Historical Courses for the 2011 Fall Session

From the subapostolic age to the 'Triumph of Orthodoxy' in the East and the Carolingian revival and Treaty of Verdun in the West. Geographical expansion of the church; the relation of Christian faith to cultural settings and other religions; the development of doctrinal and ethical positions; forms of Christian life and worship; the rise of Islam.  This course will consist of lectures, small group discussions, and oral reports that summarize small group discussions.  Short assignments; choice of final exam or research paper.

From the subapostolic age to the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" in the East and the Carolingian revival and Treaty of Verdun in the West. Geographical expansion of the church; the relation of Christian faith to cultural settings and other religions; the development of doctrinal and ethical positions; forms of Christian life and worship; the rise of Islam. Lectures, 2 seminars. One synthetic paper, one essay.

Development of thought and piety; monasticism and mendicants; crusades, parish life; papacy, princes and church councils; Byzantium; East-West relations; relations with Jews and Muslims; Renaissance and reformations; reformers; missionary expansion; confessionalism.  The course will consist of modules and weekly discussion groups on Blackboard web site.  GRADING PROCEDURES:  On-line discussions, short essay, long essay. 

Development of thought and piety; monasticism and mendicants; crusades, parish life; papacy, princes and church councils; Byzantium; East-West relations; relations with Jews and Muslims; Renaissance and reformations; reformers; missionary expansion; confessionalism. Lectures. NOTE: Students who have taken --H2002H Medieval Christianity (600-1500) and/or --H2003H Reformation & Early Modern Christianity, may not take Christianity II (843-1648). Prerequisite: 1000 level history course. Primary source, assignment, paper, take home final.

An introduction to Patristic thought to 451 AD, surveying principal writers East and West. Detailed study of Athanasius On the Incarnation and The Tome of Leo. Lectures, readings, four short reports and a final oral examination.

This course is an introductory survey of the institutional and social history of Modern Catholicism from 1648 (the unofficial end of the Reformation period) to the present.  It explores the reciprocal relationship between the unfolding of history and the development of Catholic theology.  Much attention will be given to significant events (such as the rise of modernity and the Holocaust, as well as the First and Second Vatican Councils) and important personalities (particularly popes, bishops and theologians) that shaped the teachings and attitudes of the Catholic magisterium in Rome.  Equal weight will be given to the lived experience of Catholicism in the unique context of Canada.  Lectures; Discussions; Book Review; Primary Source Analysis and choice of Final Assignment (Research Paper or Final Examination).

This introductory course examines the influence of, and contemporary reaction to, natural theology, evolution theory, and Charles Darwin's "natural selection" theory, from the late eighteenth century until the Scopes Trial (1925). Although the course focuses on England and the United States, we will also make a tertiary examination of defenders and critics of natural theology, evolutionary theory, and natural selection theory in Continental Europe and Canada. Two short research summaries submitted online (40%), participation (20%), final exam submitted online (40%)

Exploration of Amerindian and French interface, baroque spirituality, arrival of the Irish and Scots, ultramontane spirituality, Confederation and Catholic education, messianic language groups, Canadians cope with the Depression, church unity and the CCCB, the Asbestos Strike, Quiet Revolution, Vatican II, women, and Aboriginal People. Presentation, paper, and open exam.

This course introduces aspects of the history of Christianity in Africa from mid-nineteenth century up to the period just before the start of the emergence of African political freedoms.  The course will focus on two geographical regions: East Africa and West Africa, paying attention to major historical, religious and social issues such as the slave trade, colonialism, Islam, the role of African agency and rise of African nationalism.  Lectures and discussions.  Evaluation: Class Attendance.  2 class tests.  2 short papers.  1 long paper.

The fifty years between the Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381 were times of extraordinary theological change leading to understandings of God and Christ both continuous with and sharply different from earlier teaching, a true revolution. This course explores the process of doctrinal change during that period, both in its own right and as a paradigm for doctrinal change in later periods, including the present. Lectures, reading of original sources in translation, group discussion, research essay.

A history of Eastern Christianities through the study of the life and works of major early authors who shaped Eastern Christian traditions, including Origen, Aphrahat, Athanasius, Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocians, Maximus the Confessor, Simeon the New Theologian, Nicholas Cabasilas, Gregory Palamas. Lectures-seminars, short synthesis papers, major paper. Advanced degree students enroll in RGH6430H. Crosslisted to the Theology Department.

Until recently, it was customary to regard Kant as the thinker who gave definitive form to the notion of aesthetic judgment and who succeeded in explaining why aesthetic experience is something essentially distinct from other kinds of experience. The postmodern rejection of the practice of aesthetic theory, however, has done much to undermine Kant's position vis-a-vis the arts. This course aims to re-examine Kant's aesthetic theory from the vantage point of the art theoretical literature that preceded it. In an effort to better understand Kant's contribution to the history of thought about art, it will seek to contextualize such "Kantian" themes as judgment, taste, genius, beauty, sublimity and purposiveness. It will also consider to what degree our understanding of Kant has been shaped by later modernist assumptions about the character of his contribution.

Seminar exploring patterns of involvement of religion in the public sphere. Traditional assumptions about church and state, impact of 19th-century "disestablishment" and 20th-century pluralism, Catholicism and the state in Quebec, women as religious reformers, the social gospel, Christian populism in the prairies, ecumenical and evangelical approaches to public engagement, implications of constitutional change are among the topics considered. Basic degree students may enrol with permission of instructor. Informed participation, mid-term written assignment, research paper.

The fifty years between the Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381 were times of extraordinary theological change leading to understandings of God and Christ both continuous with and sharply different from earlier teaching, a true revolution. This course explores the process of doctrinal change during that period, both in its own right and as a paradigm for doctrinal change in later periods, including the present. Lectures, reading of original sources in translation, group discussion, research essay.

A history of Eastern Christianities through the study of the life and works of major early authors who shaped Eastern Christian traditions, including Origen, Aphrahat, Athanasius, Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocians, Maximus the Confessor, Simeon the New Theologian, Nicholas Cabasilas, Gregory Palamas. Lectures-seminars, short synthesis papers, major paper. Advanced degree students enroll in RGH6430H. Crosslisted to the Theology Department.

The course will examine various theories which have been proposed recently to explain changes which have occurred in recent years in the church in Western society. The theories will include secularization, rational choice, the Kelley thesis, and other theories found in the work of Callum Brown, Grace Davie and other. The course will involve both understanding the theories and critiquing them, with particular reference to the situation within the Canadian church. Evaluation: Seminar presentation; major paper. (Prerequisite: Introductory Church History Course)

This course of lectures will examine Luther's writings on the theology of the cross and on human freedom; and Calvin's writings on Scripture and the Christian life. Weekly readings and final examination (oral or written).