Early Christianity In Context (CH8011W)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit introduces students to some of the key themes and people in the history of the church from the first to the fifteenth century. Students will engage with primary and secondary sources to explore the spread of Christianity, the apostolic tradition, church-state relations, accusations of heresy, the rise of the Christian empire, monasticism, and the culture and theology of the medieval church.

Unit code: CH8011W

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Church History

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Outline key aspects of the Christian story from early to medieval times
2.

Identify some of the social, political and cultural factors influencing the development of Christianity
3.

Demonstrate basic skills in interpreting historical documents
4.

Assess the significance of selected movements and personalities for the church’s history
5.

Describe the contribution of the study of church history to the development of Christian identity;

6.

Critically evaluate historical evidence and the construction of historical accounts

Pedagogy

Lectures, tutorials, online forum posts, video

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bradley, James E and Robert A. Muller. Church History: An Introduction to Research Methods and Resources. 2nd edn. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016.
  • Clark, Elizabeth A. Women in the Early Church. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2017.
  • Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume 1. New York: HarperOne, 2010. (recommended for purchase)
  • Hall, Stuart G. Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church. 2nd edn. London: SPCK, 2005.
  • Hinson, E. Glenn. The Early Church: Origins to the Dawn of the Middle Ages. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
  • McGrath, Alistair. Christian History: An Introduction. Wiley: New York, 2012.
  • Miles, Margaret. The Word Made Flesh: A History of Christian Thought. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005.
  • Muir, Elizabeth Gillan. A Women's History of the Christian Church: Two Thousand Years of Female Leadership. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2019.
  • Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. 3rd edn. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2012.
  • Young, Frances. The Making of the Creeds. London: SCM Press, 2002.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Forum

Five 200 word forum posts

 1000 10.0
Essay

Essay of 3,000 words

 3000 50.0
Document Study

Document study of 1,500 words

 1500 20.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

Tutorial paper of 1,500 words

 1500 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 26 Oct, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-10-26 10:41:59 +1100