HIS 240 - History of World Christianity (4 Cr)
Topic outline
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History of World Christianity (4 Credits)
This course was formerly called Church History (4 credits)Professor David Feddes
DavidFeddes.comOverview
This course examines the history of Christianity and its interactions with various social, cultural, and political contexts. Historical study shows God's faithfulness in the past and increases understanding of Christianity's present challenges and opportunities.
Outcomes
1. Know major events, persons, and trends in the history of Christianity.2. Understand the social, cultural, and political contexts in which Christianity developed.3. Trace the Christian worldview's impact on multiple dimensions of various cultures.
4. Discern God’s purposes and faithfulness to his people throughout history.
5. Be encouraged by past heroes and achievements, and emulate them in the present.
6. Identify false ideas and bad behaviors in the past, and avoid them in the present.
7. Gain a better understanding of Christians from various heritages worldwide.
Assignments
1. Watch the videos for each unit. Transcripts of some videos are provided for further study or later reference if you wish.
2. Read articles for each unit. Each reading appears as a separate item in the course; however, at the end of each unit, all readings for a unit are combined into one file, in case you find that helpful. Articles are mostly from the archives of Christian History magazine. Thanks to CLI's partnership with Christian History Institute, you have access to great material from excellent church historians without needing to purchase any books.
3. Use the discussion forum to ask questions and exchange ideas with others.
4. Take the online quiz for each unit. You will have 75 minutes to answer 20 multiple-choice questions for each quiz. Once a quiz has started, you must finish it, and you can't retake it. So be ready ahead of time. Each quiz covers readings and video lectures for that unit. While taking the quiz, you may use your notes and refer to articles and other materials. Tip: First answer all the questions you know. Then try to look up answers to questions you don't know. When you have entered an answer for every question, submit the quiz for grading before the 75-minute limit.
*The course has a total of 240 points: 20 points for each of the twelve quizzes.Grading Scale
A 95-100% A- 90-94% B+ 87-89% B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79% C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% D 63-66% D- 60-62% F 0-59%
Your average for the course must be at least 60%. Otherwise, you will fail the class and will receive no credit.Deadline
You have 180 days to finish the course. Complete all assignments before the final deadline, or you will be automatically unenrolled, and all coursework will be removed. You will have to start over and take the class again to receive credit.Course Forum
Each course forum is at the beginning of the course, right before the first-course content section, and has comments and questions from other students in the class. The forum is a great way to post a question or comment for other students who are currently enrolled in the course to see. Additionally, you can search the forum to see if anyone in the past has addressed or discussed the issue, question, or comment you were wanting to post about.
Accessibility
All videos have either slides or a script to go along with them.
Note: This class was formerly called Church History.
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Unit 1: The First Christians
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Unit 2: Facing Persecutors and False Teachers
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Unit 3: Becoming the Roman Empire's Religion
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Unit 4: Godly Guides in Troubled Times
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Unit 5: Muslims, Christians, and Crusades
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Click the banner picture at the top of the page in order to view the video.
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Unit 6: Medieval Christendom
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Unit 7: Growing Corruption and Calls for Reform
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Unit 8: The Reformation in Continental Europe
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Unit 9: Reformers and Puritans in Britain
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Unit 10: Christianity Comes to the Americas
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Unit 11: The Gospel Goes Global
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Unit 12: More Recent Chapters in God's Story
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Correction: Printed words early in the video say that Richard Wurmbrand lived in Armenia. That is an error. Richard Wurmbrand lived and suffered in Soviet-controlled Romania, not Armenia.
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Read the Testimony of this Fellow Christian Leaders Institute Student:
CLI student Logan Roberts
"My name is Logan Roberts and I am receiving free pastor training from Christian Leaders Institute. I live in Northeast Ohio with my wife and our daughters.
I was in the National Guard from 2007 to 2013 I had a son during the early years of my military time. In 2008, I deployed to Egypt. While I was gone, the relationship with my son’s mother fell apart. When I returned home a year later, we tried to reconcile, but it was too late.
When we found out our son had cancer, we were frustrated and confused by it in the midst of our failed relationship. She met someone else and married shortly after. She and my son moved to North Carolina. I shut down, lost interest, and turned into an absent father. I was devastated by the whole thing.
Life seemed to fall apart, so I drank and partied away months of my life. I crashed my car into a brick wall in January 2010 and was charged with drunk driving.
My friend and I had National Guard training coming up. We would be gone for three weeks, and I showed up hungover and depressed. He was different. He was going on and on about this youth group he was helping lead at some church. Throughout the next few weeks, he shared the life-changing story of how the gospel changed him. Something gripped me about the Bible and God that had never done so before. God became real, and the Bible became alive. And, Jesus became a person in my heart, mind, and soul. It’s been almost nine years as I write this. God put a desire in my heart to become a Pastor.My spiritual dream is to see Titus 2:11 become a reality all over the world, for all people in all times and places. “For the grace of God has appeared, bring salvation for all people.” I considered pursuing more traditional means of obtaining an education. However, I’ve found that this nontraditional path I’m on is the path God has set before me. My prayer and hope are that the free pastor training I get at Christian Leaders Institute/Christian Leaders College will prepare me for ministry as a Pastor."
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The course has ended. Please make sure all quizzes have been completed. If your work is incomplete, it is considered a drop, and you will have to take the class again in order to receive credit.
Our staff will be using this time to review your work. Your grade should appear on your "My Home Page" in the "Course Overview" section. Please contact Helpdesk if you have any questions or did not receive your grade.