Church history is a rich tapestry of variety and a story of endless change and renewal. The Christian Church reflects the history of ideas and of social change, and accordingly, Church history is surely of interest to any European with even a passing curiosity about the society in which they currently live, although for those of faith, it is perhaps much more than this. Only by tracing and understanding the long and sometimes painful processes of change can we really come to terms with our faith in the fullest sense, and cultivate a genuine and deep respect for our liturgical forms and traditions. Furthermore, it is often by looking back to earlier Christian examples, to early mystical writers and scholars, that we can find real integrity, and draw from them the inspiration and ideas with which to renew and refresh our own faith. Personally, the process of reaching historical and cultural understandings of Christianity has become a means of affirming, reinforcing and deepening my own faith. Furthermore, I regard the sharing of those understandings as a form of ministry, which hopefully affirms and strengthens the faith of others. These ideas draw on my background in university and adult education teaching, underpin the work I have done with choirs, and inform the course Pillars of the Christian Church, the aims and objectives of which are set out below.
Teaching Areas in Adult Education:
Pillars of the Christian Church: This is seminar course which can be adapted for Adult Education Groups, Christian/Church Groups, as part of a Christian Retreat Programme or as a Course Module for university undergraduates in either History or Theology. Typically, seminars are about 2 hours in length, with a short refreshment break in the middle, although day and half-day workshops based around the course material can be offered. Please remember that these are seminar (i.e. discussion-based) sessions, and accordingly, students are encouraged to participate actively in group discussions, respecting the views of others, even if they’re very different from their own.
Aims: to increase awareness of some key Christian traditions and episodes in Christian history in an inter-denominational context.
Objectives: to provide an opportunity to explore, both through small group work and through plenary discussion, some aspects of Christian tradition which transcend conventional experience in the context of parish worship. Our case studies will be drawn from Christian art, architecture, liturgical music, spiritual writing and church history. The course will be a ‘multi-sensory’ experience, making use of images, objects, texts and sound recordings, and has been designed to make students think more broadly about faith-related issues.
The Art of Faith (Christian Symbols in Art and Architecture)
An Introduction to some Mystical Writers
The Psychology of Spiritual Development
The Medieval Church (Gregorian Reforms - Council of Trent)
The Reformation in England
Liturgical Music (c. 1000 - c. 1600)
University and Further Education Teaching
My levels 1-4 (i.e. BA and MA) teaching at the University of Nottingham (1999-2005) included the following:
Module Convenor of the 30-credit (Level 4) MA option France and its culture, c. 1100-c. 1453 (V1D418).
Elements of MA Core course in Medieval Studies (V1D101) including: Paleography: reading and editing Old French texts from MSS; An introduction to Medieval Music: MSS c. 850-c. 1450.
Module Convenor of the 20-credit (Level 3) option The Hundred Years War (V13158).
Tutor on various 'study skills' courses, including Learning History (level 1) library skills (level 1) and a one-day seminar on preparing for the PhD viva.
Further Education Teaching includes many popular courses and day schools for the WEA, the Department of Continuing and Professional Education at the University of Keele, and the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Nottingham, some of which were accredited elements of part-time degree programmes. Examples include:
England and France in the Middle Ages and Reformation, c. 1066-c. 1600 (48 hours contact time)
Cathars, Crusaders and Courtly Love: France, c. 1100-c. 1250 (18 hours contact time)
Monks, Minstrels and Motets: music and European Society, c. 1100-c. 1600 (18 hours contact time – highly commended by regional inspector).
Fair stands the Wind for France: Relationships between England and France, c. 1066-c. 1600 (Level 1)
Music, Politics and Society: music and politics in Europe, c. 1000-1600 (Level 2)
Cathars, Crusaders and Courtly Love: Trobadours and the Culture of Southern France, c. 1100-c. 1250 (Level 2)
The Hundred Years War: causes and consequences (Level 3)
The Albigensian War: Languedoc, 1209-1271 (Level 3)
Capet, Plantagenet and Valois: England and France, c. 1150-c. 1453 (Level 3/4)
To the Greenwood Gone: transformations of the Robin Hood legend (Level 4)
Teaching Areas in Adult Education:
Pillars of the Christian Church: This is seminar course which can be adapted for Adult Education Groups, Christian/Church Groups, as part of a Christian Retreat Programme or as a Course Module for university undergraduates in either History or Theology. Typically, seminars are about 2 hours in length, with a short refreshment break in the middle, although day and half-day workshops based around the course material can be offered. Please remember that these are seminar (i.e. discussion-based) sessions, and accordingly, students are encouraged to participate actively in group discussions, respecting the views of others, even if they’re very different from their own.
Aims: to increase awareness of some key Christian traditions and episodes in Christian history in an inter-denominational context.
Objectives: to provide an opportunity to explore, both through small group work and through plenary discussion, some aspects of Christian tradition which transcend conventional experience in the context of parish worship. Our case studies will be drawn from Christian art, architecture, liturgical music, spiritual writing and church history. The course will be a ‘multi-sensory’ experience, making use of images, objects, texts and sound recordings, and has been designed to make students think more broadly about faith-related issues.
The Art of Faith (Christian Symbols in Art and Architecture)
An Introduction to some Mystical Writers
The Psychology of Spiritual Development
The Medieval Church (Gregorian Reforms - Council of Trent)
The Reformation in England
Liturgical Music (c. 1000 - c. 1600)
University and Further Education Teaching
My levels 1-4 (i.e. BA and MA) teaching at the University of Nottingham (1999-2005) included the following:
Module Convenor of the 30-credit (Level 4) MA option France and its culture, c. 1100-c. 1453 (V1D418).
Elements of MA Core course in Medieval Studies (V1D101) including: Paleography: reading and editing Old French texts from MSS; An introduction to Medieval Music: MSS c. 850-c. 1450.
Module Convenor of the 20-credit (Level 3) option The Hundred Years War (V13158).
Tutor on various 'study skills' courses, including Learning History (level 1) library skills (level 1) and a one-day seminar on preparing for the PhD viva.
Further Education Teaching includes many popular courses and day schools for the WEA, the Department of Continuing and Professional Education at the University of Keele, and the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Nottingham, some of which were accredited elements of part-time degree programmes. Examples include:
England and France in the Middle Ages and Reformation, c. 1066-c. 1600 (48 hours contact time)
Cathars, Crusaders and Courtly Love: France, c. 1100-c. 1250 (18 hours contact time)
Monks, Minstrels and Motets: music and European Society, c. 1100-c. 1600 (18 hours contact time – highly commended by regional inspector).
Fair stands the Wind for France: Relationships between England and France, c. 1066-c. 1600 (Level 1)
Music, Politics and Society: music and politics in Europe, c. 1000-1600 (Level 2)
Cathars, Crusaders and Courtly Love: Trobadours and the Culture of Southern France, c. 1100-c. 1250 (Level 2)
The Hundred Years War: causes and consequences (Level 3)
The Albigensian War: Languedoc, 1209-1271 (Level 3)
Capet, Plantagenet and Valois: England and France, c. 1150-c. 1453 (Level 3/4)
To the Greenwood Gone: transformations of the Robin Hood legend (Level 4)