The History of Early Christianity
21:510:407:01
T/Th 11:30-12:50PM
Conklin 352
Course Instructor: Katheryn Whitcomb
Office: Conklin 315
[email protected]
Office Hours: T/Th, 1-2pm
Phone: 973-353-1469
Course Description
This course will explore the development of Christian theology and religious practice within the historical
context of the Roman Empire from the first through the fifth century CE. Students will be expected to read
and analyze many primary source materials (in translation).
Course Goals
As an upper-level history course the main aim of this class will be to introduce students to large themes
surrounding the development of Christian thought from the first to the fifth century CE. Through this course
students will broaden their knowledge of Christianity in its historical context while developing their
analytical skills through class discussion and written work. In addition, students will be expected to read
primary source material (in translation) and discuss important issues regarding the works.
Course Website: On Blackboard -20119:510:407:01:TOPICS IN ANC HIST
Readings
1. Behr, John. Formation of Christian Theology, Vol 1: The Way to Nicaea. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press:
New York. 2001.
2. Saint Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford University Press: New York. 2008.
3. The Bible (recommended)
* Additional pdf’s will also be made available on the course website.
Grading
Participation: 15%
Reading Posts (15): 30%
Final Paper (5-7 pages): 30 % (Rough Draft = 10%, Final Draft = 20%)
Exams (2): 25 % (12.5% each)
Attendance is mandatory at every class session and will count towards the student’s final participation
grade. Absences are excused, as defined by the Rutgers catalog, on the grounds of “illness requiring medical
attention, curricular or extracurricular activities approved by the faculty, personal obligations claimed by the
student and recognized as valid, recognized religious holidays, and severe inclement weather causing
dangerous traveling conditions.” Each unexcused absence beyond the third will cause the student’s course
grade to drop by one half letter grade (e.g. A to B+).
Note: Any student who misses eight or more sessions through any combination of excused and
unexcused absences will not earn credit in this class. Such students should withdraw to avoid getting
an F.
Participation in class discussion is expected of every student and will count towards the student’s final
participation grade. Asking questions is encouraged.
Reading Responses should be approximately 150 words. They should discuss a student’s reaction to the
reading and any questions that may have arisen from the reading. Responses must be posted to the course
website no later than 11:59pm on the day before the reading assignment is due in order to receive full credit.
The choice of when to post a response is at the student’s discretion, but each student must post 15 responses
to receive full credit for this portion of the grade. At least one of these responses must be to a reading
assignment in Week XIII or XIV. Multiple responses to one reading assignment will not be counted for
credit. Reading responses will not be accepted after the day that they are due.
The final paper should be 5-7 pages long. It must be typed in 12pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced,
with 1” margins on all sides. This is a research paper and should demonstrate a clear thesis with supporting
arguments as well as numerous citations to support these arguments. Rough drafts should be turned in for
evaluation by April 10. Full credit will be given for the rough draft if it is turned in on time and meets the
page requirement. Final drafts should be turned in electronically by emailing the instructor at the above
email address. Late papers will be penalized by the deduction of one half letter grade from the paper grade
per day late. Papers turned in beyond three days late will result in the student receiving an Incomplete grade
for the course.
Exams will be worth 125 points each (letter grades will be written on each student’s returned exam). The
dates for each exam are given in the following schedule of classes. Questions on the exam will incorporate
information learned in class as well as from the assigned readings. Exams may only be made-up in the case
of excused absences as defined above. A time for making-up the exam must be established between the
student and the instructor within one week of the original date of the exam.
Tardiness and Leaving Class before Conclusion : Please arrive to class on time and stay until dismissed.
Three incidents of tardiness and/or leaving early will be counted as one unexcused absence.
Academic Integrity: Please familiarize yourself with Rutgers’ Academic Integrity Policy. A full description
of the policy is available at: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml
Academic environment: Please be respectful of the academic environment. Engaging in personal
conversations, using cell phones, text messaging, web surfing, listening to music, reading newspapers, doing
crossword or Sudoku puzzles, sleeping or engaging in other personal diversions during class are, of course,
all disruptive.
Disabilities: If you have special needs in this course, please have your College coordinator contact me by the
end of the second week of classes.
Schedule of Classes
Reading assignments are due on the day they are listed. Readings not in the assigned texts for class will be posted to the course
website.
