Thoughts
on History, Church, and Us
-
"There
are many sheep without, many wolves within." --St.
Augustine of Hippo
-
"The
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." --
Tertullian
-
"Do
not be like those people who think they are inaugurating a new
era, as if before they came along there had been nothing but
emptiness or chaos. Before
we came there were our parents, and they were the latest link
of a long and sacred chain.
The generations which went before us left such
wonderful proofs of their noble victories in the cause of
truth and goodness that we fear we may never equal them in
merit and glory. It
would be a meritorious thing for us all frankly to admit that
we should still be very wretched indeed, and hardly out of the
phase of barbarism, if the civilization of past centuries had
not seen to our baptism." -- Pope John XXIII
-
“I
accented the historicity of the Church, showing that it does
evolve and change through the centuries. If it freezes, it
ceases to be alive. It needs to speak to the problems of the
day.” --
Avery Dulles
-
"Christian
life is the life of Christ in man and man in Christ."
-Romano Guardini
Books
for Purchase
-
Bible
(New Oxford Annotated Bible recommended)
-
Ehrman,
Bart. After
the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1998. [=Ehrman]
-
Stark,
Rodney. The Rise of Christianity. How the Obscure, Marginal
Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the
Western World in a Few Centuries. San Francisco: Harper
SanFrancisco, 1997.[=Stark]
Additional
Texts on Permanent Reserve
-
Fitzmyer,
Joseph, S. J. A Christological Catechism: New Testament
Answers (Paulist) [=CC]
-
Hazlett,
Ian, ed. Early Christianity: Origins and Evolution to A.D.
600 (Abingdon)
[=EC]
-
Richardson,
Cyril, ed. Early Christian Fathers. New York: Collier/
Macmillan, 1970.[= ECF]
-
Wiles,
Maurice and Santer, Mark, eds. Documents in Early Christian
Thought (Cambridge
University Press) [=W&S]
Requirements
1.
Weekly readings, class participation, regular attendance.
Classroom exchange is as important as the reading. (Each absence =
reduction of one letter attendance grade; consistent tardiness
also reduces the grade. See instructor for makeup in case of an
emergency). [1/5 of
grade]
2.
*One class report,
chosen from the topics asterisked in the syllabus, presented
orally to the class, and submitted in written form (5 type-written
pages maximum) to the instructor:
a.
Begin by explaining why this topic interested you.
b.
The body of the report should consist of an orderly account of
the topic, focusing on five to ten facts of interest to you and
relevant to the interests of the class.
c.
Conclude with an observation on how this topic illumines our
understanding of the subject matter of this course (e.g.,
morally, historically, spiritually, literarily, personally).
d.
Include a brief bibliography in the written version (including
web sources, if used).
The
grade will be based primarily on the written version (clarity,
organization, thoughtfulness, and range of issues and applications
considered) [1/5 of grade]
3.
*One book review (see
bibliography), presented orally to the class , and submitted in
written form (5 type-written pages maximum) to the instructor. The
reviewer is asked (a) to give a clear overview of the key points
in the book and (b) to identify up to ten ideas he/she has found
most helpful or informative.
The reviewer is asked to prepare some "visuals"
(hand-outs, chalk-board outlines, or overhead projector
transparencies, etc.) to
enhance communication with the group, and to present at least one
issue for group discussion (maximum 5 pages). [1/5 of grade]
4.
*A Final Project, due December 16.
Notify instructor of your choice of topic by October 28,
indicating some tentative bibliography and the question you plan
to explore. The
student has the choice of writing either on a standard
research topic , or preparing an essay on “The Early
Church in Contemporary perspective,” as a way of relating the
substance of the course to the experience and interests of the
student. Further guidelines for this latter option will be
provided [2/5 of grade].
*All
academic papers are to conform to conventional technical,
grammatical and stylistic standards referred to in the Hartford
Seminary General Guidelines for a Research Paper. The Hartford
Seminary Grading Guidelines will be the standard of evaluation for
work in the course
Course Objectives
1.
To provide an opportunity for reflecting critically on the diverse
historical, social, economic, artistic, theological, economic,
liturgical, religious, ecclesiastical, and psycho-spiritual
factors at work in the emergence of the early church --- toward
the end of an enriched understanding of the church today and
keener insight into issues of religion and faith in our own time.
2.
To be able to identify specifically the contributions of Roman,
Hellenistic (Greek), and Jewish religion, philosophy, politics,
and culture to the development and formation of Christian thought
and practice.
3.
