It's Been a Good Year

2012 has been a good year for me, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I finished my second year of teaching at UTC, and was blessed by another year of great courses and good student evaluations. I am thankful for being able to organize the LeRoy Martin Distinguished Lecturer Series, and for the speakers who lectured at UTC during 2012: Bruce Gordon, Gerald McDermott, Thomas Kidd, Catherine Brekus, Grant Wacker, D. G. Hart, John Fea, and Amanda Porterfield. I look forward to hosting next year's speakers.

In terms of publications, 2012 was a productive year for me. My first book, Enlightened Evangelicalism: The Life and Thought of John Erskine, has been reviewed twelve times. I worked very hard this year to complete my anthology, Early Evangelicalism: A Reader, which I turned in to OUP almost a year ahead of schedule. I hope to see it published in 2013. I published two articles and two review articles, and wrote one article using over one hundred manuscript sources. I presented three papers at national conferences and was elected a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I was also unexpectedly surprised to be selected by Chatter Magazine to be featured in its June 2012 issue on "20 Under 40," which profiled twenty young "movers and shakers" in the Chattanooga area. I hope 2013 will be equally productive for me.

Faculty Job

North Park Theological Seminary

Teaching Fellowship in Church History

North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, invites applications and nominations for a full-time Teaching Fellowship in Church History (non-tenure track, 2 year appointment), starting Fall 2013.
The position will suit candidates with ABD status, for whom a reduced teaching load will be available, but is also open to those with a completed Ph.D. The successful candidate will be a member of seminary faculty for the duration of the appointment. The stipend for the Fellowship includes benefits and accommodation. It is essential that the individual appointed teach with an awareness of the global context of Church History and in a manner that explicates its relevance for ministry in culturally and ethnically diverse contemporary North American contexts. The successful candidate should also expect to develop teaching expertise in the denominational history of the Evangelical Covenant Church and be committed to its history, or to that of Pietism, as a research interest.
For full details of the position see http://www.northpark.edu/About/Prospective-Faculty-and-Staff/Seminary-Faculty-Openings. Interested parties should send their curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, and a sample of scholarly work by February 8, 2013 to Dr. Stephen J. Chester, Acting Dean of Seminary Academic Programs, North Park Theological Seminary, 3225 W. Foster Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625. Any questions relating to the position may be addressed to gbrown@northpark.edu. Women and ethnic minority candidates are encouraged to apply. North Park Theological Seminary and North Park University are equal opportunity employers.

Faculty Jobs

George Fox University

George Fox University, a Christ-centered community, prepares students spiritually, academically, and professionally to think with clarity, act with integrity, and serve with passion. Professors teach all truth as God's truth, integrating all fields of learning around the person and work of Jesus Christ, bringing the divine revelations through sense, reason, and intuition to the confirming test of Scripture. All applicants must express a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and express their Christian testimony in a local church. In addition, professors agree to live in agreement with the university lifestyle statement and affirm the theological commitments expressed in the Statement of Faith. Individuals who would fit this profile are encouraged to apply. 

Rank: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor

Responsibilities:

1. Teaching:

? Courses in Christian history and theology from a Wesleyan perspective

? Courses in pastoral studies, Christian ethics, and spiritual formation

2. Scholarship:

? Maintain active engagement in Wesleyan scholarly guilds

? Maintain a sustained pattern of peer-reviewed publication as called for in theGeorge Fox University Faculty Handbook

3. Service:

? Support the university’s Free Methodist Center

? Participate in the ongoing support of the seminaryprograms and curriculum

? Serve on faculty committees, participate in the life of the university and seminary community, provide academic advisement to students, and engage in other duties normally associated with full-time faculty members

? Support local faith communities and community service efforts as appropriate

The Seminary:

George Fox Evangelical Seminary is a multi-denominational, evangelical, university-based seminary committed to equipping women and men academically, spiritually, emotionally, and theologically for ministry in the church and world. We are locatedin Portland, Oregon. Students in the Local Learning Community (LLC) attend classes one or two days per week on a full- or part-time basis. Students in the Online Learning Community (OLC) do the bulk of their coursework online, in community with a group of fellow students (cohorts), and travel to campus two or three times a year for face-to-face course intensives. Whether on campus or online, our faculty and staff create a set of learning environments that support students' education, training, and mentoring for leadership service.

