MS-Word DOC

This course will introduce the history, theology, and spirituality of the patristic period from the death of the apostles to the pontificate of Pope Saint Gregory the Great (600 AD).  This course will provide an overview of both the theological thought of the Fathers of the Church (“patristics” in the strict sense) and their life and writings (“patrology”). The rich ethnic and cultural diversity of early Christian thought will be highlighted through study of primary sources from the Jewish, Roman, Greek, Celtic, Anglo-European, Slavic, Middle-Eastern (Syriac), and Egyptian (Coptic) traditions.  In order to profit from the cultural and ethnic diversity of the student body, students are encouraged to bring to classroom discussion the patristic origins of their cultural traditions: including, for example the theological, liturgical, and spiritual emphases that distinguish Western Catholicism from  Eastern traditions such as the Maronite, Chaldean, Melchite, Malabar, and Ruthenian churches.

     During each class selected patristic texts will be studied and discussed: the majority of these will be primary sources taken from the Office of Readings.  In this way students’ ongoing prayerful study of these texts in the liturgy will provide a deepening re-acquaintance with the early sources of Christian spirituality and doctrine.

The student will be able to identify important persons, events, and schools of thought that influenced the development of Christian doctrine and the diversity of Christian spiritual traditions. The student will learn to make use of  primary and secondary sources available in both printed and electronic formats, and will become familiar with appropriate reference tools in early church history.

1. This course will combine lecture and class discussion. In order to maximize the effectiveness of lectures in our culturally diverse student population, representing a wide range of different linguistic experience and ability, all audio-visual materials presented in lectures will be available through the course website or on DVD in the library. Lecture/discussion will be based on patristic primary texts which may be downloaded as “Class Notes” at the beginning of the semester.  Active participation in class discussions is essential, and will figure into the final evaluation.

2. The midterm and final examinations will consist of  “take-home” essay questions.  Students will be expected to submit their answers at the beginning of class one week after the examination has been distributed: answers must be typed and double-spaced.

3. Late work will be accepted for a grade only if the professor grants an extension.  Out of fairness to those who submit their work on time, late work will normally be graded down by one-half letter grade for each day it is late.

4. In all written work students must clearly distinguish between their own words and sources they are citing. Failure to credit sources that are cited constitutes plagiarism and may result in a grade of "F".

5. The final course grade will be computed as follows:

1. Chadwick, Henry The Early Church, (Viking Penguin, June 1990), ISBN: 0140231994

2. Louth, Andrew,  The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition from Plato to Pseudo-Dionysius, (Clarendon, Oxford University Press, 1981), ISBN: 0198266685.

3. Pope Benedict XVI,  The Fathers of the Church, An ongoing series of addresses by the Holy Father on patristic authors, delivered at his weekly Wednesday audiences.

These are available in “Class Notes” and on the course website.  They should be reviewed before the class at which they will be discussed.

Bell, David N., A Cloud of Witnesses, (Cistercian Publications, Cistercian Studies Series, No 109).

Brown, The Body and Society.

Comby, J. How to Read Church History: From the Beginnings to the Fifteenth Century, (Crossroad, 1990) ISBN 0824507223

Cross, F. L., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, (Oxford University Press).  

Danielou, J. and Marrou, H., The Christian Centuries, vol. 1:The First Six Hundred Years, (Darton Longman, and Todd, 1964).

Frend, W.H.C., The Rise of Christianity, (Fortress: 1984)

Kelly, J.N.D., Early Christian Doctrine, (Harper, San Francisco, March  1991)

McGinn, Bernard, The Foundations of Mysticism, Origins to the Fifth Century (The Presence of God, A History of Western Christian Mysticism, vol. 1) (Crossroad, 1991).

Quastern, Johannes, Patrology (4 vol.).

The Church Fathers in Translation: Fathers of the Church (Catholic Univ. of America Press);

Ancient Christian Writers (Paulist Press);

Ante‑Nicene, Nicene, and Post‑Nicene Fathers (Eerdmans: download from Christian Classics Ethereal Library at http://www.ccel.org)

Classes will meet Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:00 to 4:50 am in Classroom 2.

   WEEK 1

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Plato, “The Parable of the Caves” and “The Myth of Er” (Republic).

TEXTBOOKS: Louth, 1-17.

   WEEK 2

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Philo of Alexandria on the Therapeutae and the Essenes; The Book of Enoch Clement of Rome; The Letter of Barnabas.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 9‑32; Louth, 18-35.

   WEEK 3

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Cicero, “The Dream of Scipio”(Republic); Pliny and Trajan on the Punishment of Christisns; Justin Martyr.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 32‑54.

   WEEK 4

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Ignatius of Antioch;  Polycarp of Smyrna; Abericius; The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicity; Cyprian of Carthage.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 54‑73.

   WEEK 5

COURSE DOCUMENTS: The Didache; Irenaeus; Hippolytus; Tertullian.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 74‑93.

   WEEK 6

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Plotinus; Clement of Alexandria; Origen.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 74‑93; Louth, 36-74.

   WEEK 7a

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Athanasius.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 94‑158; Louth 75-80

   WEEK 7b-8a

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Basil; Gregory Nazianzen; Gregory of Nyssa.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 160-173.; Louth 80-97.

   WEEK 8b

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Aphraates of Persia; Ephrem the deacon; Isaac of Ninevah.

   WEEK 9-10

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Antony, Pachomius, Evagrius; The Sayings (Apophthegmata) and Lives of the Desert Fathers; John Cassian.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 174-183, 469-473; Louth 98-113, 125-131.

   WEEK 11

COURSE DOCUMENTS: The Councils of Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon.  Cyril of Alexandria, Leo the Great.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 192-212.

   WEEK 12

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Ambrose, Augustine, Benedict, Cassiodorus, Caesarius of Arles.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 213-236; Louth 132-158.

   WEEK 13

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Columban, Gregory the Great.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 237-257

   WEEK 14

COURSE DOCUMENTS: Diadochus of Photike; John Climacus; Dionysius the Areopagite; Maximus Confessor.

TEXTBOOKS: Chadwick, 258-284; Louth, 113-125, 139-17

....x....  ’ “”.