HIST/CLHU/REL 424: Early Church
The Rise of Christianity in the Greco-Roman World

This course treats the emergence of Christianity and the early history of the Christian Church within the pagan, and then Christian, Roman Empire. Through readings in and discussions on ancient texts and modern interpretations, through lectures and presentations, and through research and writing in a specific problem, the student will become familiar with the development of the Early Church in its historical context and with the techniques and discoveries of modern historians, archaeologists, and textual critics.

ELECTRONIC-DEVICE-FREE CLASSROOM. Turn off and stow your electronic devices before the class begins.

Students must fulfill the following requirements: midterm and final examinations (50 points each) and a short (5-10 pp) research paper on a topic approved in discussion with the instructor (10 points preliminary bibliography and 40 points final paper). Grading: of a total of 150 possible points, 135-150 = A, 120-134 = B, 105-119 = C,90-104 = D. A student who expects to miss more than two meetings should consult the instructor in the first week. University-sanctioned events or medical/family emergencies alone constitute valid reasons to miss class: inform your professor in advance.  Students with excessive unexcused absences will either find themselves dropped from the class roster or they will receive a reduced final grade.

Click here for required statements concerning freedom of learning, cheating, diversity, ADA policy, and outcomes of learning.

Click here for suggested paper topics.

Start your research with the textbook, then consult the following resources. The bibliography (NOT a reference list) must include an annotation explaining how you found the item and how it serves your topic. Do not include any Web sites in your bibliographies; if you wish to include an article you consulted in a full-text database (eg, an article in JSTOR), give the citation for the print version. You must use Chicago bibliographic style, which uses footnotes for documentation. Consult the instructor for assistance if you have not used Chicago style before. The following item is in Chicago footnote style

• The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, ed Everett Ferguson, 2 vols (New York: Garland, 1997); in I D Weeks: BR162.2 .E53.

• L'année philologique (Z7016.M35A); also available on-line in I D Weeks library (you have to be in the library to make this work).

• Google Scholar.

Students must have the following books, which are available at the bookstores (these items are in Chicago bibliographic style with ISBNs added):

• Henry Chadwick. The Early Church. Penguin History of the Church, vol 1. Rev ed. London and New York: Penguin, 1993. 0140231994
• Maxwell Staniforth, trans. Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers.  Rev ed.  London and New York: Penguin, 1987.  0140444750
• Augustine.  The Confessions.  Translated by Rex Warner.  New introduction and afterward by Martin E Marty.  New York: Signet Classics, 2001.  0451527801
• The Bible in NRSV
  Recommended: The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. Fourth Edition. Edited by Michael D Coogan, Marc Z Brettler, Carol Newsom, and Pheme Perkins.  Oxford and New York: Oxford Univ Press, 2010. 9780195289602
• Recommended: Kate L Turabian. A Manual for Writers. 8th ed. Chicago: Univ of Chicago Press, 2013. 0226816389

Schedule

Part One: Christians and Jews

Part Two: Christians and Pagans

Part Three: Christians and Romans

Part Four: Christians and Heretics

12:30-2:30 pm Wednesday 3May:  FINAL EXAMINATION
                Study guide