History 594:

Christianity, Faith, & Historical Interpretation
Spring 2022 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Course Instructor: Dr. Lane Sunwall
Course Room: B73 Engelmann Hall
Course Meeting Time: Tues and Thurs - 9:30 - 10:45am

Office Hours: Wed 3-4p, Thurs 11-12p
Office Location: B50 Engelmann Hall, and available online
Mailbox: B50 Engelmann Hall
Email: sunwall@uwm.edu

Learning Objectives

Two Primary Goals

Discover how historians train and how they do their work.

  • Gain skill in reading primary sources from the past contextually, empathetically, and critically, and in reading and evaluating modern scholarly writings with understanding and insight.

  • Expand the toolkit you have available to you for finding answers to questions that you have about the world by growing accustomed to using search engines, finding sources, evaluating source limitations, and taking advantage of the amazing resources available in the campus libraries, and through interlibrary loan.

  • Create your own unique questions from historical content, and learn how to construct strong historical arguments based on evidence and clear reasoning.

  • Become more confident in presenting your ideas to others, as writers and public speakers.

  • Grow adept at group work and at building knowledge in a collective fashion.

  • Grow in the virtues of curiosity, open-mindedness, and intellectual humility.

Spark and nourish your fascination with religious history in general and the history of modern Christianity in particular.

  • Learn how to think historically about the phenomenon of religion and how religious systems, identities, beliefs, and practices change over time and space.

The skills that you will practice in this course are not confined to the discipline of history; they will be useful to you regardless of where your lives take you.

Communication and Office Hours

One of my favorite aspects of teaching includes meeting with students outside of structured class time. I strongly encourage you to come to office hours any time during the semester, whether to discuss a problem or question you’ve encountered with course materials or the writing process or simply to explore an idea. I hold regular office hours on Wednesdays from 3-4pm, and Thursdays from 11-12pm. If you have a schedule conflict during those times, let me know and we can arrange another time to meet. Generally the best way to reach me is via email (sunwall@uwm.edu). I check email regularly and will try to respond within 24 hours. Often I can reply sooner than that, but on weekends response time may be up to 48 hours.

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism—representing somebody else’s work as your own—is a serious violation of ethical and academic standards. You must turn in your own work and cite sources carefully, whether you repeat someone else’s exact words or paraphrase or draw on the ideas of another writer. If you have specific questions about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Required Texts

The following books are available from the library (either directly or via interlibrary loan), and I highly recommend checking their availability. If available copies are scarce, coordinate the use of these texts amongst yourselves. These texts are likewise available from local and online bookstores.

The only book I recommend purchasing is: A Short Guide to Writing about History. The others can be accessed via the university library system.

Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981

  • Fairly inexpensive online

Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How white evangelicals corrupted a faith and fractured a nation. New York: Liveright (2020).

  • Limited online access via UWM Library

  • Available via interlibrary loan

Brad Gregory, Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the conflicts that continue to shape our world. New York: HarperOne (2018).

  • Available via interlibrary loan

Richard Marius and Melvin E. Page, A Short Guide to Writing about History, 7th Edition. New York: Pearson (2010).

  • Any subsequent edition is also suitable.

  • Available for 2-hour reserve at UWM Library

  • Archive.org has the 3rd edition available for free digital rental

Grant Wacker, America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the shaping of a nation. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press (2014).

  • Available via interlibrary loan

Course Requirements

Attend and participate fully in every class meeting.

Since this is a discussion-based seminar, your learning experience and the success of the course depend on your coming to every session prepared to engage in the week’s assignment. This means reading each text closely and thoughtfully and coming to class ready to discuss your insights and questions. You must attend all class sessions; absences will be excused only in cases of illness or emergency. Any unexcused absence will reduce your final course grade. Please come to each session: the success of the course rests with you! (20% of grade)

Guide discussion 2-3 times this semester.

As part of a group of 2-3 members, you will introduce our weekly topic and guide class discussion 2-3 times this semester. Your group will conduct research into the topic, historical background, the week’s authors, and available interpretations or reviews of the readings. You will then provide a 15-minute introduction of this material, pose additional questions to those I have identified, and then lead discussion. I will provide a demonstration in week three. (20% of grade)

Historical Methodology Projects.

