We believe that theology is 1 long conversation that the church has been carrying on for over 2 millennia. We are not the first to ask what Scripture means or what Scripture requires of us. We stand in a long train of many who have gone before and have wrestled with these questions and with how to live their lives faithfully. This project affords you the opportunity to become acquainted with some of the rich heritage of the church and to get to know a few of the brave and faithful men and women whom God has used throughout the history of the church.
Follow the steps below to successfully complete this assignment:
Spend some time getting acquainted with some of the major figures in church history by looking over “Key Figures in Christian History Download Key Figures in Christian History.” You can learn a bit about many of them by looking at the short biographiesLinks to an external site. included on Christianity Today’s church history website. You can also learn about many of these figures by consulting the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (1 of your textbooks) and other reference works, such as the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, the Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians, the Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals, and other similar reference works available in the LBC | Capital Library.
Choose 5 historical figures from this list that you find admirable. Your choices must meet the following parameters:
Choose at least 1 person from the “Theologians” category.
Choose at least 1 person from each of the following eras:
Ancient Church (100–500)
Medieval Church (500–1500)
Reformation and Early Modern Era (1500–1800)
Modern Era (1800–Present)
Note: The dates above refer to the period of your figure’s major influence or activity. For example, Martin Luther was born before 1500, but his influence began in 1517, and so, he is considered to be a figure of the Reformation and Early Modern Era. When in doubt, use your figure’s death date to decide to which era they belong.
Choose at most 2 people from the same category.
Research your figures using at least 3 reference sources (Hint: Those suggested above are good choices). No more than 1 source for each figure may be an internet source, though electronic reference works accessed through the LBC library website are acceptable since they are electronic versions of scholarly reference works.
Write a 1- to 2-page summary of each of the 5 figures you have chosen. You will need to do additional research beyond your initial survey to complete this. Include the following for each one:
A picture or portrait of the person (you may use the internet to find an image of your figure)
A 100- to 150-word biography/overview of their life
A brief discussion of the person’s significance in the history of Christianity and why you find them admirable or worthy of emulation
A list of vital statistics of birth and death dates, key books, and/or key ideas
A timeline of the person’s life (in visual or graphic form)
5. Include a Works Cited page for each of your figures, listing the sources you used for each. As an academic assignment it is expected that you are interacting with the resources provided and your textbooks. Using well-placed quotes and summaries are expected. Use of MLA formatting required including an in-text citation for any quote or summary AND a listing of the source on the Works Cited page.
6. Organize this information in an attractive format—creativity is encouraged! Students in the past have used “Wanted” posters, baseball card format, Facebook profiles, etc. Just be sure to include all the information required as described above. Submit your 5 summaries online in a single document.
