3.6
Quality3.7
Difficulty48%
Would Retake87
Reviews48%
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
38
4
13
3
14
2
11
1
11
What Students Say
“Even Talmage couldn't get an A in Cope's Church history class”
RELC225 - 1.0 rating“We only covered Christianity up to the Second Great Awakening and beyond that we only talked about Mormon history”
REL353 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
14%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.35 avg changeRatings by Course
RELC324
5.0
(1)RELDC
5.0
(1)REL325
4.8
(12)WS332
4.7
(3)REL342
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
RELC261
4.5
RELC225
4.0
325
4.0
REL342
4.0
RELC353
3.8
Reviews (87)
she's a wonderful lady and cares a LOT about her students to make sure they understand everything, but honestly, she's probably a better humanities teacher than a book of mormon teacher. i felt like i was in sunday school. i didn't feel stretched and that all the learning i did came from my own studying.
Easy, fun class. Not too hard if you pay attention. If you pay attention and have a reasonable understanding of the D&C, you should do very well in this class. She is always there for you to talk to.
Class is super easy, but you don't learn much. It is more of a history class than a religion class because she did a PhD is history. If you want to be spiritually uplifted and learn more about the D&C, register for another teacher. If you like history and research papers this is the class for you.
She was great, she really knew a lot about the time period and important people of church history. One 5 page research paper, she gives you clear study guides for all the tests. She's very willing to help you with anything especially the research paper.
Sister Cope's teaching methods lean towards ineffective and mediocre. She tries to get class imput but doesn't have the authority to command attention. If attendance weren't always inforced, I probably would have skipped every day.
Professional, knowledgeable & likeable. Easy tests-evrythng on study guides.Mandatory attendance. 5 page paper was a bit much for a 2credit class.Lectures can be a bit simple and kinda dry. Lectures have a lot of reading of quotes, turn to this scripture, what does that mean for us today etc.But moderately interesting and not hard. Would recommend.
I was kind of worried about taking this class because she had never taught it before this semester. But she is really nice, teaches what you need to know for the tests, and she's really helpful if you just ask. There's kind of a lot of reading, but it helps prepare you. The final is a document annotation project, there's short responses once a week
Loved this class! She is fun, enthusiastic, and cares about her students. I learned so much -- went from hating history to loving it!
My favorite religion class at BYU. She loves and is enthusiastic about the subjects, cares about her students, and is always more than willing to help. I want to take more classes from her!
Nicest professor and very passionate about religion and history. Tests are not easy and mostly short answer/essay. She wants every student to do well so she will work with you. This is NOT a religion class. Hers is really a HISTORY class. She expects a lot.
She is an incredible teacher. She expects a lot, but she is fair. She is passionate and caring and fun. She has a cute sense of humor. Loved being in her class.
Sister Cope was absolutely fantastic. Tests were definitely hard, but she gives points generously on essays. If you want nothing except an easy D&C class, take someone else. If you want to learn and experience real personal growth, and have a professor who cares enough to help you get there, take D&C from Sister Cope.
Professor Cope is great. I have a hard time being interested in the D&C and she really made it interesting. That being said, I think there is too much work in the class for only 2 credits. You have to do a 4 page book review. She is a good teacher though.
I loved this class! I've always struggled to understand the D&C and she made it come alive for me. If you just want an easy A and warm fuzzies, take another class. If you want to expand your knowledge and your testimony, if you want to recognize major themes and discuss hard topics in a context of faith, this is the class for you. And she is fun!
Both demanding and delightful. She expects a lot, but is very fair. She knows her stuff, is passionate about everything, and cares so much about student learning. She wants you to leave her class as a better person intellectually and spiritually. If you don't want to put any effort in, however, take another teacher.
I struggled in this class simply because I didn't know what to take notes on. We always had a good discussion, I just didn't know what the key points were to remember. Though it WAS always a good discussion.It was also hard for me to stay focused in class because it didn't have a clear direction as did my other religion classes-she's cool, though.
Great class! Fantastic teacher! She is full of passion and is so willing to help students. She is demanding, though, so if you are not willing to work hard, this may not be the class for you. I, however, hope to take another class from her.
