Religious Studies 270

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIANITY

(Spring 2010 – 8 week Session 2)

Screenings: Local Video Store or Public/ASU Library

Professor: Dr. Aurelio Espinosa

Lectures: http://www.asu.edu/courses/rel270

Office Phone: 480-727-8744 ext. 68640

Discussion: Check Virtual Classroom

Office Location: ECA 322

Email Address:

SYLLABUS

This course examines Christianity as historical phenomena consisting in beliefs, ceremonies, and institutions. We will investigate five paradigms that contain a range of human behaviors: Jewish Apocalyptic, Hellenistic, Latin Roman Catholic, Protestant Evangelical, and Global Christianity. We will engage how Christians live their lives and practice their faith over time. As such, we will study their formulations of self and society, doubt and despair, the ephemeral and the eternal. We will learn how to read and interpret religious texts, think critically about religious issues, and discuss religious topics coherently and sensitively.

Although this course is web delivered, it is neither automated nor self-paced. You are expected to engage in all learning tasks and attend threaded discussions on the eBoard. To access the class website and eBoard, you can use your personal computer, one in the library, and/or computer labs at ASU. Check the class website for a list of these labs and their hours of operation.

Reading: There are two required books for the class: Any Revised Standard Bible, in particular the Oxford Study Bible, and the Confessions by Augustine. You will need to buy it either at the ASU bookstore or from an online distributor such as Amazon.com. If you purchase it online remember that it will take at least two weeks for the book to arrive, so be sure to order it well before class begins. You will also be reading a number of articles, all of which have been posted to the virtual classroom in the Lesson section. To honor copyright law, they have been password protected. The teaching team will email you the passwords before the first day of class. Read the book and articles carefully and on time, as they form the basis of both the online discussions and the exams.

Academic Dishonesty: You are expected to turn in original work for this course. Quotations or ideas paraphrased from other work must be properly cited. Taking credit for another’s ideas or writing is plagiarism, which is a serious violation of the University’s Code of Academic Integrity. In the “Student Academic Integrity Policy” manual, ASU defines “’Plagiarism” [as] using another's words, ideas, materials or work without properly acknowledging and documenting the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another's work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately.” Academic dishonesty, including inappropriate collaboration, will not be tolerated. There are severe sanctions for cheating, plagiarizing and any other form of dishonesty.

Course Description

This course examines Christianity as historical phenomena consisting in beliefs, ceremonies, practices, and institutions. Together, we will investigate five paradigms that contain a diverse range of human behaviors: Jewish Apocalyptic, Hellenistic, Latin Roman Catholic, Protestant Evangelical, and Global Christianity. We will engage how Christians practice their faith over time, how they live their lives and encounter what they considered to be the transcendental. As such, we will study their formulations of self and society, doubt and despair, discovery and desire, the ephemeral and the eternal. The objectives of this course are (one) to become contemporaries of the people we study and (two) to acquire and use tools of interpretation and critical analysis. We will therefore learn how to read and interpret religious texts, think critically about religious issues, discuss religious topics coherently and sensitively, and stimulate our emotional capacities. This course will also investigate the place and role of women in the Christian world, from Late Antiquity to the present day in order to understand the patterns and traditions of women’s participation in religion and their engagement with religious matters. We will learn about women and their religious vocations within formal structures such as patriarchy, and we will therefore address issues of misogyny, sexuality, reproduction, and the body.

ASSIGNMENTS

We expect every student to leave this course with a better -- more insightful -- understanding of Christianity as historical phenomena consisting in beliefs, ceremonies, practices, and institutions. Along the way, we ask that you complete several interactive quizzes, engage all learning tasks, and answer and ask questions on our electronic bulletin board.

Participation 120 Points: You are responsible for participating in the threaded discussions that take place on the electronic bulleting board (eBoard). You will have questions that you must answer for each Lesson. The eboard contributions amount to twenty-five percent of the participation grade. These posts must address issues that we are covering and must keep up with the progress of the course. You cannot, for example, go back to the eBoard and post to a Lesson after it has been completed and expect for the posts to be counted toward your participation grade. Moreover, the teaching team will keep track of your participation, including assessing the value of what you bring to this interactivity. Refrain from flaming or ad hominem comments. Please be rigorous but constructive.

