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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "RL 221-3"
COURSE NAME: "The Popes of Rome: History of the Catholic Church"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Erik Walters
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 6:00-7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The history of the Catholic church is essentially intertwined with the history of Western Civilization over the past 2,000 years. The aspirations and struggles of Christendom constitute the fabric of the Christian tradition as it unfolds throughout time. This course represents an historical survey of the Church from its primitive beginnings in Jerusalem (c. 33 A.D.) to the Pontificate of John Paul II (1920-2005). The development of the course will trace the major events, ideas and people that went into the shaping of the Western Church, without ignoring the fundamental importance and influence of the doctrine of Jesus Christ regarding the institution he founded.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Christianity remains the world's largest religious body among human beings claiming some degree of affiliation (32%), though Islam rapidly is closing that gap at a current 23% of human beings claiming religious affiliation. Judaism,  traditionally the origin of these other two monotheistic religions, has fewer than 14 million members across the globe. How did the Christian religion gain such predominance? How does it maintain such predominance today? How does it continue to find itself embroiled in all global religious and secular conflicts? One cannot understand the reasons for this situation or, and perhaps more importantly, the current global state of affairs (economic, political, religious, etc.) without some understanding of the history of the Catholic Church.

This course seeks to address these questions and more in three parts (more explicitly detailed in the "Course Schedule" below): 1) Roman Antiquity and the Rise of Chirstianity (e.g. how 3rd century Roman Emperors gradually were replaced by 4th century Christian bishops to hear legal cases in courts of law!); 2) The End of Ancient Civilization and the Rise of the Catholic Church (e.g. how ambassadors of the infamous "Mongolian Horde" of Genghis Khan managed to be present at a Church Council in medieval Europe…and become baptized Catholics!); 3) Humanity Makes, the Papacy Takes (e.g. how NASA sent two Vatican space probes beyond our own solar system…on U.S. taxpayers' expense!). The course foresees an intense amount of lecture material and readings as indicated below.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completing the course, students will be expected to have acquired a general yet adequate understanding of the history of the Church and Papacy from both religious and secular perspectives: the Church as it experiences itself; the Church as experienced from the outside; and that grey area which constitutes the confluence of Church-State relations and ramifications. Students’ comprehension of the fundamental ideas, events, persons, and places that have shaped the Church and its relationship with Western Civilization through an objective and unbiased study both inside and outside the classroom will be evaluated through the mid-term and final exams. Students will gain greater familiarity with the evolution of ideas that have influenced the inseparable Church-Civilization interplay through the writing of a research paper, which analyzes the progression of historical situational conflicts, synthesizes their resolutions, and identifies their consequences. All three assessment methods aim to assist the student in learning, perfecting, and absorbing the art of critical thinking for wherever life's destiny may take one.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
A Concise History of the Catholic ChurchBOKENKOTTERNew York: Image Books, 1990; reprint, Doubleday, 2003), 624p.0385516134, 9780385516136     
The PopesNORWICHChatto & Windus9780701182908     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Research Project One"Research Project One" will test students' research and note-taking skills through an analysis of assigned readings and class lecture notes. The asignment is divided into two parts: 1) Questions to be answered directly from the required readings from the textbooks and those handed out in class: Christian New Testament selected readings; T. Bokenkotter's "A Concise History of the Catholic Church" Chapters 1- 13, i.e. pages 1-141; Norwich's "The Popes"). Students are expected to cite the page number from which they are providing answers; 2) Questions to be answered from class lecture notes. Projects are to be type-written in Times New Roman 12 point font, single-spaced, and with fully justified margins and are due in class on Wednesday, 11 October 2017. Errors in grammar, punctuation, syntax, diction, and composition will be deducted for a total of 11 points out of 100. Although some answers should be considerably longer and more developed than others, each of the questions is worth five points. This assignment is worth 25% of the final course grade. Student names are to appear nowhere on the written project. Rather, students will submit written projects using their JCU ID number. This process is to ensure transparency and impartiality in evaluating and grading written projects. Late, emailed, and hand-written projects will not be accepted and will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Questions and clarifications as per the prompt/instructions should be addressed in class for the benefit of all course participants. No such emailed questions or clarifications will receive a response. In case of legitimate and documented emergency situations, late submissions will be accepted and will result in one full letter grade deduction beyond the actual grade awarded for the project. NO "EASY A's"!!!25%
