SEQUENCE AND
RESOURCES FOR TEACHING CHURH HISTORY
In the
preparation of this section there was not time to research thoroughly the
availability of suitable contemporary student and teacher resources on church
history.
As a
compromise, I have attached below a scheme about sequence and resources that was
used in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Because most of the church history in the past has not changed, many of
these resources are still as useful today as they were 20 years ago. The list is included to show what might have
been used and those interested could follow up and see if there are more recent
texts and audiovisual resources that might be used today.
In addition,
some student texts for early church history will be included as pdf files. These can be used in class if and where they
might be appropriate.
An
Outline of Suggested Church History Topics Showing Content Outline, Selected
Basic Resources and Teaching Focus or Main Ideas to be Taught and Student
involvement exercises for the various topics
Teacher
References
T. Bokenkotter, 1979, A Concise History of the Catholic Church
(Revised Edition), New York: Image Books.
J.D. Holmes and B.W. Bickers, 1983, A
Short History of the Catholic Church, London: Burns and Oates.
J.Comby,
1985, How to Read Church History, Vol.1, From the Beginnings to the 15th
century, London: SCM Press.
J.Comby,
1987, How to Read Church History, Vol.2, London:
SCM Press.
(For teachers and senior students)
The TEF Study
Guides 5, 8 and 14 published by S.P.C.K., London.
Church History
I, AD29-500, The First Advance.
Church History
II, AD500-1500: Setback and Recovery.
Church History
III, AD1500-1800: New Movements: Reform, Rationalism, Revolution.
(Church
History IV: The Church Worldwide). In preparation.
Student resources
R.J. Wilkins, 1981 (1978), The Emerging Church,
Dubuque, Iowa: Wm.C. Brown, pp.48-66.
R.J. Wilkins and M.E. Gryczka,
1987, Our Church in History: The Story of the Catholic Church, Dubuque,
Iowa: Wm.C. Brown, pp. 52-59.
A. McBride, 1983, The Story of the Church: Peak
Moments from Pentecost to the Year 2000, Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger
Press, pp.2-7. A good,
succinct summary, suitable for less capable junior students.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, 1985, The
Catholic Church: Our Mission in History, Winona, Minnesota: St. Mary's
Press, pp.35-75.
D.R. DeLacey and M.M.
Turner, 1983, Discovering the Bible: The Expansion of Christianity,
Amersham, Bucks.: Hulton Educational.
Teaching focus
1.. The importance of
Paul in the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman world; Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles
(non-Jews).
2.. Paul as the
Church's first theologian; helping
believers to understand the meaning of Christ's life, death and resurrection.
3.. The Council of
Jerusalem: The first great change in the history of the Church; the 'Christians' break away from their Judaic
origins.
Student involvement exercises
1.. From the Acts
of the Apostles, ask students to compose a short debate (not more
than 10 minutes) on the issues discussed at the Council of Jerusalem.
2.. From information
available in both the Acts and in Wilkins, and Pluth
and Koch, dramatise the debate at the Council. The short play should include a narrator to
give a background introduction, Paul, Barnabas, James, Peter and general
assembled believers.
Student resources
R.J. Wilkins, pp. 67-82. This text looks at the Roman, Greek and
Judaic influences on early Christian communities and at the emergence of Church
authorities, administration and leadership, e.g. Bishops, etc.
R.J. Wilkins and M.E. Gryczka,
pp. 61-69.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, pp.
78-85, 96-97.
J. Comby, pp. 29-37. (Some extracts can be useful as student
materials); pp.47-59,
liturgy and prayer.
A. McBride, pp. 14-25.
R. Crotty and S. Macdonald, 1987, Introduction to
the Gospels, Melbourne: Collins Dove, pp.69-82.
The role of Deaconesses in the early Church: J. Comby, pp. 58-59; A. Pluth and C.
Koch, pp. 102-103.
Teaching focus
1.. The growing
Christian community and the development of a sense of being Christian and
working out what that meant.
2.. The attempt of
communities to establish a more formal Church structure, e.g. bishops,
presbyters, deacons, deaconesses, etc.
3.. The role of women
in the early Church.
4.. The development
of worship; the house churches; the sacraments. These developments show the links between the
early Christian community and Christianity today as exemplified by the
celebration of the Eucharist.
Student involvement exercises
The class can prepare for a celebration of liturgy and
a communal meal to follow, in the same way as did the early Christians.
The Early Persecutions
Student
resources
R.J. Wilkins, pp. 85-86.
R.J. Wilkins
and M.E. Gryczka, pp. 80-83.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, 1985, pp. 92-95.
J. Comby, pp. 38-46.
Teaching focus
1.. To understand
why the Christians were persecuted by the Roman authorities.
2.. To explain the
Christian ideal of martyrdom.
3.. To identify the
way believers today witness to their faith:
i). by dying for their
beliefs, e.g. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Maximillian Kolbe, Edith Stein ;
ii). by living
their faith, e.g. Dorothy Day, Dom Helder Camara, Jean Vanier, Mother Teresa;
iii). or as students responding to the call to
goodness and caring for others that has animated people throughout the ages.
Student
involvement exercises
1.. (a) Write
or put on tape a documentary about the execution of Christians from a Roman
point of view, or
(b) write a short play or
newspaper article for the Roman Morning Bugle about the persecution of
Christians, or
(c) tape an eye-witness
report of the events in the amphitheatre about the
persecutions from a Roman point of view.
2.. Students
imagine they are living in the first century CE and are to write a letter to a
Roman friend explaining why they are going to become Christians.
Student
resources
R.J. Wilkins, p. 69 for Gnosticism; pp. 97-100 for Arianism.
R.J. Wilkins and M.E. Gryczka,
pp. 85-90.
