Storia della Chiesa 3 RA0805

This course is designed to help the students to acquire a basic knowledge of the facts, events and personalities in Church History from1453 through the late 1789.

I. Reformation and Confessionalism (1453-1563). The breaking in of diversity. Historical context. Renaissance and Humanism. Luther’s reformation. The Lutheran churches. John Calvin and Calvinism. The reformation in England. The Catholic reformation. The council of Trent. Conclusion. II. The Post-Reformation (1563-1648). Elements of Catholic reform. Elements of counter-reformation. What kind of reformed Catholicism? The other Churches. III. Divided and contested Christianity (1648 – 1789). Introduction: a new Europe of a divided and contested Christianity. The triumph of civil absolutism. Growing revolt against spiritual authority. Christian life in a mundane Church. The other Churches. General Conclusion: Evaluation of the period 1453-1789. Learning Outcomes: • Students will be able to identify and evaluate elements carried by popular memory and appreciate the positive and negative developments within the different confessions. • They will appraise the complex development of the relations between Church and States and examine the origins of long term movements of ideas and practices still present in today’s world and Church. • They will evaluate the advances and setbacks of the evangelisation movement during these centuries.

Professor’s notes Bibliography: Bettenson, H. and C. Maunder. Edited by. Documents of the Christian Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Chadwick, O. The Reformation. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Cross, F. L. and E. E. Livingstone. Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, London: Oxford University Press, 1974. Comby, J and D. MacCulloch. How to read Church History. Vol. 2. From the Reformation to the Present Day. New York: Crossroads Publishing, 1999. Freitag, A.Universe Atlas of the Christian World. The Expansion of Christianity through the Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1963. Jedin, H. History of the Church. Vol. 5 to 8. London: Burns & Oates, 1981. Neill, S. A History of Christian Missions. London: Penguin Books, 1994.