Christian Belief and Thought

RELS 1202 AA Spring 2014 Peter G. Ahr, Ph.D. Course Requirements Scope and Purpose of the Course Class Schedule and Assignments Resources Class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00-3:15 p.m. in Fahy Hall, Room 2. This is the March 16, 2014 version; check regularly for revisions, particularly in the event of weather closings.

The church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.

Jan 14	Introduction to the course: the roots of the Christian tradition in the Hebrew Bible Christianity is, first of all, a tradition (or perhaps better, a stream of traditions); we all encounter it at a particular point in the history of those traditions, and any look at the Christianity of a particular time and place is a look at a point in that history.  The history is a definite one, and by all accounts it begins with the collection of literature that Jesus and his contemporaries took as the word of God.  In this first class we will be giving an overview of that literature and its place in the development of the Christian tradition, and a quick overview of the tradition itself. The first class will also cover the course requirements and other matters dealt with in this syllabus.
Jan 16	God, the Covenant and the Hebrew tradition The Exodus The covenant Read before class:   The Bible: Exodus, chapters 1 through 24	Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam Sistine Chapel
Jan 21	God, the Covenant and the Hebrew tradition The stories of the ancestors David, Solomon and the Temple The Prophets   Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 1 through 5, pp. 19-89, especially pp. 19-59 The Bible:  Genesis chapters 1 through 23	Abraham, San Vitale, Ravenna, 6th century
Jan 23	God, the Covenant and the Hebrew tradition   The Exile Second Temple Judaism	Jerusalem
Jan 28	Jesus and the Gospels The Gospel traditions The Synoptic question  (On the synoptic question, click here for an excellent analysis of this entire question) Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 6, pp. 91-117 Luke, chapters 1, 2, 22, 23, 24 To post a Journal entry, go to "Tools" on the Blackboard version of the course, and click on "Journals" in that menu.  Choose the Journal for that week, and paste your entry there.  Please do not "attach" a document there; either compose it in Blackboard, or paste it from Word. Writing Assignment Choose one of the online texts (the ones which appear in blue) from this syllabus, and prepare a close reading of that text.  Your reading must include a discussion of the historical context of that particular text: where and when was it written?  What issues does it address?  What does it take for granted?  What does it say about what Christian belief means?  What influence did the text have in its time and later?  The final paper should be five to eight pages in length.  You may use the course textbook and the notes appended to the online text as part of your study; but your paper must include your own analysis of the text on the basis of that information.  Some of the texts on the syllabus may be more difficult than others; please check with me in person or by email to let me know what you propose to do.  An outline of your paper is due to me by February 18; and the paper itself is due no later than April 3. Note that the Resources on this syllabus can provide you with a number of valuable sources that will help you with your research project, although your final paper must reference both print and online sources.	Sandro Botticelli, The Adoration of the Magi Florence: Uffizi
Jan 30	Jesus and the Gospels The Gospel of John Read before class: John, chapters 1, 2, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21	Jesus washing the disciples' feet.  13th century French
Feb 4	Christian beginnings: first preachers Paul and the first witnesses Early Christian churches Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 7 The Bible: The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Letter to the Romans	The Conversion of St Paul, Caravaggio
Feb 6	Christian beginnings: first preachers Early Christian churches and the formation of the New Testament Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 7 Letter of Pliny to Trajan on the Christians The Gospel of Thomas	Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century Bible
Feb 11	Early Christianity Christianity and pagan culture Persecution Theological questions From persecuted sect to state religion Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 8 Tertullian on pagan learning Origen on classical learning	Jesus as the Good Shepherd Rome, 3rd century
Feb 13	Early Christianity Persecution Theological questions From persecuted sect to state religion Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 8   Other reading: Letter of Ignatius of Antioch to the Romans Pagan charges of ritual cannibalism The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence	Catacomb gravestone of Firmia Victora 2nd-3rd century
Feb 18	The Imperial Church Church councils Theology as response to philosophical inquiry     Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 9 The Creed of the Council of Nicaea   Other reading: Eusebius on the conversion of Constantine The Edict of Milan   Term paper outline due in class	Sant' Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
Feb 20	The Imperial Church Monasticism Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 10 The Rule of St. Benedict   Other reading: Athanasius' Life of Anthony the First Hermit   Review for the Midterm Exam	St. Benedict delivering his Rule to his monks.  Saint Gilles Monastery, Nimes, 1129
