This course will begin with a survey of the Hellenistic schools of philosophy, Greco-Roman religions, and classical literature. It will then survey major early Christian authors (through Gregory I) with an eye to how they adopted, adapted, and/or rejected elements of the classical tradition. Key questions will be: What elements from the classical tradition had the greatest influence on developing Christian theologies and praxis? How did Christianity distinguish itself from other religions and philosophies? In what ways did Christian intellectuals interact with their "pagan" counterparts?
Required Texts:
Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity . Third Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003. ISBN: 978-0802822215
Jaeger, Werner. Early Christianity and Greek Paideia . Reprint. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1985. ISBN: 978-0674220522
You will also be assigned ONE of the following:
Apuleius. The Golden Ass . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Cicero. On the Nature of the Gods . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Euripides. Bacchae and Other Plays . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Hesiod. Theogony and Works and Days. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Homer. The Iliad . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
Plutarch. Roman Lives . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Seneca. Dialogues and Essays . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Virgil. The Aeneid . Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Recommended Texts for Further Study:
Beard, Mary, et al. Religions of Rome: Volume 1: A History. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Beard, Mary, et al. Religions of Rome: Volume 2: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Boardman, John. et al. Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World. Second Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Boardman, John. et al. Oxford History of the Roman World. Reprint Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Fox, Robin Lane. Pagans and Christians . New York: Alfred A. Knopf , 1989.
Fox, Robin Lane. The Classical World . New York: Basic Books, 2006.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Penguin Books, 1969.
Jaeger, Werner. Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture . Translated by Gilbert Highet. 3 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1943-1945.
Young, Frances et. all. The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.
This course will begin with a survey of the Hellenistic schools of philosophy, Greco-Roman religions, and classical literature. It will then survey major early Christian authors (through Gregory I) with an eye to how they adopted, adapted, and/or rejected elements of the classical tradition. Key questions will be: What elements from the classical tradition had the greatest influence on developing Christian theologies and praxis? How did Christianity distinguish itself from other religions and philosophies? In what ways did Christian intellectuals interact with their "pagan" counterparts?
(1) To gain facility with reading primary sources;
(2) To become familiar with the cultural achievements of the classical tradition especially in the areas of literature, philosophy, and architecture;
(3) To understand the role played by Greco-Roman paideia in the formation of the human person and in the maintenance of cultural forms;
(4) To appreciate the complexity of the interchange between the philosophies and the religions of the ancient world;
(5) To identify locations of cultural exchange between early Christianity and the classical tradition.
(6) To appreciate the manifold ways in which early Christianity accepted, appropriated, or rejected elements of the classical tradition.
Midterm Presentation (100 points): During Gathering Days, students will give oral presentations to the rest of the class that will cover an important text from the classical tradition. Each student will be working with a partner and the text to be presented will be assigned the first week of class. For more details see the Gathering Days Classics Presentation guidelines.
Presentation Follow-up Paper (30 points): After the Gathering Days presentation, each student will get to follow-up on their presentations by writing a short paper (2-3 pages) that either (a) connects the presentation to a theme brought up by another presentation or (b) responds to a question asked of the presentation. Note Well: These follow-up papers will be written individually, and not in cooperation with the student’s fellow presenter. For more details see the Gathering Days Classics Presentation guidelines.
Final Paper (100 points): As a capstone for the this course each student will compose a final paper (7-9 pages) that is either research oriented in further exploring a topic from the course or comparative in nature by placing an “expression” of the classical tradition in conversation with an “expression” of Christianity. For more details see the final paper guidelines.
Weekly Assignments (70 points): There will be a number of weekly assignments throughout the term which will allow the student to reflect on course reading in conversation with other members of the class. Please note that course introductions in week one do not count toward this grade. There will be a few different kinds of weekly assignments:
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.
Degree Learning Goals
| Date | Day | Details |