H7360
History of the Church in the Modern Era
This unit is an overview of Christian history in the modern era. The term ‘Church’ can be understood as one or more Christian traditions. It takes note of the impact of the Enlightenment, the diversity of renewal movements, ecumenism, increased secularisation, and the shift in the strength of Christianity from the northern to the southern hemisphere. It includes Post-Reformation European Christianity, Catholic missionary expansion in the New World, religiously-based settler communities, the Impact of the Enlightenment in an Age of Revolutions, transatlantic Evangelical Awakenings, the Churches during the World Wars, churches under totalitarian regimes in the twentieth century. Also included are the Ecumenical Movement and the World Council of Churches, the Impact of the Second Vatican Council, Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements and the Church in an Age of Religious Pluralism.
Study Level |
Undergraduate |
|---|---|
Discipline |
Humanities in the Christian Tradition |
Sub Discipline |
Church History |
Credit Points |
9 |
Prerequisites |
9 credit points in Church History. |
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit students will be able to
- analyse the Church’s role within the broader social, cultural and political setting of the modern era
- assess the changing place of religious authority as a result of the Enlightenment
- determine major shifts in theological emphasis during this period
- narrate the change in the global spread and representation of Christianity as a result of the age of imperial expansion and the subsequent emergence of a post-colonial world
- exercise critical skills in the interpretation of primary sources