REL. 353: Christian Foundations
Aim of the Course
In this course, we will explore the original development of some of the classic ideas of Christian faith, with special emphasis on the idea of God. "Original" in this context means earliest, or foundational. Therefore it is mainly with the so-called "Patristic" or "Early Church Fathers" era of Christian history--stretching from the time immediately after the completion of the New Testament documents until the fall of the Roman Empire and its aftermath--that we will be concerned. We will be reading and reflecting together on the writings of some of the formative figures of this era, including Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, Athanasius, and Augustine of Hippo, with attention to early Church councils and creedal documents as well.
Other Christian beliefs that are closely associated with the idea of God, such as the doctrines of the creation and the person and work of Christ, will also be considered. Our greatest concern will be to understand the development of the characteristic Christian understanding of God as expressed in the doctrine of the Trinity.
Course Requirements
1. Class Participation (20% of final grade). Regular attendance at class meetings and regular participation in class discussions are expected. Additionally, each student will take a turn at initiating class discussion by identifying, and raising questions about, a passage in the assigned reading that they find particularly interesting. More than one absence from class will progressively lower this portion of your grade.
2. Midterm Exam (25%), which will take place on the second Wednesday of the term. The exam will contain both short answer and short essay questions.
3. A 4-5 Page Essay (25%), due on the third Wednesday of the term. Late essays will not be accepted without prior consent of the professor.
4. A Final Essay of 5-7 pages (30%), due by 1:00 P.M. on the fourth Wednesday of the term.
Class Meeting Times
Class meetings will be held on Monday through Friday, from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M.
Required Texts
1. Cyril C. Richardson, Early Christian Fathers.
2. William G. Rusch, The Trinitarian Controversy.
3. Richard A. Norris, Jr., The Christological Controversy.
4. Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert.
5. Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions of St. Augustine.
Academic Honesty
Consult the COMPASS for the College's policy on cheating and plagiarism. More will be said about plagiarism when your essay assignments are distributed.
Students with Special Needs
Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students. If you have a documented learning disability and will need any accommodation in this course, you must request the accommodation(s) from the instructor no later than the third day of the term. Additional information about the policies and procedures for accommodation of learning disabilities is available at http://cornellcollege.edu/academic_affairs/disabilities/.
Course Calendar
Note: The reading assignments listed in this course calendar are to be completed PRIOR to that day's meeting of the class.
WEEK 1
Monday: Getting oriented
Tuesday: A. The Biblical Background to Early Christian Writings (Library
Reserve).
(1) Hebrew Bible: Genesis 3; Psalm 82; Proverbs 8; Isaiah 44; Amos 3.
(2) Christian Scriptures: Mark 13; John 1, 14, 15, 16; Philippians 2:1-11.
B. An Introduction to Early Christian Writings.
Richardson, Early Christian Fathers, pp. 15-26.
Wednesday: A. Letters of Ignatius.
Richardson, pp. 74-80; 87-93; 102-116.
B. An Early Christian Manual: The Didache.
Richardson, pp. 161-166; 171-179.
C. The Letter of (?) to Diognetus.
Richardson, pp. 205-224.
Thursday: The First Apology of Justin Martyr.
Richardson, pp. 225-289.
Friday: Irenaeus of Lyons Attempts to Refute Heresies.
Richardson, pp. 343-397.
WEEK 2
Monday: The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicaea.
Rusch, The Trinitarian Controversy, pp. 17-23; 29-62.
Tuesday: Athanasius Attempts to Refute the Arians.
Rusch, pp. 63-129.
Wednesday: MIDTERM EXAM, 1:00 P.M.
Thursday: The Question of Christology: Melito, Tertullian, and Origen.
Norris, The Christological Controversy, pp. 9-10; 12-17; 33-47; 61-81.
Friday: Apollinaris, Theodore, and the Council of Chalcedon.
Norris, pp. 21-31; 103-159.
WEEK 3
Monday: The Beginnings of Christian Monasticism.
Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert (whole book).
Tuesday: Beginning an In-depth Study of a Classic Christian Text.
The Confessions of St. Augustine, Books I.1-IV.10.
Wednesday: ESSAY DUE, 1:00 P.M.
Guest Speaker: Prof. John Gruber-Miller.
Thursday: Augustine, Books IV.11-VII.5.
Friday: Augustine, Books VII.6-IX.13.
WEEK 4
Monday: Augustine, Books X.1-XI.13; and XIII.11.
Tuesday: No class--work on final essay.
Wednesday: FINAL ESSAY DUE BY 1:00 P.M.
A List of Reference Resources Available in the Library
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols. (Ref 270.103 En19)
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Ref 203 Ox2)
Encyclopedia of Theology (Ref 203 En19)
New Dictionary of Theology (Ref 230.03 N42)
Dictionary of Christian Theology (Ref 230.03 R393d)
Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology (Ref 230.03 W528)