Module THEO3391: THE FIRST URBAN CHURCHES

Department: THEOLOGY AND RELIGION

THEO3391: THE FIRST URBAN CHURCHES

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to social analysis of earliest Christianity.
• To make disciplinary connections between history, text-analysis and the social sciences.
• To enable students to engage with top level scholarship on Christian origins.

Content

• Who were the first Christians and what was it like to belong to one of the first churches in the multicultural environment of a Roman city? How did Christians react to critical issues in their environment, such as slavery, 'idolatry' and life in the household? Exploring the social context of the first Christians and using tools drawn from sociology and anthropology, we will investigate how Christian communities developed their own identity, and the very varied patterns of leadership, gender-roles and cultural assimilation which they adopted.

Learning Outcomes

• A systematic understanding of key aspects, and a coherent and detailed knowledge of scholarship on Christian origins, at least some of which is informed by the most recent research and methodologies.

• Ability to understand and deploy select resources from the social sciences in analysing early Christianity.

• Skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating information.
• Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches.
• Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
• Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation of information in written form under time constraints.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1500 word seminar presentation, 2000 word essay.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University