We exist to serve the present and future age by developing students as leaders and scholars to be influencers in the Kingdom of God. By integrating spiritual formation into a historical, theological, biblical, and pastoral curriculum, students are encouraged to deepen their understanding of themselves as connected to God, the church, and the world. 

1) The applicant must express a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and be actively involved in a local church. In addition, she or he must commit to live in agreement with the university's lifestyle statement and affirm the theological commitments expressed int he university's Statement of Faith: http://www.georgefox.edu/about/mission_vision_values/faith_statement.html
2) Ph.D. in Wesleyan studies, preferably in historical theology or systematic theology. ABD considered only if degree will be in hand by August 1, 2013.
3) Teaching experience in, and commitment to support, traditional classroom, online and hybrid course delivery at the graduate level.
4) Commitment to the university's statement of diversitiy: http://www.georgefox.edu/diversity/index.html
5) Demonstration of scholarship, including academic conference presentations and scholarly presentations.
6) Commitment to a Wesleyan concern for the church and for training women and men as pastors and ministry leaders.
7) Commitment to the integration of faith and learning, which includes integrating all fields of learning around the person and work of Jesus Christ and subjecting the insights we derive through sense, reason, and intuition to the confirming test of Scripture.
8) Preferred: ordination credentials from a church in the Wesleyan tradition and five years of ministry experience in the Wesleyan tradition.
9) Women and person of non-Caucasian descent are strongly encouraged to apply.


Oklahoma Baptist University

Oklahoma Baptist University is a private, Christian liberal arts institution with more than 1850 students and 300 faculty and staff, on a 200 acre campus in Shawnee, Oklahoma. OBU transforms lives by equipping students to: pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of God in Christ. Oklahoma Baptist University welcomes applications from qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, gender, national orig....more info

The assistant or associate professor of history will have primary responsibilities for teaching core and major degree courses, particularly the Western Civilization sequence and American history courses.
Strong commitment to undergraduate teaching
Ability to teach upper-level courses in post-Reconstruction American history
Willingness to teach in summer and/or January terms, as needed
Commitment to fulfill faculty responsibilities as outlined in the university’s Faculty Handbook, including committee service, academic advising, student recruitment, and curriculum development.

Education:
Preferred:  Ph.D. degree in American history or related field
Required:  M.A. degree in American history or related field, with significant graduate work toward the Ph.D. degree
Experience:
Preferred:  Teaching history at the college level; some experience in secondary education social science; ability to teach geography
Knowledge of pedagogies appropriate to the teaching of history; energetic and enthusiastic personality, with high standards of conduct and a collegial attitude.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;

Special Requirements:

The assistant or associate professor of history should possess the following qualities: the ability to work with people of various backgrounds the ability to organize projects, to supervise their completion, and to work with others the ability to communicate constructively and professionally with colleagues and students.

Other Expectations: Candidates must exhibit commitment to the ideals of Liberal Arts education and be an active member of an evangelical congregation.

The Color of Christ

I have been hearing a lot about Ed Blum's and Paul Harvey's The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America. I decided to order it after watching a video clip posted on YouTube in which Joanna Brooks interviews Blum. The book sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read it, and possibly incorporate it in one of my courses.

God is Red

I'm making my way through a stack of books that I have recently ordered. The most captivating by far is Liao Yiwu's God is Red. When I was looking for potential texts to use for my upcoming course on Global Christianity, I recalled John Wilson at Books and Culture listing it as the best book of 2011. Now, during the holiday break, I am finally able to read it.

This is an eye-opening, and in many cases, heart-breaking account of the painful sufferings that many Christians have endured in communist China. It would be impossible not to be moved by the stories that make up the chapters in the book. Perusing God is Red makes me feel ashamed for complaining about my own petty problems, especially after reading a chapter like "The Cancer Patient" about Li Linshan.

Li grew up in a poor area in China where clean water was rare. He told the author, "We dug wells, as deep as two people, but they were always dry. Water was like gold. Rainwater was free, but that didn't last long. It tasted like muddy soup with lots of bugs in it. If you filled up a scoop, you could see the bugs wriggling in the water." Li later learned that he had cancer, but could not afford medical treatment. But rather than sulk, he joyfully awaited his death. When Liao Yiwu asked him if he felt lost, Li replied, "No, I'm not lost. God will make plans for me... Death will be like a leaf falling onto the ground. My soul will float into the arms of angels." In a touching epilogue, Liao writes that a Reformed Evangelical Church in California heard of Li's condition and raised the money to pay for his much-needed surgery.