Loved the class and the professor. She is passionate and cares about student learning. There is no doubt she loves her job!
Attendance is important, as every class is a discussion and she expects you to understand concepts and application of themes and to be able to piece things together on the exams.Didn't feel that the expectations were very clear.Struggled to know how to succeed in this class; didn't feel that there was structure. She is very willing to help
She was really nice and I feel like I took something out of the class. However, what I took out of the class had nothing to do with what was on the test. I'm not really sure where some of the test questions came from. It was challenging for me to study for the test because the lectures were so scattered, making note taking impossible.
American Christianity with Rachel Cope was so awesome. She's a great teacher. She's funny and personable. I would take another class from her. The classes aren't easy to fake your way thru, but that's what college is. if you study you will do well.
Professor Cope expects students to be engaged and to work hard - she focuses on themes and wants her students to become better thinkers and writers. She is so incredibly helpful and nice and easy to work with. Her tests are demanding but her study guides are so thorough. Students who want to learn will have a fantastic experience. She cares so much
Awesome study guides - demanding teacher but so helpful. Wants students to understand major themes and to see connections between various revelations. those who do their work, attend class, and pay attention will do well. Those who slack will struggle - not like an institute class.
Let me tell you how great P. Cope is: I took a class from her last year but have since graduated. I had some questions about church history so I sent her an email. She has been so incredibly helpful it's crazy, and I'm not even a student anymore. That's commitment to scholarship right there.
Great class for you IF it's your number one priority, don't take it otherwise. She's very unorganized and it's hard to keep track of what's expected. TONS of outside reading and work. The tests are very hard to study for. Interesting topic and she has lots of energy, but if you want to or need to focus on any other classes, this is not for you.
Sis Cope is great! It's not a "seminary sleep-thru" class where you don't have to do any work, but it is NOT hard. She gives you a study guide which if you learn the terms on it, you will do great. She has you do about 8-10 very small writing assignments and daily readings. It's a very reasonable, manageable course, and I would take her again.
Professor Cope is my favorite rel. prof. @ BYU. Her class is organized, structured, and she stays on topic (no tangents wasting student time). Reading requirements are reasonable and very doable. She provides great insights. One midterm, one final, ten 300 word essays or less (half were probably 100 words or 2-3 sentences). Book review is tough.
She really does care about the students and the subject. However, she's very vague and it is quite difficult to study for her tests, as she offers little direction. She is very willing to try and work with students, but is not very effective at doing so. I also felt like there was too much work and that most of it was just busy work.
Great teacher and lectures are interesting. However, It was very difficult - no wiggle room in the course, the midterm and final are both a third of your grade. I've never taken such a hard class. She wasn't very clear of her expectations and the tests were very difficult.
I was not too impressed with this class. She wants you to interpret and understand the scriptures in her way, and the midterm was ridiculous, definitely not at all what we focused on in class. There was tons of reading assignments, mostly all busy work. I do say though that she is a really great teacher for polygamy and blacks and the priesthood.
Prof Cope is my favorite! Yes, she expects a lot, but she is so willing to help. She is organized, and teaches more than facts. She teaches you how to think and see things in new ways. I love her emphasis on themes. Her work load is heavier than many religion professor, but they don't expect enough. Thank you for teaching at a college level!
Hours of reading. All tests are papers, with 10 writing assignments per semester. I was expecting a fun class where we learn about different churches in America, instead I'm taking a history class and expected to live in the library. You can skim all the readings and pass, but if you want a good grade prepare to gouge your eyes out with the reading
This is a history class masquerading as a religion class. Tons of reading. Not super hard really, but not at all the class I was expecting
I would take any class from Professor Cope. She is friendly and incredibly organized. Lecture material and readings are interesting and thought-provoking, homework assignments encourage critical thinking. Exams were take-home essays, so if you can handle all the reading and writing and want to really feel like you're at university, take her class.
Dr. Cope has a great personality. She is very intense and the assignments are as well. I felt like it was an overload of reading and papers. If you like the typical seminary religion class, do not take this class. She helps you to be more analytical well reading religious texts while maintaining a faith-filled perspective.
Dr. Cope is not your average BYU religion professor. Her class is not just designed to teach facts; it is designed to teach you how to learn and think analytically as well. In other words, if you want your grade to be based on memorization, this class is not for you. For those seeking to expand their minds and hearts - take this class!
One of the best classes I have ever taken. Dr. Cope's class is spiritually inspiring and intellectually engaging. She is the kindest person. It is so obvious that she cares about her students, and about people in general.
I would take any class from Professor Cope. The readings are interesting and you are expected to think analytically and write well. This is not an easy A but you will feel like you are in college and you will learn a lot. Professor Cope is really nice and incredibly organized, she wants to help you do well and will look after you. Style on point.
All of your grade depends on papers you write. If you're into that sort of class, it's really great, it worked well for me. But if you're taking it just to get an easy A in a religion class, look somewhere else.
Dr. Cope is the best teacher I've had for a religion class at BYU. The class is graded on papers alone, so if you struggle with writing, this class is not for you. There is a lot of reading and she is a tough grader, but the material is fascinating and applicable in so many ways. A lot of work for 2 credits, but overall an excellent class.
Same as the person below this. It is a hard class. But I've become such a better writer and I learned a lot regarding Christianity in general along with my own religion. Hard but worth it if you can put forth the effort. I wouldn't take it if you are taking a heavy schedule.
Only rel. course I have taken that is academic. Course material helps students understand American Christianity and grasp various religions' spiritual experiences. You have to read, but its interesting! You have to write, but you become a better writer! You will learn, which is in stark contrast to every other rel. class. Prof. Cope is a great!
Dr. Cope is friendly, smart, and very passionate about her subject. However, if you aren't also passionate about colonial Christianity then this is not the class for you. Lectures felt unnecessary and were generally boring. Not a survey of America's Christianity.
Dr. Cope was EXCELLENT. An absolute expert on the topic with a deep understanding of the complexities of the issues involved. At one point I was falling behind and she sent me an email to see how I was doing! Excellent scholar and saint.
Dr. Cope is nice and helpful, but this class was not at all what I expected. The paper prompts, which are 100% of your grade, were always vague. We only covered Christianity up to the Second Great Awakening and beyond that we only talked about Mormon history. Reading was long (approx. 60-100 pages per night) and arduous. It's a no from me.
Dr. Rachel Cope is one of the BEST professors at BYU. I took both Mormon Women's History and DC from her and both were amazing! Her courses are reading/writing heavy and no MC tests/quizzes (which I love). Expectations are clear. She is hands down the most organized, inspirational, and intelligent professor I have had at BYU. Take from Dr. Cope!
Dr. Cope gives A LOT of reading (even though she says we can just skim and get the idea, but I have a hard time doing that). And your grade is entirely based on writing, which is fiercely graded for a well constructed thesis, supporting evidence, and citations in less than 250 words. If writing is not your forte, don't take the class from Dr. Cope.
Amazing professor. Every female at BYU needs to take this class. Lots of reading and writing -- 500 word essays due every Mon/Wed before class and one 15 page paper by the end of class. No multiple choice tests or quizzes which worked great for me. She really cares about her students, so reach out and she'll work with you.
Professor Cope is deeply knowledgeable with a lot of experience in her field. There is a lot of reading and writing but it is worth it for the content of the class. She is a very well-rounded individual which is to mean that she is respectful to many different opinions. I wish her lectures were more structured sometimes. Overall, would take again!
Dr. Cope is an amazing teacher. Her knowledge base, experience, and wisdom as a professor make her classes interesting and insightful. I so enjoyed Mormon Women's History, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn, discuss, and contemplate in meaningful ways. She is not only an excellent professor, but also an excellent person, and it shows.
She gives good lectures and is a great person but her reading assignments are a little outrageous. She grades harshly on your short reading responses (around 250 words) and these make up a lot of your grade. She acts like it is a writing class. Just be prepared to read and write a lot.
Dr. Cope is legit. There is a lot of reading/writing but this is better IMO because it forces you to actually think about the material rather than memorize facts for a test. It's also obvious that Dr. Cope cares a lot about what she is doing which I appreciated. It's a solid class. I wouldn't say it's an easy A but it's worth it.
Even Talmage couldn't get an A in Cope's Church history class.
Great professor, be prepared for lots of readings, and she grades somewhat hard on the bulk of assignments, but a good grade is easily attainable. Going to class is required, but it's good it is. She does a great job at providing a lecture based purely around class members questions and every lecture was engaging and intriguing.
Cope strengthened my gospel study skills and my testimony. She's very intelligent and thoughtful. However, her RELC225 is entirely reading/writing based. The readings are really long and she takes attendance by having you report if you read them. Short essays are due weekly. The midterm and final are take-home essays with somewhat annoying prompts.
Dr Cope is an absolutely amazing professor of church history. She's honest, frank and doesn't try to sugar coat any of the controversial issues. She is very obviously an expert and she expects a lot more of you than your average religion professor. Super accessible outside of class and approaches hard subjects both academically and compassionately
By far my least favorite class I've ever taken in my six semesters at BYU. Every assignment counted towards your grade is a harshly graded essay. Yet, somehow, she offers no writing assistance in class. The writing fellows assigned to the class even admit they don't understand her prompts or how she grades. Want an A? Meet WEEKLY with the TA.
There was only ONE teaching assistant that graded 90 students' weekly to semiweekly papers. Obviously swamped, she didn't have time to provide hardly any feedback on the myriad of papers that composed the whole of your grade, and it was difficult to find time to meet for writing help and to understand her very unique grading style.
Cope is a wonderful, caring person. I loved getting to know her outside of class. However, she was a very unorganized, nervous, and unskilled lecturer. I don't feel like I actually learned anything in her class because it was mostly just awkward, opinion-based discussion about pop Church topics. She also had a tendency to cut you off mid-sentence.
Is "dispirational" a word? She touted using the historical method, but failed to focus on the facts when discussing Church history, wasting her breath on speculation and and a thousand probablies. Besides that, most students in her class don't get A's, even though it's a basic, GE religion class. It's easy to get a B, but hard to get a C or an A.
The readings are bone dry, and theres a lot of them, and they're long. The papers are hard to write and complicated. Class is lecture heavy and unless you want to study quakers or puritans, it's very sleep inducing. Would not recommend. do not take this class.
Every assignment is an essay, and every prompt is horribly written and confusing. Its hard to accept the grade she gives you when she cant write well herself.
If you're looking to simply fulfill a GE religion requirement, stay away from her class at all costs. A million papers, confusing prompts, tough grading, and a lack of feedback all add up to a very not-fun class. Look elsewhere to learn.
If you want lots of assignments, shes the one to give it to you. If you want the assignments with a mix of misandry, you got that too.
She was kind and has quite an inspirational story to share, but the class was SO DIFFICULT. When I read reviews that this class relied on writing, I didn't think anything of it because I thought I was a great writer. I put my all into the class and am probably going to get a B. If you suck at writing (or are mediocre at best) find another teacher
Worst religion class I have taken at BYU. She gives a hugely unnecessary amount to read and makes you write papers every week after reading like 5 "short" articles (still like 20 pages each). Then, she grades like an English teacher, NOT on the content of your papers. So silly.
Want the whole class in a few words? Christian religions come to America and mix. Social restrictions lessen. Religious zeal comes and goes. Mormons are there. Congratulations class over. Want feminism shoved down your throat and papers that are impossible to write because prompts and rubrics suck? Then this is your class. AVOID HER LIKE THE PLAGUE
She's nice enough, but doesn't control the class, so it just gets co-opted into being less racist and sexist today, and how Christianity has tons of issues. Important topics to be sure, but after listening to 10 undergrads bounce the same "be nice" comment around for 20 classes, I just wanted some history stuff. There was no "meat" to the class.
2 credit class that felt like a 3 credit class. I like Dr. Cope as a person, but I had a hard time with this class. We had significantly more reading assignments than I had in my history class, and tons of small essays (and grading criteria was slightly unclear). Class was a lot of philosophical discussions, and it just wasn't what I signed up for.
Amazing class with a very open-minded professor.
Very good class about the foundations of the restoration (REL C 225). Weekly recorded lectures about reading material that was very thoughtful, inspired and easy to listen to (personal stories and extra details to make it interesting). Very clear course guidelines and same types of assignments each week.
This class was easy - open-note open-book quizzes. But get ready to study for the midterm and final like there's no tomorrow if you completely rely on that. There's a lot of writing you need to do, but the modules can be completed in a single sitting if you're dedicated.
Copes classes was mostly discussions, talking about the reading we did in preparation for that day. You're writing abilities will make or break you, and you've gotta make sure your on top of the reading. Some days are def more important than others, but you cannot skip reading assignments
I am personally not a huge fan of in-person religion classes so this was a fine option for me. It was a lot more time-consuming than I was expecting, but if you schedule a few hours to stay on top of it each week you should be fine. Church history is a tough subject for me, and I feel like it was taught through a somewhat understanding lens.
She is a great person, but don't take this class, trust me
Professor Cope was awesome and her lectures were super good. Helped me understand a lot about church history. If youre looking for an easy class for your religion requirement, its probably not for you, but if you want to learn about church history and grow your testimony, take this class! yes theres lots of reading but theyre all super good article
Professor Cope is a very kind and caring person, but this class wasn't my cup of tea. You are assigned to read a lot of historical papers (which I don't mind), but classes are ONLY discussion. I would much rather have a lecture. If you love discussion, by all means knock yourself out.
Dr. Cope missed the mark with this class. Talked way more about Emma and other women of the early church than Joseph and Jesus combined. Nothing wrong with having a class like that, just don't advertize it as a Restoration class. Tons of papers and annoying writing/ analysis projects based more on her scholarly articles than scripture.
Rachel Cope was a great professor, but the readings were way too extensive and unachievable. We had 10 short writing assignments and 3 major essays which had difficult prompts. We also did a 10-hour service project. This class was not easy, but I did learn a good amount about Joseph and the early church. Definitely not what I anticipated though.
Dr. Cope is brilliant but overly focused on extreme historical detail about early church history, making the class less spiritually edifying than expected. It's heavy on reading and writing, with three major essays, including two 1200-word ones due back-to-back near the end of the semester, which felt excessive. Shes very nice and cares about you.
Rachel Cope is the greatest professor! She is insightful and teaches you how to anylyze the process of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and understand revelation. This class is worth the hard work and the readings. This class is for students who are at BYU not only to get a degree but to actually want to learn and grow their testimony.
Doctor Cope is amazing!! She genuinely cares about her students and the doctrine that she teaches. There are a lot of essays given in this class, so be ready to write! I did feel that the grading was generous though, so it wasn't too bad.
Professor Cope is so incredible. She is truly the best religion professor I've ever had. Because it's online, a lot of what we do is based on the honor system. Please, actually listen through her lectures and don't just say that you watch them. I promise you that what she has to say will touch you personally. She is so real and thoughtful.
Disclaimer: I took this class online. I don't know if it was my attitude or what but when we had to listen to the hour long lecture videos, I felt very off-put and annoyed. I felt like there were a lot of personal tangents and long unnecessary details, and I could feel her annoyance with certain aspects of church history. But she did her best.
Professor Cope is amazing! It was a very discussion based class and I gained a lot from the reading. You will need to write a little each week - but the coursework is definitely manageable. It's as helpful and insightful as you make it!
Dr. Cope is truly an amazing person and professor, and she has grown my testimony exponentially. She does give a lot of writing assignments, and you have to dedicate a significant amount of time to this class. I'd recommend if you're undeclared to take a class by her so you can get a lot out of it and not have to worry too much about the work load
This class was good, I mean it is an online religion class and I certainly do not care for religion classes. Though I will say that I enjoyed the non latter day saint response options as an agnostic byu student myself. Overall very fair with grading, do your work. The final caught me off guard a fair amount compared to the easy midterm.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
14%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.35 avg changeRatings by Course
RELC324
5.0
(1)RELDC
5.0
(1)REL325
4.8
(12)WS332
4.7
(3)REL342
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
RELC261
4.5
RELC225
4.0
325
4.0
REL342
4.0
RELC353
3.8