By the end of this semester I hope that you will have a thorough understanding of the work done by historians. Thus throughout the semester, you will be assigned a series of short assignments that will familiarize you with this work. (30% of grade)

Original Research Paper of 20-25 pages.

This is the central assignment of the course, and we will do a number of exercises along the way towards completing it. As history is not completed in isolation, you will not be alone in the construction of this paper. You will be given special help by library assistants, class-time will be dedicated towards writing and editing, and you will be given peer evaluation from your fellow classmates. (All scaffolded assignments + research paper will account for 30% of grade)

Grading Scheme

  • 20% - Active Discussion Participation

  • 20% - Oral Reports / Lead Discussion

  • 30% - Historical Methodology projects

  • 30% - Research Paper

Statements

Accommodations

Please let Dr. Sunwall know – preferably during the first two weeks of class – if you have a documented disability and need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to participate fully. We will try to maintain the confidentiality of the information you share with us. If you have (or think you might have) such special requirements, you are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Resource Center (https://uwm.edu/arc/) with questions about campus disability‐related policies and services.

Asking for Help

Please ask Dr. Sunwall for help! My entire purpose for teaching this class is to help you become the best researchers, analysts, writers, and speakers – the best historians – that you can be by the end of the semester. I can do that best if you ask when you’re confused, frustrated or discouraged. Research can be a very emotionally trying task! Don’t suffer alone – contact me to help you find your way.

Remember, if you’re confused, or overwhelmed, it is very likely others in the class are as well - help yourself, help your classmates - ask for help!

COURSE SCHEDULE

All readings not from the required course texts are posted on Canvas.

Week 1 | Intro and Overview - Jan 25, 27

Tuesday

  • Course Introduction

Thursday

  • Richard Marius and Melvin Page, A short Guide to Writing about History (Preface, Chapter 1) - Canvas

  • Ann Blair, Too Much to Know: Managing Scholarly Information before the Modern Age (Introduction, Chapter 1) - Canvas

Unit 1: 18th & 19th Century Developments in Christianity

Week 2 | Enlightenment as Secularizing Event - Feb 1, 4

Tuesday

  • Brad Gregory, The Unintended Reformation (pgs 74-128) - Canvas

  • Margaret C. Jacob, The Secular Enlightenment (pgs 6-65) - Canvas

Thursday

  • Library Day 1 | Meet in lobby of Golda Meir Library

Week 3 | Formation and Development of Evangelicalism - Feb 8, 10

Tuesday

  • D. W. Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain (chapter 1, pgs 42-74) - Canvas

  • Mark Noll, The Rise of Evangelicalism (chapter 2, chapter 3) - Canvas

Thursday

  • Methodology: Read A Short Guide to Writing about History (Chapter 2), questioning primary sources, the benefits of professional organizations

Week 4 | African American and Caribbean Christianity - Feb 15, 17

Tuesday

  • Frey and Wood, Come Shouting to Zion (introduction, Chapter 4, Afterward) - Canvas

  • Mark Noll, America’s God (Chapter 19, 20) - Canvas

Thursday

  • Library Day 2 | Planning one’s research and searching for scholarly secondary sources (Library Classroom A: GML 194)

Unit 2: Developments in early-twentieth century Lutheranism and Catholicism

Week 5 | Dialectical Theology and Karl Barth - Feb 22, 24

Tuesday

  • John Webster, “Introducing Barth,” in The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth, ed. J. Webster (Cambridge University Press), 1-16

  • Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans (Oxford), 492-526

  • Paul, Epistle to the Romans (www.biblegateway.com)

Thursday

  • Methodology: Read A Short Guide to Writing about History (Chapter 3-4)

  • Research: digital copies, storage, organization

  • Group Discussants Signup #2

Week 6 | The Anti-Nazi Church Struggle - Mar 1, 3

Tuesday

  • John Moses, “Bonhoeffer’s Germany: The Political Context”; Martin Rumscheidt, “The Formation of Bonhoeffer’s Theology,” in The Cambridge Companion to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ed. John W. de Gruchy (Cambridge University Press), 3-21, 50-70.