A. McBride, pp. 26-30.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, p. 93
for Gnosticism; p.
113 for Donatism and Pelagianism; pp. 99-101 for Arianism.
J. Butterworth, 1981, Cults and New Faiths,
Tring, Herts.: Lion Publishing.
L. Pastva, 1986, Great
Religions of the World, Winona, Minnesota: St. Mary's Press, pp. 227-237.
Teaching focus
1.. To understand
how heresies arose.
2.. To understand
how the Church combats false teachings.
3.. To see how the
Church after reflection and debate affirms the value of all believers, not
elites, and stresses moderation in the way the majority of believers attain
salvation, and can attain goodness without doing extraordinary things.
4.. Highlight how some
modern 'heresies' (cults) stress extraordinary means of salvation, e.g. the
Moonies, James Jones; their distortion
of the Gospel message.
Student involvement exercises
1.. Script a play from
the information available in Comby and Wilkins on the
arguments and debates at the Council of Nicea.
2.. Hold a Council to
evaluate the teaching of one of the extreme Christian sects of the 20th
century.
Student resources
R.J. Wilkins,
pp. 79-83 for the Greek Fathers; pp. 89-93, the Roman Fathers.
R.J. Wilkins
and M.E. Gryczka, pp. 91-95.
A. McBride,
pp. 31-39.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, pp. 109-117; 126-127, for the Church of
East and West.
J. Comby, pp.105-107, a good
summary of the differences between Eastern and Western Christianity.
Teaching focus
1.. To give some
understanding of the cultural and theological differences between Eastern and
Western Christianity.
2.. An understanding
of the contribution of great thinkers to the beliefs of Christianity and the
Christian way of life.
3.. To see that the
message of the Gospels is reinterpreted for subsequent generations.
Student involvement exercise
Optional activities depending on
the ability of the class.
Students will examine short extracts from contemporary theologians such
as:- Karl Rahner - on the
value of the individual and the purpose of life;
Avery Dulles - images of the Church;
Edward Schillebeeckx - the
person of Christ.
Monasteries - Monks, Friars, Nuns.
Student
resources
R.J. Wilkins, pp. 112-114; 130-139.
R.J. Wilkins and M.E. Gryczka,
pp. 101-104.
A. McBride, pp. 46-65.
Includes a chapter on the mendicant orders of friars, e.g. Dominicans,
Franciscans, Augustinians.
J.A.P. Jones, 1983, Medieval
World [History in the Making. No. 2],
London: Macmillan Education, pp. 171-179.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, pp.
108; 129-131, Benedictine rule; 161, Cluny; 177-179, the mendicant orders.
J. Comby, pp. 81-86; 164-166, the
mendicant orders.
Teaching focus
1.. To understand
some of the reasons for the first foundations of monasteries in the Eastern
Church.
2.. The monasteries
as centres of learning, reform and renewal in the
Church.
3.. To learn about
some of the prominent personalities in the monastic movement.
4.. To gain more
detailed knowledge of the founder of the religious order which may be
associated with the school.
Student involvement exercises
Refer to the activities noted at the end of The
Medieval World, by J.A.P. Jones.
Teaching focus
Though most books on Church history include material
on the Barbarian invasions, not many draw conclusions about their effects on
Christianity that can be understood easily by secondary students. Wilkins gives a good account (pp. 109-112)
for the 'first wave' of Barbarian invasions and their effect on
Christianity. Pp.119-122 discusses the
effects of the Viking (Norsemen) invasions which had a more profound effect on
the Church. The Medieval papacy and the
Reformation cannot be fully understand without some
knowledge of the effects of these last great Barbarian invasions.
Additional
student resources
A. Pluth and C. Koch, pp.
152-161, Feudalism and the Viking invasions and their effects on Church/State
relationships.
R.J. Wilkins and M.E. Gryczka,
pp. 97-101; 109-115.
Student
resources
There are numerous student history books on the Middle Ages which can be used.
J.A.P. Jones,
pp. 142-144; 150-157
for Miracle plays.
A. Pluth and C. Koch, pp. 165-194, the high Middle Ages, 1000
to 1300.
TRISS,
pp. 122-127, The Medieval Church.
R.J. Wilkins
and M.E. Gryczka, pp. 117-135.
A. McBride,
pp. 41-91 covers this topic in summary form.
D. Forristal, 1976, The
Christian Heritage, Dublin: Veritas Publications, pp. 62-89, specifically
examines the culture of the Middle Ages and its
influences on everyday life.
Teaching focus
1.. To show that the
Church was central to all aspects of medieval life in Europe.
2.. To show both the
power of the Church for good and also the potential for evil.
3.. To show how
Christians were taught about their faith in medieval times, e.g. sermons,
stained glass windows, morality plays, etc.
4.. To show
that during times when there were difficulties and corruption in the Church,
there were also great saints, e.g. St. Catherine of Siena, St. Francis of
Assisi, St. Clare, St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Other optional areas of study which give insights into
medieval life are the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Black Death, the place of
women in the Medieval Church.
Student involvement exercises
Refer to the
activities in Pluth and Koch, Wilkins, Wilkins and Gryczka, and Jones.
* * *
The remaining topics in Church history to be covered
are well resourced with numerous student texts in both the specifically Church
history books and 'regular' history books.
Essential areas to be covered are:-
The Reformation
The Counter-Reformation
Liberalism and
Rationalism - the Church's response
The Church and new lands: Australia, the United
States, New Zealand, South America, the Pacific Islands; a study of Asia and Africa where
relevant
The Church in
the 20th century before the Second Vatican Council
The Second
Vatican Council and its influence on the Church
The contemporary Church.
Student resources
Pluth
and Koch, Wilkins and Wilkins and Gryczka have good
student materials on most of the topics, with the exception of the coming of
the Church to countries like Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.