If you are looking for a last minute stocking-stuffer, I would highly recommend this book, which is only about $10 on Amazon.com. I have ordered copies for my parents and in-laws, and will definitely use it for my course on Global Christianity.

Faculty Job

Brown University/Religious Studies

Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Humanities

Brown University's Deparmtent of Religious Studies invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the area of "Religion,  Secularization, and the International."  The fellow will collaborate closely with the Religion and Internationalism Project.  We welcome applicants from across the humanities and social sciences, provided they have a strong background in the academic study of religion.  We are particularly interested in candidates with critical and historical perspectives on the construction of domains such as "the religious," "the secular," and "the political" as well as on the formation of international political regimes. The fellow is expected to pursue research and publications and is required to teach one course each semester.  The fellow is also required to participate in the academic life of the department as well as in the Fellows' Seminar of the Cogut Center for the Humanities.  The fellowship is offered through the Cogut Center for the Humanities and its Postdoctoral Fellowships in International Humanities. Fellows receive stipends of $52,000 and $54,080 in their first and second years, respectively, plus standard fellows' benefits and a $2,000 per year research budget.  Applicants must have received a Ph.D. from an institution other than Brown within the last five years.  The appointment will begin July 1, 2013.  A letter of interest (including a research statement), a statement of proposed courses, a curriculum vitae, a brief writing sample, and three letters of recommendation should be submitted online at https://secure.interfolio.com/apply/20923.  Review of applications will begin on February 15, 2013.  Please send general inquiries to Nicole Vadnais, Academic Department Manager (Nicole_Vadnais@brown.edu).  Brown is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.  Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. 

Philip Jenkins is Coming to Town

Philip Jenkins will be our final LeRoy Martin Distinguished Lecturer. He will be speaking at UTC on trends in Global Christianity on Wednesday, February 20 at 5pm.

For the past month, I have been rethinking my marketing strategy for this lecture series. We have been averaging between 100 and 200 people, which is a good turnout for a public lecture, but I am convinced that we can increase the numbers. Furthermore, I have been disappointed to learn from friends that they are unaware of the lecture series. So, beginning with Jenkins, I have decided to increase our budget on advertising.

I worked out a deal with the Chattanooga Times Free Press to place four quarter-page ads two weeks prior to his lecture. I am also arranging for some billboards around town to promote the lecture, and I am going to work with some Christian radio stations in the area to promote the lecture in addition to the local NPR station (WUTC). I am anxious to see if this increased exposure will result in more people attending our lecture series.

The Business of Books

Last night I finished James Raven's The Business of Books: Booksellers and the English Book Trade. The storyline is not as engaging as Richard Sher's Enlightenment and the Book, but Raven's work will be an indispensable source for scholars studying early modern printing and publishing.

The footnotes to other sources is worth the purchase price. Raven cites a multitude of primary and secondary sources, which is very helpful if you are looking for books and journal articles on the history of the book, particularly in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

Faculty Job

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE's Department of Religious Studies invites applications for a one year sabbatical replacement position in American Religions, area of specialization open, for 2013-2014. Ph.D. in hand or near completion; teaching experience required. Teaching load is 3/2. Candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, a teaching statement, teaching evaluation forms, if available, and three letters of recommendation to Annette Aronowicz, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Franklin & Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003. Deadline for application is March 1, 2013. Franklin & Marshall College is committed to having an inclusive campus community where all members are treated with dignity and respect. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of gender, race or ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, family or marital status, or sexual orientation.

Application Information

Postal Address:	Professor Annette Aronowicz, Chair Department of Religious Studies Franklin & Marshall College P.O. Box 3003 Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
Phone:	(717) 291-3916
Fax:	(717) 291-4369

New Books on the Way

The holiday season is upon us and once again all I want for Christmas are books. I have now worked out an agreement with my immediate and extended family so that I can order a certain number of books as part of my Christmas presents.

John Fea reminded me that I need to read Ebenezer Hazard, Jeremy Belknap, and the American Revolution by Russell M. Lawson. But since I don't want to spend $90, I've taken his advice and ordered the book through inter-library loan.

