Introductory Emails for the introduction and units 1-12.

Each week / fortnight we will:

1) Do some reading

2) Share some reflections on that reading with the other members of the class by email.

3) Respond at least once to the responses of other students.

4) Do some preparation for your assignments.

Respect for others

All email responses are expected to show understanding and respect for where other people are coming from. Be careful about humour and take care to avoid irony - people can not see the smile on your face!

Special care is needed with labels such as Evangelical, Liberal and Fundamentalist. They are OK to describe yourself, a bit risky (though not impossible) when describing others. When used with regard to historic movements (eg the Evangelical party in the Church of Scotland or 19th century Liberalism) they are usually neutral in tone even though the meaning then may not be quite the same as it might mean today.

The links below are being updated. They will take you to previous tutor emails for each unit as a guide to the emails this year.

•  Introductions - What would I like to gain from this course?

One : Foundations

•  1 - What do we mean by Presbyterian?
•  2 - The Celtic and Medieval roots of Scottish Christianity
•  3 - Key players in the Reformation of the 16th Century
•  4 - The DNA of the Reformed Tradition
•  5 - Confessions and Covenants

Two : Towards a Global Tradition

•  6 - Worship, Revival, Assembly, Presbytery and Party
•  7 - Thomas Chalmers, Renewal in Mission and the Disruption of 1843
•  8 - Agents in mission and the spread of Christianity
•  9 - Presbyterians in 19th century New Zealand
•  10 - Presbyterians in 20th century New Zealand

Three : Diversity and Renewal in Mission

•  11 - Leadership and Renewal
•  12 - Sacraments and Mission
•  13 - Worship
•  14 - Coping with Controversy
•  15 - Theology and Mission