Midterm Exam 100 Points: The midterm covers material from the first half of the course. Pay particular attention to the readings and lectures. The exam consists of true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer and essay questions. See the Schedule for the date and time the exam is distributed and due.

Critical Paper 100 Points:

You must analyze a primary source provided in the course syllabus. This assignment is not a research paper, but it does require a critical interpretation and assessment of one or a handful of original sources covered in this course. Your analysis must be double-spaced, one-inch margins, three to five pages long, twelve point Times New Roman font. Failure to follow instructions in any of these will result in no less than five points for each infraction.

Your thesis cannot be a claim established by an author, for example Paul’s claim of justification by faith alone, but rather you must articulate an original point. Failure to make a clear and original argument will result in the deduction of at least ten points, and ten points will also be deducted if you do not follow the rules listed below: 1) A clear and cogent thesis based on evidence from a primary source. Your thesis statement must include a map detailing the range of topic sentences. 2) Topic sentences introducing each paragraph and analyzing an example from a primary source. The topic sentence establishes your “take” or claim, and you then must illustrate your claim with evidence that is clearly described and documented. 3) A conclusion that contains a synthesis your thesis and interrelated topic sentences and a formulation of your original concept. NB: Feel free to provide me with a draft of your thesis and topic sentences a week before the paper deadline.

Consult the Chicago Manual of Style for appropriate citation: (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools.html). A very useful book to buy is Kate L. Turabian A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations 6th ed. (http://www.lib.usm.edu/research/guides/turabian.html; http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/turabiangd.html#turabianintro). You may also consider purchasing A Short Guide to Writing About History, by Richard Marius.

For additional writing assistance, consult the ASU writing center at www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter; its main hub is located in the Homer C. Durham Language and Literature Building B302 (M-F 8 AM – 5 PM).

Final Exam 100 Points: The final exam is cumulative, covering material from the first lesson to the last lesson. Special emphasis is placed on lectures and readings from the second section of the class. Pay particular attention to the readings and lectures. The exam consists of true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer and essay questions. See the Schedule for the date and time the exam is distributed and due.

Grading Scale – 0 to 100%
– 100 ….. A+

94 – 99 ….. A

90 – 93 ….. A-

88 – 89 ….. B+

84 – 87 ….. B

80 – 83 ….. B-

78 – 79 ….. C+

70 – 77 ….. C

60 – 69 ….. D

00 – 59 ….. E

SCHEDULE

This course is comprised of 15 lessons. Each lesson includes all or some of the following tasks:

1. Reading: Read a chapter from the assigned book.

2. Reading Review: Reconsider Key Concepts from the Readings

3. Screening: Study Films Screened for Class

4. Website: Surf Relevant Websites

5. iModules: Engage Interactive Learning Modules

6. Media Clips Review Scenes Referenced in Readings & Lectures

7. Lecture: Listen to Streaming Audio Lectures with PowerPoint Slides

8. eBoard: Pose and Answer Questions on the Electronic Bulletin Board

Lesson 1: Introduction to Course (Tuesday, 3/23)

Reading: What Makes a Successful Online Student

Website:Self Evaluation for Potential Online Students

Lecture: Taking an Online Course

eBoard: Why are you interested in Christianity?

Lesson 2: What is Religious Studies? (Thursday, 3/25)

Reading: Galatians, First Corinthians, Romans

Reading Review

Website Religious Studies Web Guide

Christian Classics Library

Bible.org

Lecture: Approaching the Believer

iModule: Basic Origin of Major Religions

eBoard: How does Paul define and assess the function of 'good works'
and Jewish law?

Lesson 3:What is Christianity (Tuesday, 3/30)

Reading: The Gospel of Mark

Reading Review

Website:Internet Resources for the Study of Judaism and Christianity

Yahoo List of Christian Denominations and Sects

Lecture: Five Paradigms

iModule: Timeline of Christianity

eBoard: How does Mark characterize his family?

Due: Paragraph description of your thesis. Email attachment due on Wednesday March 31st, 12PM.

Lesson 4: Who was Christ (Thursday, 4/01)

Reading: The Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts

Luke Introduction

Reading Review

Website: Biography of Luke

Gospel of Luke Resources

Lecture:The Gentile Mission

eBoard: What does Luke think about Jesus, especially the enemies of Jesus?

