Millsap’s College - Center for Ministry



Millsap’s College

2016 Mississippi Course of Study School

COS 322

Our Theological Heritage: MEDIEVAL TO Reformation

Course Description

This course is an introductory survey of Christian history and thought during the period of the Protestant Reformation. The course’s focal themes are the concepts of faith, grace and justification as they are expressed in the period just prior to, during, and after the sixteenth century. Around this core the lectures will explore the lives and careers of several important individuals, together with the social, political, and intellectual contexts in which they lived. Against this backdrop, the course will concentrate on the crucial theological insights of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, the Counter-reformation and the Reformation in Great Britain. The class will participate in group discussion and presentations that will reinforce the course material.

Course Objectives:

1. Examination of the movements and events during the Medieval Era.

2. Gain knowledge of key figures, ideas and developments in the history of the church during the Medieval Era and Reformaton.

3. Examination of pivotal theological issues and controversies.

4. Describe and detail the difference between the major Reformation theologians’ teachings on justification, sanctification, the sacraments, and church unity.

5. Relate how historical theological perspectives shape the world, the church and it’s theology, and imparticular pastoral ministry.

TEXTBOOKS

1. González, Justo. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day. (Harper & Row Publishers, 1984).

2. Hillerbrand, Hans J. The Protestant Reformation, rev. ed. (Harper Perennial, 2009).

3. Bagchi, David and Steinmetz, David, ed. Reformation Theology, The Cambridge Companion.(Cambridge University Press, 2004).

recommended reading

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Hendrickson, 2009.

*Justo Gonzales, The Story of Christianity (Vol.1), Harper Row, 2010

(Especially chapters 29-35)

Glenn S. Sunshine, The Reformation for Armchair Theologians (John Knox Press, 2005).

ASSIGNMENTS:

Prior to our first meeting:

READ Gonzalez, Chapters 1-6

READ Bagchi and Steinmetz, Chapters 4, 5, & 8

WRITE 3 short papers on Erasmus, Luther, and Zwingli. Each paper (2-4 in length) should draw from your reading assignments. This assignment should be typed in 12-pt. font, double-spaced, and contain the following: 

1) Give a summery of each theologian’s life story focusing on key events and pivotal thoughts.

2) Describe the major issues that motivated his choices, particularly his choice(if applicable) of leaving the Catholic Church.

3) Express why this figure is important in our discussion of Church history and theology today.

1st Assignment due: Mail or email to me the above assignment no later than January 6th.

2nd Assignment will be given during our first weekend of class.

Class Activity. We will be reading together and discussing several articles from The Protestant Reformation by Hillerbrand.

3rd Assignment will be given during the second weekend of class.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1. Your work should be typewritten and double-spaced: font size 12 and Times New Roman font and one inch margins. (Margins are the same as this page.) All written assignments must include your name, the course name and must be signed by your mentor.

2. It is important that you use your own words. Some students come close to copying from the textbook by changing a word or two in passages from the text, or splicing sentence fragments together. It’s very obvious when this has been done. If there’s something you don’t understand, say so, and give it your best effort. Brief quotations from the text are fine, but such material should be indicated using quotation marks and the source noted.

4. Neatness, proper grammar, and spelling will be factored into determining your final grade.

5. If you know you have problems with grammar or spelling use the spell checker on your computer and/or get someone to check your work before turning it in.

4. Email address benepfaf@ preferred by the instructor.

5. Mailing address Rev. Rachel Benefield-Pfaff, 122 Bayou Circle, Gulfport, MS 39507

I look forward to meeting you in class.!

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January 8 & 9 and 22 & 23

Instructor Rev. Rachel Benefield-Pfaff

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