This course will sample and compare the variety of traditions whose roots extend back to the early, medieval, and Reformation periods, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, the Reformed tradition, and Anabaptism. Consideration will be given to the origins of these heritages, their evolution, their mission, their current situation, and their possible futures. Students will be invited to explore the interrelations among the theology, worship style, spirituality, mission and social witness of each of these traditions. The focus will be on the way these different visions of Christianity were and are enacted in the lives of ordinary people. The sweep will be global, considering the ways in which local cultures affect the shape of the Christian faith and mission.
- Teacher: Anne Thayer