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BTI Consortium | Last Updated November 17, 2025 - 3:00PM
CHURCH HISTORY & HISTORY OF RELIGIONS
School
Saint John's Seminary
CH603
Survey of American Church History
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This survey course aims to introduce students to the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It will provide a context for better understanding the mission and ministry of the particular church in the United States and the unique circumstances in which it has grown since its beginning. From the founding of Maryland in 1634 through the present day, Catholics have played a pivotal role in American life. Through an examination of the historical narrative, including its key periods, movements, and figures, students will come to a deeper understanding of the history of the Catholic Church in the United States and, through it, a deeper understanding of their roles as future priests and ministers in the nation.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Coughlin
R
2:45-4:45pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7027
History of Western Christianity II: 850-1650
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
General survey of Western Christianity, with special emphasis on institutional, theological, pastoral and spiritual issues. Lays the foundation for understanding many features of the Church today. Topics include monasticism, establishment of the modern papacy, lay apostolic movements (e.g. beguines), religious orders (e.g., Franciscans, Jesuits), heresies, crusades, inquisitions, scholasticism, saints (e.g., Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola), popular devotions, women in church, mysticism, Protestant Reformation, church councils (e.g., Trent), overseas evangelization. Lectures, readings in primary sources, focused discussion.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Harkins, Franklin T
T
12:30PM-03:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7297
Women Theologians, Ministers, & Preachers in Christian History
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course surveys the contributions and impact that women have made within the Christian church as theologians, ministers, and preachers. Attention will be given to church and societal obstacles that have impeded womens contributions and to the varied strategies that women have employed to weaken, subvert, or overcome such obstacles. Primary sources (womens theological writings, sermons, and evidence of their ministries) will be complemented by contemporary scholarship illuminating a diverse selection of women from early Christianity until today.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Mooney, Catherine
W
10:00AM-12:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7321
The Desert Fathers and Mothers
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
An introduction to prominent figures and literary works of the desert tradition in early Christianity, focusing primarily on Egypt and Palestine. Their impact on the patrimony of Christian spirituality will be studied with regard to prayer, asceticism, discernment, spiritual combat, demonology, and the rise of cenobitic monasticism. Attention will be given as much to the ammas (mothers) as to the abbas (fathers); and questions regarding race and racism in the literature will be addressed.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Geger, Barton T, SJ
W
01:00PM-03:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8130
Pilgrimage: History, Theology, and Actuality
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Pilgrimage is a phenomenon that has shaped Christianity from its inception to our days. The immense popularity of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, has generated numerous reflections in recent decades, as well as a flood of works, both popular and scholarly. Taking a large view, the course will explore the history and theology of the practice of pilgrimage, especially in its Christian dimension, but extend also to its actuality as a spiritual practice at the frontier of the institution (within and without), and linked to the narrative construction of the self. The scope of documents read will include historical documents, spiritual texts, Church documents, contemporary narratives and studies, as well as films.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Brouillette, Andre, SJ
R
06:30PM-09:00PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; prereq: One year of theological study
School
Boston College Department of Theology
THEO7048-01
Genealogies of Catholicism: The Problem of Franciscan Modernity
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Famously, Heidegger accused nearly all western philosophy of ontotheology, the naming of God as Being and everything else as manifestations or participations in that metaphysical scheme, a manifestation of the human desire to grasp, to comprehend, and thus, in some measure, to manipulate and control reality as such, the ultimate extension of humantechne, our capacity to manipulate the world. Such a metaphysics, he averred, deprives Being of its deep mystery by claiming to know its nature as such, and thus to grasp it and make it useful. In the end, it is little more than a more refined and civilized dimension of the Nietzschean will to power. Ever since, scholars have sought the precise origins and development of this pernicious modernity. Also famously, so-called Radical Orthodox thinkers have sketched an influential genealogy of this modernity that extends through Suarez back to Scotus, and then hinted that behind Scotuss error may be even Bonaventure. In the preface to the second edition ofTheology and Social Theory, John Milbank traces this first step through to the Scotist leap and the modern tumble into the ontotheological slough, labeling this bad tradition Franciscan modernity. While this narrative has recently come in for trenchant criticism, it remains widely and resiliently prevalent. This seminar, accordingly, seeks to canvas the problem of Franciscan modernity, critically assessing the accuracy and utility of this genealogical narrative, beginning with its sources in the late Middle Ages and then surveying its modern proponents and detractors
Professor
Class Day & Time
Coolman, Boyd
R
10:00 AM - 12:25 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTA 811
Book of Common Prayer
