This class may seem kinda scary, but it's not that bad! If you pay attention in lecture and take good notes you will be pretty well-versed in the material. I fell behind on the readings (oops), but the final does mention some things that you would only know from the books, so make sure you REAAALLY study for the final.

I actually can't stress this enough--overall throughout the quarter the workload won't be crazy at all, but the final would've been a complete disaster for me if it wasn't open note and 3 hours (originally it's closed notes and 2 hours--likely the case for future quarters). There's just so many small details to memorize, and that's where knowing your stuff from lecture comes in handy.

Also: totally not necessary to have a Christian background to do well! I certainly didn't, and I was able to follow along fine (Vroon and my TA were both pretty great at explaining the material). The only con with that is you may run into awkward experiences when you do your field report, there are just some things you should know before attending a church service that people don't tell you lmao

Professor Vroon is extremely knowledge on the subject, and, in regards to the COVID-19 situation, he ended up making the final open-note without any changes to the exam (this was helpful since a lot, but not all, of the exam involved memorization of people, historical events/places, etc.). Without this change, however, I could see myself struggling with that final – there is A LOT of content in this class, since it covers both the history of the church and its theology. However, I really did enjoy the class! Professors Vroon's lectures were interesting (not the most engaging though), especially since I had previous interest in the subject matter.
Also, talk to your T.A.s!! They are the ones grading your field report (15%) and final paper (35%), and it's crucial that you know exactly what they are looking for. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to get some participation points.

Vroon is a solid professor that is absolutely helpful and is intelligent. He clearly loves what he teaches and he will give you a lot of info. There's no breathing room in lectures, you just constantly take notes and he gets into so much detail.

The field report and final paper were fair and simple to do if you put time and research in.

The final was one of the hardest finals I've taken in my two years at UCLA. It tests you on theological, recollection on dates (i.e. the dates of Nestorianism and other Christian heresies, when did this person live), ID different members, and the importance of a theological term or movement. It was fair because he covered all of this in class and its in the books, but you have to work for it.

Would take the class again though!

I loved this class! It's not a super easy GE, but if you're interested in the material, it is definitely worth it. It covers the history of the early Church, Orthodox/Catholic/Protestant branches, theology, and ecclesiology. You don't need to have knowledge of Christianity to succeed in this class - it's largely historical and for the theology unit, he explains everything you need to know.
There is a field report based on your observations of an Orthodox, Catholic, and a Protestant service. Basically, you just need to write a coherent report explaining prescribed aspects of each service you attend. There is also an essay for which Vroon provides several options. If you can write a good research paper this wasn't a big deal.
The challenging aspect of this course was the final. I think he alters the format each quarter, but it basically consisted of defining historical figures, locations and terms (and their importance). There were some short answer questions. A half page question and a short essay question allowed you to choose between two or three prompts.
Vroon provides you with two VERY helpful items: a timeline and a list of terms. If you understand the terms and the importance of the people/events in the timeline, then you will do fine on the final. He also provides an example of a midterm (although there is no midterm for the class), which gives you a very good idea for what to expect on the final.

While the readings can be a little overwhelming, they gave me insight and knowledge about religion that i had never known before. Professor Vroon is an incredibly smart man and is always encouraging class participation and makes sure every one understands what's going on without being condescending. I definitely recommend this class- UNLESS you're taking another class that requires a lot of reading.
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Professor Vroon is obviously incredibly knowledgeable and really takes the time and care to explain the very complex ideas discussed in class. The TA, Steph, is really great and very funny. However, I signed up thinking that the material would be fairly straightforward. It is NOT. The material is pretty dense and hard to understand, covering ideas like the early religious disputes over the true nature of Christ. You have to write a paper comparing 3 different Sunday services (after attending the services) which, as well as another paper. There was no midterm, just a final. Based on the course content, I would not recommend this class.

Vroon has a genuine interest and extensive knowledge of these religions and their theologies. The class is relatively easy consisting of just a paper and field report due at the end of the quarter and a final. The subject matter is interesting, but sometimes can be hard to follow. Vroon is very helpful though if you have any questions he loves to see students involved.