DESCRIPTION:

A survey of the teachings of the early church as those teachings were shaped by crisis and conflict within the church and by dialogue and competition with late ancient culture. The period addressed covers the beginning of Augustine's legacy in the West and the Council of Chalcedon in the East. (Because of Augustine's formative role in the western Church, the course that follows in Medieval and Reformation Theology will address many other aspects of his theology and legacy.)

In the church since its beginnings, worship, doctrine, and life have informed each other to carry on and deepen the remembrance of Christ and further his work. This course introduces the student to a significant body of theological and historical data as a means to acquiring a broader perspective on one's own faith, a more sympathetic appreciation for that catholic and apostolic church, of which the student is a part, and training in that tradition in which the student participates. Moreover, through work in primary source readings, the student should acquire an improved facility in the analysis of theological arguments and the ability to articulate the meaning of the Christian faith in its historical development, both of which skills will carry over into the student's reading, understanding, and exposition of Scripture itself.

Three hours of lecture/discussion per week and periodic small group meetings for peer review. Readings to be completed before class.

REQUIRED READING:

Allison, C. FitzSimons. The Cruelty of Heresy: An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy. Morehouse, 1994.

Augustine, On the Trinity (selections) and Confessions (selections). Available on-line.

Ehrman, Bart. Lost Christianities. Oxford, 2003.

Hall, Stuart G. Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church. Eerdmans, 1991.

Richardson, Cyril C. ed. Early Christian Fathers. Macmillan, 1970.

Wilken, Robert L. The Spirit of Early Christian Thought. Yale, 2003.

Syllabus (on-line).

Cross, F. L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2nd ed. or 3rd ed. Oxford, 1983 or 1997; or Di Berardino, Angelo. Encyclopedia of the Early Church. 2 vols. Oxford, 1992.

Muller, Richard A. Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms. Baker, 1985.

Hall, Christopher A. Learning Theology with the Church Fathers. IVP, 2002.

Hopkins, Keith. A World Full of Gods: The Strange Triumph of Christianity. Plume, 2001

Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. 3rd ed. HarperCollins, 1978.

Torrance, T.F. The Trinitarian Faith. T&T Clark, 1993.

Placher, William C. A History of Christian Theology. Westminster, 1983.

Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography. Rev. ed. University of California, 2000; or Chadwick, Henry. Augustine: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, 2001.

Assigned readings, to be completed as preparation for lectures and class discussions.

Several (three to four) short exercises.

One written presentation on assigned reading, to be delivered in class.

Participation in small groups for peer-reviewing written exercises.

Optional reading and written exercises for extra credit.

None.

Meets M. Div. core requirement in Church History "a" (CHA).

Take-home.