the Wesleyan tradition serves as an exemplary model of theological renewal and relevance in the wake of modernism's collapse. The course explores contemporary Wesleyan theologian's conversation with process, liberation, and feminist theologies, as well as the contemporary ecumenical dialogue with Pentecostalism. More than a course on a particular tradition, this elective engages issues that critically impact all 21st century churches.

GHST 7290
Fundamentalism vs Modernism [Lecture] (3)
Through reading, discussion, and writing, students will explore the roots, development, and implications of the "fundamentalist-modernist controversy" in English-speaking Christianity, with a special emphasis on the controversy's American dimensions. The cultural and theological genesis of fundamentalism in the late 19th and 20th centuries continues to have ramifications for the 21st-century church in America and throughout the globe, and thus the practical implications of the historic controversy will be considered thoroughly. Readings will include primary-source materials, and will include seminal writings of J. Gresham Machen and Harry Emerson Fosdick, among others, secondary sources will include the most recent scholarly reflections on the topic. The approach of the seminar will be both historical and theological. This course is cross-listed with GTHE 7290.

GHST 7300
Evangelical History and Theology [Lecture] (3)
This course explores the history and theology of the evangelical movement from a variety of perspectives. First, the course engages the student in the problem of defining evangelicalism by examining diverse proposals regarding the nature of evangelical faith. Then, while focusing primarily on its diverse American expressions, the course offers an overview of evangelicalism's historical and theological roots. Included in this historical overview is a consideration of the issues of class, race, and gender within the context of American evangelicalism. Finally, participants in the course wrestle with the identification of evangelicalism's theological essentials and seek to discern present trajectories that may define the nature of evangelicalism in the future. This course is cross-listed with GTHE 7300.