Research PaperEach student will select one topic from a list, which will be attached to the "Research Project One", and present that research project in class on either Wednesday, 22 November or Monday, 27 November 2017. Presentations are to be five minutes in duration. Presentations will address the following regarding the selected topic in question: 1) Historical and geographical contextualization of the selected topic (When and where?); 2) Biographical overview of the topic (Who?); 3) Three major issues, contributions, and/or controversies surrounding this topic (What?); 4) Reasons this topic is considered to be important during or after his or her lifetime (How?); 5) What, if any, relevance does this figure have today? (Why?) Presentations will be evaluated on the quality of the research itself as communicated in the oral presentation as well as the quality of public speaking and communication skills. Project presentations must use some form of visual/audio media (PowerPoint, etc.). Project presentations MAY NOT BE PRESENTED ON ANY OTHER DAY. If a student is unable to present, then a grade of 59% "F" will be awarded. PERIOD. NO "EASY A's"!!! 25%
Research Project Two"Research Project Two" will test students' skills of analysis and synthesis with an end to a demonstration of exercising the art of critical thinking through an examination of assigned readings and class lecture notes. The project is divided into ten questions to be answered directly from the required readings from the textbooks (J.J. Norwich's "The Popes" Chapters 9-25, i.e. pages 96-403; T. Bokenkotter's "A Concise History of the Catholic Church" Chapters 14-27, i.e. pages 142-330) and class lecture notes. Students must cite the verse/page number from which they are providing answers. Projects are to be type-written in Times New Roman 12 point font, single-spaced, and with fully justified margins. Errors in grammar, punctuation, syntax, diction, and composition will be deducted for a total of 11 points out of 100. Although some answers should be considerably longer and more developed than others, each of the 10 questions is worth ten points. This project is worth 25% of the course grade. Student names are to appear nowhere on the written project. Rather, students will submit written projects using their JCU ID number. This process is to ensure transparency and impartiality in evaluating and grading written projects. Projects are due in the examination room by the end of the exam period on the date assigned to be determined by the registrar's office during the semester in progress. Students will write their JCU ID number next to their names on the course student roster list in the examination room when they submit their project, confirming their project submission and allowing the examiner to identify the student for the final course grade calculation. Late, emailed, and hand-written projects will not be accepted and will result in a failing grade for the assignment. In case of legitimate and documented emergency situations, late submissions will be accepted and will result in one full letter grade deduction beyond the actual grade awarded for the project. NO "EASY A's"!!!25%
Class ParticipationClass attendance is strongly encouraged due to the intense amount of lecture material. Active class participation is encouraged and desired. Class attendance and participation is worth 25% of the overall course grade. Three absences (including legitimate documented "emergency situations") will result automatically in a grade of 75% "C" for this assessment method/assignment. Four absences (including legitimate documented "emergency situations") will result automatically in a grade of 69% "D" for this assessment method/assignment. Five or more absences (including legitimate documented "emergency situations") will result automatically in a grade of 59% "F" for this assessment method/assignment. Compliance with these guidelines gets you at least a "guaranteed C" if not that "EASY A" for this assignment.25%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.(95-100% A; 90-94% A-
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.(87-89% B+; 83-86% B; 80-82% B-)
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.(77-79% C+; 73-76% C; 70-72% C-)
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.(67-69% D+; 63-66% D; 60-62% D-)
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.(59% F)

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

PART ONE: Roman Antiquity and the Rise of Christianity (Lessons 1-10)

