Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Summarize the key historical events of the Mediterranean world from the sixth century BC to the fifth century AD

• Describe the political, social, and religious context of the Graeco-Roman world

• Identify and explain key philosophical movements that influenced the early church

• Comment on the effects Hellenization had on Judaism, as well as Christianity’s relationship with and break from Judaism

• Discuss the ebb and flow of Christian persecution through the history of the Roman Empire

• Articulate why and how early Christian apologetics developed, and identify the key apologists

• Define Gnosticism, and explain the influence it had on the early church

• Detail the main heresies that were condemned by the early church

• Explain what each ecumenical council of the early church contributed to the development of Christological and Trinitarian language

• Speak accurately about the triune God

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: The World of Early Christianity

• Why Study History & Key Developments of the First Six Centuries

• The Unification of the Mediterranean World

• The Maccabean Interlude

• History of the Roman Empire

• Geography of the Roman Empire

• Social Organization in the Roman Empire: Part One

• Social Organization in the Roman Empire: Part Two

• Slavery in the Ancient World

• Virtue and Humility

• Platonic Thought

• Mystical Theology and Aristotelian Thought

• Roman Religion

• Religion and the Imperial Cult

• Graeco-Roman Attitudes toward Jews

• Graeco-Roman Attitudes toward Christians

Unit 2: Persecution and Martyrdom

• Causes of Christian Persecution

• The First Persecutions under Nero and the First Jewish Revolt

• The Second Persecutions under Domitian

• The Church under the Antonines: Part One

• The Church under the Antonines: Part Two

• Ignatius of Antioch

• The Martyrdom of Polycarp

• The Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne

• The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas

Unit 3: Apologetics

• Christian Apologetics

• Justin Martyr

• Christianization of Hellenism and Christian Defenses against Civil Charges and Mystery Religions

• Christian Response to Non-Christian Myths and Philosophy

• Marcus Aurelius and Celsus on Christianity

• Two Kinds of Reason

Unit 4: Gnosticism

• Origins of Gnosticism

• Gnostic Basis on the Bible

• Fundamental Tenets of Gnosticism

• Gnostic Movements and Motifs of “Christian Gnosticism”

• Marcion and Christian Gnosticism

• Irenaeus and Gnosticism

• The Self-Defining of the Early Church

• The Rule of Faith

Unit 5: Monarchianism

• Introduction to Monarchianism

• Tertullian and Against Praxeas

• The Self-Revelation of the Triune God

Unit 6: Ecclesiology and Church Order

• The State of the Roman Empire

• Emperor Decius’ Edict

• Those Who Denied the Faith

• Ecclesiology and the Doctrine of Penance

• Sacramental Theology

Unit 7: Conversion of the Empire

• An Imperial Chronology

• The Great Persecution

• Constantine’s Consolidation of the West

• The End of the Great Persecution

• Constantine and the Christological Controversies

• Origen on the Trinity

• The Arian Controversy

• The Council of Nicaea

• From Constantine to Theodosius

Unit 8: Christology and Trinity

• Christological Formulas, Confessions, and Creeds

• The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed

• Christological Language: Part One

• Christological Language: Part Two

• Arianism after Nicaea

• The Cappadocian Fathers: Basil the Great

• The Cappadocian Fathers: Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa

• Trinitarian Language

• Nestorius and Cyril: Part One

• Nestorius and Cyril: Part Two

• Eutyches and the Council of Chalcedon

Conclusion

• Conclusion to the Course

Details

• Title: CH201 Historical Theology: The Patristic Period

• Instructor: George Kalantzis

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2017

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 11