Content

(1)
During the comprehensive overview, attention will be paid to subjects such as the relation between the early Christian communities and the other communities, the organisation of the early Church and its theological development(s), the most important persons of Christian Antiquity. After a short introduction in which an answer will be given to the question of why to study Early Church History, the following items will be dealt with: the early Christian Communities in/and the Roman Empire (the political, economic and social situation of the Roman Empire; the origin and development of Christianity in a Jewish and Hellenistic context); the development of a Christian theology (use of the Bible; origin of Creeds; Councils; religious life; asceticism and monasticism); the development of the notion orthodoxy; the literary oeuvre of the Fathers and their impact (Greek patrology; Latin patrology).

(2)
Crucial texts in the history of Early Christianity and texts of important authors of that era will be studied by way of reading seminars. The evolutions, persons, and themes discussed in the comprehensive overview, will be explored by reading their first hand witnesses. The textual sources of Ancient Christianity will be explored through three channels: (i) Christian life, (ii) Christian ethics, (iii) Christian doctrine. Each text will be situated in its historical, theological, and textual context, and subsequently will be analysed in a detailed way, in order to come to a historical-critical and hermeneutical understanding of how Christianity saw daylight, took shape and was formed; how the first Christians did think, act and react; what was at stake; how were the foundations laid of Christianity, the Church, Christian thinking and acting?

Course material

(1)
For the comprehensive overview: course notes will be available through Toledo. They will mainly be based on J. MCMANNERS, The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, Oxford-New York, 1990. The PowerPoint-presentations used during classes will also be posted on Toledo.

(2)
For the reading classes: all reading material, introductions and references for further reading will be available through Toledo.

Further (optional) reading: B. RAMSEY, Beginning to Read the Fathers, New York-Mahwah, 1985; Early Christianity. Origins and Evolution, edited by I. HAZLETT, London, 1991; H. R. DROBNER, The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction (bibliographies updated and expanded for the English edition by W. Harmless, and H. R. Drobner), Peabody, 2007; P. ASHWIN-SIEJKOWSKI, SCM Study guide to Early Christian Doctrine and the Creeds, London, 2010.
 

Format: more information

(1) Comprehensive historical overview:
The history and theology of the first centuries of Christianity will be narrated/reconstructed in a chronological way. This historical survey focuses on the ‘construction’ of Christianity, the ‘formation’ of a Christian identity, the development of theological ideas and ecclesiastical structures, well aware of the interaction between ‘context’ and ‘content’. PowerPoint presentations will guide the classes, especially to illustrate geographical and iconographical elements. Although the classes are primarily set up as ‘lectures’, there will be ample opportunity for interaction and discussion. Both syllabus and PowerPoint presentations will be made available on Toledo.

(2) Thematic reading seminar:
Key early Christian texts will be read in interaction with the students. During the course, after introducing the specific author/text, specific passages will be read and discussed, in interaction with the students. In addition, special attention will be paid to the study of non-literary sources, to the material culture of that period (archaeology, iconography, …), and how these sources can help us to understand the crucial evolutions in early Christianity. All obligatory reading material, references for further reading and discussed pictures (art, archaeology, …) will be posted on Toledo well in advance, in order for the students to be able to prepare the reading sessions.