Our aim in this course is to enable the student to perceive how Christianity emerged from its original religious context as a Jewish sect in Palestine nearly 2,000 years ago and developed into a global religion through examining the social and cultural contexts of its history. We will study the traditions of Christian thought and practice expressed in scripture, ritual and worship, institutions, and doctrine that represent the many forms of this religion today.
Religion is a primary expression of human experience.
The academic study of religion utilizes a variety of methods to explore manifestations of this dimension of reality, sometimes referred to as the realm of the sacred or holy. There will be a series of brief reflection papers based on your reading of original sources, recitation presentations and discussion, a midterm test and a final exam.