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Unit name |
Reformation Christianity: Sixteenth Century Europe (Trinity & Baptist College) |
Unit code |
THRS20142 |
Credit points |
10 |
Level of study |
I/5
|
Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
|
Unit director |
Dr. Scotland |
Open unit status |
Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department |
Department of Religion and Theology |
Faculty |
Faculty of Arts |
Description including Unit Aims
The unit:
- examines the history and thought of late Medieval Christendom with a focus on the rising power of the Papacy, the Papal Crusades and Church's sacramental system;
- explores Luther's protest for the Biblical faith and the German Reformation with its focus on his understanding of justification by faith;
- considers the Magisterial Reformation in Europe centring on Calvin's theology and the Genevan theocracy and the impact of Zwingli's Zurich and Bucer's Strasbourg on English Reformation;
- examines the Reformation in England under Henry VIII, Edward VI and the later settlement of religion under Elizabeth I;
- considers the Catholic Counter Reformation and the Radical Reformation which was seen in the various Anabaptist groups in Europe and the Puritan movements in England and Scotland;
- introduces the key debates about the Reformation and focuses on the core doctrines of justification, the nature of the church and the understandings of priesthood, the Mass / Lord's Supper and eschatology. re-requisite None
Intended Learning Outcomes
The unit aims to provide:
- a clear understanding of the aspects of the medieval church against which the Reformers raised their protest;
- a basic knowledge of the core doctrines of the Protestant and Roman Catholic (Counter) Reformations, indicating some of the ways in which they have impacted the later church;
- an appreciation of the ways in which politics and social conditions interacted with and impacted the churches of sixteenth century Europe;
- an understanding of the scholarly debates about the nature of the Reformation.
On completing the unit students will:
- be familiar with the key primary source documents of the period and be able to contextualise them;
- have a sound understanding of the ways in which political and social movements impacted Medieval and Reformation Europe;
- be able to demonstrate a thorough grasp of the core doctrines of both the Protestant and the Catholic (Counter) Reformations;
- appreciate the nature of Protestant and Catholic spiritualities.
Teaching Information
The unit will comprise primarily of lectures with some seminars and a visit. Film and other visual resources will be employed.
The unit will consist of 10 contact hours, equating to 2 hours per week for 5 weeks.
Assessment Information
Formative assessment will be through preparation for, and participation in, seminars.
Summative assessment will be through
- a 2,500 word essay or,
- a 2-hour written examination
Reading and References
- Bainton, R., Here I Stand (Abingdon Press,1999 )
- Haigh, C., English Reformations (OUP,1996)
- Jaspert, N., The Crusades (Routledge, 2006)
- Mac Culloch, D., Reformation: Europe’s House Divided 1490-1700 (Penguin Books, 2003)
- McGrath, A.E., Reformation Thought: An Introduction (Oxford,1999)
- Williams, G.H., The Radical Reformation (Westminster Press, 2001)