Week I
Tuesday, January 17: Introduction
Thursday, January 19: Hellenistic Judaism: The Messiah
Reading Assignment: Selections from Josephus’ Antiquities, The Book of Daniel 1-2 (on course website)
Week II: The Beginning of Christianity: Christ
Tuesday, January 24: The Early Gospels: Matthew, Mark
Reading Assignment: Selections from Matthew and Mark (on course website)
Burridge, Richard. “Reading the Gospels as Biography” in The Limits of Ancient Biography (on course
website)
Thursday, January 26: The Roman Gospels?: Luke and John
Reading Assignment: Selections from Luke and John (on course website)
BEHR, Chapter 1
Week III: Christianity in the First Century: The Mission
Tuesday, January 31: Paul and the Mission to the Gentiles
Reading Assignment: Paul’s letters to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians (on course website)
Thursday, February 2: Non-Canonical Gospels and Gnosticism
Reading Assignment: Selections from the Gospel of Thomas (on course website)
Week IV: Christianity in the First/Second Century: Non-Christian Testimonies and the Beginning of
the Church
Tuesday, February 7: Persecutions
Reading Assignment: Selections from Suetonius’ Lives, Pliny’s Letters, Josephus (on course website)
Thursday, February 9: Ignatius
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 3
Selections from Ignatius’ Letters
Week V: Christianity in the Second Century: The Church and Persecution
Tuesday, February 14: Irenaeus of Lyons
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 5
Thursday, February 16: Justin Martyr
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 4
Week VI: Christianity in the Second/Third Century: Martyrdom
Tuesday, February 21: Martyrdom of Perpetua
Reading Assignment: Selections from the Passion of Perpetua (on course website)
Thursday, February 23: Paper Workshop
Reading Assignment: TBA
Week VII: Christianity in the Third Century
Tuesday, February 28: Hippolytus
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 6
Thursday, March 1: Mid-Term Exam
Week VIII: Christianity in the Third Century
Tuesday, March 6: Origen
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 7
Selections from Origen’s Commentary on John (on course website)
Thursday, March 8: Mani and Manicheans
Reading Assignment: “The Cologne Mani Codex” by Ellen Bradshaw Aitken (on course website)
Week IX: Christianity in the Third/Fourth Century: Antioch and Constantine
Tuesday, March 20: Paul of Samosata and the Council of Antioch
Reading Assignment: BEHR, Chapter 8
Thursday, March 22: The Conversion of Constantine
Reading Assignment: TBA
Week X: Christianity in the Fourth Century: Controversy and Revival
Tuesday, March 27: Eusebius of Caesarea
Reading Assignment: Gonzalez, Chapter 14 (on course website)
Selections from Eusebius’ Church History
Thursday, March 29: The Arian Controversy
Reading Assignment: Selections from Arian’s Letters
BEHR (vol. 2), Chapter 3 (on course website)
Week XI: Christianity in the Fourth Century: Consolidation
Tuesday, April 3: The Council of Nicaea
Reading Assignment: BEHR (vol. 2), Chapter 4 (on course website)
Thursday, April 5: Basil of Caesarea and the Cappadocian Fathers
Reading Assignment: BEHR (vol. 2), Chapter 6 (on course website)
Week XII: Christianity in the Fourth/Fifth Century: Different Movements
Tuesday, April 10: Monasticism
Reading Assignment: The Life of Melania (on course website)
Rough drafts due in class
Thursday, April 12: Donatism and Pelagianism
Reading Assignment: Gonzalez, Chapter 16 (on course website)
Selections from Jerome’s Letters, Pelagius’ Letters (on course website), and Augustine’s Confessions
Week XIII: Christianity in the Fifth Century
Tuesday, April 17: Mid-Term Exam
Thursday, April 19: Paganism and Christianity
Reading Assignment: Selections from Augustine’s Confessions
Brown, Peter R.L. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography: University of California Press, 2000, chap. 2. (on
course website)
Week XIV: Christianity in the Fifth Century: Towards Division
Tuesday, April 24: Conversion to the True Religion
Reading Assignment: Selections from Augustine’s Confessions
Thursday, April 26: Council of Chalcedon
Reading Assignment: TBA
**Final Paper Due by 5pm, Tuesday, May 8, 2012**