This is an introductory unit on the writings of the Fathers of the Church and their important contribution to the formation of Orthodox theology. The focus of the unit is to introduce these early Christian theologians as the great teachers of the Orthodox faith or doctrine and highlight their contribution through the Fathers’ explanation of the Christian dogma and their refutation of heresies. Students will study Patristic texts arranged historically and through the common classifications of the Fathers. For example, the Apostolic Fathers, the Apologists, the Latin Fathers, the Alexandrians (both the Fathers of Alexandria, such as Clement of Alexandria and the great teachers such as Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril of Alexandria), and the Cappadocian Fathers (i.e. St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus).
Unit code: CH8400A
Unit status: Archived (Major revision)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational
Unit discipline: Church History
Delivery Mode: Face to Face
Proposing College: St Athanasius College
Show when this unit is running1. | Critically evaluate the contribution that each of the Fathers have made in explaining the Orthodox faith |
2. | Analyse the distinguishing features of the thought of a selection of Fathers and the content of their major works |
3. | Justify the classifications of Church Father writings historically and according to commonly used categories |
4. | Investigate the fundamental principles of a particular father, or investigate a particular heresy |
5. | Examine, appraise and where relevant, challenge the conclusions of modern scholarship on interpretive difficulties in the writings of a selection of Fathers |
Weekly sessions, comprising guided reading from the set texts, additional reading resources and some notes, together with an online tutorial. Students will be expected to contribute to the discussions in each session.
Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Essay | Written Assessment Task 3000 words |
3000 | 50.0 |
Essay | Written Assessment Task 2000 words |
2000 | 30.0 |
Essay | Written Assessment Task 1000 words |
1000 | 20.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 30 Sep, 2019
Unit record last updated: 2021-07-16 17:57:43 +1000