  • Selections on “Religionless Christianity” from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison (Touchstone) - https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.30619

Thursday

  • Library Day 3 | Primary Source Search Skills - BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE laptop/tablet/etc - (DH Lab)

Week 7 | Catholic Social Teachings I - Mar 8, 10

Tuesday

  • Reading Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness (Sections 1-2)

Thursday

  • Library Day 4 | Advanced disciplinary search strategies: historiography/literature searching, cited reference searching, finding and searching within specific history journals (Library Classroom B: GML 190)

Week 8 | Catholic Social Teachings II - Mar 15, 17

Tuesday 3/15

  • Reading Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness (Remainder of Text)

  • Optional - Abstract due if you wish to participate in 14th Annual UWM Undergraduate Research Symposium. This is not a required component of class. However, turning in a 300-word abstract will be worth 10 points of extra credit. Submit a screenshot of your submission to receive the points.

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual or in-person)

Wednesday 3/16

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual or in-person)

Thursday 3/17

  • Library Day 5 | 9:30 - 11:30am, Marquette Archives

Week 9 | Spring Break - Mar 22, 24

Unit 3: Evangelicalism in the Post-War Epoch

Week 10 | Paper Prep - Mar 29, 31

Monday, 3/28

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 9-12PM & 1-3PM (virtual)

Tuesday 3/29

  • No Class or Primary Reading for Tuesday - Spend time preparing paper

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual only)

Wednesday 3/30

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual only)

Thursday 3/31

  • Library Day 6 |Library Research - Father Groppi Papers

  • RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual or in-person)

Week 11 | Paper Prep - Apr 5, 7

Tuesday

  • No Class or Primary Reading for Tuesday - Spend time preparing paper

  • Optional - Give Dr. Sunwall (at least 10 page) PAPER draft of paper (in class, or drop off at Office B50, Engelmann Hall). He will review and give back with comments by April 21st. This is not worth extra credit, but it will (almost guaranteed) improve the final grade you receive on the paper. Also, check out the Writing Center!

Thursday

  • Methodology: Read A Short Guide to Writing about History Chapters 5-6

Week 12 | Billy Graham and Evangelical Culture - Apr 12, 14

Tuesday

  • Grant Wacker, America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the shaping of a nation. (read all)

  • Presenters: student, student, student

Thursday

  • Library Day 7 | Research challenges overcome (DH Lab)

  • Send peer reviewers a minimum of 15 pages of paper

Week 13 | Evangelicalism as a Gendered Identity - Apr 19, 21

Tuesday

  • Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How white evangelicals corrupted a faith and fractured a nation. (read all)

  • Presenters: student, student

Thursday

  • Meet in Engelmann B73 VIRTUALLY. In-class time devoted to symposium preparation. Discuss your peer review with partners. Turn in electronic copy of peer review to Dr. Sunwall

Week 14 | Course Symposium - Apr 26, 28, 29

Tuesday

  • No class work on paper.

Thursday

  • 6-7 minute oral presentations of paper

Friday

  • Optional - Undergraduate Symposium - participation will boost final paper grade by 10%

Week 15 | Case Study in Modern Evangelicalism: The Implosion of Mars Hill Church - May 3, 5

Tuesday

  • Readings and Questions Forthcoming

  • Presenters: student, student

  • Oral Report: student, student

Thursday

  • Library Day 8 | History research and relationships panel (DH Lab)

Sunday (May 8)

  • Final draft of paper is due by 11:59pm CDT

Unit 4: Evaluation of the “Grand Narrative”

Week 16 | Rebel In the Ranks - May 10, 12

Tuesday

  • Methodology: Marketing yourself

  • Oral Report: student

Thursday

  • Brad Gregory, Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the conflicts that continue to shape our world. (available via interlibrary loan)

  • Presenter: student, student

  • Oral Report: student, student

Week 17 | Exam Week - May 17, 19

Tuesday

  • No Class

Thursday

  • No Class