THL413 Church History Methodology (16)

CSU Discipline Area: Theology (THEOL)

Duration: One session

Abstract:

This subject aims to foster a self-critical religious historiography by exploring how and why history is written and re-written principally within Christian traditions in the modern era. It seeks to identify the dominant concerns and emphases of past and recent historiography to uncover widely recognised criteria for good history writing; to focus on perennial methodological issues in religious history writing; to survey critically recent Australian religious history writing; and to demonstrate the central part that history as a discipline plays within theological studies.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Locations

Session 1
Internal	Canberra
Internal	United Theological College
Distance	United Theological College

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: THL413

Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Enrolment restrictions:

Bachelor of Theology (Honours) students only

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

be able to show understanding of how emphases and perspectives of religious and wider historiography have changed during the past century;

be able to demonstrate recognition of how perspectives of history writers are shaped by their culture and religious interests;

be able to assess the competence of any history writing by formal historiographical standards;

be able to evaluate critically the perspectives and preoccupations of contemporary works on Australian religious history;

be able to discuss the problems posed by historical methodology in vindicating or corroborating religious faith;

be able to evidence enhanced research and historiographical skills.

Syllabus:

The subject will cover the following topics:

An overview of history writing and methods of critique
Professional skills and current standards in contemporary history writing
Religious and church history writing during the previous fifty years
Contemporary forces that shape the writing and criticism of religious history
Developments in Australian religious historiography since the 1960s
Perennial methodological issues affecting history writing in general and religious history writing in particular
The place of the historian's own attitudes and concerns in religious history writing
The nature of historical proof
The contested use of historical methodology in vindicating or corroborating religious faith

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