Feb 25	The Rise of Islam Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 12	Alhambra, Granada, Spain
Feb 27	Midterm Exam on the preceding material	Giotto, The Last Judgment
Mar 4	Byzantine Christianity The sacred emperor The patriarchate Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 11 Other reading: Procopius on Justinian's Church of the Holy Wisdom (the Hagia Sophia)	Justinian and his court.  San Vitale, Ravenna
Mar 6	Byzantine Christianity The patriarchate Byzantine monasticism Devotion to the Virgin Mary Icons Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 11 Other reading: Easter Sermon of St. John Chrysostom Readings on Hesychasm	Iconostasis, St. George's Patriarchal Church, Istanbul
Mar 11	Spring Break - No class
Mar 13	Spring Break - No class
Mar 18	Latin Christianity in the Early Middle Ages Develpment of theology Conversion of the Germanic tribes Monasteries and bishops Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 13 Other reading: The Conversion of Augustine Vincent of Lerins' "canon" Pope Leo I and Attila	Pope Leo I and Attila.  Raphael, Vatican Palace
Mar 20	Latin Christianity in the Early Middle Ages Monasteries and bishops The Church in the developing feudal order Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 13	Pulpit, Aachen Cathedral Gift of Emperor Henry II in 1014
Mar 25	Latin Christianity in the High Middle Ages Monasteries and religious orders Cathedral building Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 14 and 15 Other reading: Description of the Abbey of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux' Apology, excerpt Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God	Cluny Abbey
Mar 27	Latin Christianity in the High Middle Ages Devotion to the Virgin Mary Eucharistic Devotion Pilgrimage and Crusade Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 14 and 15 Other reading: Thomas Aquinas on the Existence of God The Fourth Lateran Council's Decree against heresy	Sainte Chapelle, Paris
Apr 1	Latin Christianity in the Late Middle Ages Early reforms: Francis and others Late medieval devotional life: clergy and laity Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 16 and 17	St. Francis of Assisi, by Giotto
Apr 3	Latin Christianity in the Late Middle Ages Early reforms: Francis and others Late medieval devotional life: clergy and laity The late medieval papacy The role of the church The churches and the rising national states Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 16 and 17 Term paper due at class	Isenheim Altarpiece, Mattias Gruenewald
Apr 8	Reformations in the Western Churches The churches and the rising national states The question of justification The role of the church Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I English Puritanism Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 18 Other reading: Luther's Ninety-five Theses	Martin Luther by Lukas Cranach
Apr 10	Reformations in the Western Churches Instead of our usual class, we will meet in the Beck Rooms of the University Library to hear a discussion on the dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Baptist churches in the past ten years.  These ecumenical dialogues among Christian churches are a relatively new phenomenon in Christian history, beginning about a century ago.  The differences between the Catholic and Baptist churches are particularly strong; it is a hopeful sign that the two are talking together after centuries of division.  The two speakers will be Catholic Bishop Arthur Serratelli of the diocese of Paterson and Dr. Timothy George, dean of the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University.  Bishop Serratelli had been a professor at Seton Hall's seminary before he was named bishop of Paterson.  The program will begin at 2 pm and will go beyond our normal class time, but you are invited to stay for the whole program.	Dr. Martin Luther King preaching in Ebenezer Baptist Church
Apr 15	Roman Catholic Christianity  St. Peter's Basilica The Council of Trent The Jesuit order Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 20 and 21   Other reading: The Creed of Pius IV (1564) The Council of Trent on Original Sin The Council of Trent on the Sacraments	The Council of Trent
Apr 17	Holy Thursday - University Closed
Apr 22	Roman Catholic Christianity  The Jesuit order Baroque Catholicism Devotions   Read before class and post a Journal entry: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapters 20 and 21   Other reading: From the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola "Dark Night of the Soul" of John of the Cross	Burial of the Count of Orgaz, El Greco Toledo, Church of Santo Tomé
Apr 24	European Christianity in the modern world The French Revolution and its aftermath Development of Christian missions beyond the Americas Religion as expression of national identity Christianity and colonialism Christianity and modern thought Reading before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 22	The galaxy Abell 370, photographed by the Hubble telescope in 2009
Apr 29	American Christianity Puritans and Cavaliers Established churches and the First Amendment Roman Catholic immigration The First Vatican Council Read before class: The Christian Theological Tradition, chapter 23	St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City
May 1	Review for Final Examination
May 13 2:30-4:30pm	Final Examination

