World Civilization
to 1550 C.E.

World Civilization
1550 to the present

World Civilization Interactive Journey

HIST 4130/5130
The Middle Ages

HIST 4950/5950
Medieval Monasticism

HIST 4140/5140
Renaissance and
Reformation

HIST 4280/5280:
Intellectual and
Cultural History
of Europe
to 1500 C.E.

HIST 4285/5285:
Intellectual and
Cultural History
of Europe
since 1500 C.E.

IDST 2310:
The Fine and
Applied Arts
in Civilization

IDST 2205:
Global Issues

Women's Studies

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Georgia College &
State University

THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY
AND
THE EARLY CHURCH

HIST 4130/5130

OBJECTIVES:

  1. Be able to discuss the life of the historic Christ within the context of Roman society and political developments of the first century B.C.E. and the first century A.D.
  2. Be able to discuss the differing views of the apostles and of St. Paul on Christianity and on those to whom it might apply.
  3. Be able to discuss the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire, and some examples of early persecution of Christians.
  4. Be able to discuss the rise of institutionalized Christianity and the growth of Orthodox theology.
  5. Be able to discuss several examples of early heresies, and to explain in what ways these schools of thought differed from orthodox Christianity.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

"I shall speak of that which Mazda Ahura, the all-knowing, revealed to me first in this earthly life. Those of you that put not in practice this word as I think and utter it, to them shall be woe at the end of life...This I ask you, tell me truly Ahura. Who upheld the earth beneath the firmament from falling? Who determined the path of sun and stars? Who is by whom the moon waxes and wanes again? What artist made light and darkness?"
Zarathustra, Gathas

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word as with God and the Word was God."
John, Chap. 1

OUTLINE

    I. Religion in the Roman Empire: some examples
      A. The cult of Vesta
      B. Mystery Religions from the east
        I) Persian religions
          a) Zoroastrianism
            I) Career of Zoroaster
            ii) The Avesta
            iii) Mythraism
              a) The myth
              b) Rituals
            iv) influences on Christianity
    II. The historic Christ
      A. The Gospels as "biography": issues
      B. Ideals of the historic Christ
      C. Conflict with Jews and Romans
    II. Christianity
      A. Judaism vs. Christianity: Unity of Old and New Testaments
      B. St. Peter vs. St. Paul
      C. St. Paul and the spread of Christianity
      D. Structure of the early Church
        i) The Community of Acts
        ii) the episcopus
        iii) The patriarchs
          a) Rome and St. Peter
          b) Constantinople
          c) Jerusalem
          d) Antioch
          e) Alexandria
      E. Compilation of the canonical Scriptures
        I) Tradition vs. Written Texts
          a) Irenaeus
          b) Tertullian
    III. The Development of Early Christian Theology: Synthesis and Conflict
      A. Christianity and Classical (Pagan) culture
        i) Philo and Platonic Judaism: the Logos
      B. Neoplatonism
        i) Plotinus and the Enneads
        ii) The One and its emanations
        iii) Soul and Matter
        iv) influence on Christianity: Trinitarian theology and Augustine
      C. The Heretical Sects:
        i) Mani
        ii) The Gnostics
      D. Origen
      E. Clement of Alexandria