Page 132 - 2018-2019 Academic Catalog

353 American West
This course offers an introduction to the history of the American West as both place and idea from the colonial period to the present. Topics will include an investigation of traditional western history, including the frontier as a conceptual category that fashioned not only the myth of the American west, but also American national identity. Furthermore, this course will examine aspects of the “new western history,” including issues of gender, race and ethnic relations, environmental and ecological change, the complexities of borderlands, and the extension of the western myth beyond the borders of North America. Prerequisite: HUM 110 (3 credits)
355 Religion in America
This course is a historical survey of the varieties of religious faith and practice in the United States from the colonial era to the present. (3 credits) (Cross-listed as BTS 355)
375 History of Schooling
In this course, American educational ideas and practice critically examined in terms of their historical development and contemporary significance. (3 credits) (Cross-listed as EDU 375.)
385- Special Topics in History
395 These courses will cover a variety of topics that are not studied in depth in other departmental
courses. Topics will be chosen according to student interest and instructor expertise. (1-3 credits)
385 Radicalism in America
Since the late 18th century, radical populist movements have significantly reshaped American society and culture. The intended goals, functioning first and foremost to generate periodic crises in the American mind, have been to uncover social injustices in order to initiate social, political, and economic reform. This course examines the origins and lasting impact of radical reform movements in America (from abolition to civil rights), considering in particular whether radicalism can be defined historically, what conditions have led to such unrest, whether a lasting radical tradition is fundamental to American identity, and in what way those within the Christian community can appreciate and appropriate the legacy of these
movements.
386 John Calvin: Reformer and Theologian
Building on a close reading of the Institutes of the Christian Religion and selected other works, this course will study the life and theology of John Calvin, including the development of his thought in its sixteenth-century context and recent scholarship on Calvin. (Cross-listed as BTS 386)
454 American Philosophy
This course seeks to answer the question as to whether American intellectuals have offered a unique contribution to the history of philosophy. The course considers not only the important works of leading American thinkers from Jonathan Edwards to Richard Rorty, but also how social, economic, political, and cultural developments have shaped America’s philosophical ethos. Students will study the place of New England Theology under Jonathan
132