Hstry of Xtnty in Pacific Reg

Catalog description

Taught by PSR, ONLINE. HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE PACIFIC REGION, a course designed as an elective for MDiv, MA, DMin and PhD students. The usual historical narratives that have helped mainline, ecumenical, and progressive American Christians define their identity do not seem as relevant in the Pacific world where so many do not share the cultural and historical experience from which these narratives derive. In this class we will take a different look at the history of Christianity in the Pacific world and work to build historical narratives that will inspire and undergird the work of strengthening and re-shaping Christian communities for the future and illuminate the relevance of Christian thought and practice for addressing the problems facing Pacific societies. Students will learn skills for finding and interpreting sources of information about history, creating plausible historical narratives, and viewing historical events and persons from more than one point of view. This is an ONLINE course. There will be 4 synchronous webinars scheduled after the first meeting of the class and is otherwise asynchronous. The course will be available on the GTU Moodle platform and will involve students in a number of learning experiences. Grades will be based on written work in the class, the quality of engagement in class conversations, quizzes, and small collaborative projects. PhD students will be expected to use more than one language in their research work. [Auditors excluded]