Unit information: Reformation Christianity: Sixteenth Century Europe (Trinity & Baptist College) in 2013/14

Unit name	Reformation Christianity: Sixteenth Century Europe (Trinity & Baptist College)
Unit code	THRS20142
Credit points	10
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Scotland
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The unit:

1. examines the history and thought of late Medieval Christendom with a focus on the rising power of the Papacy, the Papal Crusades and Church's sacramental system;
2. explores Luther's protest for the Biblical faith and the German Reformation with its focus on his understanding of justification by faith;
3. considers the Magisterial Reformation in Europe centring on Calvin's theology and the Genevan theocracy and the impact of Zwingli's Zurich and Bucer's Strasbourg on English Reformation;
4. examines the Reformation in England under Henry VIII, Edward VI and the later settlement of religion under Elizabeth I;
5. considers the Catholic Counter Reformation and the Radical Reformation which was seen in the various Anabaptist groups in Europe and the Puritan movements in England and Scotland;
6. introduces the key debates about the Reformation and focuses on the core doctrines of justification, the nature of the church and the understandings of priesthood, the Mass / Lord's Supper and eschatology. re-requisite None

Intended Learning Outcomes

The unit aims to provide:

1. a clear understanding of the aspects of the medieval church against which the Reformers raised their protest;
2. a basic knowledge of the core doctrines of the Protestant and Roman Catholic (Counter) Reformations, indicating some of the ways in which they have impacted the later church;
3. an appreciation of the ways in which politics and social conditions interacted with and impacted the churches of sixteenth century Europe;
4. an understanding of the scholarly debates about the nature of the Reformation.

On completing the unit students will:

1. be familiar with the key primary source documents of the period and be able to contextualise them;
2. have a sound understanding of the ways in which political and social movements impacted Medieval and Reformation Europe;
3. be able to demonstrate a thorough grasp of the core doctrines of both the Protestant and the Catholic (Counter) Reformations;
4. appreciate the nature of Protestant and Catholic spiritualities.

Teaching Information

The unit will comprise primarily of lectures with some seminars and a visit. Film and other visual resources will be employed.

The unit will consist of 10 contact hours, equating to 2 hours per week for 5 weeks.

Assessment Information

Formative assessment will be through preparation for, and participation in, seminars.

Summative assessment will be through

1. a 2,500 word essay or,
2. a 2-hour written examination

Reading and References

1. Bainton, R., Here I Stand (Abingdon Press,1999 )
2. Haigh, C., English Reformations (OUP,1996)
3. Jaspert, N., The Crusades (Routledge, 2006)
4. Mac Culloch, D., Reformation: Europe’s House Divided 1490-1700 (Penguin Books, 2003)
5. McGrath, A.E., Reformation Thought: An Introduction (Oxford,1999)
6. Williams, G.H., The Radical Reformation (Westminster Press, 2001)