The course gives you an introduction to the propagation of Christianity, the theological thinking and emergence of different denominations from the early church to present day. The course aims to give you an overview of the history and propagation of the Christian church considering the social, cultural, and political context where the events took place. The course is introductory and gives an overview of the different periods of Christian history, emphasizing the Early Christianity, the Middle Ages, the Reformations, and the time after 1800. In the course, there will also be introduced to Christianity as a Global religion in the 20th Century.
Teaching amounts to 48 hours of classroom instruction. 40 hours are given through lectures, 22 hours on general church history, 10 hours on Christian denominations and 8 hours on Christianity as a Global religion in the 20th Century. Furthermore 8 hours are dedicated to learning activities. The classroom experience aims to stimulate you to independent reflection.
Knowledge
The students have:
- Knowledge of the history of Christianity from the beginning in Jerusalem and until present day.
- Knowledge of Christianity as a Global Religion in the 20th Century.
- Knowledge of the history and theological characteristics of the Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodist Church and Pentecostalism.
Skills
The students can:
- find, evaluate, and refer to information and academic material about the history of Christianity and different denominations, and present it in a proper manner.
- plan and carry out visit to a Church/congregation and be present at a worship/liturgical service.
- present the distinctiveness and self-understanding of different denominations in a proper manner.
Attendance and Absence
To be eligible for final assessment you must:
- Attend a minimum of 70 % of the lectures (cf. chap. 5.5)
* Students who don’t complete the attendance requirement, must retake the course the next time it is offered.
* See the document “Attendance Regulations for Fjellhaug International University College” for more details.
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Complete 3 out of 5 small tests based on the curriculum.
- Visit a worship service in a church belonging to a different denomination than your own and write a report.
- Present and discuss themes from the curriculum in groups.
Deadlines for submission are given at the start of the semester but notice that the requirements must be completed not later than two weeks before the exam date.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Duration | Grading scale | Comment |
| Written exam | 4 hours | A–F | Final assessment is based on the final exam. The course and final exam will be graded A–E for pass and F for fail. |
Some readings are available digitally on the school’s learning management system (LMS) and are marked with *.
General church history:
McGrath, Alister (2013): Christian History. An Introduction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 350 pp.
Christianity as a Global Religion:
Sunquist, Scott W. (2015): The Unexpected Christian Century. The Reversal and Transformation of Global Christianity, 1900-2000. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 213 pp.
Christian denominations:
Hamilton, Adam (2007): Christianity’s Family Tree. What Other Christians Believe and Why. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 115 pp.
