Instructor(s)

Course Description

The course acquaints the student with the basic information concerning the important people,

events, and dates in the history of the Church from the Apostolic Age to the Medieval Period.

Course Objective

Upon completion of the course the student will be able to:

1. Critically analyze and discuss the major themes, issues, problems, movements, and trends in the first six hundred years of the Christian church.
2. Synthesize the materials covered in this course in a chronological and comprehensive fashion.
3. Dialogue with the major theological schools of the early church and to benefit from the strengths of those traditions.
4. To comprehend the issues that motivated the Church to develop its beliefs, practices, and structures and to grasp why, from time to time, the Church modified them.
5. View the present in the light of the prior beliefs and actions of the Christian community.

Course Content

Topics

1. Biblical and Historical overview before 100 AD (1 Maccabees 1-4; 12; Luke 1:1-4; Acts of Apostles 15:1-35; Galatians 2:1-10; destruction of Temple.
2. The Subapostolic Age and the Church and the Empire
3. The Didache, Clement and Ignatius
4. Gnosticism, Montanism
5. The Didache
6. The Emergence of the Catholic Church
7. Irenaeus, Tertullian
8. Logos Christology, the Alexandrian School
9. Church and State from 180-260, the early development of the Sacraments
10. Manicheism, the Arian Controversy
11. The Cappadocians
12. Diocletian and Constantine and the Church in the Fourth Century
13. Monasticism, Ambrose and Chrysostom
14. Christological Controversies to Chalcedon
15. Augustine, Pelagius, and Semi-pelagianism

Mode of Delivery

Through lectures, seminars, class interaction, group discussion, reading and assignments.

Reading Materials

1. Bettenson, H. (2011). The Early Christian Fathers. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2. Chadwick, H. (1993). The Early Church. Rev. ed. London: Penguin Books.
3. Ferguson, E. (2013). Church History, vol 1.: From Christ to the Reformation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
4. Gonzalez, Justo E. (1987). A History of Christian Thought, Vol. I: From the Beginning to the Council of Chalceon in A.D. 451. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
5. Josephus, F. Jewish Wars in The Works of Josephus. Trans. William Winston. (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987) 6.4, 738-740.
6. Saint Augustine (2009). Augustine Confessions Trans. Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Evaluation of Student Performance

Grading System

Letter Grade Mark% (Credit Points)

A 80-100 (4.0): Excellent

B+ 75-79 (3.5): Very Good

B 70-74 (3.0): Good

C+ 65-69 (2.5): Satisfactory

F Below 65 (0.0): Fail

Assessment

Students will be assessed in a variety of ways, including examinations, quizzes, take-home assignments, term papers, participation in classes and seminars, field reports, video-recorded demonstrations, etc.

Distribution of the Marks

• Examination (End of course/semester): 60%
• Course work, continuous assessment and attendance: 40%

Class Attendance

For Campus students and those receiving lectures via Zoom, due to the concentrated nature of the lectures, three unexcused class absence will reduce final grade by a letter grade. A 4^th unexcused absence will result in an additional research assignment required for a passing grade. A 5^th unexcused absence will result in a failing grade.

Writing Guidelines

All research papers and theses are to follow: (i) Kate L. Turabian A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations OR (ii) American Psychological Association (APA) Style.

1. Font & Font Size: Times New Roman, 12 point

2. Double space

3. 1-inch margins (File – Page Setup – Margins)

4. Indent paragraphs 0.5 inch (Format– Paragraph – Indent left)

5. Page numbers – lower center or upper right –beginning with the first page of text, but not on title page; Arabic numbers only (e.g., 1, 2; not Roman numerals); no other header or footer

6. Title page; then title again on page one (for formal papers)

7. In essay-type papers, ALWAYS write logically, persuasively, focused on the assigned topic; include a succinct introduction that informs the reader concerning the subject of your paper, and a succinct conclusion that summarizes your main points and expresses your resulting conclusion.

8. Use footnotes rather than endnotes, except in dissertation/thesis, where section endnotes are also acceptable.

9. All work should be proofread, as errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax will reduce assignment grade.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is against Daniel Institute policy, and any act of plagiarism will result in disciplinary action up to student dismissal from further study at Daniel Institute. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to quoting materials without proper citing or reference, cutting and pasting of online and other materials requires proper citing via quotation marks and footnote.

Final Examination

The final exam will consist of short answer questions as well as semi-essay questions. The reading and the classes are your means of preparation.

For candidates writing their examinations outside the main Daniel Institute campus, a proctor will be required. A proctor is a person who oversees an exam. He or she will typically verify a student’s identity by checking a photo ID and then ensures academic integrity guidelines are followed during the exam. The exam will be mailed to the proctor in PDF format. The proctor will need to print your exam, and preferably have access to a scanner to submit your exam. 3. When you have completed your exam, your proctor may either 1) scan and upload your exam to the DI Learning platform or mail to the relevant address provided. This format requires you handwrite your responses on the exam itself.

Submitting Assignments

Assignments can be submitted electronically through the Drop Box tool in Triport (or any other means endorsed by the lecturer). Paper submissions should be in either .doc, .docx or .pdf format. Submitting your work through drop box (or any other means prescribed by the lecturer) is considered a formal (and final) submission. Assignments may be returned to you electronically, in most cases via email. If your assignment was graded by hand, it will be scanned and delivered to you as a PDF file. Remember to use a full heading, including your name, professor, course, and date.

Biblical references

Always give biblical references in the text of your paper. For example, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1; NRSV) Include the translation only if you are quoting a scripture that is different than NIV. For example, John pointed men to the Messiah (John 1:7).

Essay and Term Paper Cover Format

All essays and term paper must start with the required cover format. A single page number starts on the first page of the paper on the right side of the upper header.