Lesson 5:Who were the First Christians (Tuesday, 4/06)

Reading: The Gospel of Mary

Diocletian

The Passion of Perpetua

Reading Review

Website: Gospel of Mary Resources

Internet Medieval Sourcebook

Martyrdom of Perpetua

Lecture:Salvation at Stake

iModule: Images of Mary.

eBoard: According to the Passion Perpetua, why is martyrdom the right thing to do?

Lesson 6:How the Roman Empire Changed Religion (Thursday, 4/08)

Reading:The Edict of Milan

Codex Theodosianus

Theodosian Code

The Christian Empire

Reading Review

Website: The Roman Empire

Lecture: The Ecumenical Hellenistic Paradigm

iModule: Map of the Roman Empire

eBoard: Why do Constantine and Licinius advance the Edict of Milan?

Due: Annotated bibliography of some sources (books, articles, etc) that you will use for your final draft of critical paper. Due Friday, April 9th, 12PM

Midterm: The midterm exam is due to your instructor as an email attachment on Saturday, April 10th by 12:00pm MST.

Lesson 7:The Latin Roman Catholic Church (Tuesday, 4/13)

Reading: The Confessions, Books 1-3

Reading Review

Website: Augustine of Hippo

Lecture: Augustinian Theology

eBoard: What is Augustine's understanding of original sin?

Lesson 8: The Latin Roman Church (Thursday, 4/15)

Reading: The Confessions, Books 6-8

Reading Review

Website: Medieval Academy of America

The Order of Saint Benedict

Medieval Monasticism

Lecture: The Latin Roman Church

eBoard: According to Augustine, where does evil come from?

Lesson 9:The Sacraments (Tuesday, 4/20)

Reading: Apparitions in Late Medieval and Renaissance Spain, Introduction and Chapter One / William A. Christian, Jr.

Reading Review

Website: Medieval Iberia Resources

Catholic Answers: The Sacraments

Lecture: The Latin Sacraments

eBoard: How do villagers and saints communicate with each other?

Due: Outline of your topic sentences and thesis. Due as email attachment Wednesday, April 21st, 12PM MST.

Lesson 10:The Deadly Sins (Thursday 4/22)

Reading: Daughters of the Reconquest, Introduction, Chapters I and II / Heath Dillard

Reading Review

Website: Frequently Asked Questions: Seven Deadly Sins

Roman and Medieval Sin

Lecture: The Christian Family

eBoard: How did the sacrament of marriage shaped family life and structure in communities?

Lesson 11: The Justice of God (Tuesday, 4/27)

Reading: Introduction and Chapter I, A Society Organized for War / James F. Power The First Crusade

The Bishop of Rome

St.Bernard of Clairvaux

Reading Review

Website: The Crusades

Lecture: The Doctrine of Malicide

eBoard: Analyze the Spanish reconquest, describing motives and their context.

Lesson 12: The Evangelical Paradigm of the Reformation (Thursday, 4/29)

Reading: The Smalcald Articles / Martin Luther

Reading Review

Website: Project Wittenberg

Lecture: The Protestant Agenda

iModule: Timeline of Reformation and Restoration Periods

eBoard: According to Luther, why is the Protestant platform special?

Due: Two-page draft. Due as an email attachment Friday, April 30th, 12PM MST.

Lesson 13: The Reformation of the Refugees (Tuesday, 5/04)

Reading: John Calvin and Servetus

John Calvin

Predestination

Reading Review

Website: Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics

Lecture: The Structures of Social Discipline

iModule: Images of The Reformation

eBoard: Discuss with classmates.

Critical Paper: The critical paper is due to your instructor as an email attachment on Wednesday May 5th, by 12:00pm MST.

Lesson 14: Global Christianity (Thursday, 5/06)

Readings: De las Casas I

De las Casas II

Reading Review

Screening: The Mission (Directed Roland Joffé, 1986)

Lecture: Indigenous Spirituality and Human Rights

Media Clip: The Mission (Directed Roland Joffé, 1986)

eBoard: How does Bartolome de la Casas characterize Native Americans?

Lesson 15: Review and Class Wrap (Tuesday, 5/11)

Lecture: Preparing for the Final Exam

eBoard: Compare and contrast the theme of Just War in Medieval and contemporary society.

Final Exam: Final exam is due to your instructor as an email attachment on Thursday May 13th, by 9:00am MST.

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