What is a Christian church? Why does it matter? Over the past two millennia diverse Christian traditions have had a tremendous impact upon western notions of the self, belief, and the State. This course will therefore help students understand the relationship between the church's intrinsic nature (its distinctive practices and beliefs) and its socio-political location within western culture. Topics may include: the rise of Christianity within the urban Roman empire; the nature of Christian worship in terms of Eastern Orthodox and Reformation iconoclasm; the impact of the Enlightenment; and, the shape of the church in the global multicultural societies of today.