To be able to construct a brief chronology of early church
history, noting the main events, movements, and persons that mark
that history.
4.
To become familiar with the story and thought of key figures whose
thought and writing led to new insight into the nature and meaning
of Christian faith and practice, from Paul and other New Testament
writers, to Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Tertullian,
Irenaeus, Origen, Eusebius,
Gregory of Nyssa, Jerome, Cyprian, John Chrysostom, and Augustine.
5.
To appreciate the role of theology as a way of wrestling with the
recurrent issues, questions, and potentialities of life, and to
identify the key theological formulations that develop in the
early church, with special emphasis on the doctrines (=teaching)
about God, the Trinity, Christ, the Holy Spirit, sin and grace,
tradition and scripture, church and sacraments, Christian living,
church and society, and the final goal of life.
6.
To identify and reflect on the shifting development of the notions
of orthodoxy and heresy, with special emphasis on Christian
Gnosticism.
7.
To identify those ideas and realities you believe to be most
significant for humankind and for yourself.
Syllabus
[Asterisked items indicate topics available for reports]
Sept.16
Prospectus
Part
I. The Earliest Church and Its New Testament Evidence
Sept.
23
The Synoptic Gospels: Jesus of History and Christ of Faith
Read:
(1) Special handout, "Who Wrote the Bible." Spend no
more than 5 min. reading each of the 8 sections of the article.
Summarize each section in one clear, informative sentence. (2)
Special assignment on Jesus and the Synoptic Gospels.
*Fitzmyer,
[CC] "What do we know about
Jesus?" 11-17, and "What is to be said of the
titles of Jesus?", 84-89
*Peter
in the Early Church
*Crucifixion
in antiquity
*The
Gospel of Mark and his Theology
*The
Gospel of Matthew and his Theology
Sept.
30
The Acts of the Apostles: Signs of Diversity and Conflict
Read:
Special handout assignment
*Fitzmyer,
CC "Are
there different interpretations of Jesus (or different
Christologies in the New Testament?", 81-85; and "Did
Jesus Clearly Claim to be God?" pp. 97-100.
*The
Ascension tradition in the early church
*Mary
in the early Church
*The
Theological perspective of Luke-Acts
*Jerusalem
before and after 70 A.D.
*Miracles
in the EC and in Classical Antiquity
Oct.
7
St. Paul: The Earliest Christian Writer and First Great
Theologian, and the Gospel According to John, the Johannine
Epistles, and Revelation
Read:
Special handout assignments on Paul and Johannine literature
*Paul's
Travels
*Paul's
Letters: An Overview and Digest
*Paul’s
Message: Key Themes (cf. IDB, vol. K-Q, 690-704)
*The
Gospel According to John: Its Special Nature and Message
*Numbers
Symbolism and 666 in Revelation 13:18
*The
Content and Purpose of the Book of Revelation
Part
II. A Geographical, Cultural, and Chronological Overview
Oct.
14
The Geographical Overview: The Roman Empire &
Mediterranean Basin
Read:
Special handout assignment sheet.
Also.
Stark, “Epidemics, Network, and Conversion, “ 73-94;
and
Stark,
“Urban Chaos and Crisis: The Case of Antioch”, 147-62
*
EC, 17-27, "The World of the Roman Empire"
*
The City of Rome and the Church in Rome
*
The catacombs
*Ephesus
* Mystery religions
*
Travels of Egeria (cf. bibliography under “Egeria”)
Oct.
21
The Chronological Overview: From Augustus to Constantine
and Beyond: 63.C.
to A.D. 451
Read:
Special handout. Pencil-check every date/event/person that strikes
you as especially significant. For class, prepare your list of the
10 items you judge to be the most significant for the development
of the EC.
Read:
Stark, “The Class Basis of Christianity,” 29-47
*Augustus
Caesar
*Emperor
worship and Roman Religion
*Jerome
*Eusebius.
the primordial church historian
*The
Emperors, from Augustus to Domitian, 31 BC to AD 96: A thumbnail
sketch
*Augustine,
the premier theologian in the first thousand years of Christianity
Part
III. The Post-Apostolic Age and the Emergence of the Creeds
Oct.
28 The Didache: Life and Order in A Jewish-Christian
Community
Read
"The Didache" in Ehrman in the following
sequence: Didache
cc. 1-5, Ehrman
385-87; cc. 7-10, 346-47; cc. 11-15, , 323-25
Read:
Stark, “The Mission to the Jews: Why It Probably
Succeeded,” 49-7
Read:
Ehrman, “Jewish Christian Texts, 134-45.
