Introduction to Church History, Part 1: the Early Church Through the Reformation

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Historical Theology HT4528

Early & Medieval Church History

Birmingham Theological Seminary, Calhoun County Extension

Fall 2016

Bob St.John Class Hours: 2

Tuesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 256.225.3845

Course Description

What are the ancient roots of orthodoxy? Reformation doctrine did not begin with Luther and Calvin but with Christ and the apostles! This course will cover the history of Christianity from Pentecost to the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. We will survey the major movements, doctrines, persons, and institutions that arose both inside and outside confessing Christianity shaping its testimony for good or ill. Our main emphasis will be the development and defense of doctrine. God sovereignly planned for the church to face heresies and persecution that would force her champions of the apostolic doctrine to clearly articulate “the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” Everett Ferguson has written, “… church history is the story of the greatest community the world has known in the greatest movement in world history. It is a human story of a divinely called people who wanted to live by a divine revelation. These are people who have struggled with the meaning of the greatest event in history, the coming of the Son of God.”

Textbooks

Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity. Vol. 1. Revised ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2010.

Allison, Gregg R. Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2011. (Supplemental Reading)

Primary readings available on the internet or by class handout. (See the list near the end of the syllabus.)

Course Objectives

The student who completes this course should…

• Have a general knowledge of the history of the church from the end of the first century through the fifteenth century.
• Have an understanding of the major theological developments in the history of the church from the end of the first century through the fifteenth century.
• Have a deepened understanding of major ecclesiastical traditions that exist today through being acquainted with the history of their doctrines and practices.
• Be familiar with some of the more important theological terms and concepts, and thus better equipped to understand and engage intelligently in theological discussion.
• Be spiritually enriched through an encounter with the work of the Holy Spirit through Christians of the past.
• Be able to better discern the difference between truth and error through an encounter with the Spirit’s teaching ministry through past generations of Christians. The goal is to become a more faithful disciple of Christ and a more faithful interpreter of God’s Word.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTERS’ STUDENTS

1. Class attendance: more than two unexcused absences drops final grade one letter grade.
2. Completion of reading and ability to participate in discussion – 20% of grade
3. Quizzes Over Reading and Class Presentations – 10% of grade
4. Critical Book Review (3 pages, using a book from the bibliography) with Oral Class Presentation – 15% of grade
5. Mid-term – 15% of grade
6. 5 Page Research Essay – 20% of grade
7. Final exam – 20% of grade

COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATE STUDENTS

1. Class attendance: more than two unexcused absences drops final grade one letter grade.
2. Completion of reading (the Justo Gonzalez text and Class Handouts only) and ability to participate in discussion – 20% of grade
3. Quizzes – 10% of grade, Lowest Quiz Grade Dropped
4. Critical Book Review (5 pages, using a book from the bibliography) with Oral Class Presentation – 15% of grade
5. Shortened Mid-term – 15% of grade
6. 3 Page Research Essay – 20% of grade
7. Shortened Final Exam – 20% of grade

CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW AND RESEARCH ESSAY

Critical Book Review: This is not a book report (a summary of the contents of a book). A critical book review evaluates the approach and conclusions of the book. What issues does it raise? What question is the author attempting to answer? Does his research exhibit a thorough and fair-minded approach? Examine the strengths and weaknesses to draw an informed conclusion on the contribution that this book makes to this field of study. Do not use footnotes; reference quotations or ideas from your book with a parenthesized page number. Specific guidelines for writing a critical book review will be given out and discussed in class.

Research Essay: This is a short (6 pages for graduate students, and 4 pages for certificate students) academic essay similar to some articles one might find in technical journals. Your research essay will explore and answer a specific research question related to Historical Theology. Students should focus on a specific historical event or a specific personality related to a historical event. Research should include at least (3) sources, such as scholarly journal articles, books, and original documents. Do not use footnotes; reference quotations or ideas from your sources with a parenthesized page number. Include a Bibliography of research.

COURSE GRADING SCALE

This syllabus is not a contract. The professor reserves the right to modify any portion of this syllabus as necessary because of events and circumstances that change during the course. No additional requirements will be added to the course.

