History of Christianity I

This is the first of two courses examining the history of the Christian church. This course provides a detailed study of key figures and their role in the development of Christian orthodoxy with specific attention paid to various issues including: orthodoxy and heresy; biblical interpretation; the social, political and theological context of the early church; doctrinal developments such as that of the Trinity and Christology; and church practice. Students gain familiarity with these eras through a combination of course lectures, historical surveys, and primary source texts from a wide array of early church fathers including the Apostolic Fathers, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, and Thomas Aquinas.