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course provides an overview of the development of the Book of Common Prayer beginning with sixteenth-century England and leading up to the Book of Common Prayer 1979 of the Episcopal Church. Attention will be paid especially to the content and theology of the current BCP and the supplemental materials found in Enriching Our Worship, as well as to current discussions about ongoing liturgical revision in The Episcopal Church.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Feyerherm, Elise
R
12:30-3:15pm
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTH 860
Medieval Female Mystics
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This class explores the devotional lives and theological thinking of the women of late medieval Christian mysticism. Christian mysticism was one of the main avenues of theological practice and teaching available to women in the Middle Ages. Members of the class will read writings from figures such as Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila. The class investigates these mystics� feminine language for God and Jesus, their formulations of significant theological loci, their biblical images and uses of Scripture, these women�s conceptions of ministry, vocation, and the authorization of their vocations; and these women�s relationship the Eucharist and food images. The class surveys some of the ways historians and feminist scholars have read and interpreted these medieval women.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Pak, Sujin
W
6:30-9:15pm
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTM 930
History of Missiology
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Seminar on the classic Protestant mission theorists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Robert, Dana
F
8:00-10:45am
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
Y
Notes
N
School
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-Hamilton
CH/TH657
Life and Theology of Karl Barth
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course presents Barth�s life and theology through�lectures, readings and discussions in order to gain a critical understanding of the main themes in his�theology and their relevance for our own understanding of Christian faith and ministry. ��� � � � � �
Professor
Class Day & Time
Vidu, Adonis
T
9am-12pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Y
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-Boston
CH/SF633
The Spirituality of Jonathan Edwards
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Jonathan Edwards is one of the seminal figures in the history of the American church and beyond due to his particular combination of academic excellence and his pastoral and spiritual depth.� This course will survey the breadth of Edwards�s contributions�philosophically, theologically, historically, exegetically, and ecclesiastically�in order to examine how he integrated God�s Word, his world, and his inner spiritual life.� Edwards will also serve as a model�positively or negatively�for the development of a personal, spiritual formation.� Furthermore, this course will explore the legacy of Jonathan Edwards as a seminal figure in American and international evangelicalism.� His biblicism, rationalism, apocalypticism, missional convictions, revivalism, spiritual psychology, and ethics continue to echo through the evangelical church today.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Cuthbert, Christian
W
1:30-4:30pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Y
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 1602
Neither Witches nor Saints: Women of the Ancient Mediterranean
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich rightfully wrote: �Well-behaved women seldom make history.� It is true that women have been left out of the historical narrative and were only mentioned when they were exceptional or �ill-behaved�; between the witches and the saints, the stories of ordinary women and mothers have been muted. Throughout this course, we will focus on the longue dur�e of the Eastern Mediterranean and explore its stories of ordinary women from paganism to Christianity. We will examine a wide range of bioarchaeological remains, material culture, and sacred spaces to reconstruct the lives of ordinary women. Some of the questions we will answer are: What tools and technologies are associated with women of the past? How did women navigate patriarchal societies, religions, and medicine? How did they use prayers, incantations and medicinal recipes to heal their infants and the maternal body? Were women confined to the "domestic space?" How did women and mothers claim sacred spaces? The course will draw on theological and historical studies, anthropological theories, and archaeological methods to explore the ancient lives of ordinary women�students will dive into critical research and reinterpretation of material evidence to build engaging presentations and original argument-based papers.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Mady
W
01:00pm-02:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
This course is limited to 15 participants. For permission to enroll, please email a paragraph to Prof. Mady (smady@hds.harvard.edu) describing your interest in the class and any relevant background.
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 1700
Orthodoxy and Heresy in Ancient Christianity
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will take up the topic of how difference was addressed in ancient Christianity. In particular, the polemical strategies of the discourse of orthodoxy and heresy will be analyzed. We will explore diverse forms and practices of the earliest Jesus/Christ-followers and Christians by examining a wide range of literature, variously classified as mainstream, heretical, apocryphal, apostolic, and patristic. We will critique these categories and ask: What is the evidence evidence of? What work do claims of truth and falsehood do and for whom? Texts will include: The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Philip, Irenaeus Against Heresies, Epiphanius Panarion, and much more. Previous work in New Testament or history of Ancient Christianity preferred.NB: This is a limited enrollment course. To apply, send a statement to kking@hds.harvard.edu (selection process will begin October 22, 2025) with the following information: your name, degree program, year of study, school or university, previous relevant academic background, and a brief statement of your goals for the course.
