Introduction to Christianity (240-0-20)
Instructors
Christine M Helmer
847/491-2616
Kresge Hall #3341
Office Hours: Wed 2-4 pm on zoom
Meeting Info
Kresge Cent. Hall 2-380 Kaplan: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
This course approaches the Christian religion through the lens of its central act of communal worship, the Mass, specifically as contemporary bass-baritone Davóne Tines has curated and performed it. The practice of Christianity is where we situate our reflections: the liturgical intoning of words that have been chanted for centuries: kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy), agnus dei (lamb of God), credo (Creed), sanctus (Holy, holy, holy), and benedictus (benediction). Where these words come from, how they are put together, and why they are arranged in a particular order are questions we explore in order to work out their meaning. Topics addressed will be how Christians interpret the Bible, how they make claims about God in relation to self and world, and how ideas about Christianity have changed (while remaining recognizable as a tradition) in different cultural settings. Readings are chosen from the inheritances—past and present—of western Christianity.
Teaching Method
Class Materials (Required)
John Baldovin, Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation: Understanding the Mass, Lanham (Md): Rowman and Littlefield, 2003: ISBN: 978-0742531796; $20.94
Justo L. González and Catherine Gunsalus González, Worship in the Early Church, Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2022: ISBN: 978-0664267827; $33.50
Class Attributes
Ethics & Values Distro Area