REL 220 Reformation and its Results (Same as History 330) (Not offered 2008-2009; to be offered 2009-2010)
This course tracks the major developments in Christian thought from the Reformation to the nineteenth century. We will begin by examining the background to the Reformation, showing how the Reformation along with its precursors indirectly helped to usher in a modern world that placed greater emphasis on the value of selfhood and moral autonomy, encouraged the emergence of the Enlightenment and scientific rationality, and helped to lead to the cultural and political realignment of nation-states. We will conclude by assessing the attempts of eighteenth and nineteenth century philosophers and theologians to salvage a moral if no longer normative place for Christianity at the table of modernity, a process that continues to grow ever more ambivalent.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: student presentations, two 5- to 7-page writing assignments, a take-home midterm exam and a final research paper (12-15 pages).
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30 (expected: 15). Open to all. Preference given to Religion and History majors.
SHUCK