Today, I decided to spend some of my Christmas money on the following books: Lamin Sanneh's Summoned from the Margin: Homecoming of an African, Liao Yiwu's God is Read: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China, and James Moorhead's Princeton Seminary in American Religion and Culture (another Fea recommendation). The first two I may use for my projected fall 2013 course on "Global Christianity," and the last is based purely on my interest in Samuel Miller and the founding of Princeton Seminary. I wonder if I can finish these books before the spring semester begins.

Review Article of Sarah Osborn's World in Books and Culture

I see that my review article on Catherine Brekus's book, Sarah Osborn's World: The Rise of Evangelical Christianity in Early America is now posted on the Books & Culture website. Tommy Kidd listed it as one of "Five Compelling Religious Biographies," and I would easily agree.

Sarah Osborn is not often remembered for her contribution to early evangelicalism and the influence that she had as a spiritual director in Newport, Rhode Island. If Brekus had simply written a biography of Osborn that would have been interesting in itself, but the book offers much more than that. Brekus situates Osborn within her cultural context in early America, referring to a host of other evangelicals (especially Jonathan Edwards) as she tells her story.


Sarah Osborn's World should be one of the first books that scholars and students read on eighteenth-century evangelicalism.

Suggestions for New Courses

I'm a planner. I like to plan far ahead. If I am at UTC next year, there is a gap in my spring 2014 schedule, leaving room for me to add a new course. I would welcome suggestions from you all on potential courses to add that relate to: American religious history, history of Christianity, and historical thought.

In the fall of 2013, I'm planning on teaching a new course on Global Christianity, using perhaps some of Philip Jenkins's books. Jenkins is our final LeRoy Martin Distinguished Lecturer for the year, and will be speaking at UTC on February 20, 2013. I hope to ask him for some additional titles to include in that course.

I am also planning on teaching a new course on Jonathan Edwards in the spring of 2014. Although this may seem like a narrow topic, Edwards has been so influential in American religious history, has written so many weighty books, and has been the study of so many excellent scholars (George Marsden, Ken Minkema, and Gerald McDermott to name a few), that I am convinced there would be a lot of material to discuss in such a course. But even if I add a course on Edwards for the spring of 2014, I still have one more slot open and I would welcome any suggestions you have. One idea I am considering is teaching a class on Women in Protestantism.

Faculty Job

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR/FACULTY FELLOW
Religious Studies Program
ARTS AND SCIENCE

The Religious Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts and Science at New York University invites applications for an appointment as an Assistant Professor/Faculty Fellow. The appointment will be for one year beginning September 1, 2013, subject to renewal for up to two additional years, pending administrative and budgetary approval. Candidates must have completed a Ph.D. no earlier than three years before the date of appointment, have a strong commitment to teaching and participating in the interdisciplinary Program's activities. We seek applicants whose area of empirical research lies in the history of Christianity in America (United States). The ideal candidate will demonstrate a combination of historical depth with an awareness of contemporary issues in American public life. An ability to analyze religion alongside other fields of difference, such as gender, race, and sexuality, is a plus. The candidate should be prepared to teach Theory and Methods in the Study of Religion (an introductory course on anthropological, sociological, and phenomenological approaches to the study of religion), as well as two other courses, the nature of which will in part depend upon her/his qualifications.

Application deadline is February 15, 2013. To apply see the NYU Religious Studies Program web site at http://religiousstudies.as.nyu.edu and click on the "Employment" link to submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a 20-page writing sample, a sample syllabus, and the names of three referees.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Spring 2013 Courses

For the last few days I have been revising my lecture notes for my spring 2013 course on "Modern Christian Thought." I added lectures on Kant, Kierkegaard, and Emil Brunner as well as contextual information beware and after WWI and WWII.I also replaced readings from Hegel with Harnack.

Next semester I am teaching a new course that I have designed entitled, "The Faiths of the Founding Fathers." Below are some excerpts from the syllabi for these courses.


The Faiths of the Founding Fathers, Spring 2013 

Course Description:

This course is a study of the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers (and Mothers) in America. Particular attention is given to religion in America and the role of the Founding Fathers in establishing the separation of church and state.  

