Course Resources Archive

This module aims to introduce students to the study of selected marginal dissenting movements within the church.  The movements are discussed in the context of the emergence, dominance and eventual decline of the system of Christendom. 

The module aims to encourage students to critically examine the distinctive beliefs and practices of these various radical marginal groups, and to explore the historical, social and cultural contexts in which they emerged and developed.  Their connections with other historical or contemporary movements are also considered.

The module aims to explore the extent to which there is common ground in beliefs and practice between the groups. It aims to encourage students to identify issues on which these groups may offer perspectives with contemporary significance. 

Students will begin with an introduction to the issues involved in the historical study of marginal groups, familiarising them with the problems associated with exploring history at the margins, including the need for careful and critical evaluation of available sources.  Montanism provides a useful case study for these issues.  The rise of Christendom is explored through a discussion of the Donatist movement, and the Lollards and Waldensians illustrate the nature of marginal dissent and understandings of heresy during the Middle Ages. Students will then consider the radical expressions of faith found in Anabaptist communities at the time of the Reformation, before moving on to seventeenth century movements such as Ranters and Quakers.

In the modern era, early Methodists, on the margins of the established church during the eighteenth century, and various millenarian groups in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, provide examples of radical groups.  Students will then consider early Pentecostals, who were on the margins during the early years of the twentieth century, before becoming mainstream in more recent decades. Marginal expressions of church under the Nazis and the Communists are explored, as well as late twentieth century alternative expressions of church. Finally, students will reflect on the role of marginal radical groups throughout the previous eighteen hundred years. 

Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to understand the social, cultural and religious context within which the various movements developed, and to reflect on the possible relevance of their beliefs and practices in the contemporary post-Christendom landscape.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1.      Demonstrate an in-depth and systematic understanding of the history of selected Christian marginal dissenting movements.

2.      Apply appropriate historical methods to the study of marginal groups, including evaluating the reliability and relevance of available sources.

3.      Demonstrate a critical understanding of the study of religious communities as social and cultural entities.

4.      Identify, analyse and communicate different academic approaches to the study of marginal movements, recognising competing perspectives, and critically evaluate their usefulness.

5.      Apply their understanding of marginal groups in the past to present day contexts.

6.      Demonstrate applied skills in written argument and expression, critical analysis, problem solving, use of ICT, independent work and collaborative development.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.