This unit examines the development of the Christian Church during the first millennium, with attention to the complex historical, theological, political, and cultural forces that shaped early Christianity. It explores how Christian communities emerged, organised, and negotiated power across diverse contexts, including the Roman and Byzantine empires, monastic movements, and expanding centres of Christian life in Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Through sustained engagement with primary sources and historical scholarship, students investigate how theological ideas, social structures, and historical change contributed to the formation of Christian identity, authority, and practice during this formative period.
Unit code: CH8802Z
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational
Unit discipline: Church History
Proposing College: St Francis College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Evaluate major historical, theological, and cultural factors shaping the development of the Christian Church in the first millennium. |
| 2. | Analyse primary historical sources and scholarly interpretations relevant to early Christian history. |
| 3. | Apply historical and theological methods to interpret the formation of early Christian identity, institutions, and practices. |
| 4. | Synthesize historical evidence and scholarly perspectives to articulate informed interpretations of early Christian development. |
This unit is a pre-requisite to postgraduate elective units in Church History.
Synchronous and asynchronous lectures and text-based tutorials
Brown, Stephen, ed. The Church and Empire. Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Cameron, Euan. Interpreting Christian History: The Challenge of the Church’s Past. Blackwell, 2005.
Fletcher, R. A. The Barbarian Conversion: From Paganism to Christianity. University of California Press, 1999.
González, Justo L. The Changing Shape of Church History. Chalice Press, 2002.
Herrin, Judith. Margins and Metropolis: Authority Across the Byzantine Empire. Princeton University Press, 2013.
Ludlow, Morwenna. The Early Church. I.B. Tauris History of the Christian Church, vol. 1. I.B. Tauris, 2009.
McGrath, Alister. Christian History: An Introduction. Blackwell, 2013.
Muir, Elizabeth Gillan. A Women’s History of the Christian Church: Two Thousand Years of Female Leadership. University of Toronto Press, 2019.
Schjørring, Jens Holger, and Norman A. Hjelm, eds. The History of Global Christianity. Translated by David Orton. Brill, 2018.
Threlfall-Holmes, Miranda. Essential History of Christianity. SPCK Publishing, 2012.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 0 | 100.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 15 Apr, 2026
Unit record last updated: 2026-04-15 09:35:30 +1000