*Jewish
Christianity
*Fasting
in world religions and in the Early Church
*Apostolic
Fathers
*Shepherd
of Hermas
*EC
"The Jewish Dimension," 40-51
*
Ehrman: “Anti-Jewish Polemic, The Opposition to Jews in
Early Christianity,” 95-130
Nov.
4
Attack on Christianity: The Martyrs
Read:
“Martyrdom of Polycarp, Ehrman,
30-35. Answer four questions: (1) Who was Polycarp? (2) What are
his dates? (3) Why is this document of special importance? (4)
Does it teach us anything today?
Read.
Stark: Chap. 8. “The Martyrs: Sacrifice as Rational
Choice,” 163-89
Read.
Letter to Diognetus, Ehrman, 72-75
Read:
The Letter of Ignatius to the Romans, Ehrman, 28-30
*Roman
Persecution of Christians, AD 654-325
*Ehrman,
Three documents on early Christian Martyrdom, 35-50
*
Ignatius, His life, Letters, and Contribution to our Knowledge of
the EC
* EC,
231-43. “Pagan Perceptions of Christianity”
* The
origin, meaning, and use of the term “Catholic” in Church
History
Nov.
11 The
Defense of Christianity: The Apologists
Read.
Justin , First Apology, Ehrman 57-65. List at least
10 items of defense of early Christian belief and practice that
Justin brings to Roman attention to counter the 5 Roman charges
that Christians are (1) atheistic, (2) immoral, (3) unpatriotic,
(4) of lower social status, (5) uneducated and ignorant.
Read:
Stark, 95-128, “The Role of Women in Christian Growth”
Read:
Minucius Felix, Ehrman, 54-57
and Athenagoras, 65-70
*
Tertullian, The Life and Writings of the First Latin Father
*
Origen: The Life and Writings of an Eminent and Controversial
Biblical Scholar
*
The Role and Position of Women in the EC
Nov.
18 The Riddle of Heresy and Orthodoxy: Lost Strains of
Christianity: The Gnostics, Montanists, and Manichaeans
Read:
Special handout on Gnosticism
Read:
Irenaeus, Against the Heresies, in
Ehrman , 196-211
Read
the following Gnostic texts in Ehrman:
-
Intro. to Gnosticism, 144-45
-
The Secret Book of John, 146-154
-
The Gospel of Truth, 160-165
-
Ptolemy’s Letter to Flora (on scripture), 166-70
-
The Treatise on the Resurrection, 182-84
Read:
the following Non-Canonical Gospels in Ehrman:
-
The Gospel of Thomas, 237-44
-
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, 255-59.
*New
Testament Apocryphal Writings
*Irenaeus,
The First Great “Catholic” Theologian.
*
The Protevangelium of James (Ehrman, 247-55)
*
Marcion
*Montanism
*Manichaeism.
Dec.
2 The Emergence of
Creeds: Constantine, Nicea, and Chalcedon
Read:
Special handout on the Nicene Creed.
Read:
Special handout by Elizabeth Johnson on five stages of development
in Christology from the EC to the present
Read:
Ehrman, 405-436, “The Emergence of Orthodoxy: Theological
Writings of Proto-Orthodox Christians”
*
Constantine the Great, as Emperor and Patron of the Christian
movement
*
The Apostle’s Creed
* The Council and Creed of Nicea
* W&S,
“Trinity” (readings from Origen, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa,
and Augustine), 22-42
*
W&S,
“God” (readings from Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Basil,
Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine), 3-21.
*
Pelagius and Pelagianism
*Arius and Arianism
Dec.
9
Developing Church Structures and Scriptures in the EC
Read:
Ehrman, 317-342, “The Structure of Early Christianity The
Development of Church Offices”
Read:
Ehrman, 309-317, “The New Scriptures: Canonical Lists in
Early Christianity”
Read:
Stark, “Opportunity and Organization,” 191-208
*
Origin of the priesthood
* Celibacy in Christian history and practice
*
Bishops, Deacons, and Elders in the Early Church
*
Sunday as the Lord’s Day
* W&S,
“Tradition and Scripture” (readings), 127-158.
Dec.