Required Texts:        

• Frank Lambert, The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America (Princeton University Press, 2003)
• Matthew L. Harris and Thomas S. Kidd, eds., The Founding Fathers and the Debate Over Religion in Revolutionary America (Oxford University Press, 2012)
• Steven Waldman, Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty (Random House, 2009)
• Daniel L. Dreisbach, Mark David Hall, and Jeffry H. Morrison, eds., The Forgotten Founders on Religion and Public Life (University of Notre Dame Press, 2009)

Course Requirements:

1.               Exams (25% for each, 500 total points)

Students will take two examinations that are based on the required readings and class discussions. Both exams must be taken—notifying me within 24 hours if you have a legitimate reason why you cannot be present to take the exam—and no tests will be dropped. 

2.               Reading Quizzes (1% x10 = 100 total points)

Students will take 10 pop quizzes throughout the semester on the assigned readings in the course. Each quiz will consist of questions related to the readings that are due that day of class. These quizzes are designed for students to demonstrate that they have completed the required readings.

3.               Comparative Analysis Paper (30% or 300 points)

Students will write a comparative analysis paper on two of the American Founding Fathers (or Mothers) that we have discussed in class. Papers should be 4,000 words in length (give or take 500 words), double-spaced, 12 point font, and use a minimum of five additional academic secondary sources beyond the required texts for the course, including books (at least two monographs must be utilized), scholarly journal articles, and essays in edited books (no websites please). The paper should have a title page with the student’s name, course, and professor’s name, and are due on April 12 at midnight. Papers will be assessed a 10% penalty for each day late.

Evaluation for comparative analysis papers will be based on the following:

Grammar/Syntax (20%)

-          Does the student show a mastery of grammar and syntax?

Introduction (10%)

-          Is there a distinct introduction in the paper?

-          Does the student provide a clear thesis?

Conclusion (10%)

-          Is there a distinct conclusion in the paper?

-          Is the conclusion sufficiently long enough to explain how the paper has provided an answer to the thesis?

-          Does the conclusion recapitulate the reasons for taking a particular point of view, evaluating the importance of those reasons?

The Body of the Paper (30%)

-          Are the paragraphs grouped by main points that contribute to answering the research question?

-          Does the first sentence of the paragraph introduce its topic, helping the reader to know what to expect?

-          Is there sufficient evidence—statistics, specific names or dates, primary-source quotations, etc.—that supports the main point in the paragraph?

-          Does the student use quotations properly by quoting only primary sources and not secondary sources, instead, paraphrasing a secondary-source author and citing him or her?

Content (30%)

-          Does the student provide a thorough comparison of the Founding Fathers/Mothers?

-          Is the overall argument in the paper convincing?

4.              Attendance and Participation (10% or 100 points)

It is essential that you attend classes regularly and come prepared to take notes on the lectures and participate in class discussion. Since this is a three-hour course, you are allowed three skips without penalty. I will take attendance until five minutes after the hour. Students arriving after that time will be counted absent. For every absence in excess of three, your attendance and participation grade will be reduced by 20 points. 

Helpful Books on the Religion of the Founding Fathers

General Reading

Allen, Brooke. Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers. Ivan Dee, 2007.
Fea, John. Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction. WJK, 2011.
Frazer, Gregg L. The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, Revolution. Kansas, 2012.

Gaustad, Edwin S. Faith of the Founders: Religion and the New Nation, 1776-1826. Baylor, 2004.
Holms, David L. The Faiths of the Founding Fathers. Oxford, 2006.
Mapp, Alf J. The Faith of Our Fathers: What America’s Founders Really Believed. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.
Meacham, Jon. American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. Random House, 2007.           

Abigail Adams

Holton, Woody. Abigail Adams. Free Press, 2009.
Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: A Biography. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001.
Withey, Lynne. Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams. Touchstone, 2002.

John Adams

Ferling, John. John Adams: A Life. Oxford, 2010.
McCullough, David. John Adams. Simon & Schuster, 2001.

Samuel Adams 
Alexander, John. Samuel Adams: The Life of an American Revolutionary. Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.
Fowler, William M., Jr. Samuel Adams: Radical Puritan. Longman, 1997.

Stoll, Ira. Samuel Adams: A Life. Free Press, 2008.

Ethan Allen

Randall, Willard Sterne. Ethan Allen: His Life and Times. W. W. Norton, 2011.

