DESCRIPTION: This course examines the historical and theological developments of the church from the post-apostolic period through the time of Augustine of Hippo. Close attention will be paid to significant people, movements, events, and debates which shaped early Christian belief and practice.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Early church history provides the foundation upon which all future developments of the church are built. It places later trends in theology and ministry within the context of the church's early struggle for identity and orthodoxy. A study of the church's early history will enable students to understand and embrace her doctrines, faithfully hand on her traditions, and diligently attend to her interests and mission.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will enable students to place their own confessional tradition within the broader framework of early catholic Christianity. It will help them understand the ways in which the doctrines and the practices of the church emerged in specific historical contexts. Students will learn the vocabulary of the Trinitarian, Christological, and soteriological debates of the first four centuries. They also will increase their critical skills in reading and writing through the study of primary source materials and by writing a term paper. Finally, the end result of this course will be a deeper appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the church.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet for three-and-a-half-hour sessions twice weekly for five weeks in a lecture/discussion format.

REQUIRED READING:

Bettenson, Henry, and Chris Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 1999. Sections on the period through to A.D. 600 only. ISBN: 978-0192880710. $29.95.

Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. Rev. ed. Penguin, 1993. ISBN: 978-0140231991. $16.00.

Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity. Vol. 1. Harper & Row, 1975. ISBN: 978-0060649524. $25.99.

Tucker, Ruth A., and Walter Liefeld. Daughters of the Church. Academie, 1987. ISBN: 978-0310457411. $39.99.

Class handouts.

Livingstone, E. A., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd revised ed. Oxford, 2005. ISBN: 978-0192802903. $175.00.

Oden, Amy, ed. In Her Own Words: Women's Writings in the History of Christian Thought. Abingdon, 1994. ISBN: 978-0687459728. $30.00.

Williams, D. H. Evangelicals and Tradition. The Formative Influence of the Early Church. Baker, 2005. ISBN: 978-0801027130. $22.00.