Spring 2014/Pasadena

CH500

Bradley

CH500: EARLY CHURCH HISTORY (4 Units). James Bradley.

DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the most important themes and people in church history and historical theology from the post-apostolic fathers through Augustine.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: First, this course should enable students to place their own confessional tradition within the broader framework of early catholic Christianity. Second, it will help them understand the ways in which the doctrines and the practices of the church emerge in specific historical contexts. Third, students will learn the vocabulary of the Trinitarian, Christological, and soteriological debates of the first four centuries. Finally, students will increase their critical skills in reading and writing through the study of primary source materials and by writing a term paper.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Augustine. The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love. Regnery, Gateway Editions, 1996. ISBN: 978-0895267030, Pub. Price $10.95 [173 pp.].

Bettenson, Henry, and Chris Maunder, eds. Documents of the Christian Church. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199568987, Pub. Price $29.95 [sections on the period through to A.D. 600 only].

Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. Penguin, rev. ed., 1993. ISBN: 978-0140231991, Pub. Price $16.00 [528 pp.].

Co MacHaffie, Barbara J. Her Story: Women in Christian Tradition. 2nd ed. Fortress Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0800638269, Pub. Price $44.00 [65 pp. assigned].

Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity Vol. 1. Harper Collins, 1975. ISBN: 978-0060649524, Pub. Price $25.99 [768 pp.].

Course Reader on Moodle.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. There will be two examinations covering the textbooks and lectures, together accounting for 70% of the final grade.

  2. One five-page paper based upon a classic text from the early church will be weighted 30% of the final grade.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Church History “a” (CHA).

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.