Professor
Class Day & Time
King
R
12:00pm-02:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
NB: This is a limited enrollment course. To apply, send a statement to kking@hds.harvard.edu (selection process will begin October 22, 2025) with the following information: your name, degree program, year of study, school or university, previous relevant academic background, and a brief statement of your goals for the course.
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2188
The Protestant Reformations
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
The sixteenth-century was a time of unprecedented turmoil and rapid change in Europe, shaped by events that were specific to the time but will also feel familiar: new media, rising nationalism, internal and colonial aggression against racial others and religious minorities, plague, urbanization, populism, and major economic shifts. All of these shaped emerging religious movements in various ways with aftereffects that would lead to the reordering of human life on a global scale. This course looks at the historical and intellectual context out of which Protestantism emerged and considers its longstanding global impact. It is designed to be an introductory course, but more involved research opportunities will be made available for advanced students in consultation with the professor. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1469.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Sanchez
T
12:00pm-02:45pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2446
Makers of the (Catholic) Tradition: Catholicism and Democracy
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
�Makers of the (Catholic) Tradition� is a series devoted to the study of key themes and authors that have shaped Roman Catholic Theological Studies. Each iteration of this course introduces students to different themes and authors through a combination of lectures and class discussion whose goal is gaining in-depth knowledge of the Catholic tradition, while engaging authors and sources beyond Catholicism.In this iteration of the course, we will focus on the complex relationship between Catholicism and democracy. We will start by studying the general theological and historical background that prevented the Catholic Church from supporting democracy before the 20th century. Then we will turn to two key authors who provided some of the most decisive Catholic arguments for democracy, and whose work was central in the church�s embrace of democracy: Jacques Maritain and John Courtney Murray. The rest of the class will be devoted to examining the shortcomings of democracy, turning to approaches and movements that challenge the current state of democracy in the US and the globe. Particular attention will be given to the new Catholic integralism and its Evangelical counterparts, but also to movements of reform pointing in the direction of democratic socialism.This seminar offers students an opportunity to write a research paper. No prerequisites.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Zegarra
R
03:00pm-05:45pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2671
Pragmatism and Religion: Peirce, James, and Dewey
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course engages three classic figures in the American pragmatic tradition, seeking both to understand the genesis and claims of pragmatism and its relation to and implications for religion in the contemporary era. Ordered chronologically, the course begins with Charles Sanders Peirce, and gives particular attention to the writings of William James and John Dewey. Topics include the nature of belief, human experience, truth, action, ethics, rationality, and the nature and role (socially and individually) of religion. Prior work in theology or philosophy is recommended but not required.Enrollment is limited to 15. Applications for enrollment will be available on the Canvas site, and should be completed at least one week before the first class meeting; petitions should also be registered in my.harvard. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1556.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Lamberth
W
03:00pm-05:45pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Enrollment is limited to 15. Applications for enrollment will be available on the Canvas site, and should be completed at least one week before the first class meeting; petitions should also be registered in my.harvard. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1556. BTI students: Email professor and registrar
School
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
CHST 5022
Church History II/Ecum.Patriarchate
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course is designed to introduce students to the institutions, personalities, and religious and theological expressions of Church life from the medieval period to the present. Special attention will be given to the history and role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. James C. Skedros
T
2:10-4:30 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
INDS 6016 Z1
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is one of the most prominent and accomplished religious leaders not only in the Orthodox Churches but also in the global Christian world. His distinguished personality and patriarchal ministry have undoubtedly left a permanent seal on the recent history of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Orthodox Church, and the broader society.
