CHURCH HISTORY I - HOME & SYLLABUS

"It is eminently fitting and desirable that the Church's history should not only be meditated on but also publicly celebrated; for it demonstrates the sanctity in every age of the society founded by Jesus Christ." (Pope Pius XII, Ecclesiae fastos)

This course examines important post-biblical developments in Christian theology, discipline, and relations with the secular world until the eighth century. Readings, assignments, seminars, and lectures are especially designed to lay the groundwork for future studies in theology by addressing the context and content of each of the first eight ecumenical councils, and of one of the most influential Latin texts ever written Augustines City of God. The course focuses on Tradition as a source of theological reasoning which, together with sacred Scripture and under the authority of the Catholic magisterium, preserves, fosters, and promotes the Churchs faith in Christ.

Required Texts

1.      Augustine. City of God. Trans. Henry Bettenson. London: Penguin Books, 2003. 

2.      Pope Benedict XVI. The Fathers. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2008.

3.       Tanner, Norman P., et al. Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol. 1, Nicaea I - Lateran V. Georgetown University Press, 1990. ISBN 0-87840-490-2 (set includes 2 volumes)

3.      Further required readings are posted on the course's Blackboard site, or can be accessed by clicking the links on the course calendar below.

COURSE CALENDAR^†

Class 1, Tuesday 24 August

Class 2, Thursday 26 August, S. Zephyrini papae et martyris [EF]

Special Topic: The Calendar(s) of Saints

Topic: The Council of Jerusalem and Councils in General

Reading:

·       Acts 15 [any Bible]

·       Galatians 2 [any Bible]

Class 3, Tuesday 31 August

Topic: Apostolic Succession and Heresies

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 1: St Clement of Rome (7 March 2007)

·       Selections of Gnostic Texts [BB]

Class 4, Thursday 2 September

Topic: Against Heresies

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 4: St Irenaeus of Lyons (28 March 2007)

Class 5, Tuesday 7 September

Topic: Apostolic Fathers

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 2: St Ignatius of Antioch (14 March 2007)

·       Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to Polycarp

Class 6, Thursday 9 September, S. Gorgonii martyris [EF]

Topic: Apologists, Persecution, and the Father of Church History

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 3: St Justin, Philosopher and Martyr (21 March 2007)

·       BXVI, chap. 5: St Clement of Alexandria (18 April 2007)

·       Eusebius, Church History, VIII.1-6

Class 7, Tuesday 14 September, In exaltatione sanctae crucis festum

Topic: Going off the Rails: Tertullian

Reading:

·       Tertullian, To His Wife

·       BXVI, chap. 7: Tertullian (30 May 2007)

Class 8, Thursday 16 September, Ss. Cornelii, papae, et Cypriani, episcopi, martyrum memoria

Topic: Martyrdom: Acts and Passions

Reading:

·       The Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs [BB]

·       The Acts of St Cyprian [BB]

·       Recommended:  Eucherius, The Passion of the Martyrs of Agaune, Saint Maurice and His Companions [BB]

Class 9, Tuesday 21 September

Topic: Origen and Alexandrian Exegesis

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 6: Origen of Alexandria: Life and Writings (25 April 2007); Teachings (2 May 2007)

·       Recommended: Origen, Homily 1 on Leviticus [BB]

Class 10, Thursday 23 September, S. Lini papae et martyris [EF]

Topic: The Council of Nicaea (325) and Athanasius

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 1-19

·       BXVI, chap. 10: St Athanasius of Alexandria (20 June 2007)

Class 11, Tuesday 28 September

Topic: Introduction to Augustine and De civitate Dei

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 26: St Augustine of Hippo (pt 4 and pt 5), pp. 190-201 only

Class 12, Thursday 30 September, S. Hieronymi, presbyteri et Ecclesiae doctoris

Special Topic: Illustrious Men

Recommended Reading: Selections from St Jerome’s On Illustrious Men [BB]

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XI

Team 1: _________________

Class 13, Tuesday 5 October, S. Placidi et sociorum martyrum [EF]

Special Topic: Martyr Confusion

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XIV

Team 2: _________________

Class 14, Thursday 7 October, S. Marci papae et confessoris [EF]

Special Topic: The Liber Pontificalis

Topic: The Council of Constantinople (381) and Cyril of Jerusalem

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 21-35

·       BXVI, chap. 11: St Cyril of Jerusalem (27 June 2007)

Class 15, Tuesday 12 October

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XV

Team 3: _________________

Class 16, Thursday 14 October, S. Callisti I, papae et martyris

Special Topic: Schism in Third Century Rome

Topic: The Council of Ephesus (431)

Reading:

·         Ed. Tanner, 37-65

·         Recommended: Pope Pius XI, Encyclical on the Council of Ephesis Lux veritatis (25 December 1931)

Class 17, Thursday 21 October, S. Hilarionis abbatis

Special Topic: The Life of St Hilarion

Topic: The Council of Chalcedon (451)

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 75-103

·       Recommended : Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Letter Sempiternus Rex (8 September 1951)

Class 18, Tuesday 26 October

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XVI

Team 4: _________________

Class 19, Thursday 28 October

­­Topic: A Look at the East

Reading:

·       BXVI, chap. 22: Aphraates, “the Sage” (21 November 2007)

·       BXVI, chap. 23: St Ephrem, the Syrian (28 November 2007)

Class 20, Tuesday 2 November, In commemoratione omnium fidelium defunctorum

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XVII

Team 5: _________________

Class 21, Thursday 4 November

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XX

Team 6: _________________

Class 22, Tuesday 9 November, In dedicatione basilicae Lateranensis

Special Topic: The Lateran Basilica

Topic: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 105-122

Class 23, Thursday 11 November, S. Martini Turonensis, episcopi

Topic: St Martin of Tours and the Evangelization of Europe

Reading:

·       Sulpicius Severus, Life of Martin of Tours [BB]

Class 24, Tuesday 16 November

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XXI

Team 7: _________________

Class 25, Thursday 18 November, In dedicatione basilicarum Ss. Petri et Pauli, apostolorum

Topic: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 121-130

·       Third Council of Constantinople [Letter of Pope Agatho only]

Class 26, Tuesday 23 November, S. Clementis I, papae et martyris; S. Columbani, abbatis [EF]

Seminar: Augustine, De civitate Dei, XXII

Team 8: _________________

Class 27, Tuesday 30 November

Topic: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 131-156

·       Recommended: John Paul II, Apostolic Letter on the Occasion of the 1200^th Anniversary of the Second Council of Nicaea Duodecimum saeculum (4 December 1987)

Class 28, Thursday 2 December

Topic: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869)

Reading:

·       Ed. Tanner, 157-186

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FINAL EXAM: to be held during examination days

Dies irae, dies illa, Solvet saeculum in favilla, Teste David cum Sybilla.

Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando judex est venturus Cuncta stricte discussurus