Early and Medieval Church History (CH8002L)

Content

This unit enables the student to critically analyse and evaluate the church’s historical development in theology, structure, worship, and mission from Pentecost through to the late medieval period (AD 1400). Through exploration of social, political, cultural and theological factors, the student will critically evaluate the construction of Christian identities through conflict and persecution, in texts, traditions, and liturgy.

In this unit, the student will:

• Discuss and engage with the development of doctrine through councils and conflict in the early and medieval church, critically evaluating the role of key theologians.
• Engage in sustained research on a chosen topic, critically engaging with primary and secondary literature to analyse the impact and role of a figure or event that contributed to the construction of Christianity identity in the early and medieval period.
• Critically evaluate how the study of church history contributes to the development of Christian identity today.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Course relationship: A level 8 unit in postgraduate theology and ministry courses

Pedagogy

This unit is underpinned by teaching practices and strategies (e.g. participatory lectures and tutorial seminars on readings) which encourage student engagement and participation in a variety of learning tasks and opportunities which foster deep learning.

Indicative Bibliography

• Chadwick, Henry. The early church. Rev. ed. Penguin History of the Church. London: Penguin, 1993.
• Davis, Leo Donald. The first seven ecumenical councils (325-787): their history and theology. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1988.
• Fitzgerald, Allan, ed. Augustine through the ages: an encyclopaedia. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
• Madigan, Kevin. Medieval Christianity: a new history. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015.
• Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian tradition: a history of the development of doctrine. Volumes 1-4. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1971-1984.
• Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Crusades: a history. 3rd ed. London: Bloomsbury, 2014.
• Stevenson, James, ed. A new Eusebius: documents illustrating the history of the church to AD 337. Rev. ed. Edited by W. Frend. London: SPCK, 1987.
• Stump, Eleonore. Aquinas. London and New York: Routledge, 2005.
• Wilken, Robert Louis. The first thousand years: a global history of Christianity. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012.
• Young, Frances. From Nicaea to Chalcedon: a guide to the literature and its background. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2010.

Assessment