Aaron Burr, Jr.
Isenberg, Nancy. Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr. Penguin, 2008.
Stewart, David O. American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America. Simon and Schuster, 2011.

Charles Carroll

Birzer, Bradley J. American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll. Intercollegiate Studies, 2010.

McDermott, Scott. Charles Carroll of Carrollton: Faithful Revolutionary. Scepter, 2001.

John Dickinson

Flower, Milton E. John Dickinson: Conservative Revolutionary. University of Virginia, 1983.

Benjamin Franklin

Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Simon & Schuster, 2003.

Walters, Kerry. Benjamin Franklin and his Gods. University of Illinois, 1999.

Wood, Gordon. The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Penguin, 2004.

Alexander Hamilton

Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. Penguin, 2005.

McDonald, Forrest. Alexander Hamilton: A Biography. W. W. Norton, 1982.

Randall, Willard Sterne. Alexander Hamilton: A Life. Harper, 2003.

Patrick Henry

Kidd, Thomas S. Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots. Basic Books, 2011.

John Jay

Stahr, Walter. John Jay, Founding Father. Hambledon and London, 2005.

Thomas Jefferson

Bernstein, R. B. Thomas Jefferson. Oxford, 2005.
Ellis, Joseph J. American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. Vintage, 1998.

Gaustad, Edwin. Sworn on the Altar of God: A Religious Biography of Thomas Jefferson. Eerdmans, 1996.

Richard Henry Lee
McGaughy, Kent J. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia: A Portrait of an American Revolutionary. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.

Dolley Madison

Allgor, Catherine. A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation. Holt, 2007.    

Cote, Richard N. Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Maison. Corinthian, 2004.

James Madison

Broadwater, Jeff. James Madison: A Son of Virginia and a Founder of the Nation. UNC, 2012.
Brookhiser, Richard. James Madison. Basic Books, 2011. 
Gutzman, Kevin R. C. James Madison and the Making of America. St. Martin’s Press, 2012.

Labunski, Richard. James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights. Oxford, 2008.

McCoy, Drew R. The Last of the Fathers: James Madison and the Republic Legacy. Cambridge, 1991.

Gouverneur Morris

Adams, William Howard. Gouverneur Morris: An Independent Life. Yale, 2003.

Thomas Paine

Kaye, Harvey J. Thomas Paine and the Promise of America. Hill and Wang, 2006.
Nelson, Craig. Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations. Penguin, 2007.         

Benjamin Rush

Brodsky, Alyn. Benjamin Rush: Patriot and Physician. Truman Talley, 2004.

Hawke, David Freeman. Benjamin Rush: Revolutionary Gadfly. Bobbs Merrill, 1971.

Kloos, John M. A Sense of Deity: The Republican Spirituality of Dr. Benjamin Rush. Carolson, 1991.

Roger Sherman

Hall, Mark David. Roger Sherman and the Creation of the American Republic. Oxford, 2012.

George Washington

Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. Vintage, 2005.

Longman, Paul K. The Invention of George Washington. University of Virginia, 1999.

Novak, Michael and Jana. Washington’s God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country. Basic Books, 2006.

Thompson, Mary V. “In the Hands of a Good Providence”: Religion in the Life of George Washington. University of Virginia, 2008.

John Witherspoon

Tait, Gordon L. The Piety of John Witherspoon: Pew, Pulpit, and Public Forum. Geneva  Press, 2001.

 


Modern Christian Thought, Spring 2013

Course Description:

This course looks at selected movements and figures that have shaped the Christian theological tradition in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Required Texts:        

• Friedrich Schleiermacher: Pioneer of Modern Theology (Fortress, 1991)
• Adolf von Harnack: Liberal Theology at Its Height (Fortress, 1991)
• Rudolf Bultmann, New Testament Mythology and Other Basic Writings, edited by Schubert M. Ogden (Fortress, 1984)
• Karl Barth: Theologian of Freedom (Fortress, 1991)
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (Fortress, 2003)

                                                          

Course Requirements:

1.               Exams (20% x 2 = 400 total points)

We will take two examinations (the final exam is NOT cumulative). The exams are based on the lectures, class discussions, and presentations. Both tests must be taken—notifying me within 24 hours if you have a legitimate reason why you cannot be present to take the exams. 

