“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
William Butler Yeats wrote those words following the failed Irish Rising of 1916, at the end of the First World War, in the midst of the Influenza Pandemic (1918-1919), and with the details of revolutions and crisis filtering through to him from Berlin and St Petersburg. But it may be taken more generally as an apt metaphor for much of modern church history.
The modern era has seen the systematic re-imagining of social relations. Driven by political, social, economic, and religious revolutions, the Church (wherever it may be) has had to confront challenges that make the schisms of the reformation seem only a small fraternal squabble. This course will journey from the barricades of Paris to the cotton mills of Lancashire, from the overseas empires of Europe to missionaries in the far-east. The Reformation may have made Christianity a world religion, but it is the modern era that brought its structures to the brink of collapse. Churches have been confronted with world wars, forced famines, death marches, genocides, and have had to wrestle with ethical questions of immediate impact on the human condition, like slavery, abolitionism, totalitarianism, democracy, civil rights, and human rights.
| Duration | One Semester |
| Availability | First Semester |
| Core/Elective | Core |
| Delivery Mode | Mixed Mode - onsite or online |
| Prerequisites | Students will be expected to have completed first and second years including the second year capstone prior to enrolment . For exemptions, contact the Registrar. |
| Prescribed Texts | See unit reading list. |
Assessments
Participation: Weeks 2-12. Student discussion leaders and active participation. Students must make substantive contributions in at least 10 classes in order to receive 10 marks. Weighting 10%
Reflective journal: Week 8. Read a piece of literature and reflect as you read on its social, political, cultural, and economic contexts. 1500 words. Weighting 15%
Essay: Study Week. 2500 words. Weighting 30%
Exam : Exam Week. Quiz (10 questions), short answers questions (3) and one short essay. 500-800 words approx. Weighting 45%
TEACHING & LEARNING PLAN
This subject will involve:
One on-campus 1 hour lecture per week
One on-campus 2 hour tutorial per week
Online preparation & reading 3 hours per week
Learning Outcomes
Students completing this unit will:
Demonstrate their understanding of history as an interdisciplinary subject which draws from art, music, culture, and literature to develop a deep understanding of the cultural, social, political and economic context of historical events.
Demonstrate the ability to reflectively engage with historical literary texts as a form of primary source.
Demonstrate the ability to articulate the historic context of events and people from the period covered in this course c.1700-c.2022, with acknowledgement of primary and secondary sources consulted according to referencing guidelines.
Be able to articulate in discussions a thorough understanding of a wide variety of readings and concepts, and engage thoughtfully with other students in reflective peer learning