5 pages on the reformation period
Goal
Be able to identify and articulate the differences – and many times, the nuances – between key groups in the Reformation on critical issues.
Instructions
Step 1: Identify explain a contentious issue from the Reformation period one which at least two branches of Christians disagreed. Briefly describe your chosen issue and its relevance to the Christian life and/or faith.
Examples of such issues include but are not limited to the Eucharist, church governance, the role of Scripture, baptism, the sacraments, the afterlife, the nature of God, the role of art and music in worship, the organization or style of worship, etc. etc. etc.
Step 2: Identify the various groups who held different views on the issue, and describe how each group conceived of that issue (e.g., how was the Eucharist understood and practiced by Catholics, Lutherans, Zwinglians, and Anabaptists?). Be sure to clearly describe where they were in agreement with each other, and where they differed, as well as the consequences of that difference (e.g., different style of worship, inability to agree on other matters, etc.).
Step 3: In your conclusion, reiterate why your chosen issue was important to Christianity and how differences over this issue among different Christian groups affected the development of the Reformation.
Sources
You are also welcome to bring in additional scholarly sources, either primary or secondary, if you wish, but this is not required for this paper. Scholarly resources include academic books or articles, whether in print or through an online repository such as JSTOR or EBSCOhost. Scholarly sources do NOT include general websites, Wikipedia, Youtube, or other places where the accuracy of the information presented cannot be verified.
No matter which sources you draw from in your paper, I expect that you will include citations wherever you draw specific information from a particular source. You may use whatever citation style you are most familiar with (Chicago, MLA, APA, etc.) as long as you use it correctly and consistently.
Questions about citations and source usage may be directed to me via email or crowdsourced to the class in the Course Questions & Academic Exchange forum.
Format
5 full pages of text. You may go over or under this limit by ½ page before losing points. Times New Roman 12-point font or equivalent, double-spaced lines, 1 inch margins all around. Be sure to include your full name at the top of the page. Multiple spelling and grammar errors will result in a reduction of your grade accordingly, so please proofread your text before submitting it. I prefer submissions in Microsoft Word for ease of commenting but will accept other formats as necessary.
Grading
This assignment is worth 20% of your final course grade. You will be graded on a 20-point scale, with partial points possible. I will look for the following when grading you papers:
- Correct formatting
- Consistent and correct citations
- Correct spelling and grammar
- Accurate information and source usage
- Logical organization of your thoughts
- Nuance and clarity in identifying a critical issue and in describing the various positions taken on it among various groups during the Reformation period.
