A. K. M. Adam
25 Seabury Hall
Office 328-9300 ext 39
Calendar for the Early Church course
Remember that Prof. Barker will expect you to have read the beginning chapters from William Placher's A History of Christian Theology by the time you enter the Christian Life & Thought 2 class; appropriate readings will be flagged as they fit the readings for this term's course.
9/24 Introduction to the course; Five Forms of Ancient Judaism
{Gonzalez, ch. 2-5}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapters 2 &3
9/26 Liturgy in the Early Church
{Reading: "The Didache" in Church & Society; Gonzalez, pages 1-39}
10/1 Gnosticism
{"Gospel of Thomas" in Church & Society, 27-43; Gonzalez, ch. 8}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapter 4
Supplementary readings from early Gnostic literature may be found at The Gnostic Society website.
10/3 Christianity and the Hellenistic World
{Reading: Pliny and Justin Martyr, Church & Society, 1-6, 45-57; Gonzalez, ch. 6-7}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapter 5
10/8 Montanism
{Readings from New Eusebius, #102-108}
10/10 Teachers of the Early Church
{Reading: Gonzalez, ch. 9}
10/15 Martyrdom
{Readings: Martyrdom of Perpetua & Felicitas from Church & Society, 59-72; Gonzalez, ch. 10}
10/17 Liturgy in the Later Church
{Readings: Hippolytus, "The Apostolic Tradition," Church & Society; Gonzalez, ch. 11}
10/22 Various controversies & responses
{Readings: New Eusebius, #123, 124, 127, 128; 93-97; 142-150, 154; Gonzalez, chs. 12-14, 16 }
10/24 Desert Monasticism
{Readings: Ward, Desert Fathers, & readings on desert mothers; Gonzalez, ch. 15}
10/29 Arianism
{Reading: A New Eusebius, 321-365; Gonzalez, 17-19}
10/31 Cappadocians
{Readings: "Life of Macrina" (online & on reserve); Gonzalez, ch. 20}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapter 6
11/5 Pilgrimage and Commemoration
{Reading: The Pilgrimage of Egeria, online and on reserve}
11/7 A New Generation of Leaders
{Reading: Gonzalez, ch. 21-25}
11/12 Augustine and Donatism
{Reading: Garry Wills, Saint Augustine}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapter 8
11/14 Augustine and Pelagianism
{Reading: On the Spirit and the Letter, on reserve and online}
11/26 Augustine on his own
{Reading: Teaching Christianity}
11/28 Further Christological Controversies Leading to Chalcedon
{Readings: Gregory Nazianzen, Church & Society, 147-164; "The Tome of Leo," Church & Society, 247-258; Gonzalez, 26}
Additional reading, preparatory for CL&T2: Placher, chapter 9
12/4 Cenobitic Monasticism
{Reading: "The Rule of St. Benedict," on reserve}
12/6 The Efflorescence of Celtic Christianity
{Reading: "The Confession of St. Patrick,"in Church & Society, 229-245)
A K M Adam
E-Mail: akm-adam@nwu.edu