An introduction to the social, institutional, and intellectual history of Christianity in Europe from the beginnings through the century following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Topics include: context and origins, structures of worship and ministry in the early church, persecution and martyrdom, early Christian thought and Greek philosophy, unity and diversity in early Christianity, orthodoxy and heresy, the rise of Constantine the Great, the Arian controversy and the Council of Nicaea, early ascetic movements, and the theology of Augustine.
González, Justo L. A History of Christian Thought : In One Volume. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2014.
González, Justo L. The Mestizo Augustine : A Theologian Between Two Cultures. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2016
Lynch, Joseph H. Early Christianity : A Brief History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Miller, Patricia Cox. Women in Early Christianity: Translations from Greek Texts. Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2005.
Selections from The Christian Classics Ethereal Library
An introduction to the social, institutional, and intellectual history of Christianity in Europe from the beginnings through the century following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Topics include: context and origins, structures of worship and ministry in the early church, persecution and martyrdom, early Christian thought and Greek philosophy, unity and diversity in early Christianity, orthodoxy and heresy, the rise of Constantine the Great, the Arian controversy and the Council of Nicaea, early ascetic movements, and the theology of Augustine.
(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, 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;
(7) To develop competencies in reading and evaluating primary source material;
(8) To apply digital humanities methods and practices to the study of early Christianities.
Students are required to participate in this class. Participation includes attendance, engaging in class discussion and activities, and completing the assigned reading. In case of an emergency, a student may miss ONE class on the condition of completing a short writing assignment as assigned by the instructor.
At the end of the course the student will be asked to provide a self-assessment in which the student reflects on strengths and areas for improvement as a student. Additionally, the student will suggest an appropriate final grade for this course
The portfolio is the most significant part of evaluation for this course. Individual parts of the portfolio may be submitted throughout the term for feedback, but the complete portfolio is due on Friday May 31, 2019. You can download a template for your portfolio. The portfolio consists of the following parts:
Primary Source Abstracts: An important focus of this course is primary source material, therefore students will write abstracts on primary sources we read. The abstracts will be 500 to 700 words in length and will identify the author's main point, how the point is made, and why the point is being made. See Directions for Primary Source Abstracts.
Wikipedia Assignment: As an opportunity to engage in both public scholarship and academic activism, students will participate in the 1000 Women in Religion Project by making a contribution to Wikipedia expanding public knowledge on the role(s) played by women in early Christianity. Hopefully we can contribute to wikipedia by writing articles on some of these women. There will be several steps in this assignment, you can begin by joining our class page in wikipedia.
Book Review: In addition to primary sources, students will be introduced to secondary literature. Toward that end, students will write a book review 700 to 1000 words in length. The review will provide a brief synopsis of the author's thesis and argument as well as a substantive evaluation of the book. Students may choose any book dealing with course material so long as it is approved by the instructor. See Directions for Book Reviews.
Reflection Project: Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on course material in the context of their own creative, intellectual, and/or professional lives. These reflections may take the form of short essays, blogs, sermons, or non-print media. No matter the format, the reflections must engage substantially in course material. See Directions for Reflection Projects.
Integrative Essay: As a summation of the course, students will write a final integrative essay. This essay will be 1000-1500 words in length. Students are required to draw on course lectures, readings, discussions and other parts of their portfolio. This essay is to contain a summary and analysis of the salient points the student has learned. A successful essay will demonstrate a wholistic knowledge of course material as well as careful and creative analysis of that material. See Directions for Integrative Essays.
While final grade decisions are left to the instructor, students are given a great deal of control over their own grades. This control is exercised in two ways: (1) Students may choose how many assignments to compete on a sliding letter grade scale (see below); (2) Students are also given opportunities for self-evaluation on assignments.
A- to A
Satisfactory course participation
3 Primary Source Abstracts
1 Wikipedia Article
1 Book Review
1 Reflection Project
1 Integrative Essay
B- to B+
Satisfactory course participation
2 Primary Source Abstracts
1 Wikipedia Article
1 Book Review
1 Reflection Project
C- to C+
2 Primary Source Abstracts
1 Book Review
Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).
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.
Core Values: As a community, Iliff strives to live by this set of Core Values.
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.
| Date | Day | Details | |
| Apr 02, 2019 | Tue | Week Two Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 09, 2019 | Tue | Week Three Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 13, 2019 | Sat | Primary Source Abstract 1 | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 16, 2019 | Tue | Week Four Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 23, 2019 | Tue | Week Five Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 27, 2019 | Sat | Primary Source Abstract 2 | due by 05:59AM |
| Apr 30, 2019 | Tue | Week Six Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| May 07, 2019 | Tue | Week Seven Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| May 11, 2019 | Sat | Book Review | due by 05:59AM |
| May 14, 2019 | Tue | Week Eight Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| May 18, 2019 | Sat | Primary Source Abstract 3 | due by 05:59AM |
| May 19, 2019 | Sun | Wikipedia Submission | due by 05:59AM |
| May 21, 2019 | Tue | Week Nine Reading | due by 05:59AM |
| May 25, 2019 | Sat | Reflection Project | due by 05:59AM |
| Jun 01, 2019 | Sat | Portfolio including Integrative Essay | due by 05:59AM |
| Jun 01, 2019 | Sat | Self-assessment | due by 05:59AM |