2.               Discussion Questions (20% or 200 points)

Students will write four discussion questions for each of the following thinkers: Schleiermacher, Harnack, Bultmann, Barth, and Bonhoeffer. Students will answer their questions on a typed sheet of paper, single-spaced, and approximately one-half page in length for each question, use parenthetical citations to show where in the text they found evidence for their answers, and email their questions and answers to the professor prior to the start of class (by 11am) on the day of the assigned reading (late assignments will not be accepted). For Schleiermacher, Barth, and Bonhoeffer you will prepare one question for each of the four class sessions on those theologians, but for Harnack and Bultmann you will write and answer two questions per class period (see schedule below). Each question and answer is worth ten points. Questions should be broad in nature—not allowing for a simple yes or no answer—and appropriate for class discussion.

Students will be graded according to the following criteria for each answer:

8-10 pts – the student asked engaging and intelligent discussion questions and

            fully answered their questions. The student’s answers were well developed

            (at least a full paragraph for each question), demonstrated a thorough

            grasp of the information, used parenthetic citations, and, if applicable,

            provided clear evidence of critical thinking (analysis, synthesis,

            evaluation, or application). 

5-7 pts – the student asked fair discussion questions and adequately answered

            their questions, showed some development/understanding of the

            information, utilized only one or two parenthetical citations, and, if

            applicable, some evidence of critical thinking.

1-4 pts – the student asked inappropriate or poorly worded discussion questions

and inadequately answered their questions, showed nominal development/understanding of the information, utilized no parenthetical

            citations, and, if applicable, only the beginning of critical thinking.

0 pts – the student did not ask or answer any questions.

3.               Research Paper (25% or 250 points)

Each student will write a research paper on a particular theologian, summarizing the theologian’s life, theology, major works, and contribution to modern Christian thought. Papers should be 3,500 words in length (give or take 500 words), double-spaced, 12 point font, and utilizing both primary (written by the theologian) and secondary (written about the theologian) sources. The paper should use a minimum of five secondary sources (academic books and journal articles—avoiding websites and general dictionaries). Papers are due on the day of your presentation (by midnight). Papers will be assessed a 10% penalty for each day late.

Evaluation for research papers will be based on the following:

Grammar/Syntax (20%)

-          Does the student show a mastery of grammar and syntax?

Introduction (10%)

-          Is there a distinct introduction in the paper?

-          Does the student provide a clear thesis?

Conclusion (10%)

-          Is there a distinct conclusion in the paper?

-          Is the conclusion sufficiently long enough to explain how the paper has provided an answer to the thesis?

-          Does the conclusion recapitulate the reasons for taking a particular point of view, evaluating the importance of those reasons?

The Body of the Paper (30%)

-          Are the paragraphs grouped by main points that contribute to answering the research question?

-          Does the first sentence of the paragraph introduce its topic, helping the reader to know what to expect?

-          Is there sufficient evidence—statistics, specific names or dates, primary-source quotations, etc.—that supports the main point in the paragraph?

-          Does the student use quotations properly by quoting only primary sources and not secondary sources, instead, paraphrasing a secondary-source author and citing him or her?

Content (30%)

-          Is there a summary of the theologian’s life?

-          Does the student accurately describe the theologian’s theology?

-          Does the student describe the theologian’s major works?

-          Is it clear what contribution the theologian has had on modern Christian thought?

4.               Presentation (5% or 50 points)

Each student will participate in an individual or group presentation on an assigned theologian (see signup sheet and dates) and the contribution that this thinker has made to Christian theology. The format of the presentation is left up to the discretion of the presenter(s). The presentation should be 15 - 20 minutes with an additional five minutes allotted at the end for questions by the class and the professor. The presentation will be assessed by the professor, and based on the following:

Criteria for Evaluation:

a.       Amount of information

b.      Quality of information

c.       Mechanics

d.      Quality of the presentation

e.       Creativity

5.               Attendance and Participation (10% or 100 points)

It is essential that you attend classes regularly and come prepared to take notes on the lectures and presentations, and participate in class discussion. Since this is a three-hour course, you are allowed three skips without penalty. I will take attendance until five minutes after the hour. Students arriving after that time will be counted absent. For every absence in excess of three, your attendance and participation grade will be reduced by 20 points.