Telling History: Introduction to Church History

CH1001Z / 8001Z

To read history is to meet people from the past through the stories they left us, the objects they lived with, and the art they created. Telling History engages with a variety of primary and secondary sources across the last two millenniums to allow students to understand and re-tell the stories that have helped to shape how we understand the church, faith, and community. This unit also includes integrated academic skill development in giving oral presentations, writing essays, and actively participating in tutorial or seminar discussions – including discussion leadership.


Duration

One Semester

Availability

First semester

Core/Elective

Core

Delivery Mode

Mixed Mode - onsite or online

Prerequisites

None

Required Text/s 

NA Please see the unit reading list 

Recommended Text/s 

Arnold, John. 2000. History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780192853523 

Fea, John, Jay Green, and Eric Miller. Confessing History: Explorations in Christian Faith and the Historian's Vocation. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010. ISBN: 0268029032 

Hoffer, Peter Charles. 2014. Clio among the Muses: Essays on History and the Humanities. New York: New York University Press. ISBN: 1479832839 

Prescribed Texts


Assessments

  1. Quizzes: Weeks 4 & 9. Weighting 20%

  2. Weekly Participation: Weeks 1-12. Weighting 20%

  3. Tutorial presentation: Weeks 3-8 and 10-12. Weighting 25%

  4. Short essay: Week 12. Weighting 35%


TEACHING & LEARNING PLAN

This subject will involve:

  • One 2 hour lecture per week

  • One 1 hour tutorial per week

  • Online preparation & reading 2 hours per week


Learning Outcomes

Students completing this unit will:  

  • Develop an introductory understanding of how to read and analyse primary and secondary sources. 

  • Demonstrate an emerging understanding of key terms and ideas in the discipline of history. 

  • Engage in peer learning through classroom discussions, including leading a tutorial discussion (the week of their tutorial presentation), and contributing to an online group project. 

  • Grow an understanding of academic forms of writing for the history discipline including primary source analysis, oral presentation, argumentative essay writing, and the conventions of an academic bibliography.