Scope and Purpose of the Course

This course is intended to provide you with an understanding of the variety of ways in which Christian people have lived their faith in God.  We will begin with a study of the basic stories and themes in the Hebrew Bible, which formed the religious consciousness of Jesus and the early Christians, and have served ever since as part of the authoritative sources of Christian tradition.  We will then look at the evidence of the first generations of Christians: their recollection of the person and meaning of Jesus of Nazareth, and the ways in which they preserved his story in the New Testament and other early Christian writings.  We will then look at the early Christian churches in the Roman empire, to see the variety of ways in which they understood and lived out their faith in Jesus: the issues which confronted them, and the ways in which they dealt with these issues.

The sudden recognition of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire brought to the fore the variety of understandings of the meaning of Christian belief.  The Roman imperial system from Constantine forward looked to a unified Christian church as a fundamental unifying force in the crumbling empire; we will look at the ways in which the variety of Christian understandings came in conflict with the imperial need for a unitary church.

We will look particularly at two basic forms of Christianity which developed out of this imperial synthesis: the Byzantine church, Greek-speaking and centered in the imperial capital of Constantinople; and the Latin church of the western Mediterranean and north-west Europe.  We will look both at the "high" theology of these churches, and at the popular forms of religious belief and practice as they developed over the centuries.

As European civilization developed in the middle years of this millennium, a variety of movements led to the development of a number of very different forms of Christianity over the course of the sixteenth century.  Out of these movements developed the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches we recognize today, each with its distinctive forms of belief and practice, and each with its own sense of fidelity to the ancient Christian tradition.

In the last weeks of the course, we will examine the impact of the European contact with the non-European world on the development of the Christian tradition, with particular attention to the religious history of the United States.

Obviously, an introductory course of this scope can not cover all that might be said or known about this enormously rich topic; all we will be able to do is examine some representative movements, texts, objects and other evidence of the rich diversity of Christian belief and practice over the past two millennia.  At the same time, however, this understanding of the development of Christianity as a religious tradition should help you understand something more of your own religious background, and give you some of the tools to refine your sense of religion well beyond the few weeks of this course.  If you are not of a Christian background, this course should give you a sense of who these curious "Christians" are.
 
 

Course Requirements:

The text for this course is The Christian Theological Tradition, edited by Catherine Cory and Michael Hollerich, published in third edition by Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-602832-1.  It is available in the University Bookstore.  Each class during the semester will cover topics discussed in the textbook; you are expected to have read the assigned chapters of the textbook before the class in which the chapters are to be discussed, since the class time will be devoted to discussing the matters raised in these chapters.

The other book you will need for this course is the Bible.  Any 20th-century translation of the Bible is acceptable; I personally prefer the Revised Standard Version for its fidelity to the linguistic structure of the original texts.  Certain books of the Bible are included in the course reading, as noted above.

In addition, many classes will also be discussing other materials available on the Web, especially primary source text and visual materials.  Links to these materials are in the syllabus; you are also expected to have studied these materials before the class in which they will be discussed.  Links are visible as lines of blue text in the syllabus.

Most classes will also include a number of slides to illustrate the points under discussion.  These slides will be posted before class on Blackboard, and will remain there for your continued reflection.

Note: Students registered for this course as CAST1202AA should also appear as registered in RELS1202AA in Blackboard, and should access Blackboard under RELS1201AA to access the slides, and to post their Journal entries.

Grading Criteria:

• In order to make sure that you come to class prepared for discussion, you are to write a paragraph of your reaction to the reading for the class, in your Journal in the Blackboard version of this course, before the class begins.    The Journal entries will count for 20% of your final grade.
• You will also be required to prepare a paper of some 5-8 pages, giving a close reading of one of the original texts assigned for the course.  This paper will count for 15% of your grade. 
• Your class participation will count for another 15% of your final grade.
• There will be a midterm examination, worth 20% of the final grade, given on the assigned date.
• There will also be a cumulative final examination, worth 30% of the final grade, given on the assigned examination date.  The final examination will be based on the in-class review done the previous week.
   
   

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Resources:

In addition to the textbook and the materials referenced in the syllabus, you may find additional material of interest in the following locations:

Internet Resources for the Study of Judaism and Christianity

Prof. Mahlon Smith's Virtual Religion Index: a very comprehensive set of links to materials on the history of Christianity and of other religions
The New Jerusalem Mosaic (website)
The Ecole Initiative, a Hypertext Encyclopedia of Early Church History on the World Wide Web
The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook (website with hundreds of links to ancient documents)
The Internet Jewish History Sourcebook (website with hundreds of Jewish documents)
The Christian Catacombs of Rome (website)
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (website)
List of Popes from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia (somewhat dated, but still useful)
Byzantine Sources in Translation (index of available texts, with links)
Byzantine Studies on the Internet (website with hundreds of texts)
Orthodox Resources from the University of Athens
The Internet Islamic History Sourcebook (website with hundreds of Islamic documents)
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook (website with links to hundreds of medieval texts)
An excellent website (in German) on the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
The Modern History Sourcebook (website with links to hundreds of texts on modern history)
 
 
 
 

Image at top of page: The church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.  The church stands on the site of the ancient Roman temple of Juno, and perhaps also on the site of the altar of the Roman augurs.  The present church building dates at least in part from the sixth century when it was part of a Byzantine monastery.  In the 10th century it was part of a Benedictine monastery; and it was given over to the Franciscan order in the 13th century.  The church has been rebuilt and added to in the 12th and 14th centuries, and periodically since.  The columns are salvaged from the ruins of imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill.  The altar enshrines a 6th century icon of the Virgin Mary, and the pulpit and much of the pavement is 12-century Cosmati inlay work.  The gilded ceiling was a thank-offering for the victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks at Lepanto in 1571.  A church like this is a visible icon of the way Christianity has developed over the centuries.