IST2008-1-FA14 - Christianity in Antiquity (to 600CE)

To download the full course syllabus, click here.

Instructor: Eric C. Smith, Ph.D.

Meeting Day and Time: Tuesday 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Office Hours: Iliff Hall 202-A, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30-11, or via Skype/Google+/FaceTime/whatever

Email: ecsmith@iliff.edu (the “c” is crucial; otherwise you will reach a Methodist district superintendent who finished his DMin at Iliff 8 years ago)

Course Description:

This course will provide an introduction to the social, institutional, and intellectual history of Christianity in antiquity from the beginnings of the Jesus movement in the first century CE through the sixth century CE. Topics include: context and origins of early Christianity, Christian thought and Greek philosophy, structures of worship and ministry in the early church, persecution and martyrdom, unity and diversity in early Christianity, orthodoxy and heresy, the rise of Constantine the Great, the Council of Nicaea and the Arian controversy, and the thought of Augustine.

Course Goals

(1) To gain knowledge of the cultural, religious, and political history of the Hellenistic-Roman and Jewish worlds out of which the Christian movement emerged during the first century CE;

(2) To develop basic theological fluency with early Christian concepts of ecclesiology and the rise of the monarchical episcopacy, Christology, revelation, pedagogy, and philosophy;

(3) To appreciate the unity and diversity within early Christianities, both orthodox and heterodox;

(4) To understand the role of gender and sexuality in the context of the early Christian movement;

(5) To recognize the impact of Constantine the Great, the Council of Nicaea and the Christological controversies on the subsequent development of Christian thought;

(6) To engage in the thought of St. Augustine and understand the place he holds theologically, philosophically, and pedagogically in the history of Christian thought.

Required Texts:

St. Augustine. On Christian Teaching (On Christian Doctrine). Oxford World Classics. Translated by R.P.H. Green. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. ($7.85 in paperback from Amazon, or $6.15 from Amazon in Kindle Edition)

Lynch, Joseph H. Early Christianity: A Brief History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. ($34.02 in paperback from Amazon)

Pohlsander, Hans A. The Emperor Constantine . Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 2004. ($29.02 in paperback from Amazon, or $11.19 to buy in Kindle Edition from Amazon, or $3.90 to rent from Amazon in Kindle Edition)

Recommended Texts:

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity . 3 rd Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 2003.

Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. I: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation . San Francisco: HarperOne, 2010. ($21.65 in paperback or $18.99 in a Kindle Edition from Amazon)

McGuckin, John A. The Westminster Handbook to Patristic Theology. Louisville , KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.

Norris, Richard (Editor). The Christological Controversy . Sources of Early Christian Thought. Fortress Press, 1980.

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Course Overview

 

Course Objectives

Policies and Services

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

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