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This overview of church history will help you place our United Methodist history in the larger context of the church. Wesley's reading of the ancient church sources shaped him profoundly. They can do the same for us. Sir Isaac Newton once observed, "if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” It is my hope that this class will expand our vision and therefore make us better servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

On the other side of the pandemic, we face old questions in a new era for mission and ministry: How do we understand/define the Church and what is its purpose? Given new vision of the systemic racism and economic inequities in our communities and in our congregations, what constitutes a faithful Christian witness? How do we preach the gospel and form Christian discipleship capable to the task of ministry now? And most important, how do we discern and participate in the active work of God’s Spirit in the world? In this course, we will draw from Wesleyan and Methodist theological tradition to renew the work of “social holiness,” a term that describes both the Church’s ways of evangelism and discipleship formation, and the Church’s witness to and engagement with the world. For students, pastors, and congregations seeking to embrace in new ways the Wesleyan call to Social Holiness, this course will provide resources to strengthen the work of evangelism and outreach, ministry and mission.

Before scholarly commentaries became a standard tool of biblical interpreters, Christians relied on visual art to guide them in interpretation of scripture. In the case of the New Testament Gospels, visual depictions of Jesus and his disciples played a major role in shaping Christian understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus and the apostolic foundations of the church. This art connected the Gospels with other biblical writings, and it did so in the context of Christian worship and devotion. Art inspired by the Gospels has long played a vital role in the worship and devotional practices of Christians in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Some contemporary Christian communities without deep roots in history are (re)discovering the interpretative function of visual art. Required Zoom meetings: Required Zoom meeting on May 18, 2026; 7:30-9pm EDT.

Ancient interpreters have their own distinctive ways of reading scripture. What can we learn from entering their world and seeing the Bible through their eyes? In this course, students will explore a variety of ancient biblical interpretation, both Jewish and Christian, gain familiarity with the principles of interpretation that lead to divergent readings, and ask critical questions about what makes a reading "faithful" or "good." Online meetings Optional, but highly recommended: May 4, 2026, 4 p.m. ET for an introduction to the course

Required: June 25, 2026, 12:30-3:30 p.m. ET for class presentations

Office hours TBA

This course will cover over three hundred years of historical developments that contribute to the formation of The United Methodist Church. Special emphasis will be given to the formation of the Wesleyan heritage in the eighteenth century, the adaptation of that tradition to the American scene during the Revolutionary period, and the forces that have shaped Methodism through the last three centuries.