1) Introduction: overview of course prospectus, syllabus, and expectations; paradigms and hermeneutics/methodologies employed
2) Pontifex Maximus: the office from the Roman monarchy, through the Republican SPQR, to the Imperial Period; Roman Law and Religion
3) Jewish and Roman: Mosaic Law; "Church" and "Peter" in the Christian New Testament; Roman Citizenship (1st century CE - Apostolic Period)
4) Roman and Christian: reaction to early Christianity and its "doctrines" (2nd century CE - Sub-Apostolic Period)
5) Competing Cults and Philosophies: Bacchus/Dionysos, Mithras/Sol Invictus, and Christus; Platonism and Stoicism
6) Tertullian's Turn: Stoic "oneness/unity", Christian "trinity", and the emergence of a state within a state (turn of the 3rd century CE)
7) Third Century Crisis I: Culture Clash: the Roman Response to the Christian Universal Assembly: supplications or persecutions
8) Cyprian's Solution: an alternative model of government in the Christian "Universal Assembly" (mid-3rd century CE)
9) Third Century Crisis II: Power Grab: lapsed catholics and the baptismal controversy
10) A New "Deal": Roman policy shift regarding religion and the dawn of a different empire (turn of the 4th century CE)

PART TWO: The End of Ancient Civilization and the Rise of the Catholic Church (Lessons 11-18)

11) Constantinian Turn: religious "freedom", Christian promotion, Nicaea I, and the "Collegium Pontificium" (4th century CE)
12) Theodosian Shift: Julian the "Apostate"; Constantinople I; Ambrose of Milan; identification of church and state
13) Eastern Confusion and Western Concussion: barbarians at the gates; Augustine of Hippo; the Council of Ephesus (5th century CE)
14) Eastern Clarification and Western Paralization: barbarians breach the gates; Leo the Great; Council of Chalcedon
15) Dark Ages I: Rome's Fall and its Repercussions: Christian elites: Boethius; Benedict; Gregory; monasticism; Islam (6th and 7th centuries CE)
16) Dark Ages II: Gettin' Byzantine and Medieval: Charles the Hammer, Charles the Great, a new empire, and the largest "donation" in human history (8th and 9th centuries CE)

N.B. - By this point in the course students should have completed the following readings: Chapters 1-13 of T. Bokenkotter's A Concise History of the Catholic Church (p. 1-141); Chapters 1-8 of J. Norwich's The Popes (p. 1-95); Chapter 6 of N. Christie's The Fall of the Western Roman Empire (handed out in class); Christian New Testament Readings (handed out in class). ALSO, the in class Project Presentation outlines are to be completed by this point in the course!

17) Middle Ages I: Papal and Imperial Showdown: Great Schism; Gregory VII; medieval universities; crusades (10th through 12th centuries)
18) Middle Ages II: King of the Mountain: Magna Charta; Franciscans and Dominicans; Inquisition; Scholasticism; Boniface VIII (12th and 13th centuries CE)

PART THREE: Humanity Makes, the Papacy Takes (Lessons 19-28)

19) While the Pope's Away: Avignon; Black Death; Catherine of Siena; John Wycliffe; Jan Hus; Western Schism (14th century CE)
20) Return of the King: Council of Florence; Eugene IV; Nicholas V; Constantinople's Fall; Alexander VI; a new world (15th century CE)
21) Rinascimento I: Corruption at Home and Abroad: slavery; Savonarola; Julius II; Michelangelo and Rafaello (16th century CE)
22) Rinascimento II: Papal Propaganda: The Rooms of Rafaello
23) Rinascimento III: "Catholic" Catechesis: Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
24) Rinascimento IV: Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther; Henry VIII; Charles V; Clement VII; Michelangelo's "Last Judgment"
25) Barocco/Enlightenment I: Revolutions Above: conquistadores; Jesuits; Council of Trent; Pius V; Copernicus, Kepler, and Bruno (16th and 17th centuries CE)
26) Barocco/Enlightenment II: Revolutions Below: Galilei, Bernini, Urban VIII, Alexander VII (17th century CE)
27) Who Needs a King?: U.S. Constitution; Napoleon and Pius VII; U.S. Civil War and Pius IX (18th-19th centuries CE)
28) Stronger Than Ever: To Each His Own because They Will Not Prevail: Italian "unification"; l'Osservatore Romano; Fascism; Pius XII; the I.O.R.; Vatican City State; Second Vatican Council; a Vatican "Constitution" (20th-21st centuries CE)

N.B. - By the end of the course students should have completed the following readings: Chapters 14-27 of T. Bokenkotter's A Concise History of the Catholic Church (p. 142-330); Chapters 9-25 of J. Norwich's The Popes (p. 96-403).