Too often the history of the Early Church is presented as though it only concerned expansion into the western Roman Empire. Equally important was the growth of Christianity in the east, into Syria beyond the Roman Empire, and into Egypt. Students in this unit will learn how Christianity developed in its first seven centuries, from imperial Rome to Late Antiquity. Students will engage with this Christian history not only within the Roman Empire, but also at how the new religion emerged in the East in Syria and Persia. While the Roman Empire eventually became Christian and reshaped the Christian Church in its borders, beyond the empire Christian churches continued to live under an intermittently hostile regime. Students will also spend class time analysing significant primary and secondary sources.
Unit code: CH9050Z
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Church History
Proposing College: Wollaston Theological College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Analyse ways in which Christianity has been influenced and shaped by wider religious, social, economic, and political forces at various points during this period of its history |
| 2. | Outline the dimensions of the Christian faith that were fundamental to different Christian communities over these initial centuries. |
| 3. | Develop an awareness of the variety of scholarly interpretations of one period of early Christian history |
| 4. | Critically analyse a primary source from this initial period of Christian history |
This is an elective postgraduate unit
Lectures and seminars, or similar
Chadwick, Henry. *The Early Church. London: Penguin, 1993. Chadwick, Henry. *The Church in Ancient Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Heather, Peter. *Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion. London: Allen Lane, 2022. Kelly, J.N.D. *Early Christian Doctrines. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. Hall, Stuart. *Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011. Ludlow, Morwenna. *The Early Church. London: I. B. Tauris, 2009. Harvey, Susan Ashbrook. *The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Moffet, Samuel Hugh. *A History of Christianity in Asia vol 1. New York: Orbis Books, 1998.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source Analysis - Assessment 1: Source Analysis | 2000 | 30.0 | |
| Literature Survey - Assessment 2: Literature Review | 2000 | 30.0 | |
| Essay - Assessment 3: Essay | 3000 | 40.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 28 Apr, 2023
Unit record last updated: 2023-04-28 15:30:02 +1000