The seminary has adopted a four point grading scale as follows:

A96-100=4.0 Quality Points

A-90-95=3.5 Quality Points

B85-89=3.0 Quality Points

B-80-84=2.5 Quality Points

C75-79=2.0 Quality Points

C-70-74=1.5 Quality Points

D65-69=1.0 Quality Point

D-60-64=0.5 Quality Point

FBelow 60=0.0 Quality Points

In addition to the students meeting due dates and using correct English, the following guide will serve as general criteria for grades. Final grades for each course are given at the discretion of the member of faculty responsible for that course.

BTS FORMAT AND STYLE STANDARDS

BTS uses the Turabian style of formatting as a standard for papers. However, students should regard individual professor preferences if they communicate any variance in outlining their requirements for papers, as in this class (see below). Professors retain discretion in determining how “formal” a paper must be. In this technological age, information is readily available; make sure that you understand about giving reference sources the proper recognition.

Course Schedule

Primary Source Readings

Patristic Era

In order to expose the student to primary sources for historical theology, some reading from the church fathers will be mandatory. This will be a very limited but vital exposure. Specific requirements for these readings will be given in class.

1. Letter to Diognetus

2. Irenaeus, Against Heresies (selections)

3. Cyprian, On the Lapsed

4. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (selections)

5. Augustine, Confessions, Book 8

6. Augustine, On the Predestination of the Saints

7. John Cassian, On the Protection of God

8. Gregory, The Book of Pastoral Rule (selections)

9. Didache: The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations, c. 100 AD.

Orthodoxy

10. John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 1.1-1.6

11. John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 4.12-4.17

Medieval Era

12. Anselm of Canterbury, Cur Deus Homo

13. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part, Question 2

bibliography

Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Bredero, Adriaan H. Christendom and Christianity in the Middle Ages. Reinder Bruinsma, trans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994.

Brown, Harold O. J. Heresies: The Image of Christ in the Mirror of Heresy and Orthodoxy from the Apostles to the Present. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984. (n.b.: only report on pp. 1-295)

Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography. Rev. ed. Berkeley: California, 2000.

Brown, Peter. The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D. 200-1000. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003.

Cantor, Norman F. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. New York: Harper Collins, 1993.

Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. Rev. ed. New York: Penguin, 1993.

Crouzel, Henri. Origen. A. S. Worrall, trans. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1989.

Evans, G. R., ed. The First Christian Theologians: An Introduction to Theology in the Early Church. Oxford: Blackwell, 2004.

Evans, G. R. John Wyclif: Myth and Reality. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2005.

Evans, G. R. ed. The Medieval Theologians: An Introduction to Theology in the Medieval Period. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001.

Evans, G. R. The Roots of the Reformation: Tradition, Emergence and Rupture. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2012.

Ferguson, Everett. Church History. Vol. 1: From Christ to the Pre—Reformation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.

Green, Bradley G. ed. Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy: Engaging with Early and Medieval Theologians. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2010.

Hall, Christopher A. Learning Theology with the Church Fathers. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2002.

Hall, Christopher A. Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1998.

Hall, Christopher A. Worshiping with the Church Fathers. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2009.

Haykin, Michael A. G. Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011.

Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. Rev. ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978.

Kelly, J. N. D. Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom: Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995.

Knowles, David. The Evolution of Medieval Thought. Baltimore: Helicon, 1962.

Leithart, Peter J. Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2010.

Logan, F. Donald. A History of the Church in the Middle Ages. London and New York: Routledge, 2002.

Oberman, Heiko A. ed. Forerunners of the Reformation: The Shape of Late Medieval Thought Illustrated by Key Documents. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition. Vol. 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition. Vol. 2: The Spirit of Eastern Christendom (600-1700). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition. Vol. 3: The Growth of Medieval Theology (600-1300). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978.

Southern, Richard W. St. Anselm: A Portrait in a Landscape. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Wilken, Robert Louis. The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Young, Frances M. From Nicaea to Chalcedon: A Guide to the Literature and Its Background. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2010.