This course will outline and evaluate the enduring and formative tenure of the Ecumenical Patriarch on the First Throne of Orthodox Christianity from before his election to this day. It will especially highlight his invaluable contribution to Inter�Orthodox, Inter-Christian, and Inter-Religious relations, his ecumenical approach to major contemporary challenges�including, among others, secularism and globalization, religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, rising nationalism and racism, the demand for social justice, religious freedom, and tolerance. Special emphasis will also be given to the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch in finalizing preparations for and ultimately convening the historic Holy and Great Council.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Stylianos Charalambidis
T
11:00 AM - 1:20 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Y
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
PATR 6011
Patrology II
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course is a general introduction to the Fathers and the main periods of Patristic Literature from the fifth century to the iconoclasm controversy in the ninth century. Like the companion course (PATR 5011), this course focuses on the doctrinal issues while also exploring the literary, historical, and cultural context of the period.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Rev. Fr. Demetrios Bathrellos
F
1:10 - 3:30 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
CH502
Church History II
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This survey course aims to introduce students to the history of the Catholic Church from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the present day. Through an examination of the historical narrative, including its key periods, movements, and figures, students will come to a deeper understanding of the history of the Catholic Church in the modern period.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. Coughlin
TR
Tues 10:30-11:45 AM; R 9:00-10:15 AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston University Graduate Program in Religion
CASRN794
Magical Texts: Literature and Practice
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
An advanced course in the interpretation of ancient magical texts that emphasizes the use of theoretical models (Malinowski, Levi-Strauss, Tambiah, J.Z. Smith, et al.) for understanding the complementary uses of sound and symbol, myth and nonsense, and forms of verbal/scribal efficacy in magic, all with attention to social context. Texts include a selection of ritual manuals, amulets, binding tablets, and mystical ascent texts from Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian antiquity.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Frankfurter, David
T
3:30-6:15p
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7218
Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
A study of the coherent theological vision and practical spiritual teachings of Ignatius of Loyola through his writings (e.g. Spiritual Exercises, Diary, and Testament). The course explores both the historical foundations for Ignatius's spiritual program and its subsequent interpretations by theologians and pastoral practitioners.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Mooney, Catherine
T
03:30PM-05:50PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC7301
Tolkien: Catholicism, History, and Myth
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will examine the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien (author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, among others) in primarily a historical framework, but also with attention to Tolkiens Catholic worldview. Tolkien was a scholar of medieval literature as well as a fantasy author. He intended his fictional Middle Earth to represent not only a new national myth-cycle for the English people, but also a particularly Catholic worldview, potentially counter to the landscape of industrialization and World War I. This course will examine these themes and present a narrative concerned with the middle ages, medievalisms, and early 20th-century Catholicism as refracted through Tolkiens lenses. It will also consider discussions of race in Tolkiens thought, linguistics, and various adaptations of his work as well as his relationship with C.S. Lewis and the other members of the Inklings (his writers group).
Professor
Class Day & Time
Molvarec, Stephen Joseph, Society of Jesus
R
09:30AM-11:50AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate Only
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8066
Medieval Exegesis
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
The course provides an introduction to scriptural interpretation in the medieval Latin West through a consideration of a wide range of Christian exegetes, preachers, and theologians working between the fourth and fourteenth century C.E.--including Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, Bede, Alcuin of York, the twelfth-century schools of Laon and St. Victor, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and Nicholas of Lyra--and a variety of 'exegetical' literary genres--including methodological treatises, commentaries, glosses, postillae, sermons, collationes, spiritual meditations, and theological summae. Noteworthy themes to be discussed include the fourfold sense, Scripture and the development of theology as a science, Christian Hebraism, and the Bible in the medieval universities. All primary sources will be read in English translation.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Harkins, Franklin T
F
09:00AM-12:00 Noon
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; prereq: a course in History of Christianity
School
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
TMHC8148
Stones, Bones, Spaces and Places: A History of Christianity�s Relationship with the Material World
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will explore the relationship of Christians with the material world and with materiality particularly during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but with some contemporary discussion as well. Christians, on the one hand, have embraced materiality on account of the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus. On the other hand, some Christians have preferred to find a tension between the material and the spiritual. This course will explore those perspectives as well as the material culture of Christianity in its places, objects, relics, and thought. Students will encounter historical methodologies including the reconstruction of landscape and soundscape as well as theories of material culture.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Molvarec, Stephen Joseph, Society of Jesus
