TRS6402 - The Church in the World

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theological and historical nature of Christianity as a world religion and public religion;
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how selected Christian thinkers and their local churches have responded to their particular political contexts since New Testament times
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to engage with contemporary and historical debate about church and Christian engagement with politics and civil society;
Identify and make critical use of theological resources from Scripture, Tradition, and contemporary theology in discussion of the church(es) and Christians in politics and public life
Analyse, evaluate and debate different contributions to the question of the relationship of churches and Christian leaders with politics.

Content:

An critical examination of the nature of Christianity as a world religion and the church’s/es’ engagement with political and social issues from New Testament times to the present in different geo-political regions. This module studies the interaction of Christianity with states, governments and in civil society through global bodies, local churches and active individuals. It analyses biblical and theological justification for such engagement and relevant debates in the Bible, the Church Fathers, medieval and modern theologians. The module combines historical and systematic approaches, making links with political philosophy and drawing attention to the importance of context for theology. It will touch on key themes, such as justice and peace, civil obedience and law, divine right, the separation of church and state.

The following topics will be covered:
• Christians and authority in the New Testament
• Christianity as a world religion
• Debates about church and state (including the Constantinian Settlement, Augustine’s City of God, the Middle Ages, the Reformation)
• Churches in the modern world (encountering e.g. Modernism, Communism, Nazism)
• Selected liberation and political theologies in Europe and contemporary Asia, Africa and Latin America

Other topics may be included, such as:
• The Holy Roman and Byzantine Empires
• Radical Christianity
• Christian Socialism
• Civil society and public theology
• Neo-Orthodoxy
• Recent debate about the political implications of Islamic theology
• Role of the Ecumenical Movement in promoting justice and peace

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching takes place in plenary sessions and using blended learning. It may also include group activities and also opportunities for individual help through face-to-face meeting or online means. Scheduled learning activities are varied and include include: lecture-style presentations by the module tutor or occasional guest speaker; seminar-style discussion of a particular topic; informal prepared presentations by students, followed by discussion; debates; and other exercises as appropriate to material and group. Students receive guidance on reading in preparation for each session and activity and learning is supported by the VLE (Moodle) and sometimes by readers and other resources. Guidance on research and essay-writing is integral to the learning and teaching process in each module and may also be supported by tutorial guidance on essay plans if requested.

Lecture style presentations,br> Contact hours: 20

Student-led seminars
Contact hours: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 160

Assessment: