The reason I think Cudworth alongside other Neo Platonists should be discussed is because they bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern. Considering how this class was taught and ideas progressed, the involvement of each philosopher with theology was extremely important. Also since this is a history of philosophy class, the progression of those ideas can and should be examined. It is crucial, I think, for understanding theology, specifically Christianity to be sufficient when discussing modern philosophy. Historically, Christianity as developed in the Renaissance borrowed heavily from Platonic elements and the Neo Platonic thinkers like Cudworth and More would serve as excellent examples of the connections between the ancient and modern ideas of Christianity.
It would serve as an excellent segue from the other history of philosophy class, history of ancient philosophy as with these Neo Platonist philosophers, students could make meaningful connections between their courses which I think is extremely important in an academic setting. To me it is extremely fascinating to see how such ancient ideas still had a prevalence in the modern times. How inspired and driven philosophers were to reconcile those ideas with their own, only goes to show the strength and power of those ancient notions such as the Divine Artificer, Emanation, Forms and so on.