R
03:30PM-06:20PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
Y
Notes
Graduate Only; Previous Courses in Church History or History and (Permission of Instructor)
School
Boston College Department of Theology
THEO7074-01
Spiritual Transformations and Bodily Practices in Early Christian Theology
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course concerns various theologies of spiritual transformation in Early Christianity. This is examined through concepts of grace and divinization, and in relation to bodily practices known under the category of asceticism. One theme will be defining what properly Christian spiritual transformation was thought to be. A second theme of the course will pursue questions of how Christian asceticism is shaped by biblical narrative. This unit will include the theological import of monastic rules. The final theme will concern theologies of union with God, with special interest in the tradition of divinization in Greek Christianity.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Magree, Michael C, SJ
T
4:30-5:45 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Graduate
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTH 828
Early Modern Piety
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
The literature and practice of Christian devotion between the Reformation and Pietism, in national and confessional contexts within Early Modern society. Catechisms, hymnals and prayerbooks in production, distribution, and use. Special attention to the relation between theology and forms of devotion, public and domestic piety, and to the devotional roles of women and children.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Brown, Christopher
W
8:00-10:45am
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTM 815
Christian Mission
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Exploration of biblical, historical, theological, political, and cultural perspectives on the world mission of the church. This course is a requirement for United Methodist MDiv students pursuing ordination in the United Methodist Church.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Robert, Dana
T
12:30-3:15pm
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Boston University School of Theology
STHTO 837
In the Shadow of Empire: Syncretism and Resistance in Persian Period Judah and Egypt
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course investigates how the Persian and Hellenistic imperial contexts influenced and shaped the development of the Hebrew Bible. Students will read the post-exilic biblical and extra-biblical texts from Judean communities in Persian period Judah and Elephantine. This seminar course will primarily explore how the ancient people engaged in acts of syncretism and resistance with the empires that ruled over them.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Simonson, Brandon
W
8:00-10:45am
Grading Option
Letter or P/F
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
Y
Notes
N
School
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-Hamilton
CH/WM603
History of Missions
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course provides an overview of the historical progress of the�Christian missions from its inception to the present. It seeks to explore Christian missions from historical�and missiological perspectives, and identify the different mission patterns or paradigms characteristic of�different eras and regions. �
Professor
Class Day & Time
Yao, Xiyi
See notes
Fri 6:30-9:30pm; Sat 8:30am-4:30pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Y
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Module 1: Jan. 30-31, Feb. 27-28, Mar. 27-28
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 1260
History of Early Christianity
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course will provide a basic historical introduction to early Christianity from the first to fourth centuries CE. How did different Christians in this period navigate the diverse teachings, rituals, and social practices associated with Jesus of Nazareth to produce a religious movement that came to dominate the Roman Empire, even as it was itself always complex, variegated, and internally contested from its earliest moments? Throughout the course, we will explore the diversity of early Christian thought and practice across a range of topics and geographical areas, as well as the ways in which Christians situated themselves within the larger Roman world and in relation to others both internal and external. This is an introductory-level course and it offers the possibility of writing a research paper. Note that the course is designed to complement and build upon HDS 1202 "Introduction to the New Testament." Each can be taken as a standalone class or the two can be taken in any order; but overlap between them will be kept to a minimum. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 2432.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dunning
T
12:00pm-01:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Note that the course is designed to complement and build upon HDS 1202 "Introduction to the New Testament." Each can be taken as a standalone class or the two can be taken in any order; but overlap between them will be kept to a minimum
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 1611
The Gnostic Mind: Jung and the Study of Religion
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Carl Jung (1875 -- 1961), once the most influential psychologist in the History of Religions, is today almost wholly rejected by the discipline. This course will examine the impact of Jung on the study of religion, the reasons behind this disciplinary amnesia, and imagine what a post-Jungian approach to the psychology of religion could look like in the 21st century.The course will center primary readings from Jung (in English translation). These readings will encompass his academic writings as well as The Red Book, Jung's own stylized diary of his visionary journeys in "the land of the dead" from 1913-1916. We will explore topics in the history of religions germane to Jung's work: madness and mystical experience, the paranormal and UFOs, symbols, the imagination, and the relationship between a scholar and their historical subject. Critical assessments of Jung from feminist philosophy, anthropology, neuroscience, and comparative religions will be featured.Altogether, we will interrogate what counts as knowledge within the history of religions and what might have been lost in the forgetting of Carl Jung.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dillon
W
03:00pm-04:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
Interested students should contact Matthew Dillon (mdillon@hds.harvard.edu) for a petition.