16
Growth of Liturgy and a Christian Way of Life
Read:
Ehrman, 343-60, “The Development of Liturgy: Ritual
Practices in Early Christianity”
Read:
Ehrman, 387-404, “Leading the Upright Life: Role of
Ethics in Early Xty”
Read:
Stark, “A Brief Reflection on Virtue,” 209-215
*Eucharist
in the EC
*Emergence of the cult of the saints
*Baptism
in the EC
*Jewish Origins of Christian Liturgy
* EC,
256-66, “Christian Attitudes Toward Poverty and Wealth”
*
Origins of the Monastic Movement in the EC
*Augustine:
Life, Writings, and Key Themes
*
Mysticism in the EC
*Christian ethics of sexuality
*
Gregory of Nyssa
* W&S,
172-201, “Sacraments” (readings from Tertullian, Cyril of
Jerusalem, Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom)
*W&S,
“Christian
Living” (readings from Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus,
Cyprian, Basil, John Chrysostom) 202-223
SELECT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
NEW
TESTAMENT : Research Resources in the Reference Room
Atlases
-
Rand McNally Bible Atlas
BS630 K855
-
Macmillan Bible Atlas
BS630 Ah15
General
Commentaries
- Anchor Bible Commentary
192.2 A1 1964
-
The New Interpreter’s Bible (12 vols.) BS491.2 N484 1994
-
Women’s Bible Commentary
BS 491.2 W66 1992
Dictionaries
- Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 vols.) BS 440 A54 1992
- Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation (2 vols.)
BS500 D5 1999
- Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP) BS2555.2
D53 1992
- Encyclopedia of Biblical Theology BS 440 B46713 1981
- Exegetical Dictionary of the NT (3 vols.) (Grk) BS2312 E913
1990
-
Harper’s Bible Dictionary
1985
-
Hawthorne, G.F. and R. P. Martin, Paul and His Letters
(IVP) BS 2650.2 D53 1993
- Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible
BS440. I36 1986
-
Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols.) BS444
IN85
-
New Interpreter’s Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis
(3 vols.) BS440
N438 1997
- New Interpreter’s Dictionary of NT Theology (3 vols.)
BS2397 N48
- Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (10 vols.)
BS440 B5713
- Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (10 vols.) BS
2312 T4713
Concordances
-
Analytical Concordance of the RSV of the New Testament
BS2305 M67
- Eerdman’s Analytic Concordance (RSV) BS425 1989
- Nelson’s Complete Concordance (RSV) BS425 E4 1984
- The New RSV Concordance (John Kohlenberger III, ed.) BS425
K545 1991
- Whittaker, Analytical Concordance to the RSV
Bible (1991) B S425
W48
-
Young’s Analytical Concordance BS425 Y7 1970
Specialized
Concordances
-
Greek English Concordance to the NT (Smith)
BS2302 SM 61 1955
-
Harper’s Topical Concordance
BS432 H37 1976
-
Moulton and Geden, A Concordance to the Greek NT
BS2302 M862 1963
-
Concordancia Completa de la Santa Biblia
BS 428 S65 1979
EARLY
CHURCH: Research Resources in the Reference Room
Atlases
-
Chadwick, H. & Evans, G. R., eds. Atlas of the
Christian Church BR98
.A74 1987
Dictionaries
and Encyclopedias
-
Clifton, C. S., ed. Encyclopedia of Heretics and
Heresies BT1315.2
.C55 1992
-
The Coptic Encyclopedia
BX 130.5 .C66 1991
vols. 1-7
-
Cornmire and Klezzner, eds., Women in World History
HQ 1115 .W6 1995 vols.
1-11
-
Cross, F. L., and Livingstone, E. A., eds., The Oxford
Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd edit.)
BR95 .O8 1997
-
Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
BS 440 .H279.4 vols. 1-2
-
Döpp, S. and Geerlings, W., eds. Dictionary of Early
Christian Literature BR
66.5 .L4813 2000
-
Encyclopedia of the Early Church
BR66.5 .D5813
1992 vols. 1-2
-
Fahlbusch, Pelikan, et al. , eds., The
Encyclopedia of Christianity
BR95 .E8913
1999 vols. 1-2
(to date; A-I)
-
Ferguson, E., ed. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity BR 162.2 .E53 1997 vols.
1-2
-
Harper Collins Dictionary of Religion
BL31 .H37
1995
-
Hart, T. A., Gen. ed., Dictionary of Historical Theology
BT 21.2 .D53 2000
-
Hastings, J., Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics
BL31 .En19 vols.
1-13
-
Martin, R.P. and Davids, P. H., editors, Dictionary of
the Later New Testament and its Development BS2625.5 .D5
- McKim, D., Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms BR95 .M378
1996
- New
Catholic Encyclopedia BX841
.N42
Special
Resources