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2184
Power, Violence, and Resistance in World Christianity
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Across the globe, Christians are on both sides of social and political power: they hold authority, resist oppression, or, at times, perpetrate violence. Christianity is the largest religion in 159 of the world�s 237 countries, where it often benefits from long-standing support and official or unofficial endorsement. In the remaining 78 countries, Christians live as minorities � sometimes peacefully, sometimes under duress. This course examines the complex interplay of Christianity, power, violence, and resistance in various case studies worldwide. We will explore the historical, cultural, religious, and political dimensions of Christian nationalism in Brazil, the Catholic Church and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, climate change in the Pacific Islands, Muslim immigration to Europe, gun violence in the United States, Christianity and LGBTQ+ rights worldwide, Christian women peacebuilders, Christians under military rule in Myanmar, and Evangelicals responding to gang violence in Central America. Through these case studies, we will analyze Christianity�s varied relationships with power, highlighting the vast diversity of Christian expression worldwide as they grapple with authority, violence, and resistance. Students will have the opportunity to write a final research paper.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Zurlo
M
03:00pm-05:45pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2220
Teresa of Avila
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This conference course will explore the life and work of the sixteenth-century Spanish writer, mystic and reformer, Teresa of Avila. With attention to her religious, literary, political and social context, we will read closely her major works on contemplative prayer and Christian life and community: her Life, Way of Perfection, and Interior Castle; her commentary on the Song of Songs; and documents related to her reform movement. The format of the course will be a mixture of lecture, discussion, and the sharing of our work.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Paulsell
M
12:00pm-01:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 2458
Myths, Rituals and the Sacred: Mircea Eliade and the History of Religions
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This seminar is an intensive introduction to the writings of Mircea Eliade and his influence on the �Chicago School� of the History of Religions. We will read selections from his scholarly works, literary writings and journals (Myth of Eternal Return, The Quest, Shamanism, Myths, Dreams and Mysteries, Patterns in Comparative Religions, History of Religious Ideas, The Old Man and the Bureaucrats, Two Tales of the Occult, In the Shadow of a Lily) in order to gain a broad and deep understanding of his revisioning and deprovincializing the study of religion. The course also studies the work of three other scholars who took Eliade�s contributions in new and sometimes critical directions. These include Charles H. Long (Significations), Jonathan Z. Smith (Imagining Religion), and Wendy Doniger (Other People�s Myths, The Implied Spider).
Professor
Class Day & Time
Carrasco
W
03:00pm-04:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
This is a limited enrollment seminar which requires instructor permission to join. To express your interest, please contact the instructor Professor Dav�d Carrasco (dcarrasco@hds.harvard.edu) with a short description of your background and academic interests.
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3178
Introduction to Iranian Religions and Persian Philosophy
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
Throughout historical and contemporary periods, Persia (Iran) has occupied a central role in global religious thought and spirituality. The ancient Persian religions, including Zoroastrianism (Mazdayasna) and Manicheanism, had highly developed theological and philosophical worldviews with monotheistic and dualistic theologies. These included cosmologies of Light and Darkness, Good versus Evil, End-Times messianism, and resurrection that have greatly impacted world religious and philosophical traditions, including Greek philosophical schools, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, among others. In the post-Islamic period, Persia retained a distinctive place in the development of various Islamic philosophies, including among scholars, sages, poets, and philosophers such as al-Farabi, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Sohrevardi, Attar, Rumi, Hafez, and Mulla Sadra. This has included highly mystical (Sufi/Irfani) understandings of religion that have shaped Islamic thought and culture to the present time, especially in Iran as the main center of Shi'a Islam, heavily impacting the development of Shi'a Islamic thought, philosophy, and identity. This course provides an introductory survey of several Iranian religions and philosophical-mystical traditions from the pre- to post-Islamic periods, ending with Muslim scholars of the 20th century and the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran. It also examines the Western reception of Persian thought and religion, especially in American religion and contemporary popular culture, exploring the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harold Bloom, and other media.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Mohseni
W
03:00pm-04:59pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
CHST 5022 Z1
Church History II/Ecum.Patriarchate
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course is designed to introduce students to the institutions, personalities, and religious and theological expressions of Church life from the medieval period to the present. Special attention will be given to the history and role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Dr. James C. Skedros
ASYNC
ASYNC
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
Y
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
NTGK 6001
AdvancedReadingsInPatrGreekTexts
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
We will carefully read selected texts of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian, in order to comprehend them as examples of Patristic Greek, and also to attend to the way in which their rhetorical form contributes to their theological and pastoral function
Professor
Class Day & Time
Rev. Dr. George Lewis Parsenios
TR
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
School
Saint John's Seminary
HT501
Patristics
BTI Category
Semester
Church History/History of Religions
SP26
This course surveys the development of the early Church from the first century through the sixth century. Readings, lectures, and class discussion introduce the student to the theologies, teaching, and personalities of the early Christian period.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Fr. Staley-Joyce
TR
9:00-10:15 AM
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
3
Online?
N
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Prerequisites?
N
Notes
N
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